by Linda Reilly
Crystal looked thoughtful. Talia wondered if she was thinking about her own ex and how he’d stolen their joint savings, leaving her nearly penniless. At least now she was on the right path, trying to get her finances back in order.
As for Jodie, in a crazy way Talia felt bad for her. Ferringer had used her as a trophy wife, never guessing she had a spending problem until it blossomed out of control. It was a marriage doomed from the start.
Besides, he wasn’t a very nice man.
Lucas made a full recovery, which would work in Ferringer’s favor. Ferringer admitted to killing Norma but claimed it was an accident. He’d retained a well-known attorney to represent him, but Talia doubted the ex-politician would see the light of day for a very long time.
But as the cliché goes . . . stranger things have happened.
• • •
Talia gazed at the six eager faces poised to witness her demonstration. Two men, both somewhere in their thirties, three fortysomething women, and a teenager in pigtails and braces. All looked excited to be there. Was she seeing future chefs in the making?
“I want to thank you all for being here today. I haven’t done this before, so please bear with me if I bobble something or if I drop cheese on my shoe.”
Everyone chuckled, and she started her spiel. The mac-and-cheese recipe she’d decided to use was the “busy woman’s” recipe Ryan said his mom always made. Still furious with Sheila Collins for her callous handling of the divorce announcement, she’d almost ditched it at the last minute. She realized, though, that it contained the perfect shortcut for the hectic pace of today’s homemakers. Plus, Arthur had been pleased to hear she’d be making the mac and cheese that he and Ryan had always enjoyed at home.
The demo went without a hitch. Talia showed everyone how to layer slices of sharp cheddar with cooked macaroni shells in a casserole dish. She prepared a mixture of whole milk, dried mustard, and a smidge of nutmeg and then poured it over the layers. She stuck the whole thing in the convection oven and started the baking process.
Since the deep-fried mac-and-cheese squares had to be prepared from a chilled casserole, she retrieved from Crystal’s mini-fridge the one she’d already prepared and baked. The tricky part was the deep-frying. It wasn’t foolproof, by any means, but through trial and error she’d come close to perfecting it.
She cut the cold casserole into workable squares, then showed them how to prepare the panko crumb mixture she’d created on her own. By the time the golden-fried squares emerged from the deep fryer, everyone was itching for a taste test.
“They look fabulous!”
“Oh, I’m just dying to taste that!”
“I can’t wait to try this at home!”
After their appetites were sated, they all left, promising to return for another cooking demo. Talia gave each of her students a Fry Me a Sliver magnet, figuring a bit of advertising might go a long way. Crystal was thrilled that three of them—one of whom was the teenager—walked out with newly purchased deep fryers. The teenager had used her babysitting money to buy it.
Crystal did a tiny jig in the center aisle. “Oh, I just knew this was a great idea! Thank you so much, Talia!”
“Hey, don’t thank me. It’s good advertising for my place, too.”
Audrey smiled, but it was clear that her heart was heavy. “It’s been a good day,” she said wistfully. “I think I’ll do a little bookkeeping. I’ll be out back if you need me.”
“Audrey, wait a minute,” Talia said. She looked at Crystal.
Crystal went over to the cash register station. She reached below the counter and brought out a silver laptop. She set it down and began tapping at the keys.
Talia took Audrey’s elbow and led her over to where Crystal was booting up the computer. “There’s something you need to see,” she said.
Audrey wore a look of concern but said nothing. All at once Crystal grinned, and she turned the laptop so that it faced Audrey. The smiling visage of Molly filled the screen.
“Molly!” Audrey cried.
“Hi, Mom,” Molly said softly, offering a sheepish smile. “Hey, look, I know things haven’t been great with us the past few weeks, but I was wondering if you’d mind coming here next weekend and staying over for a night. Wesley and I have been talking about a lot of things, and . . . well, we want you to be included. You can stay at that little bed-and-breakfast you always liked. Wesley kind of, you know, already took the liberty of booking you a room. I told him you liked the one in the corner, overlooking the pond.”
Tears sprang into Audrey’s eyes. She choked out a smiling sob—Talia and Crystal’s cue to get the heck out of there and give her some privacy.
Talia removed her apron and folded it on the counter. “Let’s take a walk around the arcade,” she suggested. “It’s gorgeous out.”
They walked outside, over the cobblestones, in the direction of Sage & Seaweed. “It’s weird, isn’t it,” Talia said, “the way Audrey and Molly both forgave Wesley but then couldn’t talk to each other?”
Crystal nodded. “He wasn’t really guilty of anything . . . well, except for getting her pregnant. But they were both responsible for that.”
“They were over eighteen,” Talia said. “In the law’s eyes, they were adults. In reality . . . ?” She smiled and let the thought dangle.
“I wonder if they’ll work it out,” Crystal mused. “Audrey and Wesley, that is.”
Somehow, Talia doubted it. But then—
“You’re seeing Ryan today, aren’t you?” Crystal asked. Her voice sounded odd.
“You bet. In fact, he should be coming by anytime now. We’re taking that fresh-baked mac-and-cheese casserole up to the Pines for Ryan’s dad. The chef, Tina, is going to reheat it for us, and then we’re going to indulge ourselves in some good old-fashioned comfort food. Mom is having a private area set aside in the dining room just for the three of us. Why do you ask?”
