Toffee Apple Killer: Book 11 in The INNcredibly Sweet Series

by Summer Prescott

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  TOFFEE APPLE KILLER

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Toffee Apple

  Killer

  Book Eleven in

  The INNcredibly Sweet Series

  By

  Summer Prescott

  Copyright 2016 Summer Prescott Books

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication nor any of the information herein may be quoted from, nor reproduced, in any form, including but not limited to: printing, scanning, photocopying, or any other printed, digital, or audio formats, without prior express written consent of the copyright holder

  **This book is a work of fiction. Any similarities to persons, living or dead, places of business, or situations past or present, is completely unintentional.

  Author’s note: I’d love to hear your thoughts on my books, the storylines, and anything else that you’d like to comment on—reader feedback is very important to me. My contact information, along with some other helpful links, is listed below. If you’d like to be on my list of “folks to contact” with updates, release and sales notifications, etc.… just shoot me an email and let me know. Thanks for reading!

  Also…

  … if you’re looking for more great reads, I am proud to announce that Summer Prescott Books publishes a popular series by new cozy author Patti Benning. Check out my book catalog http://summerprescottbooks.com/book-catalog/ for her delicious stories.

  Contact Info for Summer Prescott:

  Twitter: @summerprescott1

  Blog and Book Catalog: http://summerprescottbooks.com

  Email: summer.prescott.cozies@gmail.com

  Please note: If you receive any correspondence from addresses other than those listed here, it is not from me, even if it claims to be.

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  If you’re an author and are interested in publishing with Summer Prescott Books, please send me an email and I’ll send you submission guidelines.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

  * * *

  This book, like many that I’ve written recently, has been a journey for me. It has been an escape, in some ways, from what’s happening in real life. My beloved mother is growing weaker by the day, and I fear the end is much nearer than I had expected. She’s been an inspiration to me throughout my life – she’s been a constant source of support and encouragement, and has shown me what it means to know the blessing of unconditional love.

  It says so much about her that she so badly wanted me to continue writing, and reaching out through my books. She was delighted that I would sit by her, typing away, telling her about what was happening with Missy, Chas and the gang – Spencer is her favorite. It was so hard to be creative while worrying about the amazing woman at my side, but it offered a sort of solace as well. Calgon has been as much of a refuge for me lately as it has for my readers. I definitely identify with Izzy in this book – like her, I just want to hide inside my cozy home and make the world go away, and like her, I make myself get out and live life, because that’s what my dear mother wants for me.

  When I left her for the last time, holding her sweet face between my hands and telling her that I loved her, her response was to reassure me that everything was going to be okay, and that she loved me too. In her weakened state, her primary concern was that I was going to be okay. That’s who she was and who she is, for however many days that she remains. Thank you, Mom for always loving me, no matter what, for being my cheerleader, and the loving presence to whom I turned in time of strife. You’re the best Mom ever, and every book that I write could never have happened if you hadn’t believed in me. I’ll never be able to repay your entirely unselfish love, and I can only hope that someday I’ll be half the woman that you are. I love you, Mom.

  TOFFEE APPLE

  KILLER

  Book Eleven in The INNcredibly Sweet Series

  CHAPTER ONE

  * * *

  Melissa Gladstone-Beckett stood in the small commercial kitchen of her shop, Cupcakes in Paradise, holding a spreader with a glob of buttercream frosting on it, staring into space. The petite blonde had a habit of baking whenever she was stressed, and the last week had been a doozy. She’d held a wedding for a beloved friend at the beachside bed and breakfast that she owned with her husband, dashing detective Chas Beckett; she’d seen a young man who was like a son to her come back to the inn after having been missing for weeks; and now her very best friend, the fiery-haired Echo Willis, was in the hospital, trying desperately to save her unborn child.

  So far this morning, Missy had baked six batches of her featured cupcake of the week, toffee apple. Unable to sleep because she was worried about Echo, she’d stayed up until the wee hours creating the recipe for the luscious cakes. The main part of the cupcake was an applesauce spice cake, which she’d filled with caramel and chopped pecans, and she’d topped the tasty cakes with fluffy buttercream frosting, thinly sliced apples sautéed in butter and brown sugar, and chips of crushed toffee. The results were decadent, but she had no appetite at the moment.

  Echo’s husband Kel, a local but world-renowned artist, was staying at the hospital with his wife, who was being monitored. She’d been rushed to the emergency room a couple of days earlier, thinking that something was desperately wrong; fortunately, doctors had been able to stop her premature contractions and were doing tests to make certain that mom and baby were both going to be okay. Echo still had nearly five months to go, and her early labor symptoms had scared them all.

  Hearing the bells at the front door of the little shop jingling to announce a new arrival, Missy shook herself from her reverie and set down her frosting knife, wiping her hands on her apron. She went out into the eating area and saw Izzy Gilmore seating herself at one of the café tables. Izzy, one of the most popular horror authors ever, had moved to the sleepy beachside town of Calgon to get out of the New York rat race and remove herself from the watchful eyes of her micro-managing publisher.

