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“We always knew it would close the moment you killed that bastard.” Axel lifted his glass.
“Technically, Rachel killed him. Where is she?”
“She flew back home. Told me to give you her best, but her spouse found out they’re expecting.”
Axel’s son, Trevor, ran up to his father. “Can I get some money for ice cream?”
“There are three tubs full in that freezer by the window.” Axel pointed.
“But they’re not from an ice cream truck.”
Jolly carnival music tinkled in the distance.
Axel removed two fifties from his wallet and handed the cash to his son. “Get one for every kid.”
Trevor ran off screaming to his cousins, and nearly half the yard emptied as they followed him down the driveway and out onto the court.
“Is that what I have to look forward to?” I asked.
“That, less sleep, loss of privacy, and a never-closing fridge. Wait—is Grace pregnant?”
“She’ll kill me if she finds out I said anything, so keep your mouths shut. She has this thing about waiting until the second trimester.” Grace waved me over. “Excuse me one sec.”
I grabbed my crutches and a cold can of tonic water, tucked it in my pocket, and joined Grace by the fire-pit. While Candice hugged Grace, Beth unexpectedly leaned into my ear. “Thank you for saving my daughter.”
“You’re welcome.”
Candice stood up. Emma plopped down in the spot beside Grace I’d been ready to take, crossed her legs and, exhausted, took a sip of her wine.
“Love what you’ve done with the place, Ems,” Grace said. “You should add venue decorator to your resume.”
“What I need on my resume is experience, and my brothers are making my life hell to get to the good cases.”
“So you fill your time decorating?”
“No, I gain new skills because one day, when they fire my ass, I’ll need a backup plan, and Eric Waters deserves a woman with a job.”
I spat out my tonic water, wiped my mouth, and grabbed an apple fritter off a platter. Aunt Wilma made the best fritters.
“What’s so funny?” Emma asked.
“You’ve played it too safe with Eric,” I said, chewing my fritter.
“What are you talking about?”
“He still sees you as a girl and his best friend’s little sister. He needs to see you as a woman.”
“But I am a woman. What’s it gonna take for him to see that?”
I munched my fritter again, chewing between my words. “You’re a private investigator. You’ll figure it out. Isn’t that Eric over there?” I pointed to the guy in the cowboy hat.
“Holy shit. I gotta go.” She jumped out of her seat and ran off.
I swallowed the last bite and took her spot beside Grace, wrapping my arm around her. “Finally alone. I’m sorry, I was expecting a quiet evening. I didn’t know about the surprise. How are you feeling? Any nausea?”
“No. I’m great. Actually…do you know when the party’s over?”
I lifted a brow. “No, but if you’re tired, I can ask the guests to leave.”