“So Martha and Lucas are covering for you?”
“Of course they are. I told them I’m taking the whole day off and leaving Fry Me in their capable hands! Why are you so curious?”
Crystal blushed. “Oh, look,” she squeaked, striding over to Sage & Seaweed. “Suzy has her fall display set up. Well, it’s about time, I say. Oh, glory, look at those vampire bath salts!”
Suzy had indeed rearranged her front window. Summer was out. Pumpkin-flavored lip glosses and ghoulish accessories were in. “Shall we take a peek?” Talia said.
Crystal glanced all around. “Um, no, not now.” She looked distracted.
“Is everything okay, Crystal?”
“I’m sorry,” she blurted. “It’s just that I saw him—I mean, yesterday, coming out of the—” Her hands fluttered. She looked stricken with panic. “Oh God, I’m not supposed to say anything. Don’t pay any attention to me, okay? Forget I ever mentioned it.” She leaned over and gave Talia a fast hug. “And thanks for today. You’re a doll. A lifesaver!” She rushed off as if a mad bull were chasing her.
Baffled, Talia could only shrug and watch her friend toddle off in the direction of the Fork and Dish. She was hurrying so fast Talia was worried she might twist an ankle on the cobblestones.
Shaking her head, Talia turned to go into Fry Me to wait for Ryan but then spied a man with a familiar face strolling along Main Street toward the arcade. Her heart gave out that little blip it always did whenever he came into view. Ryan waved and broke into a huge grin, and then he picked up his pace. Something dangled from his left hand. A bag of some sort. Gold. Shimmery.
Talia swallowed. That bag—it looked like the one Jodie had strolled out of LaFleur’s with a few weeks earlier.
She wanted to move, to run toward him, but her legs were welded to the cobblestones.
Talia remained where she was. She would wait. Whatever was in that bag, she would find out soon enough.
And soon enough would suit her just fine.
RECIPES
TALIA’S DEEP-FRIED MAC-AND-CHEESE SQUARES
Ingredients for Casserole:
2¼ cups small shells, uncooked
1½ cups whole milk
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground mustard
nonstick cooking spray
10 ounces very sharp cheddar, sliced about ⅛ inch thick
Deep-fry Coating:
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
½ cup plain panko crumbs
1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese
a few shakes of cayenne pepper (optional)
Mac-and-cheese casserole:
Boil shells according to directions and drain. Combine the milk, black pepper, and mustard in a measuring cup. Coat an 8-inch-by-8-inch pan (preferably a glass pan) with nonstick spray. Spoon about ⅓ of the cooked shells into the pan. Top shells with ⅓ of the cheddar slices. Pour about ½ cup of the milk mixture over it all. Repeat two more times to complete the layering. Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes or until firm and the cheese is golden on top; allow to cool, then refrigerate overnight.
Deep-frying:
From the refrigerated macaroni cheese, cut about ten bite-sized pieces, about 1- to 1½-inch cubes (you’ll have some mac and cheese left over for reheating). In a bowl, blend the egg and milk. In a separate bowl, combine the panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and cayenne pepper. Dip each square into the egg mixture, making sure all sides are coated. Then place each square in the panko mixture and coat thoroughly, pressing the crumb mixture into the squares. Chill in the refrigerator on a tray lined with parchment paper or nonstick foil until you’re ready to fry (this can be done ahead of time). Once you’re ready to fry, in a deep fryer or heavy-bottomed pan, heat vegetable oil to 350 degrees F; if using a pan, a candy/deep-fry thermometer will help you gauge the temperature. Using a slotted spoon, carefully lower each mac-and-cheese cube into the oil, no more than three at a time (the oil will sizzle if you do so). Fry only about a minute, until golden, then remove and drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Serve while still warm.
Note: If you have any left over, they can easily be reheated in the microwave.
TALIA’S MINIATURE DEEP-FRIED APPLE PIES
Dough:
2 cups flour, plus a little extra for coating
½ cup vegetable oil, plus additional oil for frying
¼ cup milk
Filling:
4 Cortland apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 tablespoon butter
¼ cup white sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon vanilla
powdered sugar
Prepare the dough:
Blend the flour, vegetable oil, and milk with a fork, then form into two separate balls. Coat each dough ball with flour. Roll out the first one onto a floured cutting board until it’s ⅛ inch thick. Cut out rounds that are 4 inches in diameter. Repeat with the second dough ball. Set aside the rounds.
Prepare the filling:
In a large frying pan, combine the apples, butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Cook gently over medium heat until apples are soft, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
Deep-frying:
Place a heaping tablespoon of the cooked apples in each dough round. Moisten the edges of the dough with cold water and fold in half over the apple mixture. Press the edges with a fork to crimp and seal. Repeat with the remaining rounds. Place pies on a tray or cookie sheet that’s been lightly sprinkled with flour, then chill for 15 minutes.
In a deep fryer or heavy-bottomed pan, heat vegetable oil to 350 degrees F, using just enough oil to cover the pies. A candy/deep-fry thermometer will help gauge the oil temperature. Lower the pies into the hot oil with a slotted spoon, frying only a few at a time. Fry about 2 minutes on each side, or until both sides are golden. Remove and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm.
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