Rocky Road

by Josi S. Kilpack

  She still preferred order to chaos, of course, when she had any say in the matter—and of all the things Sadie should be able to have control of, her own wedding was it. Which is why the four-by-nine-inch envelope sitting in the middle of her kitchen table terrified her.

  The wedding invitations she’d spent the last two days preparing were stacked on the entry table of her living room waiting for her to take them to the post office the next morning. They would soon be winging their way to her friends, family, and acquaintances all over the world—she was hoping the postal service would have a wedding-specific stamp that would be the perfect final touch. Even if the people living out of state couldn’t be there, she wanted them to celebrate the occasion with her.

  And yet the lone envelope on the table had been sent to her. Sadie had discovered it in her mailbox this afternoon, and she was trying to work up the courage to open it. Was it mocking her? Egging her on? Or simply staring back at her as a reminder that not everything in her life could be controlled and anticipated?

  There was no name on the return address, just a P.O. box and the city, state, and zip code. But Sadie knew only one person who lived in San Francisco—her older sister Wendy, whom she hadn’t seen for years. Did Wendy somehow already know about the upcoming wedding? Although the unexpected letter certainly triggered some of Sadie’s overactive curiosity, it hadn’t been enough to overcome her reluctance to invite her sister back into her life. Especially now.

  Sadie pulled the final pan of jam bars from the oven—she’d managed to come up with a dozen tasks around the house to delay the inevitable opening of that envelope. She’d been trying not to bake after six o’clock in the evening—she had a size twelve wedding dress to fit into, after all, and at the age of fifty-eight, she couldn’t simply eat salads for a week and expect to lose a couple of pounds like she’d been able to do in her twenties. But the letter had knocked her off the proverbial wagon. That Wendy had always hated their mother’s jam bar recipe was purely coincidental.

  The digital time display on her microwave read 9:44 p.m. Tomorrow would be a full day of more wedding preparations now that she was back home and sufficiently recovered from her vacation-turned-investigation in Utah the week before. The wedding was only three and a half weeks away, and she felt giddy every time she thought about it. Mrs. Peter Cunningham. Wow.

  Her eyes strayed back to the envelope on the table, and she felt ridiculous for having put this off for the better part of the day. It was time to get it over with. She grabbed her letter opener from the drawer of the desk in her living room. She picked up the envelope. The handwriting looked different from what she expected—that is, if she had expected this at all, which she hadn’t.

  “Wendy,” Sadie said out loud. Her sister’s name sounded strange on her tongue. It was sad that they were so disconnected, and yet Sadie had little motivation to reach out to change what had always been a difficult relationship. Wendy was five years older than Sadie and the source of many frightening memories from Sadie’s childhood, including broken and missing toys, dead spiders in her oatmeal, and, on one memorable occasion, being locked outside for hours while their parents were gone.

  Wendy left home at seventeen, creating a void in the lives of Sadie’s parents that was never remedied. Despite all the chaos and difficulty she’d brought into the family, she was still their daughter, and they’d always wanted to be a part of her life. Now and then, she’d popped in to ask for money or to throw a tantrum about one issue or another, but for the most part she stayed out of their lives completely.

  Sadie hadn’t seen Wendy since their mother’s funeral almost fifteen years before. She’d stayed in town for four hours, long enough to put her rose on the casket and rifle through Mom’s jewelry box. When their father died just four years ago, Sadie had tracked her sister down, only to have Wendy say she couldn’t get away for the funeral but she’d send flowers. She didn’t send any flowers, and Sadie and her brother, Jack, followed their father’s casket from the church without even a whisper about Wendy’s absence. After that, Sadie had stopped sending Christmas cards that were never reciprocated or marking Wendy’s birthday on her calendar at the start of each new year, and each time she thought about her sister, she forced herself to think of something else. For all intents and purposes, she didn’t have a sister and never really had. She hadn’t even told Pete about her, other than admitting she existed.

  Sadie inhaled deeply, hoping to control the growing anxiety that thoughts of Wendy induced. The scent of baking in the air didn’t relax her like it usually did. No doubt she would eat a dozen bars herself before finally going to bed tonight. She’d faced off with murderers and crooks, but her sister could send her into a panic with just a simple letter.

  Sadie took a breath, turned the envelope over, and carefully slid the letter opener into the open corner. The blade sliced smoothly through the paper with barely a sound. She pulled out a white sheet of paper that revealed a newspaper article folded inside of it. Intrigued yet hesitant, she unfolded the newsprint. She was a bit confused by the partial coupon for Fourth of July flower arrangements until she realized that must be the back side. She turned the article over and read the heading.

  Woman Found Dead in Mission District Apartment

  Sadie’s heart rate increased as she read the opening lines about a badly decomposed body being found after an anonymous call to 911 about an apartment fire. Sadie squeezed her eyes shut tight. When she opened them, they wouldn’t focus on the words of the article, as though they were unwilling to read more. Unable to process it, she put the article down and pushed it away from her, her head tingling. After catching her breath, she turned her attention to the sheet of paper she still held in her shaky hand.

  Ms. Hoffmiller,

  My name is Ji Doang. My natural mother was your sister, Wendy Wright Penrose, and I found your address among her possessions. Her body was found in her apartment June 25th and I thought you would want to know. I am working to clear her apartment before the tenth of next month and determine what to do with her remains when the autopsy is complete. If you are available, I would appreciate your help as it is a big job and I am quite busy with family and work. If I don’t hear from you, I will understand. I was not close with her either.

