Fate Actually (Moonstone Cove #2) - Elizabeth Hunter Page 0,30
you wear a dress before.”
“Thanks, Baxter.” Toni would accept a compliment if Baxter Pang was the one offering. But maybe just him. “I got the dress for my cousin’s wedding.”
“It suits you,” he said. “But not as well as your blue jeans, I think.” He winked at her and sat at the table that Katherine had set. “Dig in, everyone.”
Archie the goldendoodle sat next to Baxter’s chair and sighed deeply.
“Don’t feed him,” Katherine said. “You heard what the vet said.”
“Just a little bit of chicken,” Baxter said quietly. “It’s rather rude not to, don’t you think? He helped me cook.”
“He waited by your feet and grabbed any scrap that fell on the floor, Baxter.”
“Exactly. And now we have a clean kitchen floor.” Baxter kept his eyes on Katherine as he broke off a bit of chicken and let it fall to the deck. “I have to pay my sous chef, darling.”
“You guys are completely adorable.” Toni served herself a hearty helping of chicken enchiladas. “Marissa tried to needle me this afternoon about why I never got married, and it’s because of people like you.” She pointed at them. “Especially now. It’s Baxter-and-Katherine levels of happy or nothing for me.”
Katherine’s cheeks turned a little red. “Oh, I don’t know that we’re all that unusual. Lots of people have happy marriages.”
Baxter said, “Statistically, in fact, the majority of married couples classify themselves as happy. The numbers are quite consistent.”
“Don’t buy it,” Megan said. “I would have called my marriage happy two years ago too. And he ended up cheating on me.”
“That was definitely his loss,” Baxter said. “But Toni, what about the young man that you’re involved with? Do you have plans to continue the relationship?”
Megan snorted. “Sure looked that way on Friday.”
Toni threw her napkin at Megan. “I’m not opposed to marriage,” she said. “But it’s more complicated now with a potential baby.”
“Did you go to the doctor?” Megan asked.
“I have an appointment on Tuesday, okay? Calm down, mom.”
“Good.” Megan took a bite of enchilada. “I need this recipe. My kids would love this. Trina’s been cooking more lately, and she’d want to try making this.”
“I’ll write it down for you,” Baxter said. “So what did you learn about the victim’s girlfriend today?”
“I think Katherine is right,” Toni said. “They had a reciprocal relationship of some kind. I’m just not sure what Marissa was bringing to the table. Fairfield was obvious. He was decent-looking and had money and status, all things Marissa wanted.”
“One thing I don’t understand,” Megan said. “The women at the club have talked enough that I’m pretty convinced they find your cousin Nico a catch. Why would Marissa leave him if she was just after money and status?”
“Nico does okay, but he’s not independently wealthy. Just like the family owns part of my garage, they own part of Nico’s winery too. Marissa didn’t buy into that side of the family business. She wanted everything to belong to her and Nico.”
“And the status thing?”
“Nico…” She shrugged. “He doesn’t really care. I don’t think he actively dislikes the people over in that social set like I do, but he’s not going to voluntarily hang out with them, you know? He can do the salesman thing when he needs to, but I’d call him a little rougher around the edges. He didn’t play the game. Didn’t feel like he needed to if he wanted to sell wine. My brother Frank is more in that group than Nico is.”
“Okay.” Megan nodded. “I get that. So Marissa got a taste of the fancy life and she decided that’s what she wanted, but Nico didn’t care that much. So she hooks up with Whit Fairfield, and she must think he’s her ticket in.”
Katherine said, “But Fairfield—from what we know about him—is probably a narcissist or had those tendencies. He wouldn’t have a real relationship with her unless he was getting something. And Marissa herself said she was valuable to him. How?”
“I don’t think we can answer that,” Toni said. “I think we need to talk to someone who worked with Fairfield.”
“Would Nico know anyone?” Megan asked. “I mean, they both worked in the wine business. They had to know a few of the same people. Is there anyone over there you think we could trust?”
“I don’t know,” Toni said. “But Nico would.”
Toni was at her garage on Monday morning when Drew Bisset dropped by again. She was leaning over the engine of the Corvette, and she shook her head as he approached.