“I could use some coffee as well,” I said as we headed toward the shop.
Zane held open the door for us, and I took a deep breath when I stepped inside. The smell of ground coffee beans and sugar consumed me, and I felt a rush of adrenaline...and I hadn’t even consumed the caffeine yet.
Hunter ordered a white chocolate mocha and hot chai, and Zane and I each ordered a regular coffee. With coffees in hand, we headed outsideto the seating area in front of the shop. Three wrought-iron tables and chair sets sat among large potted ferns and trailing ivy. Enchanted orbs floated through the foliage overhead, and the stone floor and open air of the lobby made it feel like we were sitting at an outdoor café, not in a lobby of a resort.
Jayla hurried over and took the chai from her dad, thanked him, and headed back over to the fountain. Hunter watched her leave, then pulled out a chair and sat down.
“We’ll be right back,” I said.
“Wait,” Hunter said. “Where are you going?”
Instead of answering, Zane and I turned and crossed the lobby to Fairy-Kissed Confections.Through the window, I could see Sasha behind the counter, tying a bow around a box of chocolates. A banner across the front window read, “Post-Valentine’s Day Sale! 50% Off All Boxed Chocolates!”
“This is going to be hard,” I said. “Tell me not to buy chocolate, even though it’s half off.”
Zane chuckled. “Why do I have to be the bad guy?”
I pushed open the door, and a small bell chimed, alerting Sasha to our presence.
“Welcome to—” She broke off when she recognized us. “Oh, hello.”
I glanced around the store, taking it in. Glass display cases ran the length of the left wall, filled with rows of hand-dipped truffles, chocolate clusters, and caramels. Shelves along the right wall held gift boxes in various sizes, each one wrapped in colored cellophane and tied with ribbon or twine, while others were bound with thin braided cord.I strolled along the shelf and ran my fingers over one of the cords.
“Can I help you?” Sasha said tersely.
“We need you to come with us,” I said. “We have a few more questions.”
She set down the box of chocolates in her hand. “I have work to do. It’s the day after Valentine’s Day, and I’m running a sale. I can’t just leave.”
I glanced around the empty store. There wasn’t even a customer browsing.
“Looks like you can spare a few minutes,” I said.
Sasha pressed her lips together, but she untied her apron and tossed it on the counter. “Fine. Itislunchtime.”
“Oh,” I said, “and we want the valentine you received. We know you got one in the mail earlier this week.”
Sasha huffed and reached under the counter, plopping her purse down. She reached inside, withdrew a valentine similar to the others I’d seen.
“What does it say?” Zane asked.
“‘Secrets are sweet, until they spoil.’” She shook her head. “And no, I don’t know what it means.”
I conjured up an evidence bag and had Sasha drop it inside. “Thank you.”
We exited the shop, and Sasha swiped her hand across the air. The words “Back in Ten Minutes” appeared magically overhead and hovered near the door. I didn’t have the heart to tell her it would probably be longer than ten minutes.
We all walked back across the lobby, and Sasha slowed when she saw Hunter sitting at one of the wrought-iron tables. She glanced at me, but I kept walking. As I neared the table, I saw that Hunter had gone inside the coffee shop and ordered another coffee.
“I saw where you went,” Hunter said, “so I got Sasha a coffee as well.”
“Thank you, Hunter,” Sasha said as we all sat down. She picked up the coffee, took a sip, and smiled coyly at him over the rim.
So they weren’t even trying to hide the fact they were involved. I shot a look over at Jayla, but she didn’t seem to be paying us any attention. I couldn’t help but wonder what the girl would think if she knew the truth about her dad and Sasha.
“We know you two are having an affair,” Zane said. “Even Mari suspected Hunter was seeing someone. She said so in the diary we found.”
The two exchanged looks, but they didn’t say anything.
