11. Lottie

LOTTIE

" O h my word." Lainey waddles in this direction along with my sister, Meg, and Noah's sister, Sam. And each one looks as if they're smuggling Santa's toy bag under their shirts.

The preschoolers don't miss a beat with their version of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." It's enthusiastic, if not exactly harmonious, but that doesn't stop the army of parents and teachers alike from recording every last minute of it.

"I came as soon as I could," Lainey says, plucking out her phone and pointing it at her sweet babe, Josie. "You wouldn't believe how busy we've been at the library. Just like people love their holiday cookies, people seem to love their holiday books as well."

Lainey has been the head librarian down at the Honey Hollow Library for years now. And even with another baby on the way, there doesn't seem to be any slowing her down. Even though I was adopted into the Lemon family, Lainey and I share the same caramel-colored curls and hazel eyes.

"And I had to come to feed my cruller addiction," Meg admits. "Lucky for me, I get a holiday show out of it, too." She honks out a laugh and her blue eyes glitter among the copious amount of black eyeliner she's enwreathed them with.

Meg dyes her honey locks a dark shade of midnight and wears her hair spun up into a beehive that looks a lot like sooted cotton candy. She has a penchant for dressing like a Goth princess, but as of late, she's been wearing long black velour dresses that look more formal than they do grunge. She works down at the gentlemen's club in Leeds and is the one who teaches the dancers their money-making moves. She's not slowing down anytime soon either.

"Are we in a bakery or are we in a maternity ward?" Sam laughs as she holds her belly and we all do the same. Sam is Noah's look-alike in female skin and she should be, considering she's his twin. And I'm guessing Lyla Nell will one day look like Sam's twin.

Lainey pats her belly and smiles. "Just two more months to go. This little one is an up-and-coming soccer player in there. Forrest is hoping for a boy this time, but we're up for whatever the stork drops off."

Sam groans with a hand on her back. "I don't mind whatever it is. I just want this kid out of me. Only one month to go for me and I'm counting down the days. Jed, not so much."

I make a face. Jed just so happens to be the father of both Meg's and Sam's babies. A dishonorable feat if ever there was one.

But I guess things have worked out. Sam is officially with Jed and Meg is officially back together with her on-again, off-again beau, Hook Redwood. And there are two little blessings coming this way, right after the new year, so we're all keeping our focus on that.

Well, maybe not Noah. He's still peeved that the guy he sent to prison for running drugs had impregnated his sister—and mine. Everett also participated in sending Jed up the river way back when, and let me tell you, he's thrilled his own sister came out unscathed.

"Hook's been my rock." Meg shrugs. "I don't really care what Jed thinks about anything as long as he pays child support. And thanks to Everett, I have a lawyer who'll make sure he does just that."

Sam rolls her eyes. "Jed is going to make a great father," she says rather unconvincingly.

Can't say I blame her. It would take a lot to convince me of that fact, too.

"I'd better go document the heck out of this," Lainey coos as the preschoolers hit another high note. "They're all so cute I can't stand it." She grabs her belly. "I think I want ten more."

She takes off in their direction and Meg belts out a laugh. "I'll go keep an eye on Lyla Nell for you, Lot. She's sticking green frosting up her nose. Can't wait until she sneezes on one of her daddies."

She takes off and I gag as I look that way and confirm that it's true, but Meg quickly helps clean up the mess. Lyla Nell really does love her Aunt Meg. Even if Aunt Meg thinks it's funny when she teaches her to dance. Neither Everett, Noah, nor I am amused.

I'm about to say something to Sam when the door swings open and in walks Noah.

"Noah," I say, relieved by the fact I no longer have to think of small talk to amuse Sam. "Here for your daily sugar fix?" I tease.

He grins, heading to the counter. "Can't start the day without it."

"You're just in time for the show," I say, nodding to Lyla Nell as she and the rest of the baby bunch wrap up their cheery tune.

"Lucky me," he says, pulling out his phone and taking a few quick snaps. "And here I thought I was grabbing breakfast before I headed to Ashford." Noah's hair is still damp from the shower and he's donned a tweed jacket with jeans, looking ever so much like the consummate professional. He's already done so much in the last twenty-four hours, between documenting a new case and spilling the details to Everett's case as well. For Noah's sake, I hope he snuck a nap in there, too.

He pulls Sam in for a quick embrace. "How are you holding up?"

Sam looks from me to Noah and her bottom lip begins to quiver.

"Oh boy," I say. "Let's head over to the counter and I'll get you both something to eat and a nice cup of coffee. Decaf for you, Sam."

We do just that and I land a platter of crullers between them while Suze comes over and pours the coffee.

"If it isn't two of my favorite children," she sings as she glides a mug of our eggnog lattes to each of them. "What's on the agenda today? Doing a little Christmas shopping? I like my gifts to come in the form of gift certificates. That should make it easy enough for the two of you."

"I'm not shopping today," Sam sulks as she picks up a cruller.

"And I'm hunting down a killer," Noah says. "But thanks for the heads-up."

"Sam, what's going on?" I ask point-blank.

"It involves childbirth and a certain someone's cold feet." She glowers in the direction of the door as if she were considering bolting and teaching said someone a lesson by way of electrocution. Okay, so that last part was inspired by my own raging hormones, but I bet she's not far off track either.

"I'll give you a hint," she says. "It's not me. Because I don't have the privilege of saying that the thought of the delivery room makes me queasy ."

Noah groans hard. "It would figure that Jed would wimp out. But as much as I don't care for the guy, he's not wrong. The delivery room isn't exactly for the faint at heart."

"Noah Fox." I come shy of tossing a cruller at him. "You were happy to take birthing classes with me. And had I not delivered at my mother's B&B—quite by accident—I would've thought you'd be happy to be in the delivery room with me."

