Lo slapped his hand. “Target practice.”
“See you in thirty at the range.” Axe patted the hard bulge in his back holster. The key was to look like an amateur, but be prepared like a pro.
* * *
Leanna escaped to the air-conditioned delivery van and sat in the driver’s seat while Denton packed the contents for the evening delivery.
“You sure you don’t want me to come along?” he asked. “The five-tiered wedding cake is going to be tricky.”
“I can use the cart. The hotel has a walk-in fridge,” Leanna said. “I need you to take over the counter for the next two weeks. Jolie and Nikki will cover the decorating, and my mother will bake. They don’t know it yet.”
“You’re running off and not telling them?” Denton asked. “What’s going on?”
“I’m having a fling with a married man, and I need you to run cover for me,” Leanna said, watching him carefully for signs of surprise.
There was none. He either had a poker face, or he was wise beyond his years.
“I’ll tell them whatever story you need,” he said in a measured voice. “You deserve a break anyway. Working twenty-four seven and doing community work with the Bumblebees. Who will do the payroll?”
“I’ll access it remotely, but everything should be automatic. Be sure to do the deposits on time, and we should be fine,” Leanna said. “I’ll give you read-only access to my account so you can monitor and let me know if funds go low, but I trust you’ll expand the business while I’m gone.”
“Adding Chinese cakes and pastries will send sales through the roof,” Denton said, grinning widely. “You’ll see. I also have an invention I’d like to try out.”
“Sounds good. In the meantime, it’s all about the frosting and fondant,” Leanna said. “I’d better cool this van down and make sure everything stays stiff and firm.”
“Yep, you got it, boss.” The young man saluted her. “What do I tell your nosy friends? They’ll want to know about this married man.”
Leanna rolled her eyes. “Of course, but discretion is key. Tell them he’s in the mob, and they’ll put targets on their backs if they nose around my business.”
“You know that won’t stop them, especially Nikki. She’s as curious as a cat in a yarn store.”
Denton knew his sister well, but Leanna wasn’t fazed. “Distract Nikki with a boyfriend. Since I have a secret lover, I’m sure she’ll want to keep up.”
“She’s more interested in tracking our ancestry. I’ve been offering to mail off her samples, but one of these days, she’s going to wonder why she’s twins with Winnie.”
Winnie was Denton’s younger sister and not adopted.
“I don’t know how to help you,” Leanna said. “Maybe it’s time to let her know the truth.”
“My parents would never allow it,” he said. “Thanks for covering my tracks.”
“Sure, no problem,” Leanna said. She’d been the one who’d substituted Nikki’s test vial with a blob of spit from Denton’s biological sister before Nikki mailed it. “I still don’t like it. Not one bit.”
Especially since something was going on in Mexico. If Carmelita was still alive, she would need proof. As much as she wanted it to be true, the most likely possibility was someone impersonating her daughter who’d passed away long ago.
Oh, God, let it be her. Please, please, Leanna prayed under her breath.And never let her father find out about her.
