Page 69 of Stockman's Stormcloud

Sophie’s brow ruffled at Bree’s cupcake blessings. The first time Dex had heard Bree say it, he thought it was weird, too.

But he had more important things to deal with. ‘Are you telling me you had a baking session at four in the morning? And that it went all day?’

Bree dropped a hand on one hip, as if bored with their conversation. ‘If you must know my business, I make organic cooking oils for Lucy’s store, using Lucy’s bush herbs, that they grow on their family property. We sell them in her online store, that is branded asThe Station Hand’s Daughter.’

‘Oh, I’ve seen that logo. It’s on the side of the food van at the Train Station Bakery.’ With her half-eaten cupcake, Sophie licked the cream from her fingertips.

It was enough for Dex to stop and watch Sophie lick her fingers clean. Oh no, they most certainly were not done with her nurse visits.

‘I’d eat there daily if I could,’ said sweet, sweet Nurse Kitty, with her pink tongue licking her shiny lips. ‘Especially thequiches and cheesecakes. The banana cheesecake is the best, but my hips would hate me if I ate that too often.’

There was nothing wrong with Sophie’s figure, it was perfect, just as it was.

Sophie then glanced at Bree’s curvy figure. ‘Jenny, our head nurse, makes the doctors take their cakes over to the police station when we’re on diets, or we’d be the size of houses.’

‘I know.’ Bree tapped her hips, while grinning at Sophie in an attempt at humour to connect with the nurse in some friendly way.

Except Sophie sniffed, turning away from Bree.

Bree’s eyes flared wider at Dex.

Aww, come on! There was no way he was getting into the middle of those two women, not when he needed to know where Bree had been all night as if to save her reputation by finding out her alibi. Which was the most foreign thing he’d ever done for a female. ‘Bree? You were saying?’

She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned a hip against the kitchen bench. ‘This morning, I gave Lucy the bad news that, because of a technical glitch from my end, there will be no more distilling from me.’

He nodded, completely understanding why.

‘Why are you giving it up, kid? That’s not like you to turn down work.’

‘We were only doing it as a trial, Pop. We didn’t expect it to be so popular.’

‘So, what did they say?’

‘Lucy and her family have decided to build their own distilling operation in one of their sheds. They already dry and package their own bush herbs and have decided to extend their operations.’ Bree pulled out the notebook from her witchy bag. ‘I spent all morning designing plans to build them a still suitable for both cooking oils, and one to capture the essences from some of their bush herb range.’

Charlie nodded. ‘Did you help them bake this morning, too?’

‘I helped make these cupcakes with Lucy’s mother, Queen Elizabeth, when the others went to work. Lizzie was baking for the school fundraiser.’ Bree peeled back the lid of the second plastic container, much larger than the first, showing a whole stash of cupcakes. Their rich smell and bright creamy colours were a temptation, even for a man who didn’t touch sweets. ‘Pop, we bought these for the school, and gave them a cash donation.’

‘Sweet.’ The old man chuckled, dusting off his fingertips to pinch another one.

‘So, Dex, your brother can call the Station Hand, his wife Queen Elizabeth, his daughter Lucy, and their full-time artist-in-residence Homeless Hank.’ Bree ticked the names off her fingertips. ‘Oh, and that includes Elsie Creek’s new fire chief, who is Lucy’s lover, as my alibi.’

Bree shifted around the kitchen bench to lift the lid on the cake box Lenny had delivered earlier this morning. It made Dex realise it would’ve been around the same time Bree was visiting the Station Hand’s family.

‘Oh, are these cupcakes from Lenny?’

‘Yeah, he delivered them this morning,’ said Charlie.

‘Wow, we’re really having a cupcake party today. And Lenny’s are the best.’ Bree selected one of the chocolate cupcakes and bit into it calmly, as if nothing had happened. But Bree could be cunning and cool in situations, making her unpredictable and dangerous. ‘Did you find anything fossicking, Pop?’

‘Nah. Not much.’

Bree packed a stack of her school fundraising cupcakes into another container. ‘Here, Sophie, you can you take these back to the hospital. Tell your wonderful boss it’s not diet day today. Jenny can thank me later. I was going to share them with the Riggs brothers, but that bridge has been burned.’ And there it was, that temper dangerously simmering, as she glared at Dex with fierce green eyes.

Holy flip! Bree was furious.

‘Ryder was wrong,’ Dex said, hoping to calm down theredhead.

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