by Tonya Kappes
I’d given Becca and Bunny a few days off after everything that’d gone on. They had literally kept the shop going for me, fulfilling orders while I was off playing lawyer and amateur sleuth.
“I wanted you to meet my teacher. She’s the staffer in charge of the coffee shop that you’re going to help us with at the school.” Becca was so excited about the school’s new adventure.
“Kate Grey.” The woman had on a pair of black slacks and a short-sleeved green sweater, and her long black hair was pulled back at the nape of her neck. “It’s so nice to finally meet the woman Becca looks up to.”
“Becca is too sweet.” I gestured to the bakery display. “Can I get you anything to eat or a drink?”
“If we are going to be trying to imitate your coffee, then I guess I better sample it.” Kate took her time and walked down the display cases to see which treat she would like to sample.
“Becca can probably give you some good ideas what the afternoon kids like to purchase after school.” I kept my attention on her to see which one struck her fancy.
“Hey there.” Patrick’s face was hidden by a large bouquet of yellow roses. He took them away from his face. I could see the worry lines around his eyes had deepened. There was a sadness around his face. “I’m sorry we are fighting about the house. I love you, and if you want to keep the house, it’s all good.”
I walked around the counter. I took the flowers from him, curled up on my toes, and put my arms around his neck.
“I already told Mom to draw up the papers to sell it. She said she already has a buyer in mind.” I kissed him on the lips. “I trust you in making decisions on property and all things construction. Just like you trust me to run my business and stick my nose in places that I probably shouldn’t stick it.”
“Is that your way of apologizing for putting yourself in the crossfire between the sheriff’s department and the film crew caravan?” He looked down his nose at me.
“To be clear, there wasn’t any shooting going on. Maybe a lot of screaming.” I pressed my lips against his when he went to protest.
“Ahem.” Someone cleared their throat behind us.
I glanced over Patrick’s shoulder, where Kate was still standing.
“Kate,” I greeted her. “This is my husband, Patrick Cane. He’s a contractor and would love to give a bid on the coffee shop you’re going to be building in the school cafeteria. He did all the maintenance here and understands exactly what goes into a coffee shop.”
“Do you think you could put a bid together quickly?” She seemed genuinely interested.
“I’ll go get right on it.” He quickly gave me a goodbye kiss but not without Sassy insisting she go with him.
“I’d also like for you to add something to the time capsule we are putting in the ground to be opened in twenty years.” She turned her attention back to me.
“Time capsule?” I asked with intrigue.
“We’d like to put in there about the coffee station in the school, and since your coffeehouse opened, it’s become a very popular hangout for our students, so we’d like to put something in there from you.”
The smile that crossed my face was so big that I was almost embarrassed by it.
When I first moved to Honey Springs, it was to get my life back on track. Not only has this amazing small Southern town given me that and much more, but I was now going to be part of its history.
Life was good.
RECIPES FROM THE
BEAN HIVE
Star-Studded Latte
Ingredients
3-1/2 cups water
1-1/2 cups whole milk
10 chai-flavored black tea bags
1/3 cup caramel flavoring syrup
Sweetened whipped cream and hot caramel ice cream topping, optional
Directions
In a large saucepan, bring water and milk to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Add tea bags. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 5 minutes.
Remove from heat; continue steeping, covered, 5 minutes
Squeeze excess liquid from all tea bags into tea; discard tea bags.
Stir in caramel syrup.
If desired, top servings with whipped cream and caramel topping.
Enjoy!
Easy Peasy Lemon Cookies
Ingredients:
1 box of lemon cake mix
2 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glaze
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Add all the cookie ingredients together in a large bowl.
Use an electric mixer on medium to mix and smooth all the cookie ingredients.
Drop heaping spoonfuls of cookie dough onto the baking sheet, about 1-1/2 inches apart.
Bake 8-10 minutes or until the top of the cookies look dry and don’t wiggle.
Let them cool about five minutes.
While they cool, make the glaze.
Whisk all the glaze ingredients together. (If you want it thinner, add more lemon juice.)
Drizzle the glaze on the cookies and let it harden about ten minutes.
Enjoy!!!
Blueberry Crumb Cake
Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour (9 ounces)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 cups blueberries (fresh)
For the Topping:
4 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
Gather the ingredients.
Grease and flour a 9-inch-square baking pan. Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 C/Gas 5).
In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat the 4 tablespoons of butter with 3/4 cup granulated sugar until creamy; add the egg and vanilla and continue to beat until smooth and well blended.
Combine the 2 cups of flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with 1/2 cup of milk and beating until smooth after each addition. Gently fold the blueberries into the batter.
Spread the batter into the prepared baking pan.
In a medium bowl, combine the 4 tablespoons of room temperature butter with the brown sugar, 1/3 cup of flour, and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon; blend well with a pastry blender, fork, or fingers to form crumbs.
