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“Says the pot to the kettle,” Carlotta barks back.
Lottie gags on her words, but Evie raises her hand—and her muffin by proxy—
before she can get a comeback out.
“Before I forget, I’ve got news,” Evie says. “The principal like sent me a text this morning. I’m totally the valedictorian of the graduating class.”
A loud whoop goes off in the room as each one of us congratulates Evie at the very same time.
“I’m not surprised,” I tell her.
“Of course not,” Everett says, giving his baby girl’s shoulder a squeeze. “She’s got my brain.”
“Just the good parts,” I counter.
Lottie wipes the tears from her eyes. “Oh, Evie, you’ve just made me the proudest mother in all of Honey Hollow.” She nods. “And please defer from calling it Hillbilly Hollow during your big speech.”
“Bleh,” Evie grunts and Lyla Nell is quick to mimic her. “I hate that I have to give a speech.” She shrugs. “Anyway, Uncle Noah, before you came over, Dad said he had some big news, too.” She nods his way. “Your turn, old man.”
Old man.
I shed a grin his way. I’m loving the dig.
He frowns my way as his chest expands. “It’s nothing compared to your news, Evie.” He lands a kiss to her cheek. “I’m proud of you, sweetie.”
“Well?” Carlotta tightens the belt on her robe. “Don’t keep us in suspense. Did you put a little deposit in Lot Lot’s baby account? Don’t tell me the house will be crawling with a couple more Little Yippers, come nine months.”
“Carlotta.” Lottie shakes her head. “That’s vulgar.”
“Yeah, Cray Cray,” Evie snips in solidarity with her mother. “It’s bad enough I know they’re sharing a room. I don’t want to think about anyone making a deposit.”
“That makes two of us,” I growl. “Go ahead, Everett. What’s the big news? You get a gold star on your latest stint in small claims court?”
He frowns once again. “As a matter of fact, it does have to do with work.” He turns to Lottie then Evie. “It turns out, as of this morning, I’m an official candidate for the Vermont Supreme Court.”
“What?” Lottie gasps so hard you’d think he just announced that he won the state lottery. Not that Everett doesn’t have a billion zeroes in his bank account already. “But aren’t there like only five slots in that court?”
“Indeed,” he says. “And I am up for one of them. It’s a great honor.”
“But you’re just a trial judge from Ashford.” The words escape me before I can think better of it.
“I see that doesn’t impress you.” Everett perfects his frown my way. “But then, whether or not you’re impressed doesn’t matter. I was nominated.”
“By whom?” Lottie asks.
“I bet it was that detective Ivy Fairbanks,” Carlotta says. “She’s always had the hots for him.”
“She’s got the hots for Noah,” Lottie points out before pressing her lips tight. “Come to think of it, she probably has the hots for both of them.”
Carlotta nudges her. “See there, Lot? And you didn’t think you had anything in common with Poison Ivy.”
Evie raises her half-eaten muffin. “I bet it was Fiona Dagmeyer. She really has the hots for Dad.” She sticks her finger down her throat to demonstrate how she feels about it.
“It wasn’t Fionna,” he assures her. “It was a nod from the nominating commission’s list.”
“Wow, the Vermont Supreme Court?” Lottie looks dazzled as if Everett has suddenly morphed into a rock star. And that alone elicits a frown from me.
Evie nods at her father, looking equally dazed. “If you’re elected, I get like a free pass on like everything, right? I can kill my worst enemy and practically get away with murder.”
