by Rosie Sams
“Thanks,” Kerry smiled.
“What are you two planning?”
Both women turned. “Hey, boss,” Leslie greeted. “We’re planning my sister’s going away party. She got her dream job in New York.”
“Isn’t that exciting?” Kerry squealed. “I’ve always wanted to go to New York. When Leslie’s sister is settled at her new place, we’re both going to visit. And the party we’re planning to send her off with is going to be epic.”
Melody watched, amazed as the two high-fived across the counter. “Okay, what have you done to the real Kerry and Leslie?”
Leslie stared at Melody innocently behind her glasses. “Whatever do you mean?”
“I haven’t heard any bickering from you two in days, and now you’re planning a party together. Not only that, you’re planning a trip to New York. Together. I’m happy you two seem to have grown up but what happened?”
The girls exchanged long looks, and Kerry shrugged. “Well, after what happened with Robin Werther… then with Laurel snapping and turning into a crazy killer… we’ve decided that bad blood between people leads to deadly consequences. Pun intended.”
“Laurel wasn’t crazy,” Melody defended.
“Exactly,” Leslie pointed out. “But she did something crazy because of all that pent up hate. It was either Kerry and I got along, or we’d end up killing each other. We chose to get along.”
Amused, Melody nodded. “Well, I’m glad that something good came out of the tragedy. How are you guys doing with Mr. Mayfair’s order?”
“We’re making good time,” Leslie said.
“Yeah, now that we spend less time arguing, we move a lot faster,” Kerry chimed in.
“Awesome,” Melody murmured.
The sight of the sheriff’s cruiser pulling up in front of the shop put a broad smile on Melody’s face. “Ladies, carry on. I’m stepping outside for a bit.” Both Kerry and Leslie gave her knowing smiles.
“Sure,” they sang in unison.
“Smudge, come here, girl. Al is here.”
Seconds later, Smudge skidded around the corner, tongue hanging out and tail wagging excitedly. Her leash, still attached to her collar, dragged behind her. The dog was out the door ahead of Melody and racing toward Alvin. When Smudge saw Alvin or even heard his name, Melody was sure it meant playtime to the pup. Shaking her head as she approached, she watched Smudge roll over, and Alvin automatically stooped to scratch her tummy.
“Hey, girl,” he laughed. “It’s always nice to see you too.” Alvin glanced up to see Melody approaching and stood up. “Good morning.”
“Good morning, Al. What a pleasant surprise. What brings you by?”
“I stopped by to tell you what an amazing time I had at dinner the other night,” he drawled.
As was typical, heat flooded her face. “I did too. And you stopped just to tell me that?”
“Sure, and to ask you if we could do it again soon somewhere more intimate like your place or mine.”
Melody’s heart skipped a beat. Yes, that meant they were officially a couple. “Sure,” she breathed. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had someone at her place for anything.
“Great.” Alvin rocked back on his heels. “I’ve got some time to burn right now. Were you busy?”
“Not at all.”
“What do you say we take Smudge for a walk around the block?”
She nodded eagerly. “Sounds good.”
Alvin picked up Smudge’s leash, and she skipped ahead. Boldly, Melody laced her fingers with Alvin’s. He grinned in response, and they began their stroll.
“So,” Alvin began. “I bet you’ve been dying to know how things turned out for everyone in the Robin Werther case.”
Shaking her head, Melody feigned nonchalance. “I haven’t dwelled on the matter much. However, if you wish to share a few details, I won’t mind.”
Alvin gazed down at her with a smirk. “In other words, you’ve been dying to know.”
She let out a huff. “All right, you got me. Yes. Tell me everything.”
Alvin threw his head back and roared with laughter, making Melody smile. She reveled in the deep sound resonating through her.
“Well, surprise, surprise, Dorinda has decided to speak on Laurel’s behalf at her trial.”
Melody gasped. “Really? My, that’s incredible of her. After everything, Dorinda still has the heart to forgive her friend. I just knew she was a good woman.”
“Indeed,” Alvin agreed. “She’s a better person than most. You’ll be happy to know that Ambrose Mitchum is back at his practice. After his innocence was declared, the town decided to overlook the entire debacle.”
