Chocolate Chip Cookie Conundrum (Murder in the Mix Book 32) by Unknown (the lemonade war series .TXT) 📕

got back to the room that night at the hospital, she was about to head into Lemon’s room. I caught her by the wrist, but Carlotta came up from behind. The way they looked at one another—the way they looked like each other, she’s got to be Carlotta’s kid. I asked her about it, but she wouldn’t admit to it.”

“Did she deny it?”

I shake my head. “Look, I don’t know what she wants, but she could be a psychotic for all I know. I’ll handle things from here.” I spot Fiona headed this way and reality smacks me in the face again. “On second thought, if I’m hauled away, I need you to take care of things.” The air expires from my lungs as I look Noah in the face. “Take care of my girls.” A lump forms in my throat, and I don’t want to push the next few words out. “Take care of Lemon.” I hitch my head toward the courtroom. “Get in there.”

He nods my way. “You know I’d take care of them. And I will be doing it—right alongside you.” He takes off, and Fiona steps in his place.

“I spoke with Judge Macalister this morning and he said he’d handle sentencing if need be directly after the judgment as a courtesy to you.”

“I figured he would.” I shoot a dark look into the courtroom. “You don’t lose Fiona, that’s why you’re here.”

“You don’t find yourself on the wrong side of the law, Essex. At least not until you met her. Do you ever regret it? You could have had a dozen just like her with far less trouble. One for every day of the week.”

I lift a brow. “That’s the thing, Fiona. There are none just like her. And I don’t regret a moment.”

A laugh bubbles from her. “One of these days you’re going to tell me exactly what happened that night. But first, let’s go get our victory.”

We head on in and I give both my mother and my sister a quick kiss on the cheek. I head over to Lemon and Lyla Nell and do the same before taking my post next to Fiona.

Soon, the jury files in, each of them stealing a glance my way. I’ve been to enough of these things to know those glances mean something. Eye contact with the defendant almost always means sympathy. They don’t look them in the eye when they’re about to send them up the river. But as much as I want to bask in elation, I don’t dare. I’ve seen things go sideways for a few defendants that I thought were innocent myself.

The bailiff calls us to our feet for Judge Macalister.

He looks to the jury box with a stern expression. “Has the jury come to a unanimous decision?”

An older man with a stony expression stands. “We have, Your Honor.” He hands the note to the bailiff who delivers it to the judge and he quickly peruses it before glancing at me. There is not one hint of what my fate might be on his face as he hands the note back to the bailiff and it’s delivered to the juror foreman once again.

The man takes the note in his shaky hands and I wonder why he’s so afraid, and suddenly I’m tempted to mimic that exact feeling.

“On the account of somnambulism, we the jury find Judge Essex Everett Baxter not guilty on the count of unlawfully removing a corpse.”

The courtroom explodes in cheers and Fiona offers me a quick embrace.

“I wasn’t going to let you ruin my winning streak,” she whispers it heated, right into my ear. “Get out of here.”

The judge dismisses the jury as I hop over the pony wall and hold Lemon and Lyla Nell as tightly as I can without hurting them.

Lemon sobs over my shoulder, and I’m half-tempted to join her.

“Dad!” Evie jumps over and I pull her in as well. “You’re safe!” Her body bucks against me. “I’m so glad. I was so scared. I knew you were innocent. I knew it.”

I may not have been innocent, but that wasn’t necessarily the point. It usually isn’t.

We take off and Lemon insists the entire lot of us head to Mangias to celebrate. We eat far too much pizza before stopping by the bakery and eating far too much cake.

That night Noah pulls me to the side in the living room.

“Tomorrow, no matter what happens with Lyla Nell’s paternity, just know you’re not getting rid of me that easy.”

“I didn’t think so.” I give him a light shove to the chest. “Who said I wanted to?”

He slaps me on the arm and offers one of his dimpled grins before going serious on me. “It’s going to hurt like a hammer to the nuts if I’m not that baby’s father. If it can’t be me, I’ll be glad it’s you. But don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched, Baxter. I’m still in the race.”

“A race that won’t end tomorrow no matter what the outcome.”

“Now you’re catching on.” He glances past me where Evie and Lemon are snuggling with Lyla Nell on the sofa. “And once that’s through tomorrow, we’re not wasting any time. Or at least I’m not. I’m heading to the Caspian. I’m not waiting for trouble to find us. I’m going to make that mystery woman sing.” He takes a step back and looks at Lemon. “I’m going to step across the street and feed Toby. I’ll be back later to take the night shift.”

“Bring Toby back with you,” Evie calls out.

“Will do,” he says. “Goodnight, ladies.”

He takes off, and soon Lemon and I are locked in our bedroom. Lyla Nell is fast asleep in the bassinet and my beautiful wife is tucked in my arms.

“Are you ready to celebrate the right way, Judge Baxter?” She runs her fingers down my tie before cinching it around her wrist like a leash.

“You don’t have clearance from Dr. Barnette to celebrate.” I know this firsthand because I made a note of