Sugar and Iced (Cupcake Bakery Mystery) (17 page)

Mel took a cupcake off of the tray and shoved it at
him.

“There is no number one, two, or three,” she said. She used her most discouraging tone.

“Excellent, so the field is wide open then?” he asked. His eyes twinkled with mischief and Mel shook her head.

“You’re impossible,” she said.

“I could have told you that,” Manny said. “’Sup, weasel?”

“Now is that nice?” Steve asked as he unwrapped his cupcake. “Here I am minding my own business and—Oh, wow, this is amazing.”

Mel smiled at him, handed a cupcake to Manny, and said, “Play nice.”

“Huh,” Manny grunted and took the cupcake. “Does this constitute a bribe?”

“Would it help?”

“No,” he said. “Different sash, huh?”

“That was confirmed?” Mel asked.

Manny took a bite of his cupcake. “Yep.”

“Meaning you don’t have to haul anyone in for questioning?” she asked.

“For the moment,” Manny said.

“Well, looks like my work here is done,” Steve said. “Or not.” He glanced behind Mel and she turned to find Joe crossing the room to join them.

“Joyce is down?” she asked.

“Yes, her feet are planted firmly on the ground,” he said.

“This was fun until number one showed up,” Steve said to Manny.

“Agreed,” Manny said.

They both gave Joe a dark look.

“Number one?” Joe asked. He grinned as he helped himself to a chocolate cupcake with pomegranate icing.

“Don’t listen to them,” Mel said.

“Number two here,” Manny said.

“I’m number three, but I think it’s lucky,” Steve said.

“Seriously, what are they talking about?” Joe asked Mel.

“Nonsense,” she said. “Trust me.”

“It’s the order of dating Mel,” Manny said. “Hey, that almost sounds like the name of a fraternal organization.”

“Yeah, we’ve done the fraternity thing before.” Joe gestured between him and Steve. “It didn’t really work out for me.”

“That’s history,” Steve said. “You need to let it go. I sort of dig belonging to the Fraternal Order of Mel.”

“Oh. My. God,” Mel said. She glanced at the three of them as if trying to decide which one she was going to smack first.

“You could be our supreme pooh-bah,” Manny said to Joe.

“I think I’d rather be king,” he said.

“That would make us princes or knights?” Steve asked.

“Knights, definitely knights,” Manny said.

“Hey, I’m standing right here,” Mel said. She stared at the three of them in disbelief. “And let me be clear on how there is no king, pooh-bah, princes, or knights.”

All three of them looked at her and then turned back to each other.

“Maybe I can be a prince and you can be a knight,” Steve said to Manny. “You’re more macho than me.”

“No,” Manny said. “Princes are ranked higher than knights and I’m number two.”

“I thought you were number three,” Joe said.

“I think I’m getting a migraine,” Mel said. None of them looked at her. She glanced down at her tray and made her way over to the tower.

Tate was manning what was left of the cupcakes. There was no sign of Angie.

“What’s going on with the Mel Squad over there?” Tate asked as he gestured to Joe, Manny, and Steve, who were still deep in discussion.

“You mean other than the fact that they’re morons?” she asked.

“Still working out a pecking order?” he asked.

“Don’t go there,” Mel growled. “I am so over the ‘pair and a spare’ thing.”

“Well, you know how to solve that dilemma,” Tate said. “Pick one.”

“It’s not that easy,” Mel said.

“Yes, it is,” Tate said. “You simply look at the one you want and say, ‘I choose you.’”

“But—”

“No, there’s no buts about this, Mel,” he said. He turned away from the tray he was loading for her. “You know when I was too chicken to man up and make a play for Angie, you were the one who called me on it.”

“It’s not the same,” Mel said, even though she feared it was.

“Oh, yeah, it totally is,” Tate said. He rested his hand on her shoulder. “Now, I know you have self-esteem issues. Remember I was there for all of the icky years, but they are long over and you need to get comfortable with the you that you’ve become, which is a knockout by the way.”

“I am—”

“Let me finish,” he said. “I know, too, how losing your dad crushed you. I was there for that also. I loved your dad, Mel, he was a hell of a guy. And I know you’re afraid to let someone in because you may have to go through loss of one kind or another again. Here’s the thing. That’s life and you need to get over it.”

“Harsh,” Mel said.

“Takes one to know one,” he retorted. Then his gaze softened and he pulled her into a half hug. “Mel, what would your dad think if he saw you were afraid to get involved because of him?”

“Knife to the chest—Ow!” she said. Tate didn’t say anything, just gave her another squeeze. Mel sighed. “He’d be sad and probably a little disappointed.”

“Yeah, he would,” Tate agreed. “So, you know what you need to do.”

Mel stepped away and met his gaze. “Yes, I do. I need to serve more cupcakes.”