“As they should. Dr. Mitchum is an incredible physician. I’m so happy everything worked out for him.”
“Me too,” Alvin said. “Would you believe that Cathy Peck and Brad Mortimer have made amends?”
Melody glance up. “You don’t say? How do you know?”
“Cathy stopped by the station to see Laurel and Brad was with her. As soon as they were both free to leave town, they did just that.”
“Look at that, a happy ending for at least one couple.”
“Just one?” Alvin grinned, gazing down at their connected hands.
Melody let out a girly giggle. “Okay, more than a few people got a happy ending.” She sighed. “It’s still so tragic that what was supposed to be a happy affair ended in bloodshed.”
“I certainly hope the next wedding that comes to Port Warren is a more joyful affair.”
Melody glanced up and found Alvin gazing down at her with an unreadable expression. She stopped, and so did he. “Another wedding in Port Warren,” she mused. “Yes, I’m sure that one will be a much happier affair.” Seeing the intent in his eyes as he stared at her mouth, she reached up to give him a quick kiss.
Looking around, Melody realized that they stood across from the park. “So much for a stroll around the block.” She hadn’t taken notice of the distance they’d walked because she’d been so caught up in Alvin and their conversation.
He smiled and pulled a tennis ball from his pocket. “I couldn’t go back to work without a quick game of fetch with one of my favorite girls. Isn’t that right, Smudge?”
Smudge practically did backflips at the sight of the tiny green ball. Melody watched man and dog play with a feeling of contentment and the biggest smile.
Strawberries and Sweet Lies Preview
If you missed the first book in this amazing cozy series, read on for a preview…
Ding. Melody stretched the dough a little further; holding her breath as she expertly pulled it just enough to ensure a perfectly thin, translucent layer. The bell pinged again, and Melody glanced around for Kerry.
“Hey, Ker—where are you?” she called, failing to detect her assistant’s presence. Melody shook her head, wiped her hands on her apron, exited the kitchen and hurried into the shop. There stood her best customer, Alvin Hennessy, the small town’s local sheriff, his kind brown eyes lighting up as Melody came into his view. He hastily removed his hat, cleared his throat and smiled sheepishly down at her.
“Oh, hey there, Mel. Sorry to stop in again today, but I forgot I needed a cake for Ma’s hen party tonight.” Alvin shuffled his feet shyly, his cheeks reddening.
Melody sighed. She was grateful for his business, but suspected he purposely cut his order in two so he had an excuse to drop by twice today. She would have preferred efficiency, but good manners and a genuine fondness for the sheriff prevented her from showing any exasperation. She should be flattered by his attention—she knew, but she really wasn’t interested in a romantic relationship at this point in her life. Not that he wasn’t handsome, in his own way, but he was just not her type, she supposed, even if she were in the market for a romantic relationship. She took a quick moment to evaluate his appearance. He possessed the long, lean lines of a thoroughbred, but somehow wasn’t able to project his inherent attractiveness, even in uniform. Perhap
s it was his somewhat elongated face, but no, that wasn’t really it; it was more his inability to realize his own appeal, a slight insecurity, an awkwardness. She mentally shook herself and focused on the business at hand.
“Not a problem, Al. Always good to see you!” she said, forcing a genuine smile.
She felt a pang of guilt at her fib, but knew she probably made his day with her comment. In spite of her uncanny ability to notice and discern the overt as well as hidden attributes of others, Melody possessed a baffling blindness to her own qualities. She could have easily graced the pages of any girlie magazine, even in jeans and her trademark logoed tee. An Irish beauty, Melody was blessed with more than her fair share of pluses: glossy auburn, shoulder-length tresses (albeit piled on her head and anchored with a hairnet), an angelic face, and statuesque curves to rival any pin-up girl. She had many secret (and not so secret) male admirers in town, but even though she was consistently friendly and courteous, she possessed an intimidating blend of self-assurance, the formerly discussed unawareness of her beauty, and a steadfast personal rule against flirting.
“What kind of cake did you have in mind? We have a cream cheese-filled red velvet and an orange-hickory nut on hand. Kerry made them yesterday, and they’re still fresh.”
