Whipped Wedding Woes: A Cozy Mystery (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book 8) by Constance Barker Read Free Book Online

suspect it was Howie looking for my money.”
     
    “Why would he dig around in your barn?” Paige asked.
     
    “I might have said that I stashed some money in the barn. He probably thought I buried it.”
     
    “So he was trying to steal from you?” Stormi exclaimed. “Why that dirty rat!”
     
    “Now Stormi, we mustn’t speak ill of the dead,” Jeb replied. “You know your cousin was a little eccentric. Although I think he was becoming a bit desperate.”
     
    I could tell Stormi wasn’t buying it, but she wasn’t going to upset Papaw Jeb. It was getting late so we thanked him again for all the delicious produce and bid him goodnight.
     
    As we drove away Stormi said, “I don’t get it. Why would he be so desperate for money now? Unless it had to do with Luella.”
     
    “All roads lead back to Luella,” I said. “She’s the common denominator in all of this.”
     
    “Yes, she is,” Paige remarked. “All the more reason to find her.”

Chapter Eight
     
     
    The next day was business as usual at The Frozen Scoop. Stormi and Greg delayed their honeymoon until we could find the underlying cause of Howie’s death. We decided to work that day until late afternoon, when Sammi and her friends could come in and take over for us once again at the shoppe. Then we would head to the funeral home where Howie’s body was to be cremated. We still couldn’t reach anyone on the phone, so an in person meet and greet would have to occur.
     
    Paige stopped over around noon to get her and Bruce strawberry and banana smoothies. While she was there, ol’ Charlie made his daily entrance as well. Paige ran over to hold the door open for him. He had his cigar, which Paige promptly told him he couldn’t bring inside the shoppe.
     
    “Oh, I tend to forget that,” he replied. “Here you go,” giving Paige the cigar.
     
    I could read the ‘crap’ expression on Paige’s face a mile away. She held the cigar between two fingers and as far away from her face as possible and stubbed it out on the sidewalk. I heard Brandon’s voice say, “Didn’t know you started smoking cigars Paige. Going for the George Burns look?”
     
    “How about I stub this out in your eye,” Paige remarked as she stood up.
     
    “My my, we are cranky today,” Brandon continued to kid as he opened the door.
     
    “We are not cranky,” Paige replied. “But I think I’ve been relegated to Charlie’s ashtray.”
     
    Stormi and I giggled while Charlie rolled his wheelchair to one of the tables. I brought him his coffee and Paige handed him his unlit cigar. “Thank you dears…you are too good to me.”
     
    As we walked back around the counter I asked Paige, “Now don’t you feel bad about the ashtray comment?”
     
    Paige sighed. “Yeeesss…I love the old coot, but that cigar reeks.”
     
    I walked up to Brandon and gave him a peck hello. “Are you on a break?”
     
    “Yep, thought I’d come in for a small dip of butter pecan to help fuel my energy for the rest of the afternoon.”
     
    Brandon took a seat at one of the stools in front of the counter while I dipped out his ice cream into a sugar cone. As I handed it to him, Stormi came in from the back of the store.
     
    “Did you know about Howie harassing Papaw Jeb about his money?”
     
    Brandon took a lick of his butter pecan. “Hello to you too sister.”
     
    “Cut the crap…did you?”
     
    “Boy, you women are in a mood today.”
     
    We all three stood staring at him. I secretly chuckled inside as I watched him wilt. Even the ice cream was melting hurriedly down his cone from the heat emanating from the other two women.
     
    “I did not know until Tara told me last night on the phone, although Momma probably mentioned it,” Brandon said as he took another lick.
     
    “How could he do that?” Stormi was not happy. I believed the fact that we couldn’t locate Howie’s body was causing her to unravel. “This is just crazy…first he’s hurt, then he’s