Pecan Pie Predicament (Murder in the Mix #27) - Addison Moore Page 0,44
him. “Evie, where did Carlotta go?”
Evie coils a finger around one of her long dark curls. “Some place down the street called The Family Table. She says there’s some big competition going on up until Thanksgiving and she wanted in on it.”
Noah takes a breath as we start in that direction. “I heard about it, too. If you can polish off an entire Thanksgiving meal with all the fixings between two people, they’ll give you a free family dinner once a week for an entire year.”
Evie hops up and down. “I can do it. I’m freaking hungry enough to eat furniture. And Mom, I’ve seen you polish off enough food to grow an entire high school in your stomach. You’ve got this on lockdown!”
“No way.” I shake my head. “I had indigestion last week, and I almost had your dad take me to the ER because I thought I was having the baby and a heart attack. I called the doctor and she told me to take some antacid and it helped. The moral of the story—I can’t overeat or I’m inviting a night of no sleep.”
Evie glances to my blooming belly. “You’ve already invited a night of no sleep.”
“I’ll do it.” Everett shrugs. “I’m pretty hungry myself, and I’ve never been one to back away from a competition.”
Noah’s chest bounces with a dark laugh. “At least he admits it, Lot.”
Noah has held strong to the belief that Everett simply wanted to take me from him as payback for stealing Cormack from him all those years ago.
“Noah.” I sigh as I say his name. “If Everett was with me because of some silly grudge or competition between the two of you, don’t you think he’s taken things too far?” I hold up my left hand and expose that glittering rock Everett gave me a few months back—an emerald cut diamond with tiny diamonds dancing all around it. “And he’s moving in with me. He’s committed to raising this baby even if it turns out to be yours.”
Noah nods as he stares intently at Everett. “Yup. That sounds about right. Trust me, Everett Baxter is taking this one to the grave. You don’t want to get on his bad side or he’ll make sure you pay a lifetime for it.”
Evie belts out a laugh. “I hope I have two guys willing to war it out over me. Conner and Kyle aren’t nearly as exciting. I want the angst the two of you bring. Dad has really sunk his teeth into you, Mom. He’s like a bear who won’t let go for anything. And Uncle Noah is like a bull, always trying to get what he wants and accidentally knocking things over and tearing them up in the process. So who would win between a bear and a bull, Dad?” She gives an innocent shrug as if she really was interested in the proverbial outcome.
Everett thinks on it a moment. “Initially, the bull would charge the bear. He’s got horns so the bear might be taken off his feet for a moment, but the bear would latch itself around the horns and hold on. Bears are tenacious. I suspect the bear would dig in with its front paws, use its mouth to get the advantage where it could, while its legs clawed away at the bull as well.”
“So you’re saying the bear wouldn’t let go?” Evie tightens the belt on her wool coat as a chilly breeze blows by.
“Not a chance in hell.” Everett glances to Noah. “The bear doesn’t know how to let go, especially when there’s something he wants in the bounds. The bull isn’t strong enough to knock the bear off of him, so it can’t do anything but wait in hopes the bear abandons the effort. And the bear is definitely strong enough to hold that bull into submission. The moral of story is, the bull should have never come after the bear.” He sheds a slight grin Noah’s way.
“Wow, Dad.” Evie wraps her arms around her father. “Mom is really lucky to have you. You’re never letting go.”
“That’s because I love her.” He pulls me in and dots a warm kiss to the top of my head. “I let Uncle Noah keep Cormack all those years ago. I knew that wasn’t my battle to fight. Sometimes, when the bull knocks over the bear, the bear realizes it’s not worth going after. You mother is worth a thousand bulls charging my way.”