“No, that’s not what I—”

But Mel had already hoisted her tray up and was moving through the crowd. She knew Tate was right. She knew her dad would be unhappy that she was stuck in a holding pattern, afraid to move forward. She needed to make a decision about what she wanted. And she would, any day now.

When the scores were tallied for the talent show,
Lupe was far and away the clear winner. While Destiny seemed okay with this outcome, Mel saw her mother approach the judges, looking furious.

Before Brittany could make contact, Brandon appeared and grabbed her by the arm, stopping her. She looked like she was going to forge on ahead, but he leaned in close and whispered something in her ear. Brittany tried to jerk her arm out of his hold, but he didn’t let go, and finally she allowed him to lead her away.

As they broke down the cupcake tower, Paulie and Al showed up looking for leftovers. There were none.

“Meet us back at the bakery and we’ll celebrate,” Mel said.

Oz and Lupe joined the group and Mel noted that they were holding hands. She glanced at Oz and he gave her a sheepish shrug.

When Lupe let go of him to go and hug her mother and sisters, Mel gave Oz a squeeze.

“That was genius,” she said. “You really made Lupe a contender in this competition.”

“Nah,” he said. “She did that just by being herself. She really is amazing.”

As he watched her with her family, Mel could see the affection in his gaze.

“So, has there been a status change in the relationship?” Mel asked.

“Yeah, from what we saw you two aren’t just pals anymore,” Angie said as she joined them.

“Aw, what? You
saw
us?” Oz asked.

“Next time, save the smooches for when you’re farther backstage,” Angie said.

“Can we please not talk about this?” Oz’s face turned a deep shade of red, and Mel felt for him, really she did, but not enough to not want some specifics.

“Oz, the pickup truck is loaded,” Tate called as he entered the lobby. “You ready to roll out?”

“You have no idea,” Oz said. He punched Tate on the shoulder as he passed. “Your timing is epic.”

Tate rubbed his shoulder as he watched Oz hurry from the building.

“Was that a love tap or is he miffed at me?” he asked.

“No, that was love,” Angie said. “You saved him from the inquisition.

Tate glanced between them and then understanding lit his eyes. “Ah, so no word on his new status with Lupe yet?”

“No, darn it,” Angie said.

“Well, maybe he’s unclear as to what the status is,” Mel said. “I suppose we’ll have to wait and see.”

“Poor Oz,” Tate said with a shake of his head.

“What do you mean?” Angie asked.

“Waiting is not your gift,” Tate said as he dropped an arm over each of their shoulders and led them to the door.

Back at the bakery, Marty fired up the jukebox when
he heard about how well Lupe had done, Oz raided the walk-in cooler for cupcakes and they all celebrated with Lupe and her family, Joyce, and Ginny.

Steve and Joe popped in, as well as Paulie and Al. Lupe’s younger sisters would not take no for an answer when it came to dancing and so the men were put to work twirling the younger girls around until they giggled themselves into a case of hiccups. It was festive and fun and for the first time in days, Mel felt optimistic about Lupe’s chances at winning the pageant.

Mel was in the front of the bakery, clearing cupcake wrappers from a booth by the window, when she saw a shadow loom over the glass.

“What the—?”

“Mel, look out!” Joe yelled as he grabbed her around the middle and dragged her down to the floor.

Boom!
A brick landed on the floor next to Mel. She
couldn’t move, as Joe had her wrapped in his arms, covering her back with his front while glass rained down on top of them.

Shrieks sounded as Lupe and her sisters were dragged back against the display case and shielded by the men.

Joe stood, pulling Mel to her feet. He spun her around and looked her over. “Are you all right?”

Mel nodded, since her power of speech seemed to have momentarily fled.

“Is anyone hurt?” Gloria cried as she checked over her children.

“We’ll catch him!” Paulie yelled as he and Al ran for the door. The door had just shut behind them when the sound of a car engine revving and tearing off down the street sounded.

Mel gaped at her window. Then she glanced around the bakery. No one moved until Marty had the presence of mind to shut off the jukebox. Then Lupe’s littlest sister began to cry.

“Stan, I need you
now
,” Joyce said into her cell phone. “Someone threw a brick through the bakery’s front window.”

Mel glanced around the room. Glass shards were everywhere. The floor looked like a land mine. Gloria had Lupe’s littlest sister in her arms and was trying to shush her cries.

“Take the girls up to my apartment. They can play with Captain Jack. My key is in the office,” Mel said to Oz.

“I’ll get them settled and be right back,” he said. Together he and Lupe led her sisters and mother into the kitchen.

Paulie and Al came banging back in through the front door.

“We gave chase,” Al wheezed.

“But they lost us,” Paulie finished.

“But we did see the car,” Al added. “No license plate, though.”

“Thanks for trying, guys,” Joe said.

