“So the minute John is back from his honeymoon, he’s calling you to renegotiate the alimony?” Lila nearly choked the words out. “I don’t think I need to spell out whose idea that was.”
“Right?” Amelia dumped a cup of flour in a bowl so hard it mushroom-clouded up into her face. “I told him to have his lawyer contact my lawyer and that I was not even going to entertain the idea. You know what it is? He is so desperate to know what kind of money the Pink Cupcake is making, and this is the only way to find out.”
“You want me to cook up a special batch of books for you? I can do it,” Lila said, her face as serious as a tombstone.
“What? No. It’s not worth going to jail for.”
“What jail? Who is going to look into the validity of the financial records of a small time baker-slash-divorcee with a food truck?”
“You can’t be serious.” Amelia chuckled.
“I did it for Jacob.”
Amelia stared at her friend.
“Don’t look so shocked. That’s another reason he sends such a sizable check every month. Hush money.” She winked.
“Lila.” Amelia felt the need to whisper. “Cooking the books is a felony.”
“If you get caught, yes, that is what I think it is.” She shrugged. “But it’s not like I did it all the time. Some years were harder than others. Jacob asked for a little help, and so I did what I could. I’m good with numbers.”
“That you are.” Amelia grinned. “And I appreciate your risking your freedom to help me out.”
“What are friends for?”
“Well, usually they are to talk you out of making bad decisions, but in this case I see it’s with a giving heart you are offering to help.”
The ladies continued to talk, when a female voice interrupted their conversation.
“Excuse me, do you have any of those double-chocolate raspberry cupcakes left?” Amelia turned and looked straight into the blue eyes of Colleen Jameson.
“We’ve got a fresh batch just coming out of the oven. Can you give me about five minutes?” Amelia grinned.
“That’s fine,” the young lady chirped. Her demeanor seemed to be the complete opposite of her mother, who Amelia had heard was as demanding with her mortgage negotiations as she was buying tomatoes at a vegetable stand.
After ringing up Colleen’s sale, Amelia watched her walk away and realized how right Dan was. She looked just like her mother with an unstoppable hourglass figure, blond hair, and blue eyes. The thing that wasn’t like her mother was the man Colleen was holding hands with.
“Lila,” Amelia whispered, tossing her head to get her to come to the service window. “Who is that man? I’ve seen him before.”
“That’s Greg Scottson.”
“I thought so. He’s worked on my car a couple times not that long ago.” Amelia bit her lower lip. “He’s over there at the Gary Service Center. Does he own that place?”
“Ha!” Lila laughed. “No. Nelson Leman owns that place. He’s been the main mechanic in town for years. That’s his place. He’s a nice fellow but a little pushy, if you know what I mean.” Lila adjusted the collar of her blouse.
“Yes. I knew that. I’ve had Nelson work on my car a few times, too. Now that I think about it, I think every mechanic over there has seen under my hood. Maybe it’s time I get a new car. Wait. Did Nelson make a pass at you?”
“No. He’s after my Cadillac.”
Amelia shook her head.
“That’s funny we see her today. Dan and I were talking about her just last week, and Dan told me her mother…”
“Her mother is an interesting woman,” Lila offered. “I’ve only seen her a handful of times. From what I hear, she’s a real workaholic. You’d have to be to pay the property taxes on that chunk of land she owns. Or should I say inherited. Anyway, the last time I saw her at the hair salon, she was getting that mane of hers trimmed, and she just gushed over the woman trimming her hair as if she were creating a Rembrandt.”
“Is that weird?”
“Well, it was just a little over-the-top. But what do I know? I’m as over-the-top as they come, so I shouldn’t be throwing stones.”
“Dan told me she was real protective of her daughter.”
“Now that is an understatement. I’ve seen Colleen out but never without Luann at most five paces behind her. But you know how mothers can be. Colleen’s not just her only daughter, but her only child.”
“So isn’t it weird that her daughter is with Greg? Alone?”
“Yes. It’s weird. Definitely.” Lila stood on her tiptoes to get a better look at the couple. “But maybe Greg jumped through all the right hoops? Or maybe Luann decided it was time to give her daughter some space. It’s anyone’s guess.”
Amelia finished the cupcakes then popped them carefully into the pink paper boats with a couple napkins. She strolled out to the picnic table where the couple was sitting across from each other, holding hands.
“Here you go, guys. Sorry for the wait.”
“I’d wait a lot longer than that for your cupcakes. My mom brings them home all the time,” Colleen bubbled.
“Really?” Amelia knew what her mother looked like and was sure she had never once seen her at the Pink Cupcake. She might have had her assistant come get them for her.
“I just love them. These are my favorite. I’ll have to do an extra three-story climb on the Stairmaster, but it’s so worth it.”
“I am so glad you like them.”
“Do you cater?”
“As a matter of fact, we do. Any occasion, and we can custom-design your cupcakes to fit your theme.”
Colleen looked at Greg and pulled her shoulders up to her ears and grinned giddily. He raised his eyebrows but said nothing.
At the same time, Amelia pulled a hot-pink business card from her pocket.
“If you’ve got an event coming up, please give me a call.”
“We will. It might be my mom calling. Her name is Luann Jameson.”
