Page 32 of Melody’s Little Secret

“Not bad,fratello,” Zio mused as we watched the girls embrace. They were mumbling to each other but between the crying and the way their faces were pressed into each other’s necks, we couldn’t understand a word of it.

“I can’t believe you cornered them both.” I shook my head and laughed.

“It was the only way to diffuse things, they were angry little Powerpuffs,” he teased having heard that the girls loved the show and that I had been using the name as a term of endearment for my girl.

“I see that.”

The girls finally let go of one another and were attempting to wipe each other’s tears away. I sighed and retrieved some tissues for them both.

“There now. All better. Let’s get this mess cleaned up.”

Melody heavily babied her wrist which was evidence that she had definitely overused it, so I made her sit and work on her inventory while we cleaned.

“I did it again!” Mel exclaimed before dramatically slumping and dropping her head in her hands.

“What?” All three of us asked at once.

She held up a sheet of paper and frantically waved it around. “I filled out an order form and never f-frackin’ actually put in the order, except this time it’s not just salt it’s likeeverything.”

“Calm,dulcita.” I went to her side and dropped a kiss to the top of her head. She didn’t know it, but her little act of forgetfulness was going to work out perfectly for us all. “You’re closed tomorrow, do you have enough to fulfill your orders?”

“I don’t have any more custom orders this week. I think I have enough to restock the cases for Tuesday morning.”

“Good, Zio needs to run to Mechanicsville tomorrow. He can take Laney and they can pick up whatever you need.”

“I’m going to Mechanicsville tomorrow?” Zio asked.

“Sì, fratello.” I gave him a look that told him not to argue with me and thankfully twintuition set in.

“Oh, yeah! Sorry, I forgot tomorrow is Monday.”

“I can go. Laney doesn’t know all of the stuff I usually get.”

“You’re not going. You’re going to rest on your day off like you’re supposed to. If you think I haven’t noticed you not following my rules to a T, you’d be wrong. I’m paying attention.”

Mel gulped and shot Laney a look. “Do you mind, Lane?”

She shook her head. “Nope, that’s fine. I haven’t been to Mechanicsville yet.”

“We’ll make a day of it. I’ll take you to the best burger joint on the east coast.”

“What if I don’t like burgers?” Laney sassed.

“They also have milkshakes made from fresh in-house-made ice cream.”

“Sold.” Laney smiled and stuck out her hand for Zio to shake.

“Brat.” He chuckled as he took her offered hand and shook it.

I breathed a sigh of relief. Laney had been coming to the restaurant almost every day at lunch for her “fried cheese fix” and the company that was delivering her new tub couldn’t give me an exact time they would show up. We didn’t know how the huge clawfoot tub would arrive and how concealed it would be, so we didn’t want her around just in case it caused suspicions. The apartment renovation was hard enough to hide without giving her a reason to ask questions.

“Good deal then, you guys will go and pick up some supplies for the bakery and restaurant and Melody will rest under my supervision.” I gave her the Daddy brow and she squirmed. We had a bunch of projects happening in the apartment and I needed her final say on some things, but there was a couch up there and her butt would be on it all day if I had to tie her to it.

“Melody, you work on a detailed list. What were you two working on before the fight happened?”

“Some brownies for the display case.” Laney answered guiltily.

“Is there a recipe?”

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