Wedding Mints and Witnesses

by Kelsey Browning

  “Y’all can tell all that to the judge at the bail hearings.” Teague motioned to his deputies to pull the men to their feet. “Hate to ask this of you since it was your day off, but if you could escort these gentlemen in for booking, I’d appreciate it. I have a very special lady who I’d like to make my bride today.”

  * * *

  As everyone paraded back to Summer Haven’s gazebo, all Lil could think was that this wedding had certainly turned into the mess that Abby Ruth had been so worried about. She deserved an apology.

  Lil walked over to where Red and Sera were busy trying to help Abby Ruth shimmy back into that gorgeous dress. “I need to apologize to you.”

  “For what?” Abby Ruth’s voice was muffled because she was half in and half out of the dress.

  “We all pushed you to let us corner the thieves at this wedding. That was downright selfish. Today should’ve been a time for family and friends and celebration, but we made it about justice.”

  Sera tugged on the dress’s hem, and Abby Ruth’s head popped out the top, her hair like a citron-crested cockatiel that had made a hard flight south for the winter. Her grin was as fierce a one as Lil had ever seen. “Come here,” she said to Lil.

  Oh, dear. She knew the woman had a gun on her, but still Lil stepped closer.

  Abby Ruth leaned down and nudged Lil’s arm. “Here. I thought you might not want this to be taken as evidence.”

  And into Lil’s palm dropped two pieces of cool metal. Her rings. “How did you—”

  “Those good ol’ boys aren’t the only ones with pickpocket skills.” With a hip shake and hair fluff, Abby Ruth said, “Now, I think it’s time for this wedding to finally take place.”

  “That’s if we can get the justice of the peace back on his feet,” Maggie said.

  “Who knew Ritter had it in him?” Abby Ruth marveled. “Never saw that old dog move that fast before. He really did send the JOP on an extreme flight, didn’t he?”

  Red took Abby Ruth’s hand as they all headed up the hill toward the lawn. “You know what this means, don’t you?” He looked right at Lil. “Ritter is a hero.”

  “He’s right, Lil.” Abby Ruth gave an apologetic shrug. “We really can’t make a hero sleep outside. That wouldn’t be right.”

  Lordy goodness. At least now she’d have an excuse to bring him into the house without admitting to her friends that she’d fallen in love with the dog. But something told her Abby Ruth might be on to her and Ritter.

  “Fine, but if he can’t get that flatulence problem under control, I’ll expect you to administer Bean-o.” It wouldn’t do for Lil to give in too easily or Abby Ruth would suspect something for sure.

  “Maybe Ritter could spend more time at my house,” Red said to Abby Ruth. “I wouldn’t mind you spending more time with me too. You know I plan to be in Summer Shoals for the long haul. Or as long as you’re here, right?”

  The smile on Abby Ruth’s face made Lil’s heart soften toward the tough-as-nails woman.

  “I feel like we’re getting a second chance, Red,” Abby Ruth said softly. “Maybe not another first down with our own daughter, but as grandparents to Jenny’s children.”

  “I like the sound of that,” Red said. “I love you, Ru.”

  “I…ditto.”

  Lil had never heard Abby Ruth sound so vulnerable or look so happy, but she took a breath and pulled her shoulders back. “Enough of this mushy stuff. We have a wedding to finish today.” With a wide swing of her arm, she motioned everyone back toward the gazebo.

  When they made it back to the lawn, Red and Abby Ruth split off to join Jenny. Lil, Maggie, and Sera continued on toward the gazebo, where most of the guests had taken their seats although the chatter was still loud. The justice of the peace was steady enough on his feet to announce, “If everyone will please take your seats, we can resume these nuptials.”

  They turned to head back to their seats, but Teague stopped them when he said, “Ladies, I sure would love it if y’all would stand up for me.”

  It wasn’t traditional for a trio of over-fifty women to act as groomsmen, but then again there wasn’t much traditional going on around Summer Haven these days. It was hard to stand on ceremony when life was so much more fun when it was full of surprises.

