The Diva Frosts a Cupcake Read Free

Sugar Baby Cupcakes was already setting up her booth. Maybe I could buy some cupcakes from her before she was officially open for business.
    Nina spotted her at about the same time. Poor Nina was so stressed that her elbows and shoulders pumped when she hustled over to talk with Renee.
    I set to work, flipping out the legs on a table. Nina returned in time to help me turn it upright and tug it into a spot that would be the front of the booth.
    “At least tomorrow’s dinner isn’t a problem. Renee says she committed to supplying cupcakes, and she’ll have them there on time.” She blew a loud breath of air out of her mouth. “One problem resolved. I can’t wait around for Humphrey any longer, though.”
    I grabbed Daisy’s leash and walked Nina to her car, trying to calm her by assuring her everything would work out fine. As soon as she left, I navigated the booths being set up, and was headed toward Sugar Baby’s booth to buy cupcakes when I spotted Humphrey.
    He was pitching in all right—over at Renee Gatewood’s Sugar Baby Cupcakes booth! Had he forgotten about Nina’s adoption booth? I marched over to him. “What are you doing
here
? Where’s Renee?”
    “Morning, Sophie!” sang Humphrey. I’d never heard him sound so cheerful.
    Red spots flushed his pale cheeks, reminding me of a painted porcelain doll’s face. He had snapped his navy blue jacket at the neck against the chilly air. The dark color emphasized his pasty skin and hair so blond it was very nearly white. Renee was nowhere to be seen, but Officer Wong was eyeing the cupcake assortment.
    As I recalled, the African-American policewoman was a huge fan of cupcakes. On the petite side, she had the well-rounded figure of a woman who liked to eat, causing her uniform to stretch tight. She sported a new hairstyle of soft curls, shorter toward her neck and longer on top. One curl dared to curve down on her forehead, giving the look a touch of sass. I had always envied her flawless complexion.
    Wong glanced at me. “Have you tried the Mint Cookies and Cream Cupcake or the White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcake?”
    “I haven’t tasted either one.” They sounded delicious, though. I looked around for Renee. “Is she open for business?”
    Humphrey placed a Mint Cookies and Cream Cupcake and a White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcake into a box with ease, as though he’d done it all his life. “Renee had to go back to the bakery, so I’m filling in. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind if I sold a few cupcakes. Don’t worry, I didn’t forget about you and Nina. As soon as Renee returns, I’ll be over to help you.”
    Wong reached for the box Humphrey handed out to her. “I don’t know what got into all these cupcake bakers. First Joy and Renee split up”—she looked over at me—“who’d ever have expected that? And some idiot broke into Cake My Day last night.”

CHAPTER TWO
    Dear Natasha,
    I am one of your biggest fans and never miss your show. My five dogs are my babies. I wish you would do a show with your dog. Do you cook fabulous gourmet dishes for her? I bet you’ve built her a one-of-a-kind dog bed. Please do a show on dogs!
    —Goldendoodle Mom in Dog Walk, Kentucky
    Dear Goldendoodle Mom,
    Dog cookies are baking in the oven as I write this. My sweet dog is always dressed in an adorable outfit, and she sleeps in a four-poster bed with a canopy. Thanks for your suggestion for a “dog show”!
    —Natasha
    As soon as Wong said
Cake My Day
, I knew who the irate woman had been. The angry face that had stayed with me like a persistent raincloud belonged to Clarissa Osbourne. She and her husband, Spenser, owned the Cake My Day chain of cupcakeries. “Someone must have had a major cupcake attack,” I joked. “Why would anyone break into a cupcakery?”
    “Same reason they burglarize other stores and people’s homes—they’re after money.” Wong opened the box, lifted out a cupcake with pink frosting, and smelled it. “Ahh, doesn’t get any