Read Dead Before The Wedding: A Carly Keene Cozy Mystery (Carly Keene Cozy Mysteries Book 1) for Free Online Page B

blinds slightly, revealing the black bumper of Larry’s truck. She wondered how long it had been sitting out there. She certainly didn’t recall seeing it on her way into the bakery.
     
    “Mona, guys do stupid things sometimes.” Shell had dropped the rolling pin to her side, and was trying to change the tone of the conversation. “He probably just doesn’t realize how important this fitting is to you. Planning a wedding is hard work, and with y’all having it up at Moore House, you must be swamped with getting things ready.”
     
    Carly noticed that Mona had calmed right down. Shell had a way of soothing wild beasts, it seemed.
     
    “Here, sugar. You sit down here and have a muffin. I’m sure he’ll be along, tail between his legs, in no time.” Carly admired Shell’s patience. If it were her, she was sure she would have used that rolling pin by now, and not on any pastries.
     
    Mona straightened, her face hardening. “No, thank you, Shell, but I must be going. Fitting or not, I have a great many things to contend with before the wedding, so I need to be going. You just make sure that cake is ready on time, and you call me if you see my fiance.” She aimed this last comment at Carly, who forced a smile and nodded her head. Then, like a whirlwind, Mona spun on her heels and left the bakery.
     
    “That woman is something else!” Shell waved her rolling pin in the air dramatically, and flour floated gently in the air in front of her. “She’d better watch it, or I might just have to add something extra to her wedding cake.”
     
    “Maybe you should add some Zanax, because she seriously needs to chill out,” agreed Carly. “What’s with the rolling pin? Last time I checked, muffins didn’t require a rolling pin.”
     
    Shell laughed. “Oh, I just grabbed this for dramatic effect. The thing is, when I did, I spilled flour all over myself. I must look a mess!”
     
    “You look like the mad baker of Parker’s Mill,” Carly laughed, and peered out the window at the woman walking away from the bakery. “I guess I feel a bit bad for Mona. I mean, her own fiance doesn’t bother showing up for his tuxedo fitting. That can’t make you feel too appreciated.”
     
    “Aw, he’s probably sleeping it off somewhere. Sounds like Larry might just have a little problem,” Shell said, and mimicked taking a big drink from an invisible bottle. “Though, if I was marrying Mona, I’d probably be driven to drink, too.”
     
    Carly noticed the side door of the hairdresser’s across the street swing open, and out popped Larry, checking the street surreptitiously before he stepped outside. A pair of hands reached out and grabbed him, followed quickly by a head of long, red hair. A very pretty redhead planted a lingering kiss right on Larry’s mouth as Carly watched.
     
    “Oh, he’s been sleeping it off, alright. Looks like he’s been sleeping it off with a redhead from the beauty shop across the road.”
     
    Shell nearly tripped over her own feet in her hurry to get to the window. “Oh, my god! What a piece of crap that man is! I mean, missing your tuxedo fitting because you’re cheating on your fiance, well, that’s pretty low.”
     
    She made it just in time to identify the redhead. “I know who that is,” she cried. “That’s Darlene Chambers, she cut my hair once. She stank of cigarettes.” Shell shuddered from the memory.
     
    Carly stepped back from the window, pulling Shell with her. “I don’t want him to see us,” she explained, though it really didn’t matter if he did or not. He probably had no idea that Mona had been in here looking for him. Carly felt sorry for Mona. She may be an irritating person, but nobody deserved to be cheated on by their fiance.
     
    “Do you think we should tell Mona what we saw?” Carly didn’t want to be the one to call her, but she didn’t feel right keeping it to herself.
     
    “Are you kidding? She knows what kind of guy he is. You can call her