Sprinkle topping crumbs over the batter. Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes.
Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool. Slice it into squares and serve.
You can keep the blueberry crumb cake at room temperature for three days, covered with plastic or foil so it won't dry out. You can make it a day or two ahead of a gathering if you wish. If you must keep it longer, it's best to keep it in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Kentucky Benedictine Tea Sandwiches
Yields: 10 tea sandwiches
INGREDIENTS
1 medium cucumber
2 tablespoons minced onion (I used a sweet onion, but white or green onions can be used instead, depending on preference)
8 ounces light cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon light mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Dash of hot pepper sauce (I started with 1 and added more to taste)
1 drop of green food coloring (optional; I didn’t use it)
20 slices of white b
read if using cookie cutter to cut into shapes; if making into triangle tea sandwiches, 10 slices of bread will work instead
Directions
Wash, dry, and peel cucumber. Slice cucumber in half lengthwise and remove seeds using a small spoon.
Place cucumber and onion in a small food processor and pulse until cucumber is minced (this takes about five to six pulses).
Put minced cucumber and onion in a piece of cheesecloth or in the center of a stack of several heavy-duty paper towels. Over a medium bowl, twist and squeeze cloth or paper towels to release liquid from cucumber and onions, catching the liquid in the bowl. Set the bowl of excess liquid aside.
Add the cucumbers and onions back to the bowl of the food processor. Add the cream cheese, mayonnaise, salt, and a dash of hot pepper sauce to the food processor. Process mixture until combined, tasting and adding additional salt and hot pepper sauce as desired. If you find the mixture to be too thick, add some of the reserved liquid to the spread. Mix in the drop of green food coloring, if desired. Set aside.
Cut bread into shapes using cookie cutter. If making into triangle tea sandwiches instead, cut crust off of bread slices, and then cut each piece of bread in half diagonally.
Build sandwiches using two cut bread pieces and 1 tablespoon of Benedictine spread per sandwich.
Please turn the page to read an excerpt from USA BESTSELLING AUTHOR Tonya Kappes’s bestselling A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery, BEACHES, BUNGALOWS & BURGLARIES.
ONE
“A campground?” I gulped back a good hissy fit, because no one could ever underestimate the power of a good hissy fit, something I’d tried really hard not to do in years. “As in tiny little metal houses and port-a-potties?”
“Well, I think they have a toilet in them,” said Stanley Shelton, my lawyer.
He eased back in his big fancy wingback leather chair with his elbows resting on the wooden arms and his fingers drumming against each other. The gray pinstriped suit was of the finest materials, and the nice crystal cufflinks were the touch it needed that screamed successful lawyer.
“I think the toilet is small, but you’re small.” He rubbed his hand over his bald head and then proceeded to draw his hand over his mustache and beard.
I tried as hard as I could to keep it together, but my composure was under attack.
“What about my house in the Hamptons? I’ll just go there.” I let out a sigh of relief. It was a perfect plan. “I’m desperately going to miss the New York City apartment, but I need a break.”
Unfortunately, it wasn’t going to change the fact that my now ex-husband was in jail for a Ponzi scheme. He’d kept me busy by sending me to the spa, salon, and shopping for most of our two-year marriage. Not to mention, I’d cashed out my 401K to help him start a side business, where he said we would be partners. Little did I realize it was partners in a crime.
“And the house is gone.” Stanley’s jaw set. “I’m going to need the keys to your car and trade you for these.” He dangled in the air a very small key from a flamingo key chain.
“What’s that? A moped key?” I joked.
“It’s to your house and your new car.” He glanced out the window of his fancy office that was filled with plaques and certificates that boasted of his higher education.
“You can’t even look at me? Because I clearly remember when we were donating to your son-in-law’s election fund, and visiting our friends in the community who ended up being big donors, that you had no issue looking at me. And now that my bank account has taken a hit, you won’t even look at me?” I questioned with a slight bitter taste in my mouth.
“It didn’t take a hit. There’s no bank account. The FBI seized it all.” Stanley made no effort to make me feel the slightest bit better about my situation.
“Where is my new house? The Upper East Side? Not that that’s a bad place to live, but not like where we live now.”
“Umm.” He licked his lips. “Out there.” He pointed to the window.
I sat up a little straighter and leaned on the arm of the leather chair.
“There’s nothing out there but an RV. A small one at that.” I laughed and eased back into the chair. “Wait, you mean that…” My voice trailed off when I noticed he didn’t find amusement in my teasing about the camper.
“I’m afraid that there’s no money to give you. The only things free and clear are the camper and the campground.” He stood up and walked around the desk. He eased down on the edge. “I’m sorry, Mae. You don’t deserve this.”
“Are you sure?” I asked.