  The prelude music began. The sound of the organ and violins filled the air, and the crowd watched Grayson walk down the aisle, Bowzer on his left and Ritter plodding along on his right, all three of them streaked with Georgia red clay and frosting. When Grayson and the dogs joined Teague, they turned toward the guests, grins on all their faces.

  The “Wedding March” gave Lil that warm feeling in her chest as it always did, and the crowd came to its feet. If she’d thought Grayson’s smile was huge, it had nothing on Jenny’s expression.

  Or those of her mom and dad walking on either side of her. They stopped at the end of the aisle, and the sheer love Jenny and Teague were beaming at one another would’ve lit up Summer Shoals for the next ten years. Lil’s gaze shifted to Abby Ruth, only to catch her and Red looking at each other the same way.

  Maybe this wasn’t the last wedding Summer Haven would host. That filled Lil’s heart with such joy, she was all but bursting with it.

  The justice of the peace asked, “Who gives this bride?”

  Abby Ruth said, “Her mother—”

  “And father,” Red said, in sync, with an obvious squeeze to Abby Ruth’s hand.

  Jenny stepped out from between them and toward Teague. Toward the rest of her life.

  He gave her a quick grin and said, “You have to admit this is perfect. I’m barefoot and you’re pregnant.”

  Thanks bunches for reading Wedding Mints and Witnesses!

  What’s next?

  * * *

  Discover how Teague and Jenny’s reunion story starts in CHRISTMAS COOKIES AND A CONFESSION.

  Sheriff Teague Castro made a mistake ten years ago that cost him the love of his life. But Jenny Northcutt has always been the woman for him, and he’s ready to do whatever it takes to get a second chance at love.

  * * *

  Jenny is a divorced mother, and she has zero time or energy for romance. But her own mother’s recent move to Teague’s small town is forcing Jenny to come face-to-face with him, the man who destroyed her belief in happily ever after. Now, Jenny can’t deny the spark is still alive, but this time more than her heart is at risk.

  * * *

  Teague cooks up a plan to woo Jenny, but a local theft could ruin both the Christmas holiday and his odds of winning her over. Now, with a mysterious crime to solve, Teague must once again keep a secret from Jenny.

  * * *

  Will their painful past repeat itself, or will they get the gift of a second chance at love?

  * * *

  One-click CHRISTMAS COOKIES AND A CONFESSION now!

  Recipes

  Wedding Mints

  Easy, creamy and sweet mints that are ready (and oh so easy!) to eat right after you make them. But if you can control yourself and don’t plan to sample them right away, refrigerate or freeze them. You can flavor these with peppermint, spearmint, vanilla, almond, or pretty much anything your little heart desires. Need them to be extra pretty? A little food coloring will do the trick. For special occasions, like a wedding or an investigation, purchase rubber molds and press the mints into shape.

  Ingredients

  1 - 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened at room temperature

  1 - 2-pound bag of confectioner’s sugar

  Food flavoring or extract of your choice

  Food coloring if desired

  Granulated sugar, for coating mints

  Directions

  Place cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, start adding powdered sugar until you reach the consistency of play dough. IMPORTANT INFO: You will NOT use the whole bag. If the dough is sticky at all, keep adding powdered sugar.

  Place equal portions of the dough into separate bowls for each co
lor and/or flavor you want to make.

  Add a drop or two of flavoring and mix to incorporate. Taste and add more flavoring until you get the taste you’re looking for.

  Add desired food coloring and mix well.

  To make mints, take a marble-sized portion of dough, roll it in granulated sugar, and press into a mint mold. Remove mint by inverting the mint mold. The mint should pop right out. Repeat with remaining dough.

  Store in the fridge until ready to serve. Or make ahead and freeze.

  Lillian’s Sand Tarts

  Bake a batch of these beauties up, and you might just be tempted to hide them away for yourself. Try to be like Lil and share with your closest friends!

