Pecan Pie Predicament (Murder in the Mix #27) - Addison Moore Page 0,33
for you, Lottie. I can sail that thing clear back to Honey Hollow.”
I shake my head. “I’ve got all the rage I need for a win.”
The man next to me in the ten-gallon hat roars with laughter.
“Get a load of this little lady trying to trash talk her way into beating me! I’m sorry, girly, but I’m about to mug ya.”
“Mug me?” I all but scoff at his audacity. “I’ll have you know I spent more than four years in New York City while at Columbia. I didn’t get mugged then, and I’m not about to get mugged now.”
“That’s my girl!” a woman calls out, and I spot Carlotta to the right with her arms linked to two different men in cowboy hats and chaps.
Giddy-up, indeed.
“Ladies first,” the man insists, and I imagine Cormack’s snooty little face in my hot little hand and I send her packing twice as far as the man who went before me did.
The crowd goes wild, and Greer whoops and cheers with the rest of them.
Barry ticks his head. “Not bad. I’d lean right the next time. That will straighten your shot out.”
The man in the black hat is up next, and he pitches his chip high into the sky. For a moment it looks as if it’s about to sail toward the evergreens to our left, but it drops out of the sky like a dead bird and soon I’m declared the winner.
The crowd goes wild as the wannabe mugger walks off with his trash-talking tail between his legs.
Next up is a burly gentleman that looks as if he could give Barry a run for his muscular money. But I take Barry’s advice and lean right, all the while channeling my rage toward Cormack and all of the misery she’s put me through since the moment we met, and I win hands down, or cow chips down, once again.
Another contender steps up, and Barry helps get my feet in the proper stance. Yet again, I channel my rage and my cow chip has drifted off into no man’s land, much to the delight of the crowd. With Barry’s coaching, I smash competitor after competitor until a crowd the size of the entire state of Vermont has gathered to see the little lady squash the big boys—Reese’s words, not mine.
While the tub-o-poop is busy getting refilled, I do a little victory dance and Reese comes over and crowns me with a complimentary cow chip hat. The crowd hoots and hollers, and I step out to take a mock bow to my left then to my right and stop cold once I spot not one but two handsome men. I just so happen to recognize them both, with their arms folded across their chests, their faces looking stone-cold serious.
They step my way and Greer floats in close as well.
“Look at those tasty treats, Lottie.” Greer purrs like a kitten at the sight of them—as any sane woman would. “I heard the three of you have finally shacked up. Good move on your part.”
“My house burned down,” I tell her.
Reese clucks her tongue as she looks my way. “I heard about that.” She shakes her head. “I’m so sorry. Britney told me all about that curse.”
Noah and Everett step up, looking like a couple of delicious beefcakes that I’m suddenly having a carnal craving for.
“Congratulations.” Noah gives a tight smile as he nods up at the hat on my head. “I’m up next.”
“I’m up next,” Everett says, taking off his jacket and quickly landing a kiss to my lips. “Cow chip is a good look on you, Lemon. Evie tipped me off to where you were.”
Noah shrugs. “I stopped by the bakery, and Lily pointed me in this direction. Did you know Cormack is sitting outside your shop with a petition to toss you out of town?”
“I hope you arrested her.”
Everett frowns over at him. “Rumor has it, he signed it.”
Noah grunts, “Only because she told me it was in protest of the oil drilling at the end of Main Street.”
“I’m shocked she was able to concoct the big oil lie.” I avert my eyes at the thought. “Why don’t you boys go head-to-head out there? I need a break. I’ll buy the winner dinner.” I give a quick wink. “Besides, I need some water.”
Reese blows out a breath. “I was just headed to get a drink myself.”
Barry Honeycutt steps up just as Greer heads over to watch Noah and Everett battle it out with the cow