Secrets Collide (Bluegrass Brothers)

you, sweetheart?”
    “Sure. You were about to drive me crazy with your pacing, so it works out perfectly. We’ll just meet up for lunch.”
    Gemma raised her lips for Cy as he gave her a quick kiss before heading out. She turned to see Cade grinning like an idiot and just shook her head. “You ready to get started?”
    “Sure am. Let’s see that alphabet you have.”
     
    *     *     *
     
    Cy found his brother at a peewee football game. Marshall stood by the sidelines between two tables filled with sweets. The Bearcats’ mothers had pies in hand while Pam Gilbert and some other mothers from the Keeneston Cougars team held stacks of cookies as if they intended to toss them like throwing stars at the opposing mothers.
    “Arrest them, Sheriff!”
    “For what, Pam? Selling baked goods?”
    “This is our fund-raiser for our team. They’ve been doing this all through the league and we’ve had enough. It’s in the league rules that the home team is allowed to have a bake sale to raise funds for equipment and uniforms. Not away teams. They’ve been purposely bringing in baking ringers to have better goods so they make all the money and the other teams suffer for it.”
    “And why would they do that?” Marshall asked as he held up his arm to keep the opposing mother from cutting in.
    “Because, bless their little hearts, they suck. They’re the worst team in the league. But by outselling us, they’ll have all new equipment and we’ll have nothing. They’re baking us out of competition.”
    “Is this true, Ginny?” Marshall asked the huffing mother.
    “It’s not my fault we’re better bakers. I hope you choke on that overly dry cookie, Pam.”
    “Enough. Where are these league rules you were talking about?” Marshall asked as he intercepted a cookie that was launched at Ginny.
    “Here.” Pam thrust a book at him. “Page thirty-six, paragraph B, section two.” Marshall opened the book and read the cited area.
    “Sorry, Ginny, but Pam’s right. Now while it’s not illegal and I can’t arrest you for violating league rules, they could kick you out of the league if I were to turn this incident in. So let’s pack up those tasty pies and sell them only at your home games. Got it?”
    “This isn’t over, Pam,” Ginny snarled before turning to Marshall. “Thank you for your discretion, Sheriff. Have a pie as our thank-you.” Ginny handed Marshall a pie and the women grudgingly packed up their table.
    “Yes, thank you. Have some cookies, Sheriff. Maybe your brother would want some, too,” Shelly Duffy, Katelyn’s secretary, said as she batted her eyes at Cy.
    “You do know your husband is ten feet away on the field coaching, right?” Marshall asked as Cy sent her a dazzling smile.
    “It would be rude not to acknowledge him standing right there and if southern women are one thing, it’s not rude,” Shelly said she handed Cy some cookies.
    “That’s right. Try my cookies, Cy.”
    “Mine are double chocolate, Cy.”
    “Mine won first place at the county fair."
    “Ladies,” Cy smiled as he held up his hands. “I’ll try them all as I'm sure each will be perfect, just like their bakers.” Cy gave them a wink and saw Marshall roll his eyes. He pulled out his wallet and tossed down a fifty before holding out his arms for the pile of cookies he had just bought.
    “Way to make me look bad,” Marshall mumbled to Cy as he took out his wallet too. “Good luck at the game, ladies.”
    Cy walked with his brother back to where he parked his now slightly banged-up truck next to Marshall’s cruiser.
    “So, what’s up?” Marshall asked as he took a bite of one of the cookies.
    “Something happened last night that I need to talk over. But I’m antsy. I was hoping we could get a little training in while I bounce some ideas off you.”
    “Sure. Let’s go to my place.”
     
    Cy threw a punch and Marshall blocked it with his forearm. Sweat poured off Cy as he and Marshall lobbed punches and kicks at each other on the soft grass in front of the house. Bob, Marshall’s Vizsla, sat perched on a low-hanging limb of a tree watching them. Marshall had shed his uniform and put on a pair of athletic shorts similar to the ones Cy wore. Shirts had long ago been tossed to the side as they battled each other.
    “So the body just disappeared?” Marshall asked as he delivered a strong kick to Cy’s midsection.
    “It makes me think they went back and cleaned it up. When they didn’t