Marty had gone into the kitchen and come back with two brooms and a dustpan. He handed one to Steve, who for the first time since Mel had known him seemed at a loss for words.

“Mel!” Angie cried. “You’re bleeding!”

Mel glanced down at her body. She didn’t see anything. Then she noticed the small pool of blood by her foot. That was when she felt the stabbing pain in her leg. She swayed on her feet and Joe caught her by the elbow.

“Come on,” he said. “Let’s get you in back where we can look at it.”

Joe scooped Mel up into his arms just as the front door was yanked open. In strode Stan and Manny. Manny took one look at Mel in Joe’s arms and he rushed forward.

“What happened?” he asked.

“Brick through the window. I saw it just before it hit, but I didn’t see the thrower,” Joe said. He gestured toward Paulie and Al. “My brothers got a look at the car. You might want to talk to them while I take care of her.”

Manny frowned. He looked at Mel. “You all right?”

“Yeah, I’m sure it’s just a scrape,” she said.

“I think I should take you to the hospital,” Steve shoved his broom at Tate and strode over to where they stood.

“What?” Joe snapped. “I’ll take her.”

“I have a siren, I’ll get her there faster,” Manny said.

“I’m fine, really,” Mel said. She pushed against Joe in an effort to get down, but his hold was unyielding.

“Scottsdale Osborn hospital is like three minutes away,” Joe scoffed. “Your siren won’t even get warmed up.”

“Are you mocking my siren?” Manny asked. He looked irritated.

“Somebody has to,” Steve said.

“Oh, for Pete’s sake, the girl is going to bleed out while you three idiots squabble over her like she’s the prize in a cereal box,” Marty snapped.

“That’s the problem with dating a pair and a spare,” Tate said. He winked at her, but Mel was not amused.

“I am not—” Mel began to protest but Marty interrupted her.

“Joyce, Angie, you two take Mel to the ER,” Marty said. “The rest of you, start cleaning and we need someone to board up the window.”

“Ouch!” Mel cried.

“Sorry,” Joyce said. She had rolled up Mel’s pant leg and found the shard of glass that was stuck in the fleshy part of Mel’s lower leg.

“Dear Joe, will you carry her to my car?” Joyce said. “I’m afraid to pull the glass out in case I miss a piece.”

“Sure,” Joe said.

“I’ll get our purses and meet you at the car,” Angie said. She hurried to the office to grab their belongings.

“I’ll check on you later,” Manny said.

“Me, too,” Steve promised.

Joyce’s car was parked in front of the bakery. Joe carefully placed Mel in the backseat, using a rolled-up blanket to elevate her foot.

“Do you want me to come with you?” he asked.

Mel glanced at Joyce and Angie in the front seat.

“I think I’m good, but thanks,” she said.

Joe kissed her forehead and ducked out of the car.

“Take care of my girl, Joyce,” he said.

Mel’s mother sighed as she backed out of her parking spot.

“Don’t say it, Mom,” Mel said. “Or I’ll let myself bleed all over your upholstery.”

“Say what?” Joyce asked. Her voice was entirely too innocent.

“Whatever you’re thinking,” Mel said. “Don’t say it.”

“Fine,” Joyce sighed, which of course meant that it wasn’t.

Angie turned halfway in her seat, monitoring Mel as they made their way to the emergency room.

“You okay?” Angie asked.

“Someone just threw a brick through our bakery window,” Mel said. “I’m hell and gone away from okay.”

A very nice doctor in the emergency room removed
the glass from Mel’s leg and four stitches later she was free to go. When they arrived back at the bakery, it was to find Tate and Marty holding down the fort, while the rest of the crowd had cleared out.

“How are you doing, kid?” Marty asked as Mel hobbled into the bakery, flanked by Joyce and Angie.

“I’m fine,” Mel said. She tried to keep her voice steady as she took in the large piece of plywood that had been nailed over the broken window.

“Where is everyone?” Angie asked as she cozied up to Tate, who put his arm around her shoulders and drew her close.

“Marty banished the men to the kitchen,” Tate said. “We were tripping over Mel’s boyfriends, so he made them wait it out in back.”

“They are not my boyfriends,” Mel protested.

“Whatever,” Marty groused. “Just pick one soon before someone gets hurt.”

“But—” Mel began to protest but Marty waved her off.

“Not my business,” he said. Then he gave Angie a bug-eyed look. “See what I did there? Minded my own business—mostly.”

“The operative word being
mostly
.” Angie returned his big-eyed glance with one of her own.

“Pardon me,” Marty said. “I have a hot date.”

Angie huffed a breath of annoyance when the door shut after him. Despite the truce with Olivia, she clearly thought an intervention was still in order.

“What did Uncle Stan say about the window?” Mel asked.

“We filed a police report,” Tate said. “Stan and Manny canvassed the neighborhood but no one reported seeing anyone or anything suspicious.”

