Actually, he was bringing me in his VW Beetle. My sturdy little Malibu had been pushed to its limits at the rally, but the car had performed as valiantly as any BMW owned by Piper. In fact, it had helped save our lives. Ryan removed the steering wheel for me before it was towed away. It now hung on a wall in my sunroom. And a new vehicle would be waiting for me at the dealership when I returned. A cobalt blue SUV, with BERRY BASKET painted on the sides.
I glanced up at the clock, expecting Theo to arrive any moment. Given the dimensions of his car, I had packed light. I hoped he kept his car in good working order. After visiting my parents, Theo and I planned to head for Champaign, Illinois, where Theo could spend time with his own family. He couldn’t wait for his father to meet me. I looked forward to it myself. It was time I got to know Theo better. And via people who loved and cared about him. Not the disaffected members of Sienna’s long-ago Bramble.
I didn’t even feel nervous about leaving Dean, Andrew, and Gillian to run the shop while I was gone. Okay, maybe I felt a little nervous, but I knew Gillian would see to it the Cabot brothers behaved. Because Theo was making the trip with me, the store’s pastry offerings would be greatly reduced. However, Ryan promised to have extra Zellar pies delivered to my store each morning. Best of all, Gillian offered to stay at my house and babysit Minnie. I had a feeling both of them would enjoy the experience.
Kit finished his sundae. “Best ice cream I’ve ever eaten.”
“Of course it is.” I took his dish from him. “Made at a local dairy with organic ingredients.” I shot a reproving glance at Trejo. “Healthy, too.”
He smirked. “As healthy as ice cream is allowed to get.”
Before I could argue the point, Gillian and Dean arrived for their shifts, followed immediately by Theo. He wore another freshly pressed pair of spotless jeans and a green T-shirt with a picture of a pelican on the front. “We need to leave,” he announced. “My dad told me to never drive into Chicago close to rush hour.”
“Chicago’s in a different time zone,” Trejo reminded him. “You gain an hour.”
Theo ignored him. He still felt wary around the police. “Marlee, we can’t drive at rush hour. Dad said I wouldn’t like it.”
“I never liked it much myself.” I laughed, removing my Berry Basket apron.
“Wait. I have a going-away gift for you. Reading material for your road trip.” Kit Holt handed me a small package wrapped in white paper covered in raspberries.
I gave him a hug. When I tried to pull away, he pulled me close for another embrace. After we broke apart, Trejo, Gillian, and Dean looked at us with odd expressions.
“Marlee, we have to go,” Theo said in a frustrated voice.
Grateful for his reminder, I made my farewells to Dean and Gillian, accompanied by a flurry of last-minute instructions. Anxious to leave, Theo ran out to his car and turned on the engine. When I got in beside him, he took off before the passenger door slammed shut. It felt like I was about to embark on another road rally race. As we drove up Lyall Street, I second-guessed my decision to take this trip. Tourists crammed the downtown area. Should I really be leaving my store for a whole eight days at such a time? Maybe I was being a wuss. Yes, last month’s Bowman murder and the Blackberry Road Rally had been traumatic. But I could have taken a day off and relaxed at home with Minnie. Did I really need to run to my parents in Chicago?
Theo turned onto Blue Star Highway. “Thank you for asking me on this vacation,” he said. “It was a nice thing to do. You’re a kind person. Sienna would have liked you.”
“I’m sure I would have liked her, too.”
“Now I understand what you told me when we watched birds at my cottage.”
Puzzled, I looked over at him. His attention remained on the road. “What did I tell you?”
“That if we don’t have brothers or sisters, we can ask people we like to be a brother and sister to us.” Theo shot me a tentative glance. “Will you be my sister, Marlee?”
This time, I was the one to look at the road. I didn’t want him to see the tears that sprang to my eyes. “I’d like to be your sister very much. That means you’re my brother.”
“Of course. We’re family now. So it’s good we’re on the way to meet your parents. And my father. I’m happy we’re doing this.”
“So am I.” My misgivings about leaving the store now seemed silly. This trip was the right thing to do. Maybe the best thing I’d done all year.
As if he knew a barrier had been crossed, Theo’s customary shyness vanished. It takes two hours to drive from Oriole Point to Chicago, and Theo talked during most it. Yes, it was mostly about birds and his favorite TV shows, but I found the conversation more interesting than many of my talks with Ryan. Which only increased my bridal jitters.