As if summoned by her name, Kerry rushed in, flinging out hyper apologies as she whipped on an apron over her uniform of sparkly blue jeans and the shop’s logo-emblazoned t-shirt.
“Where were you?” Melody asked.
“I forgot my phone in my car and wanted to make sure Aunt Rita didn’t call with her family reunion order. I told her to call the shop rather than my cell, but she never remembers the number and can’t be bothered to look it up. Good thing I checked; as she did leave me a voicemail with what she wants, and she’s hoping to get everything tomorrow afternoon, even though the reunion doesn’t start until Friday evening!” Kerry’s words tumbled over each other as her hands gestured wildly. Melody wondered how Kerry was able to breathe while talking at such a rate.
“I see you’ve gone over your quota of caffeine today,” Melody teased, noting Kerry’s messy blond bun slipping out of the hair net stretched crookedly over her head and the slight sheen of sweat on her brow.
Kerry, plump and pretty, was engaged to Port Warren High’s beloved football coach, George Stanley, who adored her. In Kerry’s mind, this gave her free reign to play matchmaker with all her unfortunately single friends and acquaintances, especially her beautiful boss.
“Yeah, might have overdone the go-juice just a tad.” Kerry chuckled, tucking her stray blond strands back into the net. Kerry then turned her attention to their visitor. “Hey, Al, you forget something? Weren’t you in earlier?”
Alvin blushed and nodded, looking down at his shoes and rubbing his close-cropped brown hair.
Kerry smiled wickedly at his obvious discomfiture. “I’m beginning to think this is your new office!”
Melody gave her a quick, pursed-lip glare, knowing it would only encourage her would-be marriage broker to continue to tease poor Alvin.
“Yep, completely forgot about Ma’s card deal tonight; she wanted me to pick up a cake; whatcha got in stock?” Alvin asked trying to recover himself.
As the sheriff switched his embarrassed attention to his torturer, Melody took the opportunity to slip quietly back into the kitchen to finish the croissants, leaving Kerry to fill Alvin’s order. She concentrated, cutting and folding thin strips into perfect crescents.
“That guy’s got it bad!” Kerry announced as she sailed into the kitchen, automatically beelining it for the coffee machine.
“No! You’re cut off!” Melody was quick to see her assistant’s intention and she grabbed Kerry’s sleeve with a floury hand, “No more coffee for you!”
Kerry sheepishly set the pot back down and crossed her arms. She eyed the tray of bakery rejects that failed Melody’s perfectionistic eye, sighed, and helped herself to a broken cookie. Nibbling, she glared at Melody.
“You’ve got it bad,” Melody insisted. “You’re torturing that poor man, and you know it! What did he end up buying?”
“Don’t try and change the subject! That dog is one whipped puppy. If he really forgot that cake this morning, I’m a one-eyed frog. His mom has bridge every Wednesday night, tonight is no exception!” Kerry exclaimed while munching through a second cookie reject.
Melody shrugged, not wanting to encourage that line of thinking. She’d known for a while that Alvin had a thing for her. She tried her best to ignore it and avoid him as much as possible. With her busy schedule, she just wasn’t ready for anything serious, even if it was with someone like Alvin. Or was it really about her schedule? Whatever, she was just not into a relationship at the moment. She had to admit, he was a good guy. And he would probably treat her right if she ever gave him a chance. But it was just too soon.
“He’s either going to have to man up and ask you out or go broke buying donuts and cakes! For a lawman, he ain’t very brave!” Kerry added.
Melody let her rattle on, hoping Kerry would run out of words on the subject, though that seemed unlikely.
Kerry propped her chin on her left palm looking all dreamy. “I think he’s cute, though, don’t you? A little on the puppy dog side, but still pretty manly when he’s not tripping over his tongue when you’re around.”
Melody sighed, rolled her eyes, and kept silent. It was her weapon of choice and it worked well with Kerry, whose main hobby was verbalizing, combined with taking off on frequent, caffeine-infused rabbit trails. So, Kerry prattled on while Mel took a moment to mull over the situation.
