Stealing Taffy (Bigler, North Carolina #3) - Susan Donovan Page 0,107
Don’t you think?”
Fern saw how goofy-happy Tanyalee was, and she was happy for her. But she’d never let on, so she scowled. “Uh, does he know how crazy you are? Because it would only be fair to tell the poor guy what he’s getting into.”
Tanyalee just laughed and laughed as she tossed her phone into her purse and set it back on the front seat. “I do believe we have touched upon that topic, thankyousoverymuch. Now, let’s get these cupcakes into that nice cool kitchen so we can be on our way.”
“On your way, you mean.” Fern grumbled as she took her next long bakery box, then turned to head up the sidewalk to the back entrance. “You’re going out on a fancy date with Mr. Beef and I’m goin’ home to watch Nick at Nite with Gladys, ’cause you know she loves her some Jed Clampett.”
Because Fern was concentrating on not stumbling, she didn’t see the kitchen door fly open until it hit the bakery box and nearly knocked her ass-over-rain-barrel. The cardboard crumpled like tissue paper and the cupcakes scattered, some rolling away, some splattering frosting-side down on the cement sidewalk.
Fern got ready to open a can of whoop-ass on the idiot who just ruined Cupcake Wednesday. She looked up.
And the bottom dropped out of her nice, new life.
* * *
Tanyalee turned just in time to see Fern’s cupcakes spilling onto the pavement, the girl’s face frozen in horror.
Wainright Miller loomed over her, brushing at a smear of icing on his crisp short-sleeved shirt, his expression one of angry disdain.
“Oh, my gracious,” Tanyalee breathed, seeing that there had been some sort of collision. She set her box back onto the floor of the trunk, then teetered on her high heels down the sidewalk toward them.
Miller glared down at Fern, who suddenly looked quite small and vulnerable in his shadow. “Do you mind getting out of the way?” He was about to push her aside when Tanyalee reached Fern.
“What is this all about?” she demanded.
The only answer she got was Fern’s panicked breathing, followed by a particularly weighty bit of cussing.
“Oh, shee-it,” Fern said, staring up at Mr. Miller with a face as pale as milk. “It’s the Fat Man!”
Miller froze. His eyes narrowed. “What the fuck did you just say?”
Tanyalee was horrified. She reached out to take Fern’s hand and tug her away. “Fern Bisbee! What manners! Oh, my goodness, Mr. Miller, I do apologize for her, but your choice of language was completely—” Miller shoved Taffy. Her fabulous but useless shoes skidded on the cupcake-smeared back step. She dropped Fern’s hand as she tried to catch her balance.
Miller stalked toward Fern, his upper lip curled in fury.
Though Fern tried to slink away, he moved in on her, snatching the front of her blouse in his fist and yanking her forward. “Who the hell are you?”
“I…” Fern tried to wriggle free, her eyes wide in terror. “I ain’t nobody, mister. Let me go! Now!”
Miller hovered over her, scowling, like he was trying to place her. “Bisbee.” His eyes widened. “Bisbee? That loser meth cook was your father?”
Fern shook her head in a panic. “No! Let me go!”
Tanyalee regained her footing in time to lunge at Miller, grabbing his shirtsleeve. “You stop that right now, Mr. Miller, or I’ll call the police. I have no idea what in heaven’s name is going on here but—”
“Would you shut the fuck up?” Simultaneously, Miller yanked Fern by the arm, spun her around, and slapped his hand over her mouth, muffling her screams, while clutching Tanyalee by the throat and squeezing. His cruel fingers hooked into her signature strand of pearls as he pressed her backward. Tanyalee felt the knotted silk break and slide away and a suffocating pain shoot through her throat. Despite the pain she knew what she had to do: get Fern away from this madman.
Any hope for that was immediately dashed as Wainright Miller forced them both toward the parked Cadillac. Tanyalee had a brief thought of trying to grab her phone from the front seat but she never had a chance, as he tossed Fern into the trunk with one hand, then swiftly hoisted Tanyalee in on top of her, ending Fern’s attempt to scramble out of the vehicle.
Before they could untangle themselves, Miller pushed against the heavy trunk lid, not at all concerned about any limbs that might be in harm’s way. The trunk slammed shut with a final-sounding thud, leaving them in darkness.