Read Brownies & Betrayal (Sweet Bites Mysteries, Book 1) for Free Online Page A
Authors: Heather Justesen
toes. They weren’t very practical for walking around the hotel, but they made my feet pretty, and had cheered me up when I thought of being arrested for murder. Okay, so nothing could make that thought less horrible, but I’d been focused more on my aching feet than my questionable future, so that was something.
Honey picked up one shoe and held it reverently. “How unfair is it that I can never borrow your shoes? I can’t believe your feet are smaller than mine.”
I knew the tactic was intended to delay the conversation, and decided to humor her. “It’s all that coveting you did as a kid. This is Karma blowing back at you.”
She pulled a face at me. “I don’t need to be reminded of what a brat I used to be.”
“Used to be?” I lifted my brows at her, but I was teasing.
Honey laughed, her voice like the sound of tiny seashells as they clinked together. She was so feminine, from her short frame and tiny hands to her womanly curves. She even looked the part of a mother of three, though I still struggled sometimes to believe her oldest son was already eight. “I’m much better behaved now. Most of the time.”
“Good enough for me,” I took a bite and moaned in appreciation over our famous rocky road brownies. Filled with walnut chunks and chocolate chips, topped with melted marshmallows and slathered with my famous fudge frosting, nothing on the planet tasted better than these babies. “Can we say heaven?” This dessert wasn’t sophisticated enough for my Chicago clients’ palates—or that’s what the head chefs claimed when I suggested adding them to the menu. But I couldn’t imagine anyone not melting into a puddle of fulfillment with a single bite—I was totally stocking them in my bakery and knew the repeat business would be phenomenal.
Honey stayed around for another hour. I waved goodbye to her, and turned to study the apartment. I’d rarely been back to Silver Springs since I settled my Grandma’s bills and everything after the funeral. Honey had told me more than once that I was avoiding the pain, and I’d feel better if I faced it all instead of staying away.
I hadn’t believed her, but now I was home again—and wasn’t it funny that I’d already begun to think of Silver Springs as home?—I found the ache of losing my last parental figure wasn’t what I’d expected. The intense pain I’d felt last time had softened a great deal, though the bittersweet pain of being around Grandma’s things now made tears spring to my eyes and I longed to have a chat with her. I decided I’d make a trip to the cemetery to visit her tomorrow.
Despite the late hour, my cell phone rang and I listened to Marry Me by Train play through until it went to voice mail. I was still avoiding Bronson’s calls. If I didn’t answer, just let him leave message after message, all of them pleading, none of them sincere, would he eventually stop? I wasn’t sure, but the last thing I needed right after my trying day was to deal with him. He had been the one to pick the ringtone for his number, the cheating, lying jerk. I’d actually thought it was sweet at the time. Gag me.
Bronson was another hurt I’d have to deal with, and maybe it was why I’d had to come home again. Isn’t that what people did when they had wounds that needed licking? Go home? I was sure there must be some primal draw to this town, even if it hadn’t officially been home at any point in my life.
Despite the comforting surroundings, the knife of surprise at walking into Bronson’s office to find him kissing someone else still sheared through me when I let myself think about it. Though he’d been trying to get me to agree to marry him for months, I’d only accepted a few weeks ago. Apparently he got what he wanted—whatever that was—and was ready to move on. That hurt, even as I hated myself for thinking maybe he had an excuse. Maybe, just maybe, we could make this work after all.
No. Ignoring the calls was best.
It
Honey picked up one shoe and held it reverently. “How unfair is it that I can never borrow your shoes? I can’t believe your feet are smaller than mine.”
I knew the tactic was intended to delay the conversation, and decided to humor her. “It’s all that coveting you did as a kid. This is Karma blowing back at you.”
She pulled a face at me. “I don’t need to be reminded of what a brat I used to be.”
“Used to be?” I lifted my brows at her, but I was teasing.
Honey laughed, her voice like the sound of tiny seashells as they clinked together. She was so feminine, from her short frame and tiny hands to her womanly curves. She even looked the part of a mother of three, though I still struggled sometimes to believe her oldest son was already eight. “I’m much better behaved now. Most of the time.”
“Good enough for me,” I took a bite and moaned in appreciation over our famous rocky road brownies. Filled with walnut chunks and chocolate chips, topped with melted marshmallows and slathered with my famous fudge frosting, nothing on the planet tasted better than these babies. “Can we say heaven?” This dessert wasn’t sophisticated enough for my Chicago clients’ palates—or that’s what the head chefs claimed when I suggested adding them to the menu. But I couldn’t imagine anyone not melting into a puddle of fulfillment with a single bite—I was totally stocking them in my bakery and knew the repeat business would be phenomenal.
Honey stayed around for another hour. I waved goodbye to her, and turned to study the apartment. I’d rarely been back to Silver Springs since I settled my Grandma’s bills and everything after the funeral. Honey had told me more than once that I was avoiding the pain, and I’d feel better if I faced it all instead of staying away.
I hadn’t believed her, but now I was home again—and wasn’t it funny that I’d already begun to think of Silver Springs as home?—I found the ache of losing my last parental figure wasn’t what I’d expected. The intense pain I’d felt last time had softened a great deal, though the bittersweet pain of being around Grandma’s things now made tears spring to my eyes and I longed to have a chat with her. I decided I’d make a trip to the cemetery to visit her tomorrow.
Despite the late hour, my cell phone rang and I listened to Marry Me by Train play through until it went to voice mail. I was still avoiding Bronson’s calls. If I didn’t answer, just let him leave message after message, all of them pleading, none of them sincere, would he eventually stop? I wasn’t sure, but the last thing I needed right after my trying day was to deal with him. He had been the one to pick the ringtone for his number, the cheating, lying jerk. I’d actually thought it was sweet at the time. Gag me.
Bronson was another hurt I’d have to deal with, and maybe it was why I’d had to come home again. Isn’t that what people did when they had wounds that needed licking? Go home? I was sure there must be some primal draw to this town, even if it hadn’t officially been home at any point in my life.
Despite the comforting surroundings, the knife of surprise at walking into Bronson’s office to find him kissing someone else still sheared through me when I let myself think about it. Though he’d been trying to get me to agree to marry him for months, I’d only accepted a few weeks ago. Apparently he got what he wanted—whatever that was—and was ready to move on. That hurt, even as I hated myself for thinking maybe he had an excuse. Maybe, just maybe, we could make this work after all.
No. Ignoring the calls was best.
It