  “Hey, Izzy, how are you doing, honey?” Missy asked with sympathy.

  Spencer Bengal, the young Marine veteran who worked for Missy and Chas as security guard and handyman at the inn, had made the tough decision that he couldn’t be in a relationship with Izzy, after a very rocky start that had emotionally wounded him. Izzy, true to her introverted nature, had holed up in her little pink cottage and stayed there, taking baths, eating ice cream, and gruesomely killing off fictitious characters in her most recent novel, in an effort to help ease the pain of losing him.

  “Well, I’m alive, and I’m craving cupcakes, so I guess that’s a good sign,” the lovely young woman sighed.

  She was wearing yoga pants, a college sweatshirt, and flip-flops, and had her long glossy hair thrown carelessly on top of her head in a messy bun. Her large hazel eyes had circles under them, and she looked worn out.

  “That is a good sign. I’ll hook you up, darlin!” Missy beamed at her.

  If there was one thing the former Louisiana gal knew,
it was how to make everything seem a little bit better with just the right dose of good home cooking, and her cupcakes were often magical in that regard. She brought Izzy two of her new creations, along with a steaming mug of coffee, and took a seat across from her.

  “When you come to my shop, you get company along with cupcakes,” she smiled, taking a sip of her own mug of coffee.

  “That’s what I was hoping for, actually,” Izzy admitted, swiping a fingertip into her icing and licking it off. “Oh wow, how do you do this? That’s amazing!” she exclaimed, savoring the sweet treat.

  “It’s medicinal,” Missy smiled at the young woman fondly. “You haven’t been out and about much lately, have you?” she asked.

  Izzy shook her head. “Nope. It’s hard enough to deal with people when I’m feeling on top of the world; it’s nearly impossible when I’m down.”

  “Well, you’re here. That’s a start,” Missy patted her hand.

  “I’m thinking about doing something crazy,” the young woman broke her cupcake in half and nibbled on it.

  “Like what?” Missy didn’t know whether to be intrigued or concerned.

  “My mother always said that if I fell off of my bicycle, the best thing to do was to get back on and ride, so… I’m thinking about signing up with an online dating site,” she announced.

  “Oh! Wow. Well… I admire your spirit and intentions, but… do you really think that that’s the right way to go about things?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well… you hear so many stories about things that can go wrong… people can pretend to be whoever they want to be. I don’t know, I just think it could be dangerous.”

  Izzy nodded. “I had all of those concerns too, but I did some research, and there are ways that you can date someone that you meet online and be safe about it. I won’t give anyone my address—my home is my sanctuary anyway—I’ll only meet dates in very public places, and I won’t get into a car with anyone.”

  “I don’t even like the idea of you giving your phone number out to complete strangers,” Missy confessed.

  “I won’t. I’ll only communicate via email until after I’ve met them in person, then I can decide whether or not to give them my phone number,” Izzy shrugged.

  “I’m still a little scared for you. I know you’ll be careful, and you’re smart and tough, but there are some strange folks out there.”

  “How about I text you before I go, so someone will know where I am and who I’m meeting?”

  “I’d feel better about that,” Missy conceded.

  “Besides, even if nothing romantic happens, this will allow me to practice my people skills, and it might even result in me making some new friends.”

  “I think that’s very brave, honey.”

  “Don’t be nice to me, you’ll make me cry,” Izzy stuffed a huge bite of cupcake in her mouth.

  “I know the feeling,” Missy chuckled. “You want a couple of those to go?”

  “I would wub dat,” Izzy answered, holding her hand in front of her very full mouth while she chewed.

  Missy giggled and went to box the cupcakes up.

  CHAPTER TWO

  * * *

  Phillip “Kel” Kellerman sat in the chair by the hospital bed, holding his wife’s hand.

  “So I’m going to be okay, and the baby is, too?” Echo asked the doctor, her voice shaky.

  “As long as you take it easy, you both should be just fine. I’m not saying that you need bed rest, at least not yet, but you shouldn’t be working either. You need to spend as much time as possible with your feet up, relaxing,” he cautioned. “I’ll be monitoring you more frequently, because your age makes this what we call a high-risk pregnancy, but don’t be scared by the term. It just means that we need to pay a little bit more attention to you and your baby to make sure that everything goes smoothly for you. If you have another episode, we’ll probably have to confine you to bed, but I hope to avoid that by just having you take it easy and make sure that you get lots of rest.”

  “That’s good news,” Kel breathed a sigh of relief and squeezed Echo’s hand reassuringly.

  “When can I go home?”

  “We’ll run a couple more tests in the morning, just to make sure that you’re doing okay, and then you should be able to head home.”

  “Oh, good,” she sighed with relief, wanting nothing more than to be out of the hospital.