At the mention of Luann’s name, Greg leaned back as if the words might bite him. He pinched the skin right above his nose.
“What?” Colleen asked innocently.
Greg shook his head but still said nothing.
“I’ve seen your mom’s picture around town. I know who she is.” Amelia smiled. “Just tell her I’ll be happy to answer any questions.”
“I will.” It seemed that Colleen was only like her mother in the looks department. She was friendly and almost hysterically chipper.
Amelia thanked Colleen, wished her a good day, and came back to the truck, shrugging to Lila.
“Nothing weird there?”
That afternoon, Amelia had a chance to tell Dan when he called about her coincidental encounter with the mysterious Colleen Jameson.
“And you saw her with who?” Amelia could hear the surprise in Dan’s voice.
“With Greg Scottson.”
“No. That can’t be.”
“I’m telling you. Ask Lila if you don’t believe me.”
“Are you sure it wasn’t some guy who looked like Greg?”
“I’m sure. They came and bought cupcakes from us. Well, Colleen paid, but they were right at the service window and then took a seat at the picnic table, and I had a pleasant chat with her for several minutes. Why is this so hard to believe?”
Dan cleared his throat.
“For one, Greg Scottson has a record.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, and we’re not talking petty theft either.” Dan went on, “About six years ago, he was arrested for lewd behavior with a minor. He said the fifteen-year-old girl in his car said she was eighteen. He was twenty-two at the time.”
Amelia couldn’t help but immediately think of Meg. She was only fourteen herself and so pretty and bubbly. The thought of her being in the same room as someone who thought like that made her skin crawl.
“The evidence seemed to jibe with what he said, but due to the nature of the crime and the judge presiding, there was no way Greg was going to get off without something. He got three years’ probation. In that time, he was arrested for public intoxication a couple of times and possession of a misdemeanor amount of marijuana on his person.”
“I’m sorry,” Amelia interrupted. “But didn’t you tell me that Colleen’s mother held some pretty tight reins when it came to her precious daughter and who she was allowed to date?”
“I did. Why do you think I’m so shocked?”
“Well, they were holding hands when I saw them. Gazing into each other’s eyes like two people I know,” she teased.
“How in the world did those two even meet?”
“Come on, Detective. You mean to tell me you can’t figure that out?” Dan could see Amelia’s smirk over the phone, and it made him grin. “Obviously, her mother took her Lexus in to Nelson’s for some work. That might even require a couple trips there. Plenty of time for him to get to know Colleen.”
“You might be right. Very good, Miss Harley.”
Amelia smiled at the smile in Dan’s voice. “I might have to pop by and have a couple words with Nelson and see if this is what we think it is.”
“Well, Greg isn’t lacking in the looks area. You know how some women fall for a bad-boy reputation and a handsome face. Look at me.”
Amelia laughed. “I’ll probably be left in ruin before all is said and done.”
It was true that whatever Greg was lacking in smarts he made up for in looks. He had wild black naturally wavy hair that reminded Amelia of Kurt Russell in his younger days. His shoulders were broad, and there didn’t seem to be any kind of paunch or gut hanging over his belt.
“Right.” Dan scoffed. “Even with his criminal history, he’s never had a problem with the ladies. I think that’s part of the reason Nelson keeps him at the garage because of all the girls that come looking for him.”
“And here I thought Nelson was just a harmless old grease-monkey, and it turns out he has a deviant side.”
“I wouldn’t call Nelson deviant. He just has a pulse. You can’t blame a man for looking at what someone has put on display.”
“I suppose.” Amelia had never been much of an exhibitionist, and she hoped her conservative ways had rubbed off on Meg. So far, she hadn’t had any problems.
“But then there are those guys who like a little more substance to their women. A good head on their shoulders. Common sense. A sense of humor. That’s what’s attractive.”
“You really think so?”
“Yes, Miss Harley, and I don’t just think so. I know so.”
“Well, I have to agree with Lila that youth is wasted on the young.”
“That sounds like a Lila-ism. I couldn’t agree more.” Amelia could hear someone talking to Dan in the background. It was obvious he was being called back to work.
“Honey, I have to go.”
Amelia got goose bumps hearing Dan call her honey. It was such a little thing, but she knew it wasn’t a term a guy like him tossed around. She felt as if he’d just given her a bouquet of sunflowers.
“Okay, come by later if you like.”
“I’ll try, but I might have to take a rain check. I’ll call you.”
When Amelia hung up, she thought that maybe she should have a talk with Meg about the way things worked in the world. Maybe the girl already knew. The things teenagers bantered around to each other were about ten percent fact and ninety percent fiction, but it would be worth talking to her about. The last thing she wanted was for her to get carried away over the first guy who told her she was pretty.
“I should talk to Adam, too. What’s good for the goose, and all that mumbo-jumbo.” That talk made her stomach tie up in knots. It wasn’t that she feared the worst for her son. At seventeen, he was a smart kid, and he did march to the beat of his own drum. But other than Amy down the street, Amelia didn’t know if he had an interest in any other girls or if he knew how important it was to be a gentleman.
Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the bottle of water she had been nursing while she took a ten-minute break outside the truck. With one giant swig, she went back into the hot box and began a batch of vanilla cherry cupcakes.