In truth, she almost wished she reciprocated Alvin’s apparent feelings. She dreaded the day she would really have to reject such a nice guy. She blew out a breath of frustration, hoping against hope that he would never find the courage to approach her romantically because in that way she could avoid the whole ordeal. If he did ever find the courage to ask her out, she would just have to find a nice way to turn him down. Maybe she should start thinking about how she could get out of it without hurting his feelings.
Her thoughts, generally practical, quickly switched over to Aunt Rita’s reunion and she broke into Kerry’s monologue.
“Which cake did the sheriff end up buying? And what does Aunt Rita need by Friday?” Melody asked and Kerry cooperated with the subject change, her talking talent showcased by her ability to jump off and on any topic train.
“He decided on the red velvet. Auntie said she needs three cakes: one devil’s food, one pineapple upside down, and one hummingbird. I think I should call her and steer her away from the hummingbird, as it’s too similar to the pineapple upside-down—don’t you think? Maybe a pecan Texas sheet instead? Add a little variety? Also, she wants two-dozen each of chocolate chip, shortbread and peanut butter cookies, an apple strudel and six dozen dinner rolls. I think I better tell her to freeze everything when she gets it tomorrow since she’s not serving most of it until Saturday and Sunday, and I wouldn’t think she’d like them anything but fresh. Really, she should get everything from us Friday afternoon; we could have it done by two, don’t you think? Maybe I should call her? Maybe not, as she never changes her mind once she makes a plan; maybe you should call her? She’d probably listen to you better than me. But maybe freezing them would be good enough and then we wouldn’t be as stressed on Saturday, as we have that wedding cake to deliver and set up, and Jeannette isn’t somebody we want to disappoint with shoddy work…” Kerry continued to ponder the quandary of her aunt’s order while she bustled about wiping counters, putting away clean tools from the dish drainer, and checking—and double-checking—the stores of supplies.
Just then the bell dinged, heralding another customer, and Kerry whisked out of the kitchen.
Melody opened the oven and placed the croissant trays inside, setting the timer as she finished. She could hear Kerry’s voice, presumably talking to a customer, and while tempted to start on tomorrow’s orders, she knew she should make an app
earance in the shop as some of her customers took it very personally when she was too busy to greet them.
Kerry’s Aunt Rita stood at the counter, her lips pursed as she listened to her niece’s flood of advice. Rita held up her hand, finally getting Kerry to slow her word flow. Aunt Rita had a closet full of old-fashioned, 50’s style dresses that belted at the waist, everything from floral, to stripes and plaids, to plain. She only ever wore dark brown, laced up walking shoes, white gloves, and netted hats whenever she ventured outside her house. Inside, she wore button-up housedresses, ones she deemed suitable for the constant cleaning she inflicted on her house. Dust was terrified to land anywhere in her vicinity.
“I need everything by tomorrow afternoon, Kerry Ann, is that going to be a problem?” Just as Kerry opened her mouth to answer, Rita caught sight of Melody.
“Thank God you’re here! My niece seems to think I don’t know my own mind, and I need her to understand that I need everything tomorrow afternoon. I will be extremely busy with other reunion tasks… of course, I have to do everything myself, the rest of the family cannot be trusted… so I need the desserts squared away tomorrow. Is that too difficult?” Rita glared at Melody belligerently.
“Oh no, Rita, tomorrow afternoon is perfect! We don’t have another big order besides yours due until Friday afternoon, so it will work out just fine, and your choices show nice forethought and variety,” Melody assured her.
“Hmph. Kerry Ann here seems to think I don’t have enough variety in the cake department. I keep trying to explain that Cousin Harold loves the pineapple upside down and my sister must have hummingbird. There is no room for substitutes. Now, I need to know if those choices are going to be a problem? I don’t want to take my business elsewhere, but my friend Alice’s cousin bakes and sells cakes out of her kitchen, so I do have other options,” Rita continued to scowl pugnaciously at her niece while she directed her question to Melody.
“No, we can certainly bake all your choices,” Melody replied calmly. “All your selections are just fine, and there is no finer cake baker than your niece here!”
