Cupcake Overload (Cupcakes 2)

I thought of Cade, then Sledge, and worried about what this would mean for the club, and for my relationship with Cade.

Selfish of me, I know, but you can’t help where your mind goes in a crisis…

“Oh my god,” Amy May cried, her free hand going to her mouth. “Do you think he did it? The guy from the bar?”

“There’s no way of knowing yet, but I’m sure he’ll be a suspect, since Bea was there and saw the way he was with her in that bathroom,” Carmen surmised, her eyes wide. “I couldn’t believe it … When I recognized the girl in the pool. We just saw her the other night…”

I led Carmen to the couch and pressed on her back, urging her head to go between her knees, then rubbed small circles on her back.

After a few minutes, Carmen sat up and said, “I’m okay. Thanks.”

Amy May and I sat on either side of her, offering silent support.

“What was going on? When I came in before. Looked pretty serious,” Carmen asked, her reporter’s curiosity back in action, letting us know she really was okay. “Also, why did Bea ask me to tell you what happened, rather than calling you herself?”

I sighed, then replied, “Bea and I had a falling out the other day, and Cade and I had a falling out today. It’s been a shitty week.”

“What did you and Bea fight over? The wedding?” Carmen asked, and my gaze swung between her and Amy May as the light dawned.

“You both knew?”

Carmen nodded, and Amy May said, “Yeah.”

“Well, why did she tell you guys and not me?”

“Uh, she worried you’d get all pissed off,” Amy May replied wryly, taking the wind out of my sails.

“Oh,” I said dumbly, wishing I wasn’t so quick to temper, and so damn transparent.

“And what about Cade?” Carmen asked softly.

“That guy from the bar … He’s Cade’s VP. I found that out the hard way, at the barbecue today, and let’s just say, Cade was a little ticked that was the first he was hearing of it.”

This time Carmen just said, “Oh.”

“Don’t worry, things will turn around,” Amy May assured me, always looking at the bright side. “You and Bea will make up, as will you and Cade, and just think, you and the twins get to move into your house next weekend. Everything will be great, you’ll see.”

I gave my best attempt at a smile, hoping to ease Amy May’s mind, and hoping that she was right.

I needed things to start looking back up. Although, with a dead girl and a possible homicide that could put a huge wedge between myself and Cade’s club, I didn’t know how that could happen.

After spending the night alone, tossing and turning as I worried about what my immediate future may hold, I went into Greenswood and spent the day wandering around. I hit up the library, had lunch at the Applebee’s, then moseyed around doing some window-shopping until it was time to go pick up the kids from Eric’s house.

I let myself into the van and sat back with a huff. Cade hadn’t tried to get ahold of me, and I hadn’t tried to get ahold of him. Was this how we’d end? Would one conflict between me and his club be the death of our fledgling relationship?

The thought made me physically ill.

I’d been married to Eric for over a decade. We’d had children together. But, although I’d been pissed and humiliated when he’d cheated on me, the way I’d felt after our divorce hadn’t devastated me. Not in the way I was sure I’d be devastated if Cade and I were through after four short months together.

He’d filled an invisible space in my life, and had made me happier than I’d ever been.

“We’ll be fine,” I whispered, needing to hear the words out loud.

When I heard a voice whisper from behind me, “I’m sure you will be,” I nearly shit my pants.

My eyes flew to the rearview mirror and my heart leapt out of my chest when I saw Sledge sitting comfortably in the seat behind me.

I swung in my seat, hand clutched to my chest.