An Alpaca Witness by B L Crumley

Author:B L Crumley [Crumley, B L]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-04-04T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

As I lumbered down the stairs the next morning, I could hear Fern humming an off-pitch melody.

“Well, hello, sleepyhead.” Fern took in my bedraggled appearance. “Rough night? I didn’t even hear you come in.”

“Yeah,” I yawned. “My mom needed help baking for a fundraiser, since the bakery backed out on her last minute.”

“Oh.” Fern turned back to the stove to grab the tea kettle. “I heard they had rats!” she hooted. “Maybe they’ll be closed for good this time. Hey, less competition for you,” she grinned excitedly.

I made my way to the breakfast bar, and hoisted myself up on a stool. “After yesterday, I don’t know if I’m cut out for running my own business.”

“Why do you say that?” Fern poured me a cup of coffee and set it on the counter in front of me.

“Because I’m exhausted.” Leaning forward, I inhaled the very black brew. “Fern, would you please get me some creamer?”

“Sure thing, hon.” She started back to the fridge. “You work long hours at your job. I think what wore you out was your mother.” Fern returned with the creamer and a bowl of whipped cream and a spoon.

Yeah, it was that kind of morning.

“You may have a point. When I got there, she said she only needed three cakes, but then she got a call from someone handling the refreshments, and said the bakery was supposed to make twenty dozen cookies.”

Fern’s hands landed on her hips. “Don’t tell me your mom had you making cookies all night!”

I nodded, unable to speak since I’d taken a giant bite of whipped cream. I swallowed, then said, “Yes. That’s why I didn’t get home until almost two in the morning.”

And then I’d fallen into bed exhausted, yet couldn’t sleep. Kenny’s words kept swirling in my mind. And I’d eaten my fair share of cookie dough, which sat like a brick in my stomach. “Anyway, I plan to be lazy today.”

“No can do, we need to go talk to Walter. He called shortly before you got up to say that Earl was sued by a client a few years ago.”

That woke me up. “How are we just hearing about this now?”

“I vaguely remember hearing something about it, but I think nothing ever came of it. So, I’m not sure.”

Shoveling another bite of whipped cream into my mouth, I slid off the stool. “I’ll go get dressed and then we can go to Walter’s.”

Fern eyed my outfit. “What’s wrong with what you’ve got on?”

I shook my head and went back upstairs. Owl print pajama pants were not meant to be worn out of the house. I cringed, remembering that Cole had seen me in them.

In my room, I scoured the floor in search of something semi-clean to wear. My freshly washed jeans from yesterday’s baking marathon had bits of cake batter and frosting on them. And other than one pair of old sweats and the skirt I’d worn to my dad’s election party, I had nothing.

Desperate, I yanked on the bottom dresser drawer, hoping there was something from my past life in here that still fit.

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