Page 115 of Moonshine Kiss
“Cassidy, I have that thing in my car you wanted to borrow—” I began. But my sister cut me off.
“Bowie, do you mind gettin’ the deviled eggs out of the refrigerator?” she asked. There was an edge to her tone. She was warning me off. Family first.
I needed to get Cassidy alone and tell her she was walking into a Scarlett Bodine trap.
“I’m sure Devlin can handle the eggs,” I said.
“Get the damn eggs, Bowie,” Scarlett barked. “And don’t even think about getting between me and your secret pal over there,” she added so only I could hear when I wriggled my way between her and Devlin to get to the refrigerator.
I opened the door and gagged at the smell of sulfur. Devlin ducked behind it with me and pulled his sweater over his nose. “What’s going on?” he asked, his voice muffled by cashmere.
“I think Scarlett’s tryin’ to teach Cassidy a lesson about keeping secrets.”
“Well, that should be fun. Don’t eat the meatloaf. She dropped it on the floor and the cat ran through it,” he whispered back.
“Good to know.”
“So, Cassidy, what’s new with you? What’s happening in your world these days?” Scarlett asked.
I straightened up and waved my hands like an air traffic controller behind Scarlett’s back.
Scarlett must have felt the breeze because her head whipped around.
Innocently, I held up the tray of deviled eggs that were more orange than yellow at arm’s length so the smell wouldn’t contaminate me.
I could tell by Cassidy’s wrinkled nose that the smell was wafting in her direction.
“Why, thank you, Bowie,” Scarlett said, sweeter than a tall glass of sweet tea in August. Shit was about to go down.
She linked her arm through mine. “I’m so happy y’all arefriendsagain. Isn’t it great to befriends? Bless your heart.”
“She knows,” I mouthed to Cassidy.
Cassidy rolled her eyes. She was no dummy.
“Bowie told you,” she said, cutting to the chase.
Nice as pie Scarlett disappeared and was replaced with violently angry Scarlett. “You’re damn right he told me, which is what you should have done. We are family, Cassidy Ann Tucker. I have been planning your wedding to Bowie since the second grade. And you think it’s okay to strike up a relationship and not tell me? Are you touched in the head?”
“Oh, I can trust you, can I?” Cassidy demanded, rounding on me.
“Don’t you dare get mad at him for telling me something you should have,” Scarlett shrilled.
Cassidy gave me a look that telegraphed the fact that we were going to have a discussion later. But she had louder, meaner fish to fry first.
“Now, Scarlett,” she began in her calmest deputy voice.
“Don’t you ‘now Scarlett’ me! What else have you been hiding from me? Did you win that big lottery six months ago that no one has claimed yet? Is your real name even Cassidy?”
“We should maybe step outside,” Devlin said.
Jedediah sprinted over and launched himself at the bookcase, scrabbling to the top shelf so he could knock a photo of Scarlett, June, and Cassidy over. I wondered if it was coincidence or if Scarlett had trained him.
“I think I need to stay inside in case things get ugly,” I told Devlin.
“I can handle myself just fine.” Cassidy glared at me.
“That right there is your stupid problem, you stupid jerk,” Scarlett said, pointing an accusatory finger in Cassidy’s direction. “I can do everything myself,” she mimicked.
