Page 7 of Twice Baked Risky Whiskey Cakes

“Good grief,” I mutter.

Although it’s true for the most part—with Carlotta holding up the nude part of the deal.

Venus presses her lips tight for a moment. “Um, Mom was the head curator at the Vermont State Museum of Fine Arts before she retired,” she says, expertly taking the limelight off of Carlotta and any nude visuals she might have provided—or more importantly, circumventing any future nude reprisals. “She has an eye for beauty in all forms.”

“Including handsome Irish whiskey makers?” Carlotta teases and inspires Keegan’s gaze to drift right toward the whiskey maker in question.

My, my, Sebastian Gallagher seems to be attracting his fair share of attention. It’s almost as if he’s the senior version of Everett.

Hey? Maybe that has something to do with Eliza’s startling reaction to him.

Noah clears his throat. “If you ladies will excuse me, I need to make a quick call.” He leans in and presses his mouth close to my ear. “I’m going to call for backup and scope the place out for trouble. Those ghosts of yours have never been wrong before.”

Great. Even Noah feels the doom in the air. And I suppose he should. It is his job.

Noah slips away and I turn back to Keegan. “So, do you know that man? Sebastian Gallagher?”

Keegan’s posture stiffens. She exchanges a look with Venus, takes a deep breath, and says, “I—uh—I guess I don’t really know him.” The words hang between us in a way that makes you certain she’s not exactly telling the truth. It’s pretty apparent she knowssomethingabout him in the least.

She clears her throat. “I think I need a cup of coffee. Or perhaps something stronger.” She stalks off with her heels clicking sharply against the hardwood floor, and shockingly I can hear it above the boisterous music and lively chatter vibrating through the room.

“Sorry about that,” Venus says with a puzzled expression as she watches her mother go. “Well”—she turns to Carlotta and me with a forced smile—“are you ladies thinking what I’m thinking?” She hitches her head toward Sebastian, who stands surrounded by admirers with his shock of white hair with traces of whiskey-colored highlights.

Carlotta drools on command. “That we should introduce ourselves to the silver fox and make a few indecent proposals?” She waggles her brows. “I wouldn’t mind sharing my emeraldislewith him, if you know what I mean.”

“Eww,” I groan her way, although I’m not actually surprised by anything she says. Carlotta basically considers flirting a competitive sport. Not to mention the fact she’s in a verycommitted relationship with Mayor Nash—who happens to be my biological father. Not that it’s ever stopped Carlotta from flirting within an inch of her life—or her relationship.

“What?” she balks my way. “I’m old, not dead.” She smooths her hair out. “And clearly, I’m not the only one interested. Half the women in this room are eyeing him like he’s the last corned beef sandwich at an Irish wake.”

Venus laughs. “Well, I’m not eyeing him for those reasons. I was thinking more along the lines of finding out what has my mother in such a tizzy.”

I cast a glance his way again. “I’ll admit, he is a looker.”

Carlotta gags and gyrates. “Don’t you have enough men in your reverse harem, Lot?” She frowns my way. “Save some for the rest of us, would you?”

I shoot her a look. “I’m investigating, not collecting,” I say. “Besides, he’s old enough to be my father—and maybe yours.”

“Maybe so,” she says. “But he’s hot enough to be my next mistake,” she mutters as we approach Sebastian’s circle.

The air in the community center seems to shimmer with tension, as if the universe knows that someone in this room is about to have their time on the planet cut fatally short.

And I certainly wonder who that could be.

LOTTIE

Sebastian Gallagher is finishing up what appears to be a tense conversation with a stunning woman who looks to be in her forties. She’s a brunette with auburn highlights, physically fit, and has on a deep maroon pantsuit that screams success. Although at the moment, her perfect features are twisted into a scowl.

“You think this changes anything?” the woman says under her breath. “A new business? I know exactly who you are, Sebastian.”

He purses his lips, and if I had to guess, it looks as if he’s hiding a smile.

“Della, my love, it’s water under the bridge.” He winks and it only seems to infuriate her even more. He glances our way as we come upon them and does a double take at Venus. “Ah, Keegan’s precious daughter.”

Della turns our way with an indifferent look on her face, but she’s still notably annoyed from the encounter she just had with him. I’m starting to think this was a bad idea.

“Venus Finnigan,” Venus says in a voice that suddenly sounds more professional than it does warm.

“Carlotta Sawyer.” Carlotta quickly throws both her name and her hand out there, but Sebastian doesn’t waver his gaze from Venus.

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