“So it’s a dead end,” Mel said. Tate nodded.

“What about Lupe?” Joyce asked. “Are she and the girls okay?”

“Yes, they were shaken up but otherwise just fine. Oz took them home,” Tate said. “Paulie and Al went home, too, as soon as we got the plywood up.”

Mel turned and gazed at the big brown board that covered the hole but also kept her from seeing out. She desperately wished that she could blame it on a random act of violence, but she knew better. Someone was sending the bakery a message. The only problem was, she didn’t know if it was directed at her or Lupe.

Were they trying to scare Lupe from competing or were they trying to keep Mel from baking the contestant’s cupcakes? A few weeks ago, she would have blamed Marty’s squeeze, Olivia, but now it just didn’t seem likely.

“What do you want to do now?” Angie asked.

“I need to finish the cupcakes for tomorrow,” Mel said.

“No, you need to go to bed,” Joyce said. “I’ll come over in the morning and help you with the cupcakes.”

“Me, too,” Angie said. “We’ll get it done.”

“All right, it looks like all I need to do is clean out the kitchen, then,” Mel said. “Thanks for everything. I’ll see you all in the morning.”

“Do you want me to spend the night?” Joyce offered.

“Thanks, Mom.” Mel leaned forward and kissed her mom’s cheek. “But I’m good.”

“Come on, Joyce, we’ll walk you to your car,” Tate said.

Angie made a “call me if you need me” gesture by holding her hand with thumb and pinky extended up to her ear. Mel nodded to let her know she would. She shut the door behind them and made her way to the kitchen.

She could hear voices on the other side of the door, and she knew it was horribly wrong to eavesdrop, but she did it anyway. “Stupid is as stupid does,” as Forrest Gump’s mother would say. She wished Tate or Angie were there to appreciate her movie reference, although it was an uber-easy one.

She leaned in close to the door.

“I wonder if this is how the girls in the pageant feel,” Steve said.

“What do you mean?” Manny asked.

“Well, look at the three of us, all competing for the same girl as if she’s a crown we get to wear on our heads,” Steve said.

There was a beat of silence and then Manny said, “She’s worth it.”

Aw
. Mel smiled.

“No question there,” Joe said. “A guy spends his whole life looking for a girl like Mel.”

Mel felt her heart trip over that one. Maybe this eavesdropping thing was underrated.

“Well, then you should really be out of the running, you had your shot and you blew it,” Steve said. “Besides, with the high-profile case you’ve got going on at the DA’s office, are you really in a position to be dating anyone?”

“You’re just jealous because she picked me,” Joe said. “And don’t you worry, I can take care of my cases.”

“You two really do have a history, don’t you?” Manny asked.

“A very boring one,” Joe said.

Mel was pleased to hear that he didn’t sound the least bit irritated by Steve. She knew they had been friends who had become bitter rivals for grades and girls in law school.

“I wouldn’t say it was boring,” Steve said. “Oh, yeah, that’s because I always won.”

“Seriously,
number three
, do you really think you stand a chance with Mel?” Joe asked. “She’s too good for you.”

“Agreed,” Manny said. “I’ll happily let Joe have her if it means she doesn’t end up with you.”

“What? Are you making an alliance like we’re on some lame reality show?” Steve asked.

There was a pause and then both Joe and Manny said, “Yes.”

“How is that fair?” Steve asked.

“All’s fair in love and war,” Manny said.

“If that’s the case, then I’ll just have to turn up my game,” Steve said.

“Really? You don’t know Mel at all if you think you can buy her with fancy dinners and sparkly jewelry,” Manny said.

“No, but trips to Paris might sway her,” Steve said. “Face it, I can give her more than you two can. I can give her a mountainside mansion, a Rolls-Royce, dinner in Paris, a beach house in Malibu, in short, the life she deserves.”

Mel felt her jaw drop. She couldn’t even imagine a life like that.

“What she deserves doesn’t come with a price tag,” Joe said. “It’s a partner who loves her for exactly who she is, someone she can count on to be there, even when she’s pushing him away.”

Mel felt her heart constrict. Joe had just described them perfectly and she couldn’t help but feel that she had been treating him terribly.

“Spoken like a true public servant,” Steve scoffed. “It sounds like you just don’t want to face reality, Joe. Mel’s not pushing you away, she’s simply done with you. And by the way, everyone has a price tag.”

“Would it be police brutality if I punched him in the mouth?” Manny asked.

“Only if there’s a witness,” Joe said. “I could leave.”

“Hey, now,” Steve said.

Mel doubted that Joe would leave or that Manny would throw a punch. Still, she pushed through the door, interrupting whatever might have happened next.

“Mel!” All three of them rose from the steel table where they’d been sitting. She noted a pile of empty cupcake wrappers and she frowned.

“Out!” she demanded and pointed to the door.