A Parfait Murder Read Online Free Page B

support and no friends or family in town. With school starting in just a few weeks, she was scrambling to scrape together money for new clothes and supplies so her eight-year-old would blend with the wealthier kids.
    Kyle glowered.
    “We don’t need to spell Beth, but we need to give Alice and Bree some space.”
    He shrugged. “I’m just gonna wait for her here. She might need me.”
    I sent up a silent prayer of thanks that Alice had someone to lean on right now. Rightly or wrongly, I knew Sonny’s return to Dalliance—not to mention his denial of paternity—would put a strain on Alice’s relationship with her mama. That’s how mother-daughter relationships work, at least the ones in our family. No matter who’s at fault, mom gets the blame. Until Alice had a chance to untangle her hurt and confusion, Bree would be public enemy number one.
    “All right. But you wait outside. If you bust in there, I’ll have your hide. And as long as you’re waiting around, you can work the booth for a bit after they’re done in there. I don’t think Bree’s gonna be in any kind of mood to scoop sundaes. So no tearing off with Alice in your hoopty old Bonneville.” Kyle had recently inherited his big brother’s ’97 Pontiac Bonneville, which possessed an unsettlingly spacious backseat. “Bree’s got enough to worry about,” I muttered.
    Kyle shoved his hands deep in his jeans pockets, ducked his head, and glared up at me through his lashes. His expression was standard-issue sullen teenage boy, but something about his eyes or the set of his jaw induced an eerie sense of déjà vu. Suddenly I was eighteen again, standing in the Tasty-Swirl parking lot in my white sundress, watching helplessly as my romance with Finn Harper disappeared in a spray of gravel and a squeal of tires.
    I shook off the sense of doom that enveloped me, gave Kyle an impulsive hug, and took off in the direction of the Creative Arts Arena. I’d rounded the corner of the A-la-mode booth to make my way back to the midway when Finn stepped out of the shadows and took me by the arm.
    “Tally.”
    “Lord a’mighty, Finn. You took a year off my life.”
    “Sorry. I just . . .” He trailed off, and his gaze drifted to a spot over my shoulder.
    He looked so intense, I glanced behind me to see if anyone was coming, but we were alone.
    “Is Alice okay?” he finally asked.
    “I don’t know. Bree’s giving her the news right now. But don’t let her little-girl looks fool you. Alice is a tough cookie. She’ll muddle through.”
    He nodded, but his expression remained troubled.
    “You working?” I asked.
    “What?” He shook himself, and when his eyes met mine again the devilish glint had returned. “Actually, yes. I’m supposed to be doing a feature on the newcomers to the Lantana County Fair. The A-la-mode included.”
    He leaned in close and whispered in my ear, “Wanna preview that new haunted rodeo ride with me? It might be romantic.”
    I laughed. “What part of zombie cowboys and ghostly saloon girls is ‘romantic’?”
    His warm breath stirred the hair at my temple as he chuckled. “Come on. It’ll be dark, and we can hold hands.”
    I knew I needed to get back to the Creative Arts building for a meeting with Garrett and Kristen about judging procedures and the timing of announcing various awards. And I knew that Bree and Alice might both need a little support—not to mention time off from the A-la-mode booth.
    Finn laced his fingers with mine and tugged gently. I inhaled the clean bite of juniper and wintergreen that emanated from his skin. And I felt my resistance melt. There would be plenty of demands on my time over the next twenty-four hours, but I could afford to play hooky for fifteen minutes to slip away with my man.
    Besides, I reasoned, the haunted rodeo was right on the way to the Creative Arts Arena.
    The fairgrounds were laid out like a giant cross. When fairgoers entered the main gate to the south, they had to run a