Murder By Muffin, page 17
part #3 of Whispering Bay Mystery Series
He doesn’t say anything for a minute. “What was Tara going to use against you and Sarah during the cooking competition?” he asks.
I blink. “Where did that come from?”
“I just remembered there was something in those notes about everyone except you.”
I was wondering when someone was going to ask me that.
“That’s because I tore those pages up. Believe me, we weren’t exempt from the notebook from hell. Tara had a couple of angles, neither of which were pretty.”
“I’m listening.”
“She was going to try to pit Sarah and I against one another by saying that Sarah was jealous of me because everyone comes to The Bistro for my muffins. Which is totally not true. Sarah’s mac and cheese is one of our best sellers.”
“And the other angle?”
I hesitate.
“Lu-cy,” he says, imitating Ricky Ricardo from the old I Love Lucy shows, something my brother does all the time. It usually raises a giggle from me, but I’m not in a laughing mood.
He leans in closer, and the air in the room immediately goes thick.
Does he feel it too?
Neither of us says anything.
“Lucy,” he says again in that silly voice, only this time much quieter.
I look up at him. Mistake! Those blue eyes of his bore right through me like he can read my mind. There’s no way out of it. And the thing is, I don’t want to find a way. It’s time to tell Will how I feel.
“Way back in one of the first interviews we did for the show, Tara asked me what I would do with my portion of the prize money if The Bistro were to win the twenty-five grand. I told her I’d pay off the money you loaned me for the down payment. I have no idea how she knew ... Maybe she was more intuitive than I gave her credit for, but somehow, she figured out that I have a thing for you. She was going to create this whole sad romantic story about me pining away for my best friend. It was pathetic really. I think she thought it would soften up the other story lines she was creating.”
Will looks at me hard. “You have a thing for me?”
I nod.
“As in, a romantic thing?” he clarifies.
I nod again, too terrified to say anything because the way he’s looking at me, it’s as if—
“Guess what, Lucy? I have a thing for you too.”
He cups the back of my head and leans in to kiss me
Will. Is. Kissing. Me.
I kiss him back.
I’ve dreamed of this moment for years, but now that it’s happening, it’s like I’m floating above my head watching it all go down.
Paco barks, making Will and I jump apart.
We laugh nervously, because holy wow. Everything I’ve thought about our relationship has just flown out the door. He would never kiss me if he didn’t have strong feelings for me. Just like me, he’d never risk our friendship on a whim.
He watches me intently. “How come we’ve never done that before?”
“I don’t—wait. I almost forgot. Will, are you J.W. Quicksilver?”
“What?” He makes a face. “Why would you ask me that?”
“It makes total sense. You always act so weird whenever anyone talks about him. Like you have this irrational dislike of him. But I’ve read one of his books and … ” Oh my stars. Why did I never figure this out before? “You’re the one who made the big donation to St. Perpetua’s! Sebastian knows, doesn’t he?”
“Lucy, you’re talking crazy here—”
“Will,” I say, looking him straight in the eye. “Are you J.W. Quicksilver, yes or no?” I demand.
He chuckles like this is all some big joke. “Lucy,” he says, “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I am not J.W. Quicksilver.”
The hair on my neck stands on end.
Holy wow.
This time there’s no doubt about it.
I’ve just caught Will in a lie.
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed Lucy’s latest adventure. Look for the next installment in the Whispering Bay Mystery series, STRANGER DANGER. Coming soon!
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And if you enjoy romance, try my Whispering Bay Romance series. It’s FREE on Kindle Unlimited!
Books by Maria Geraci
Whispering Bay Mystery Series
Beach Blanket Homicide
Whack The Mole
Murder By Muffin
Stranger Danger (coming Fall 2019)
Whispering Bay Romance Series
That Thing You Do
Then He Kissed Me
That Man Of Mine
The Best For Last
This Can’t Be Love
Can’t Stop The Feeling
Acknowledgments
Thank you for waiting so patiently for this book! I had a lot of fun writing Murder By Muffin and I can’t wait to share Lucy’s next adventure STRANGER DANGER with all of you.
I want to thank my wonderful production team, my editor, Rhoda McDuffey, cover artist, Kim Killion, and the fabulous Chris Kridler for her copy-edits and her friendship.
But most of all, I want to thank you, my fantastic readers who encourage me to keep going. A big shout out to Maria’s Tortillas, my Facebook reader group, who put a smile on my face everyday. I so appreciate you!
And last but not least, to my husband, Mike Geraci, and my daughter, Stephanie, who keep me going.
About the Author
A little bit about me: I write quirky, fun, romantic women’s fiction and cozy mystery. I’m a two-time RITA® Finalist, as well as a finalist in the National Readers Choice Awards and Romantic Times’ American Title Contest.
My romantic comedies feature strong women, dreamy heroes, lots of laughs and a little bit of heat. My cozy mysteries are full of humor, a little romance, and of course, lots of dead bodies. I live in central Florida and I’m always on the lookout for the perfect key lime pie recipe (but not the kind they served on Dexter).
I love to hear from readers! Please write me at mariageraciauthor@gmail.com.
Maria Geraci, Murder By Muffin
