Wedding Bells and a Body (A Patty Cakes Bake Shop Cozy Mystery Series Book 5) by Plum Holly

Author:Plum, Holly [Plum, Holly]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2017-03-13T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

By the time Joy and Sara Beth reached the Diamond Shell Hotel, she’d formulated a plan. Joy told herself that all she needed to do was set up the dessert table and then quietly slip out. Sara Beth helped continue putting her nerves at ease with her constant chatter about her roommate stealing her sweet tea as the twosome made swift work of bringing trays of pastries into the ballroom where the dinner was to be held.

Joy put all of her focus on the delicious treats as she and her assistant arranged them on the scalloped dishes the hotel had provided. Fluffy wedding cookies, delectable lemon tarts, glazed donut holes, and chocolate eclairs made for an irresistible and mouthwatering display.

Everything seemed to be going well, and Joy had even managed to push aside her anxiety when Zinny Wallace appeared. He leveled her with a suspicious look. He’d clearly swallowed the lie that Joy had coerced Dorothy into changing her will. Joy didn’t allow the withering look to throw her off. She swiftly averted her gaze and went back to work making sure every pastry was perfectly aligned on their trays. However, ignoring Zinny's father, Ross, was impossible.

“I’m surprised you had the nerve to show up here,” Ross said as he approached the dessert table.

“Yes, well,” Joy replied, squaring her shoulders and turning to face him. “Fern and Ivan hired me so here I am.” She had every intention of simply going back to work, and that’s exactly what she tried to do, but Ross kept talking, his voice low with fury.

“You won’t get away with this," Ross went on. "You’re trying to act like you haven’t done anything wrong, but really, you tricked an old woman into leaving you a fortune. There’s no other explanation. The law will be on it soon enough if you don’t get your act together and do what’s best for everyone. Just confess.”

A chill went up Joy's spine when the word confess escaped his lips. Joy cleared her throat, unsure how to handle the situation. Should she accuse Ross of sending her the threatening messages, or should she pretend like the notes didn't intimidate her at all? Joy hesitated as she weighed each option.

“There you are. Oh my goodness, everything looks beautiful.” Fern approached her before Joy could say anything.

Fern was shining. This was her night, and she was playing hostess rather well. If Joy had to pick one member of this family to sit next to, Fern was certainly the safest choice.

Though Fern had been preoccupied with party planning, it was obvious that Fern assessed the situation quickly. “I wish you would stay for dinner, Joy.” She turned slightly away from her uncle Ross.

“I appreciate the offer,” Joy said. “But, bakers wake up early so I really should get home.”

“If you are sure,” Fern responded. "Thank you for the food."

Joy nodded you're welcome and took a deep breath. She turned back to the dessert table, waiting for Ross to leave. When he finally did, she felt as if a bag of flour had been lifted from her shoulders.

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