I mean, I was having a real bad day before I got here, but this just made it almost unbearable. I rested my elbow on the arm of the chair and covered my mouth with my hand. I twisted my head to the side so Stanley couldn’t see my tearing up. There was a glimpse of my silhouette in the door of the mini-refrigerator.
My hazel eyes were sunken with half-moon dark circles under them. I’d not taken time to straighten my long brown curly hair, and the humidity in the air wasn’t making it any better.
“Mae?” Stanley said my name.
I blinked a few times. I didn’t recognize the image staring back at me. “Sorry,” I apologized and forced a demure smile.
I was having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that I had nothing. No family. No marriage. No place to live. No car. Nothing. “I mean, Paul is a jerk and I’d like to kill him, but he left me with nothing?” I hugged my designer bag to my chest.
That scum. I couldn’t believe that I was so dumb that I put everything in his name.
“He owed a lot of people money, and some still don’t have their retirement back. You’re lucky I could salvage this in the settlements since he did have it in your name alone.” He sounded as if I needed to thank Paul. Stanley picked the flamingo key chain up and once again stuck it in my face. “The campground is in Normal, Kentucky.”
“Kentucky?” My jaw dropped. “You mean I have to go there?”
My mind rolled back to the last time I was in Kentucky. It was 2:04 a.m. I knew the exact time because it was the time I was born and also my eighteenth birthday. It was the day I grew up and knew that no one was going to give me a free ride. Somehow, Paul had made me feel safe and secure, until now.
“You have to go there and be the manager if you want to have some sort of income, or we can look at selling the place.” He didn’t move those darn keys.
“I didn’t even know about this campground.” I shook my head, refusing to take the keys. “I’ve certainly never been a manager of a campground.”
“When Paul was in college, he somehow ended up at this campground and won some silly bet. After the two of you were married, he had me put the deed in your name and your name alone. The FBI couldn’t seize it.” Stanley thumbed through some papers on his desk.
“Lucky me,” I groaned.
“You have a camper to live in and a way to acquire some income.” He pushed himself up off the desk and put a hand on my shoulder. “I suggest you take a trip. Make it an adventure. Check the place out and save up a couple of months before you decide if you want to sell it or not.” He held out a brochure that had Happy Trails written in big letters across the top.
There was a beautiful, bright, and vibrant photo on the front, and it looked more like a vacation spot than a campground.
“Adventure?” I cocked a brow and looked back out the window at the camper. “Yellow?” I questioned the color of my home on wheels. “I don’t even like yellow.”
“It’s a pop-up. The top lifts to make more space. There’s a kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom, and you can drive it. It’s perfect,” he said with an upbeat tone. “Be sure you read the manual in the glove box on how to work all the equipment. It can be tricky.”
“Are you really trying to sell me on this camping idea? I lived in a ten-thousand-square-foot home with a house cleaner. I drive a Maserati. Drove.” I gripped the keys of my little car in my hand. I looked down and opened my palm. “Did drive a Ma
serati.” I gulped back the tears and practically ripped the flamingo key chain out of his hand.
“I’m sorry to cut this short, but I’ve got to get to court.” He took his hand off my shoulder and put it in his pant pocket, pulling out a hundred-dollar bill. “Here. This is for gas and food. I can feel the bones in your shoulder. Eat.”
“No.” I shook my head and stood up, a bit wobbly. “I’m fine. I don’t need a handout.”
He didn’t take no for an answer. He stuck the money in my palm and curled my fingers around it.
“Let me know when you get to Kentucky.” He smiled and patted my hand before he dropped it. His eyes softened. “Mae, I’m sorry. Out of all my clients’ wives, you’ve always been so kind and nice. I know this whole process has made you bitter and hard-hearted. But I know you’re strong and will figure this all out.”
“Thanks, Stanley.” I sucked in a deep breath. “You’ve been great. I know I sound like some spoiled brat, but I think I’m still in shock, having been in this nightmare for only three months.”
“I sent some of your things to the campground. There’s even a storage facility on the grounds. The current manager knows you’re coming. I put a file in the camper with her name on it and some information about the campsite.” He patted my back. “I suggest you not even look at it until you get there so you can focus on your new adventure for the next couple of days.”
“Couple of days? That’s how long it’ll take to drive to Kentucky?” I questioned, clearly not remembering how long it took the Greyhound to drive here years ago.
“In a camper, yes.” He walked over to the door and opened it. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do for you.”
“You’ve done enough, keeping me out of jail.” I started to tear up, and my voice cracked. “I can’t thank you enough.”
I walked out the door, knowing that I would never see Stanley again. The past few months, I’d seen him practically every day. I would never forget when the FBI had shown up at our house that morning of the raid. Stanley came right to the jail and bailed me out. We left Paul in there. He deserved it. It took a lot for Stanley to prove that I’d not signed any of the paperwork and Paul had forged my name, but Stanley did it. I was forever grateful.