"And I was happy to be with you at the B&B while Lyla Nell came into the world." He offers a heartfelt dimpled smile. "But there were some bodily fluids involved. A lot, come to think of it. And Lyla Nell looked as if she'd been through a war."

I lift a brow his way.

"But"—he inches back—"I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

"Well, Jed is missing it," Sam snips.

Suze snorts. "Back in my day we were drugged to the gills and I couldn't have been happier about it. Things were a lot simpler back then. Or at least a lot blurrier."

Carlotta bursts into the bakery like a one-woman hurricane before landing on the other side of Noah here at the counter.

"What did I miss?" she asks, stealing a cruller. Her hair is frazzled and there's a dusting of snow on her navy wool winter coat, which so happens to be my navy wool winter coat. But I'm done putting up a fight about Carlotta stealing clothes from my closet. She's the only one who can fit into them now anyway.

"Jed doesn't want to go into the delivery room with Sam." Suze is quick to break Sam's confidence and fill Carlotta in.

"Why? Did Sam find out that Mr. Sexy is her baby's daddy, too?" Carlotta doesn't hesitate to let our family secret fly. She glances over at the preschoolers just wrapping up their holiday party. "It looks like the rest of Sexy's little rascals have come home to roost, too."

"Oh, good grief," I moan.

"What's this about Everett having other children?" Lily asks as she struts this way with Effie on her heels. Lily and Effie are two of my best employees, and even though I consider them friends, I don't feel the need to air out Everett's dirty laundry in front of them.

"Never you mind," I tell them. "There's a crowd at the registers."

They make a face as they take off.

"I'll fill you in later," Suze calls out. "By the way, Lottie, I'll be happy to drop by the Honey Hollow Bank this afternoon with last night's deposit. It's always my pleasure."

I give a quick nod her way. That's one thing I can always count on Suze for?—

taking the deposit to the bank for me. Although she does take twice as long to get the deed done than the rest of us.

" Carlotta ," I growl in dismay. "Didn't we just take an oath not to tell a soul this morning?"

"Bye, Lot!" Keelie shouts from the door as the kids begin to file out with the teachers. "Don't worry! Your secret is safe with me!"

And just like that, I shrink ten inches.

"You were saying?" Noah cocks a brow my way with a look of amusement.

"Never mind. This isn't about me. It's about Sam," I say.

"Which brings me to my next point," Sam says, shrugging at her brother. "Would you mind coming into the delivery room with me? I signed up for prenatal breathing classes and I don't have a coach."

Noah's face goes white while Carlotta chortles up a storm.

"Come on, Noah. Be my birth coach!" Sam beams, as if she's just offered him a lottery ticket instead of a front-row seat to the miracle of childbirth and all the bodily fluids that follow.

Noah blinks, then looks at me as if he's looking for an escape route. "Lottie, help me out here."

"Oh no, you're not dragging me into—" But then, I catch Sam's gaze and my heart sinks. "Actually, why not? It'll be fun, Noah. Think of it, you'll be the first to greet your niece or nephew."

"Yeah, Foxy"—Carlotta elbows him—"think of the stories you'll have for the boys at the precinct when you tell them all about the wild time you had with your sister."

We all shoot her a look.

"All right, all right." Noah sighs. "But how about you join us, Lot?" He locks eyes with me and I can tell he's internally begging me to do just that. I've seen that look from Noah before, and usually he's begging me for far more suggestive things. "It can serve as a refresher course for you. That way you won't have to take classes next month."

"That is a good point," I say, suddenly regretting getting sucked into this conversation.

"Welcome to Team Baby," Sam says, clapping Noah on the back. "And thank you, too, Lottie. You don't know how much I appreciate this. Classes start in a few days. Hey? Maybe Essex can come, too? We can make a real party out of it."

How I hate that Sam has been Essexed.

"I'll ask." But I'd rather not.

"I'll bring the snacks!" Carlotta volunteers. "Good on you, Foxy, for keeping it in the family. We all know you just wanted an excuse to do a little heavy breathing with Lot Lot again."

He toasts her with his mug. "Hear, hear."

Suze sniffs as she ambles this way. "Just so long as all they're doing is breathing. Don't forget, Noah. Lottie is with Essex now. That leaves you a whole world of prospects that are most likely far better suited for you."

Noah lifts his eyes her way, no smile. "Says you." His phone chirps. "It's Ivy. We need to discuss the case. Since Glenda was her mother's friend, this is sort of personal for her. I'd better get going. Love you." He nods my way before kissing Lyla Nell goodbye and taking off.

Meg comes over and lands Lyla Nell in a high chair here at the counter before saying goodbye and both Sam and she take off as well. Suze sneaks a cruller off the platter they left behind before helping with the customers at hand.

"Mama, ewf ," Lyla Nell shouts as she points past me.

"Ewf?" I repeat, glancing over my shoulder before doing a double take. "It's an elf!" I cry out, looking at a man in a green leotard and yellow tights. He has a pointy hat and even pointier ears and he doesn't look much taller than I am as he floats just above my menu board.

"Thimblewick is my name." He chortles as he floats down to the counter. "And solving a murder is my new game," he thunders with a demonic roar before up and disappearing in a spray of red glittery stars.

" Yay ," Lyla Nell shouts and claps as if it were the best performance she's seen by a ghost in years. And considering she, too, can see the dead, it's probably true.

"Who are we after, Lot?" Carlotta pants. "Who's your first suspect?"

I glance in the direction Noah just took off in. "Eudora Fairbanks, Ivy's mother."

I look over at Suze as she helps out with the customers.

But Noah's mother isn't exactly off my suspect list either.