  Echo owned a bookstore and candle shop that were in a cute historical building downtown, and her manager, a wickedly intelligent, candle-loving bookworm named Joyce Rutledge, had been working nonstop while Echo was in the hospital. Kel’s son from a previous relationship, Scott, helped out after school, but Joyce was there from open to close every day, and Echo felt guilty about her having to work so hard.

  “You’re not going back to work,” Kel raised an eyebrow at his wife.

  “Oh, yes, I am,” Echo insisted. “The doctor said that I had to stay off my feet and rest. He didn’t say where I had to do that.”

  Kel looked at the doctor, who gave him a reassuring smile.

  “It probably won’t hurt her a bit if she wants to sit behind the counter at her shop for a couple hours a day, as long as she doesn’t overdo it.”

  Echo grinned triumphantly at her husband, who kissed her forehead indulgently, hiding the fact that his brow was creased with worry.

  “Thank you, Doctor,” she said. “One more day of reading books and I’ll be ready to go home.”

  “You’re quite welcome. I’ll come by for a final check in the morning,” the kindly man replied, taking his leave.

  “Knock, knock,” Joyce Rutledge’s melodic voice called from the doorway.

  Echo looked up and could only see what looked like a giant, walking floral arrangement. The riot of color moved closer, and Joyce set it on the windowsill where Echo could see it. Giving her boss and Kel a hug, she nodded with approval.

  “You look like you’re feeling much better, Miss Echo,” she observed with a relieved smile.

  “I am, Joyce. How are things at the shop?” she asked, glancing up at the clock.

  “Oh they’re good. Don’t worry, I didn’t close early. Spencer is watching over things so that I could come see you.”

  “Spencer, eh?” Echo teased, raising an eyebrow.

  Joyce grinned broadly. “Missy said that I should call him whenever I need anything, so I gave him a call. I think I might call him again later tonight to get some help eating the special dessert that I’m going to bake,” she chuckled.

  “You vixen. What are you going to bake to win that young man’s heart?” Kel asked, amused.

  “Well, I was kind of hoping that Miss Echo might know what some of his favorites are,” Joyce confessed.

  “Spencer pretty much eats anything that comes out of the oven,” Echo chuckled. “But I know that when Missy makes anything with lemon, she usually doubles the recipe. He tries to stay away from desserts, but he can’t help himself when there’s something with lemon in it around.”

  Joyce’s eyes lit up. “My granny made the best lemon chiffon cake anyone ever tasted, and I have the recipe,” she exclaimed. “He won’t be able to resist.”

  “Good for you,” Echo smiled. “Has everything been going smoothly at the store?”

  “Yep, peachy keen. Scott comes and helps out after school, Spencer checks in every so often, and sales have been going through the roof! Your candy corn candles sold out completely, and the pumpkin spice ones are going so fast that Spencer said he may have to make more next week if you’re not up to it. It amazes me that this muscle-bound Marine learned how to sculpt scented candles,” she shook her head, looking a bit starry-eyed.

  “He was a fast learner. I showed him once and he’s been making beautiful candles ever since. I couldn’t have gotten the shop up and running without him, so you give him a big hug from me when you see him,” Echo instructed.

  “Oh, if I have to…” Joyce waggled her eyebrows comically.
<
br />   “Hey, is there a party in here?” Missy came in the door with a box of cupcakes.

  “There is now,” Echo was delighted to see her best friend.

  Joyce gave everyone a goodbye hug and headed out and Missy sat down on the side of the bed after handing Kel the cupcakes.

  “So, what do we know?” she asked, grabbing Echo’s hand.

  “I need to rest more…”

  “Well, I could have told you that, darlin,” Missy teased.

  “I can’t work nearly as much,” Echo sighed. “But I’ll be going home tomorrow as long as all the tests are good.”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful news!”

  “Have I missed anything exciting while I was cooped up in here?”

  “No ma’am,” Missy shook her head. “We’ve all been saving our exciting stuff for when you get out,” she chuckled.

  “What a relief. Have you started planning the Thanksgiving feast at the inn yet?”

  “Nope, that’s waiting on you, too. I figured that you’d need something to occupy your time when you were released, so I’ve been holding off so that we can do it together, right down to the decorations.”

  “Oh, that sounds like fun. We should get Carla in on things too,” Echo suggested.

  Carla Mayhew was the interior decorator who had helped Missy to redo the owner’s quarters and some of the guest rooms at the inn. When Missy and Chas announced that they were considering a move to New York so that Chas could take over his late father’s business empire, Carla had made an offer to buy the inn.

  “Wait a minute… you’re inviting Carla?” Missy was astonished. “Are you feverish? Delusional?” she teased.

  To say that Echo and Carla hadn’t gotten along when they first met would be the ultimate understatement. The two women had been at odds for quite some time, but had finally buried the hatchet, and were doing much better.