  Sincerely,

  Ji

  Crust

  1 1/2 cups flour

  1/2 cup quick-cooking oats, uncooked

  1/2 cup sugar

  3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

  1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  Topping

  3/4 cup flaked coconut

  3/4 cup chopped walnuts

  1/4 cup flour

  1/4 cup packed brown sugar

  2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

  1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

  1 cup strawberry or raspberry jam

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For crust, in large mixer bowl, combine all crust ingredients. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until mixture is crumbly, 1 to 2 minutes. Using hands, press mixture in bottom of greased 9x13-inch baking pan. Be sure to spray or grease sides of pan as well as bottom. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned.

  For topping, in same mixer bowl, combine coconut, nuts, flour, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Crumbling mixture with clean hands works well, too. Spread jam evenly on hot crust, almost to the edges. Sprinkle topping mixture over jam. Continue baking 18 to 20 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

  Makes 15 to 24 bars, depending on size cut. Serve warm with ice cream or cool with whipped topping.

  Acknowledgments

  There are ten books in this series, and people still want to read about Sadie’s adventures—that is the greatest compliment an author can ever have. Thank you to all who love Sadie, roll their eyes at her, and still root for her success. Without that investment on your part, gentle reader, she would
not exist.

  Thank you to Shadow Mountain for making Sadie come alive: Jana Erickson (product director), Lisa Mangum (editor and author of After Hello, Shadow Mountain 2012), Vicki Parry (interim editor), Malina Grigg (typographer), and Shauna Gibby (designer). Thanks to the marketing department and the board and thanks for the continual encouragement I get from every corner of Shadow Mountain. Kenny Hodges and Diane Dabczynki are responsible for giving a voice to Sadie through audio books, and I am so grateful for their talent and investment as well.

  This book is dedicated to the test kitchen, and I thank them once again—they are the reason this entire project works, and I so much appreciate all they have done for this series. They also helped with the recipes in this book: Annie Funk provided the recipes for Barbacoa Pork, Tomatillo Ranch Dressing, Strawberry Pretzel Pie, and Granny Annie’s Fudge; Whit Larsen provided the recipes for Funeral Potatoes and Maddox Rolls; Don Carey and his wife, Kara, who is known for this recipe, provided the Dream Cookies recipe; Danyelle Ferguson supplied the Lime-Cilantro Rice recipe; and Laree Ipson and her dad allowed us to use the recipes for Ol’ Dad’s Dutch Oven Chicken and Ol’ Dad’s Dutch Oven Potatoes. My love and admiration for these guys are beyond words. In addition to my fabulous test kitchen, my friend Jenny Moore allowed me to use the recipe for her wonderful Waffle Mania Waffles. I’m not sure I contributed any recipes to this book, but I sure did enjoy making them all J.

  My writer’s group once again stumbled with me through the creation of the story even though they didn’t know the end—thank you, Becki Clayson, Jenny Moore, Jody Durfee (Hadley, Hadley Benson, Covenant 2013), Nancy Allen (Isabelle Webb series, Covenant 2009–2012), and Ronda Hinrichsen (Trapped, Walnut Springs 2010). The writing feedback is essential, but the emotional support and friendship is priceless.

  Thank you to the Bear Lake Monsters writing retreat, which provided me the time to really get this story going, and the fabulous friends I came to love even more while we were there—Chris, Cory, Jenny, Krista, Marion, Margot, Nancy, and Rob. The energy of great writers is beyond measure, and I am so blessed to have many great writers within my sphere.

  Thank you to my beta readers—Jenny Moore (yes, that’s her fourth mention—the woman is amazing), Melanie Jacobson (Second Chances, Covenant 2013), and my sister Jenifer Johnson. You guys helped me see what I could no longer see correctly, and I thank you so much for your time and insight. Lisa Mangum also went through several brainstorming sessions to help me get the story just right. I very much appreciate her time and talents in helping this story shine.

  And, of course, the beginning and the end of my experience with this book is my family. They are the ones who are there when the ideas aren’t, who help me find the time I am certain I’ve lost, but who also remind me that there is more to life than fiction writing. I am grateful that my kids have accepted as normal the weirdness my writing brings into their lives, that they see in my accomplishments a reason to pursue their own gifts, and that they love me and encourage me and believe in my dreams. And above them all is my dear husband Lee, my best friend, my greatest cheerleader, the center I return to at the end of each day where I can be enfolded by his open arms, cheered by his easy smile, and reminded that I do not walk this path alone. I am grateful you are the people God gave to me for this life and beyond, and I love each of you so very much.

  I am grateful for the grace of God in my life, and I thank Him for the greatness of it.

  Author’s Note

  Pine Valley is a real city in southern Utah, a true oasis when compared to the surrounding desert landscape. Should you find yourself in the area, Pine Valley is well worth a visit, but be aware that I took some fictional license in describing it. Though the Brandin’ Iron is a fabulous steakhouse, the Pine Valley Motel does not exist, and as of this writing, the Pine Valley Lodge was closed. There is a beautiful campground near the lake, and the church tour is fascinating. There is an ice cream shop in the summer and a visitors center where you can learn about the region. I believe you can find cabin rentals online if you want to stay for a few days. I wouldn’t blame you in the least.

  About the Author

  Josi S. Kilpack began her first novel in 1998. Her seventh novel, Sheep’s Clothing, won the 2007 Whitney Award for Mystery/Suspense. Rocky Road is Josi’s nineteenth novel and the tenth book in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery Series.

  Josi currently lives in Willard, Utah, with her husband and children.

  For more information about Josi, you can visit her website at www.josiskilpack.com, read her blog at www.josikilpack.blogspot.com, or contact her via e-mail at Kilpack@gmail.com.

  It’d be a crime to miss the rest of the series ...

  by Josi S. Kilpack

  Available online and at a bookstore near you.

  www.shadowmountain.com • www.josiskilpack.com

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Fortune Cookie

  Acknowledgments

  Author's Note

  About the Author