Poison Apple Crisp - Addison Moore Page 0,54
nods my way. “Are you ready to console Everett once he’s eliminated?” He flashes those dimples to his former stepbrother. “You’re going down, Judge Baxter, once and for all.”
“Behave,” I tell them. I already opted out of this and every other competition citing that I couldn’t predict when my nausea would kick in. But that wasn’t the only reason I wanted to remain free to wander the room tonight. I’m hoping a handful of suspects will show up—namely Rachelle Dalton and Martin Smulder.
I spot Rachelle right off the bat with her blunt platinum blonde bob and overall angry appeal as she helps pass out cups of coffee to the people in the java line. I guess one out of two isn’t bad.
A man in a light blue suit calls the table in front of me to order, and soon he’s spouting off the rules for the trivia challenge.
“First wrong answer will leave the player disqualified,” he shouts. “Last player standing wins a gift card to the exclusive, ever so difficult to get into, Smulder’s Railway Restaurant. Owned and operated by Brenda’s own beloved fiancé. Unfortunately, Martin couldn’t be here this evening, but he encourages you to bring the family if you dare. The more the merrier when experiencing a trip while traveling around the Fallbrook hillsides—with an entire boxcar reserved for you and your friends, filled with culinary delights. This is fine dining, people. Fine dining.” The man in blue raises a champagne flute, and the entire table goes wild.
I bend down to where Noah and Everett are seated. “Did you hear that? Smulder’s is owned by her fiancé. And apparently, that meal train is hard to hop onto. One of you has to win if I’m ever going to speak with him.”
“Don’t worry, Lemon.” Everett nods. “It’s as good as a done deal.”
Noah scowls at him a moment. “I’m bringing home the win, Lot. I’m doing it for you and the baby.” He tips his head toward Everett as if he’s bested him.
“And don’t you two worry about anything. I’m staying out of trouble tonight.” I wink without meaning to. It’s almost as if my body knows better. “In fact, I’ll text Evie and make sure she’s all right.” Evie said she was having her best friend Dash over to watch horror movies while we were gone for the night. I happen to know Evie has to sleep with the lights on after a scare-a-thon like that. She’s terrified of horror movies. She just likes to put on a brave front for her girlfriends.
Everett nods. “I appreciate it, Lemon. How about a kiss for good luck?”
I don’t hesitate to land a quick peck on his cheek. I’ll admit, it feels strange to be kissing Everett in such close proximity to Noah.
“Me too, Lot.” Noah offers up a cheek, and I give an even quicker peck to him. “Sorry,” I mouth to Everett before taking off.
The master of trivia ceremonies gets right to asking the hard questions, and slowly but surely a few people begin to drop away.
It’s still a win for the fundraiser, considering each person paid fifty bucks a pop to participate.
I spot Rachelle straightening the napkins over at the refreshment table and tossing away the discarded creamer pods, so I thread my way through the crowd as I speed her way.
My mother really has this place popping with a dice table, a roulette wheel, a seemingly innocent poker game, Carlotta’s strip Scrabble, and a few other events that I have no idea how they function.
“Rachelle,” I say brightly as I pull a cup off the table, and my hands drift toward the coffee.
“Hey, Lottie.” A smile bounces on her face. A dark crimson line sits just above her platinum hair at the roots. She has those adorable beach waves as it cuts off just past her neck, and her skin and lips are almost a matching pale shade. She’s donned a tight orange turtleneck with a brown cashmere sweater over it, and it looks like the perfect fall combination. “I think you want the decaf.” She points me in the opposite direction.
“Oh, you’re right.” I squeeze my eyes shut tight a moment. “Would you think I was a bad mother if I told you that half the time I forget that I’m carrying an entire human inside of me?”
She bucks with a laugh. “Nope. I think I’d forget, too, at least until I started to show.”
“You’re right. I guess at that point I’ll have my tummy to