Sugar and Iced (Cupcake Bakery Mystery) by Jenn McKinlay Read Free Book Online Page A

madder at me,” Mel said.
    “Um, I don’t think she could get any madder at you,” Angie said.
    Mel sighed.
    “So, what’s the itinerary for the pageant?” Tate asked. “Angie says you’ve agreed to install a cupcake display every day of the pageant in addition to baking the cupcakes that the girls design themselves. Correct?”
    “Cici seemed to think it would tie the whole thing together,” Mel said. “They’re paying us and the publicity should be, pardon the pun, sweet.”
    “What do you need me to do?” he asked.
    “I’ll need you and Marty to mind the store,” Mel said. “And no making any deals to go local while I’m gone. We need to discuss that more before we make any changes.”
    “Fine,” Tate said.
    Mel paused as she was scooping her chocolate batter into her cupcake pan and stared at him.
    “What?” he asked. He didn’t meet her eyes.
    “Tate, what have you done?” she asked.
    Angie snapped her head between Tate and Mel.
    “It’s no big deal,” he began. “I just set up some meetings.”
    “Tate,” Mel’s voice was a low growl.
    “Just let me work up a proposal,” he said. “I know you like the size of your operation, but Mel, the expansion possibilities are endless.”
    “But I don’t want to expand,” she protested. She knew she sounded petulant but she couldn’t help it. “I like my operation exactly as it is.”
    “I do, too,” Angie said.
    Given that Angie and Tate were now a thing, sort of, she really appreciated the backup, and if she could have reached Angie to hug her, she would have.
    “Look, we all know that it was my start-up capital that got the business off the ground,” Tate said.
    “Agreed,” Mel said. “I can never thank you enough.”
    “I don’t want thanks,” Tate said. “It was the best investment of my life.”
    They smiled at each other and Mel knew he meant it.
    “But—” Tate began, and both Mel and Angie groaned. “Hear me out. Without access to big bucks, you’re going to have to expand, Mel, or you’re going to have to trim back on staffing.”
    “What?”
    Tate shrugged. “Sorry, but you’re not going to be able to maintain a staff of five if you don’t grow the biz a bit.”
    “So, I’m supposed to let go of Marty or Oz?” Mel asked. “Aren’t we making enough to keep everyone on?”
    “Barely,” Tate said. “A big chunk of money went into the cupcake van and we haven’t been utilizing it as much as we should.”
    “Well, maybe that’s what you could be doing,” Mel said. “We could load you up and you could drive down to central Phoenix and work the heart of the city. Who wouldn’t want a cupcake for lunch?”
    Tate frowned at her.
    “That’s a pretty good idea,” Angie said. “I always felt like we should have the van out every day. The advertising alone would surely help boost our sales.”
    “So it’s agreed,” Mel said. “I’ll do some extra baking tonight and tomorrow you can roll out, Tate.”
    “This wasn’t really what I had in mind—” Tate began to protest.
    “You wanted expansion,” Mel said. “Here it is.”
    She gave him her best brick-wall face, as in nothing he said was going to change her mind because she was as intractable as a wall.
    Tate rose from his seat and went back into the bakery, frowning as if he’d lost an argument he didn’t even know he was in.
    Mel glanced at Angie. She had been surprised by Angie’s full support on the decision to outsource Tate into the van. She gave her a questioning look and Angie gave her a small smile.
    “Tate needs a kick in the pants,” she said in explanation. “I’m hoping if he logs some time in the cupcake van, he’ll have a chance to figure out his life a bit.”
    “It’s possible,” Mel said. “So, any progress between the two of you?”
    Angie frowned. “Some. We’re officially dating, but he says he still needs to prove that he can be a provider before he can commit to more. Mel, I am running out of