  Ingredients

  1 cup softened butter

  1 cup confectioner's sugar

  1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

  1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (and a little for your hands)

  1 cup finely chopped pecans

  Directions

  Preheat oven to 270° F.

  At low speed with your electric mixer, cream the butter and ½ cup of confectioner’s sugar until smooth. Then beat in the extract.

  At low speed, gradually add the flour, scraping sides as you go until well combined, but don’t over mix.

  With a spatula, mix in the finely chopped pecans into the bowl.

  Flour up your hands to make shaping the sticky mixture easier.

  Take out about 1 tablespoon of dough and shape it into a crescent.

  Place the cookies 1-inch apart on the prepared cookie sheets. (Super-duper baking tip: Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper to keep cookies from sticking an over browning. Parchment paper is honestly a gift from heaven!)

  Re-flour hands as needed.

  Bake for 40 minutes.

  Dust generously with additional confectioner’s sugar while still warm.

  Move to wire rack to cool completely. Store in airtight containers and sprinkle a little more confectioner’s sugar over them.

  Maggie’s Special Iced Tea

  When Maggie and the gals have a hard day (or a celebration), they turn to Maggie’s special iced tea recipe. It’s sweet taste with a kick tends to soothe any troubles or make a good day just that much better. Oh, and if you’re tempted to leave the “special” outta this tea, then please note that it’ll still taste pretty darn good, but it won’t be Maggie’s tea!

  Maggie recommends a glass jug for this recipe, but heck, use what’cha got, people!

  Ingredients

  3 family-sized tea bags (or 10 regular-sized tea bags)

  Water

  1½ cups sugar

  A bit of “special” - either bourbon or Irish whiskey. Maggie’s been known to enjoy some Crown Royal, but Abby Ruth is solidly in the Jameson camp.

  Directions

  Place the tea bags into a gallon-size glass jug (or whatever you have on hand).

  Boil up your water (a tad less than a gallon because you’ll be adding in some sugar and some “special”).

  Once the water has come to a full rolling boil, gently pour it over the tea bags in your jug.

  Let the whole shebang steep for about 3-5 minutes, depending on how strong you like your tea. Maggie prefers it strong, so she goes the whole 5 minutes.

  Stir it up a bit and then remove the tea bags. Use a slotted spoon, or a wooden spoon if you want to wrap the tea bag strings around it and squeeze all the liquid out.

  Toss in about a cup and a half of sugar and stir until dissolved.

  Chill the tea in the fridge for as long as you can stand it. Once the tea is cool, add the “special” one jigger at a time until you’re satisfied with the taste and strength.

  Pour that deliciousness over a tall glass of ice, take it to the front porch, and sip your worries away!

  Excerpt from Christmas Cookies and a Confession, A Jenny & Teague Novella

  Chapter One

  For half a second, Teague Castro took his eye off his target to glance at the woman in the firing lane on his right. Eye and ear protection snug against her face, Abby Ruth was intent on the outline of the zombie fifty-odd yards away. With a sound like a giant rubber band being popped, she emptied her Glock, hitting the walking dead in the heart with every shot.

  If Teague could get his deputies to shoot half as well, he’d be a happy man. But Abby Ruth Cady was one of a kind. How many men could say their future mother-in-law could shoot a tick off a hound’s ass without disturbing a strand of fur? Very few.

  Then again, she wasn’t truly his future mother-in-law. Yet. He still had to win Jenny back. Hard to do when the woman wouldn’t even answer his calls.

  His grip suddenly unsteady, he released the magazine on his own 9mm and removed the remaining ammo. He sure had no business handling a firearm when he was shaking like a drunk coming off a five-day bender. Thinking about Jenny did that to him.

