Read Online Keeping Mum (A Garden Society Mystery) by Alyse Carlson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Alyse Carlson
Ads: Link
busy lunchtime with all those nearby businesses.”
“One it is, then!”
• • •
• • •
W hen Cam reached Sweet Surprise, her dad was working the counter. Annie was in back baking. She frowned at her dad.
“You said dealing with the customers might be hard. I’m not so senile I can’t put a cupcake in a box and work a cash register.”
Cam felt herself tear up and then scolded her own sentimentality. She loved that her dad thought of her best friend as his own daughter . . . only maybe with more TMI than he shared with his own daughters. This wasn’t the first time he’d been there for Annie.
Cam walked behind the counter and kissed her dad, then proceeded to the back to find Annie pulling what appeared to be cheesecakes from the industrial oven.
“Hey.”
“Have I ever told you how lucky you got in the dad department?” Annie said.
“I know. He’s yours, too. As often as you need him.”
“I seem to need him more than you do, lately.”
“That’s still less than Petunia, and he loves to help,” Cam said.
Annie set the tray on a large marble slab.
“So? Cheesecake?”
“I’m trying to perfect a few flavors for the holidays. I’ve got a pumpkin, an eggnog, and that one,” Annie pointed an accusatory finger at the cracked culprit, “is me trying to figure out some way to incorporate rum. I was thinking plum pudding for my inspiration.”
“Why don’t you just make . . . you know . . . plum pudding? Or Christmas pudding? I think I have my grandma’s recipe.”
“Really? See, family recipes aren’t so big at my house. They tend to get burned in divorces.”
Cam tried not to laugh. “I’ll find it and give it to you for a starting place.”
“Perfect! Now what did your dad bring for lunch?”
CHAPTER 6
T he three sat around a table in Annie’s back room. The bell would alert them if a customer came in, and Cam’s dad leaped up each time it happened.
It frustrated Cam, as her real goal had been to question her dad and the stream was steady enough that he rarely sat, but it was still companionable. Finally, Annie broke onto the conversational freeway Cam felt they needed to approach.
“So you’re dating power women now?” Annie teased.
“Shucks, Vivian and I have been friends for years.”
“I don’t remember her,” Cam said.
“Sure you do, sunshine. Aunt Vi?”
“Aunt Vi?” Cam knew Aunt Vi was not an actual relation, but had in fact been her mother’s college roommate. Cam hadn’t seen her since she was in elementary school and never would have recognized the professional woman she saw the night before from the big hair and miniskirt of her memory. “Are you sure?”
Her dad laughed. “I didn’t recognize her either. It’s been twenty years. I suppose being a lawyer will curb someone’s style a little.”
“Man, no kidding!” Cam scratched her head. “Wasn’t she blonde?”
“I guess not naturally. It was different times. Your mother and I got married before . . . well . . . the silly hair and all. So we didn’t get too caught up, though I remember shoulder pads that made Mom look like a linebacker.”
Cam grinned. The eighties hadn’t missed her mother entirely. Cam also remembered a fitness craze that involved Lycra and leotards and a tall-bangs thing her mother had tried for a while.
“So how did you and Aunt Vi reconnect?” Cam asked.
“Facebook!”
Cam almost dropped her sandwich. “I didn’t know you were on Facebook.”
“Well no. I can hardly have my daughters monitoring who I talk to.”
“I’m his Facebook friend,” Annie said.
Cam stood and let out a disgruntled noise.
“Annie doesn’t care who I flirt with,” her dad argued.
“It’s true,” Annie said. “I dig that your dad’s a babe magnet.”
“I wouldn’t judge!” Cam said.
Annie dropped her head so she was looking at Cam through her eyebrows. The front bell dinged and Cam’s dad rose. When he was out of earshot, Annie whispered.
“Let me do
“One it is, then!”
• • •
• • •
W hen Cam reached Sweet Surprise, her dad was working the counter. Annie was in back baking. She frowned at her dad.
“You said dealing with the customers might be hard. I’m not so senile I can’t put a cupcake in a box and work a cash register.”
Cam felt herself tear up and then scolded her own sentimentality. She loved that her dad thought of her best friend as his own daughter . . . only maybe with more TMI than he shared with his own daughters. This wasn’t the first time he’d been there for Annie.
Cam walked behind the counter and kissed her dad, then proceeded to the back to find Annie pulling what appeared to be cheesecakes from the industrial oven.
“Hey.”
“Have I ever told you how lucky you got in the dad department?” Annie said.
“I know. He’s yours, too. As often as you need him.”
“I seem to need him more than you do, lately.”
“That’s still less than Petunia, and he loves to help,” Cam said.
Annie set the tray on a large marble slab.
“So? Cheesecake?”
“I’m trying to perfect a few flavors for the holidays. I’ve got a pumpkin, an eggnog, and that one,” Annie pointed an accusatory finger at the cracked culprit, “is me trying to figure out some way to incorporate rum. I was thinking plum pudding for my inspiration.”
“Why don’t you just make . . . you know . . . plum pudding? Or Christmas pudding? I think I have my grandma’s recipe.”
“Really? See, family recipes aren’t so big at my house. They tend to get burned in divorces.”
Cam tried not to laugh. “I’ll find it and give it to you for a starting place.”
“Perfect! Now what did your dad bring for lunch?”
CHAPTER 6
T he three sat around a table in Annie’s back room. The bell would alert them if a customer came in, and Cam’s dad leaped up each time it happened.
It frustrated Cam, as her real goal had been to question her dad and the stream was steady enough that he rarely sat, but it was still companionable. Finally, Annie broke onto the conversational freeway Cam felt they needed to approach.
“So you’re dating power women now?” Annie teased.
“Shucks, Vivian and I have been friends for years.”
“I don’t remember her,” Cam said.
“Sure you do, sunshine. Aunt Vi?”
“Aunt Vi?” Cam knew Aunt Vi was not an actual relation, but had in fact been her mother’s college roommate. Cam hadn’t seen her since she was in elementary school and never would have recognized the professional woman she saw the night before from the big hair and miniskirt of her memory. “Are you sure?”
Her dad laughed. “I didn’t recognize her either. It’s been twenty years. I suppose being a lawyer will curb someone’s style a little.”
“Man, no kidding!” Cam scratched her head. “Wasn’t she blonde?”
“I guess not naturally. It was different times. Your mother and I got married before . . . well . . . the silly hair and all. So we didn’t get too caught up, though I remember shoulder pads that made Mom look like a linebacker.”
Cam grinned. The eighties hadn’t missed her mother entirely. Cam also remembered a fitness craze that involved Lycra and leotards and a tall-bangs thing her mother had tried for a while.
“So how did you and Aunt Vi reconnect?” Cam asked.
“Facebook!”
Cam almost dropped her sandwich. “I didn’t know you were on Facebook.”
“Well no. I can hardly have my daughters monitoring who I talk to.”
“I’m his Facebook friend,” Annie said.
Cam stood and let out a disgruntled noise.
“Annie doesn’t care who I flirt with,” her dad argued.
“It’s true,” Annie said. “I dig that your dad’s a babe magnet.”
“I wouldn’t judge!” Cam said.
Annie dropped her head so she was looking at Cam through her eyebrows. The front bell dinged and Cam’s dad rose. When he was out of earshot, Annie whispered.
“Let me do
Similar Books
