Read Online A Spicy Secret by D. Savannah George - Free Book Online
Authors: D. Savannah George
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placed in the hidey-hole in the second floor of the carriage house. Annie had gotten out her notebook, but ended up adding nothing but doodles.
Annie woke up later than usual that Tuesday, and she had to rush around to get ready. Even in her hurry, she still felt positively cheerful. She dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a turtleneck, covering that with a green sweater. She pulled her hair—now in an awkward growing-out stage, courtesy of her last haircut—back into metal barrettes and put on a light coating of mascara and lipstick.
Satisfied with her looks, she went downstairs for a quick breakfast, fed Boots, and packed her tote bag with a skein each of her blue and white yarn, crochet hook, and the blanket she had started—so far she’d finished eighteen squares of the first pattern, nine in each color.
She was just putting on her coat when Alice called.
“Would you mind driving me to the meeting?” her friend asked. “I have such a load to carry, and my ankle is hurting again. It’s so hard being me sometimes.”
“It’s hard being me sometimes too,” said Annie in a teasing tone of voice, “especially when I have to listen to your whining.”
“I’m not whining. I’m just stating a fact. The cold is making my ankle throb,” Alice said in response. “So, would you pretty please drive me to the meeting? Plus, you know my Mustang does not look pretty in snow tires.”
“And my car does?” Annie retorted. “Plus, in case you haven’t noticed, your Mustang does have snow tires on it.”
“Yeah, yeah. OK, you got me. Can I have a ride anyway?”
“No problem—as long as you don’t make me later than I already am!”
They hung up, and Annie finished buttoning her coat. She pulled on her fleece-lined gloves and wound a thick brown scarf around her neck. Five minutes later, she pulled her trusty Malibu into Alice’s driveway. The heat was on full blast, though it barely made a dent in the cold. Her breath came out in clouds of fog that coated the windows in frosty patterns that reminded her of fine lace.
She honked the horn, waiting for Alice in the idling car. She hadn’t paid much attention before, but now, after talking about the renovation and looking at the old blueprints, she noticed that her grandparents had done a remarkable job in converting the carriage house from a utilitarian building into something that truly looked like a home. The Swanns had chosen a different color scheme from Grey Gables with its white siding and gray accents. Annie made a mental note that when the carriage house needed it, she would suggest to Alice that it be painted to match Grey Gables, as she was sure it once had been.
“What could be taking that girl so long?” she asked aloud, just as Alice’s arm snaked out the front door in a come-help-me gesture.
Annie unbuckled her seat belt and got out. She left the car running in hopes that it would finally warm up.
“Yes?” she asked, peeking in the front door. “Don’t tell me you need me to carry you to the car!”
“I just need you to carry this ,” Alice replied, handing Annie a plastic grocery bag and a Tupperware container full of cookies.
“You baked again!”
“I sure did! Another of the recipes we found,” Alice answered as she put on her coat and picked up her tote bag. “Chocolate chip and oatmeal.”
Annie got in the driver’s seat while Alice threw her things in the back and then climbed in the front.
“Are you sure trying another of those recipes was a good idea?” Annie asked as they buckled their seat belts and she backed out of the drive. “We discussed this, considering the one you made last week didn’t turn out well at all.”
“Yes, I know, but I thought I’d try another one, just in case that last dish was a temporary blip in my baking mojo. Besides, I could read practically all of the ingredients and directions on this one. I tried one, and it’s pretty good, if I say so myself!”
“You better hope you got
Annie woke up later than usual that Tuesday, and she had to rush around to get ready. Even in her hurry, she still felt positively cheerful. She dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a turtleneck, covering that with a green sweater. She pulled her hair—now in an awkward growing-out stage, courtesy of her last haircut—back into metal barrettes and put on a light coating of mascara and lipstick.
Satisfied with her looks, she went downstairs for a quick breakfast, fed Boots, and packed her tote bag with a skein each of her blue and white yarn, crochet hook, and the blanket she had started—so far she’d finished eighteen squares of the first pattern, nine in each color.
She was just putting on her coat when Alice called.
“Would you mind driving me to the meeting?” her friend asked. “I have such a load to carry, and my ankle is hurting again. It’s so hard being me sometimes.”
“It’s hard being me sometimes too,” said Annie in a teasing tone of voice, “especially when I have to listen to your whining.”
“I’m not whining. I’m just stating a fact. The cold is making my ankle throb,” Alice said in response. “So, would you pretty please drive me to the meeting? Plus, you know my Mustang does not look pretty in snow tires.”
“And my car does?” Annie retorted. “Plus, in case you haven’t noticed, your Mustang does have snow tires on it.”
“Yeah, yeah. OK, you got me. Can I have a ride anyway?”
“No problem—as long as you don’t make me later than I already am!”
They hung up, and Annie finished buttoning her coat. She pulled on her fleece-lined gloves and wound a thick brown scarf around her neck. Five minutes later, she pulled her trusty Malibu into Alice’s driveway. The heat was on full blast, though it barely made a dent in the cold. Her breath came out in clouds of fog that coated the windows in frosty patterns that reminded her of fine lace.
She honked the horn, waiting for Alice in the idling car. She hadn’t paid much attention before, but now, after talking about the renovation and looking at the old blueprints, she noticed that her grandparents had done a remarkable job in converting the carriage house from a utilitarian building into something that truly looked like a home. The Swanns had chosen a different color scheme from Grey Gables with its white siding and gray accents. Annie made a mental note that when the carriage house needed it, she would suggest to Alice that it be painted to match Grey Gables, as she was sure it once had been.
“What could be taking that girl so long?” she asked aloud, just as Alice’s arm snaked out the front door in a come-help-me gesture.
Annie unbuckled her seat belt and got out. She left the car running in hopes that it would finally warm up.
“Yes?” she asked, peeking in the front door. “Don’t tell me you need me to carry you to the car!”
“I just need you to carry this ,” Alice replied, handing Annie a plastic grocery bag and a Tupperware container full of cookies.
“You baked again!”
“I sure did! Another of the recipes we found,” Alice answered as she put on her coat and picked up her tote bag. “Chocolate chip and oatmeal.”
Annie got in the driver’s seat while Alice threw her things in the back and then climbed in the front.
“Are you sure trying another of those recipes was a good idea?” Annie asked as they buckled their seat belts and she backed out of the drive. “We discussed this, considering the one you made last week didn’t turn out well at all.”
“Yes, I know, but I thought I’d try another one, just in case that last dish was a temporary blip in my baking mojo. Besides, I could read practically all of the ingredients and directions on this one. I tried one, and it’s pretty good, if I say so myself!”
“You better hope you got
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