So did the gift from Kit Holt, which I unwrapped as Theo drove us over the Skyway Bridge. I looked down at the book Holt had bought for me and laughed.
“What did the sheriff man give you?” Theo asked.
“Wind in the Willows, a children’s classic featuring an enthusiastic motorist by the name of Mr. Toad.” Fluttering the pages, I stopped at the title page where Kit had written in the book. I read aloud the inscription: “‘To Marlee, my favorite reckless driver. Congratulations on your race to victory. But I hope you slow down for blueberry season. Your devoted deputy, Kit.’”
“He likes you,” Theo said with unexpected gravity. “He likes you a lot.”
“I like him, too. We’re friends.” I closed the book. The word devoted gave me pause. Primarily because it pleased me so much. I reminded myself again that Ryan and I were in love and about to spend the rest of our lives together. I needed to keep Kit Holt firmly in the friend category. Otherwise there was certain to be trouble ahead.
Sitting back, I watched as we drew nearer to Chicago’s magnificent skyline. What lay ahead at this moment was an actual vacation, which I rarely made time for. I’d worry about Kit and Ryan when I returned to Oriole Point for the start of our blueberry festivities.
I peeked down at the book in my hands and smiled. Despite Kit’s hope, I had a feeling things weren’t about to slow down for blueberry season. Not one bit.
Blackberry Cantaloupe Salad
When Marlee’s houseguest Alison made breakfast for everyone, one of the dishes she put together was this refreshing blackberry cantaloupe salad. What she didn’t mention was that this recipe works equally well with strawberries or blueberries.
2 cups fresh blackberries
½ cantaloupe, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
½ teaspoon grated lime zest
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced
1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl except the mint.
2. Cover and let stand 30 minutes. Or refrigerate for up to 2 days.
3. Stir in mint right before serving. Serves 4.
Blackberry Balsamic Drumsticks
At the BAS opening-night dinner, blackberry-glazed chicken wings were a crowd favorite. Here’s how Marlee cooks up her own version at home with drumsticks.
6 chicken drumsticks, skin on
1 cup fresh blackberries, rinsed
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup water
1½ tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper
1. Combine blackberries, butter, water, sugar, rosemary, and vinegar in small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat. Stir until sauce is slightly reduced, approximately 10 minutes.
2. Remove pan from heat and stir in mustard, salt, and pepper. Let marinade cool.
3. Place drumsticks in Ziploc bag. Add cooled marinade and seal. Toss to coat.
4. The next day, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove drumsticks from marinade. Place on cookie sheet wrapped in foil. Discard marinade. Bake 25 minutes,
turning once. Makes 2 to 3 servings.
Paleo Blackberry Muffins
Because many of Marlee’s customers follow either a gluten-free or Paleo diet, she makes certain Theo whips up several GF and Paleo baked goods each week.
2 cups fresh blackberries
2 cups almond flour
4 eggs
2 tablespoons organic raw honey
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
3. Place eggs, honey, and vinegar in a separate bowl and mix.
4. Combine contents of both bowls and stir. Add blackberries.
5. Spoon batter into greased or paper-lined muffin pan.
6. Bake 15 minutes, or until slightly browned. Let cool before transferring muffins to wire rack. Makes 10–12 muffins.
Blackberry Lemon Pound Cake
When Janelle shows up at The Berry Basket with disturbing news, Marlee is about to reach for a slice of Theo’s blackberry lemon pound cake. Rest assured that once Janelle completed her unpleasant visit, Marlee did indeed find a little comfort in eating a slice of this delicious cake.
½ cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup fresh or frozen (do not thaw) blackberries
Glaze
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup icing sugar
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine butter and sugar in a large bowl and stir. Add eggs, lemon zest, and juice and mix until well blended.
2. Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Add half to butter/sugar mixture and stir until blended. Add milk, then remaining dry ingredients. Stir until combined. Don’t over mix. Gently fold in blackberries.
3. Pour batter into greased 8 × 4 inch loaf pan. Bake 50–60 minutes, until golden and springy to the touch. Cool in pan on wire rack. Mix lemon juice and icing sugar; drizzle over cake while warm.
Blackberry Burial Page 29