  Abby Ruth reloaded, adjusted her long-legged stance, and proceeded to give the target a hole in the chest the size of a big man’s fist. With her trademark white shirt and slim jeans tucked into a pair of eye-blinding turquoise boots, she was lean and fit at sixty-one. Since she’d moved to Summer Shoals, Georgia a few months ago, the older men had sniffed around. In normal Aunt Bibi style, she’d tossed back a few beers with them at Earlene’s Drinkery, but that was the extent of it.

  Finally, Abby Ruth pulled out her ear plugs and shoved her protective glasses to the top of her head, making her short gray hair stand up as though she’d been shocked by a wave of electricity. “I swear to Jesus, boy. If you thought any louder over there, I’d need better ear protection.” She released her clip, double-checked for any remaining bullets before wiping down her gun. “Your brain waves are so damned powerful, I’m pretty sure they sent my last shot off target.”

  “That’ll be the day.” Teague chuckled and leaned over to press the switch to bring Abby Ruth’s target forward. Sure enough, one shot was about a millionth of a centimeter outside the main hole. “Yeah, I can see you were distracted.”

  “That little bit can be the difference between the upper hand and the lower rung. You know that as well as I do.” Her eyebrows hit her hairline. “Now, why don’t you buy me something to drink and tell me why you invited me out to shoot today? I have a feeling it wasn’t because you wanted to remind yourself this old gal can outshoot you when she’s drunk, blindfolded and down in the back.”

  As a former journalist, she was no one’s fool, that was for damn sure. Teague slung an arm around her shoulders and led her outside to an empty picnic table. The December day was bright and cool, but they’d both worked up a sweat shooting. “Orange soda?”

  “I do love a man who remembers my preferences.”

  His front pockets produced enough change for two drinks. The coins jingled into the chamber of the old style drink machine. The whole shooting range might be outdated with the if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-replace-it mentality, but it was still functional. The cans rumbled to the opening one by one. He carried the cold drinks back to the table, popping the top of Abby Ruth’s before handing it to her. They sat and sipped in companionable silence for several minutes.

  His win-back-Jenny agenda was stalled, but enlisting Abby Ruth’s help felt reckless right now. She was smart. She was shrewd. And she had a way of taking over a situation.

  And that was something he couldn’t allow. But after seeing Jenny again a few weeks ago, he knew more than ever he wanted her in his life, here in Summer Shoals. How the heck he would convince her it was a good idea was a whole other story.

  Abby Ruth set down her drink with a thunk. “Spill it, kiddo.”

  “She won’t return my calls.”

  Abby Ruth swung her legs up on the bench to face him and sighed, proving he didn’t need to specify who she was. “I could make excuses for her behavior. She’s always had a stubborn streak.”

  “No idea where she got that,” he muttered, coaxing a laugh from Abby Ruth.

  “She’s not real good at admitting wh
en she’s made a mistake.”

  “You sure she wasn’t adopted?” he teased.

  She pointed a finger at him pistol-style. Good thing it was just her finger because the paper lying on the table between them proved he’d be stone cold dead otherwise. “I can admit when I’m wrong. Rarely happens is all. If you think you can win over a woman by insulting her, it’s no wonder she ran off without a word.”

  He winced at the memory of Jenny and her son’s visit to Summer Shoals. What had started out as a nice birthday party for Abby Ruth had turned into a belly-ripper for him when he blurted out his feelings for Jenny, then kissed her. He’d hoped for fireworks. The explosive kind that resulted in professions of undying love.

  But the fireworks had been more like a backfire. Before he knew what was happening, Jenny had taken off to Boston.

  And he damned well knew it wasn’t because that kiss had been lame. He hadn’t kissed Jenny in over a decade, not since he screwed up so royally and she married that over-polished bag of ties in Boston not long after. But he still remembered what she felt like, tasted like. Like a Black Cat firecracker—hot, combustible, unpredictable. And like one of those red pepper suckers sold down at the drug store—sweet, spicy, addictive.

  That candy always made Teague sweat, but he couldn’t resist it.

  No more than he could resist Jenny.

  “Look,” he said. “She’s divorced and I want her back. I let her go once because I was careless and stupid.”