Read Online Strawberry Murder: A Frosted Love Cozy Mystery - Book 13 (Frosted Love Cozy Mysteries) by Carol Durand, Summer Prescott - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Carol Durand, Summer Prescott
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tasked Missy and Chas with babysitting.
Ever the efficient manager, Cheryl had left a comprehensive list of
instructions for the godparents, along with her cell phone number and strict
orders to call if they needed anything.
“It’s
actually a lot like processing a crime scene,” he replied with a mischievous
grin. “You de-escalate the emotional distress of the victim by providing
support and comfort, you assess and fulfill physical needs, and after the scene
has been contained, you send a team in to do clean-up.”
Missy
giggled at his analysis of procedures for babysitting, and quickly quieted when
Cammie stirred, making all sorts of adorable baby sounds.
“Have
you ever thought about it?” she half-whispered, keeping a close eye on her
slumbering god-daughter.
“What?
Crime scenes?” he teased.
“No,
being a daddy,” Missy asked, visualizing him in the role. “I bet you’d be good
at it.”
“A
few times maybe,” he shrugged, gazing down at the sleeping child in his arms.
“But I never had a relationship that was solid enough to think about seriously
considering the prospect. I think if I ever really wanted kids, I’d actually
just adopt. I can’t tell you how many unwanted kids I encounter in the course
of my job,” he frowned. “What about you? Have you ever thought about it?”
“Not
really,” Missy admitted. “I took over the family business when I was seventeen.
There wasn’t even enough time to date, much less think about babies, and that’s
what my life was about for decades. Now that things are slowing down a bit, the
thought crossed my mind, but honestly, I don’t think I’d have the energy to do
it full-time. Babies are wonderful, but they’re an awful lot of work.”
“It’s
nice to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there,” he joked.
“Exactly!”
Missy laughed, so glad that he understood and didn’t think less of her for not
having a ticking biological clock.
The
detective rose slowly to a standing position and headed for the nursery, placing
little Cammie gently in her crib and switching on the baby monitor nearby. He
placed his arm around Missy’s shoulders and they stood gazing down at the tiny
pink face of their godchild, soaking in the sweetness of the moment, then
turned and went back to the living room. Settling on the couch to watch a
movie, Missy snuggled into his embrace, tilting her face up for a kiss.
“Mmm…I
could get used to this,” Chas murmured, burying his face in her hair.
“What,
babysitting?” Missy asked, her eyes closed, enjoying the moment.
“No,
I was thinking more along the lines of you and me, enjoying each other’s
company.”
“Well,
we do that pretty often,” she observed with a smile.
“I
just can’t get enough of you, Missy Gladstone,” he said, his blue eyes
capturing her gaze.
“Good,”
she whispered.
They
fell asleep about halfway through the movie, and were snuggled up and snoring
softly when Cheryl and Ben came home after their date. Rather than disturbing
them, Cheryl placed a light blanket over the couple. Ben switched off the baby
monitor in the living room and the new parents headed to bed.
“Think
they’ll ever be doing this?” Ben asked his wife as they pulled the covers up to
their chins.
“The
family thing?” Cheryl asked, then nodded. “Yeah, in their own time and in their
own way, I’m sure they will.
Chapter 22
“Missy!
You have to try this!” Echo came charging into Crème de la Cupcake clutching a bowl of something green and gooey, and thrust it toward her best
friend. She’d been spending a lot of time creating new flavors lately, and
Missy had tried them all.
“That
really looks like something from a horror movie,” the cupcake artist commented,
handing her friend a vegan bran muffin that she had saved from the morning
rush.
“You
have to try it and tell me what you think. It’s really good for you,” she
assured her skeptical friend, who was eyeing the bowl
Ever the efficient manager, Cheryl had left a comprehensive list of
instructions for the godparents, along with her cell phone number and strict
orders to call if they needed anything.
“It’s
actually a lot like processing a crime scene,” he replied with a mischievous
grin. “You de-escalate the emotional distress of the victim by providing
support and comfort, you assess and fulfill physical needs, and after the scene
has been contained, you send a team in to do clean-up.”
Missy
giggled at his analysis of procedures for babysitting, and quickly quieted when
Cammie stirred, making all sorts of adorable baby sounds.
“Have
you ever thought about it?” she half-whispered, keeping a close eye on her
slumbering god-daughter.
“What?
Crime scenes?” he teased.
“No,
being a daddy,” Missy asked, visualizing him in the role. “I bet you’d be good
at it.”
“A
few times maybe,” he shrugged, gazing down at the sleeping child in his arms.
“But I never had a relationship that was solid enough to think about seriously
considering the prospect. I think if I ever really wanted kids, I’d actually
just adopt. I can’t tell you how many unwanted kids I encounter in the course
of my job,” he frowned. “What about you? Have you ever thought about it?”
“Not
really,” Missy admitted. “I took over the family business when I was seventeen.
There wasn’t even enough time to date, much less think about babies, and that’s
what my life was about for decades. Now that things are slowing down a bit, the
thought crossed my mind, but honestly, I don’t think I’d have the energy to do
it full-time. Babies are wonderful, but they’re an awful lot of work.”
“It’s
nice to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there,” he joked.
“Exactly!”
Missy laughed, so glad that he understood and didn’t think less of her for not
having a ticking biological clock.
The
detective rose slowly to a standing position and headed for the nursery, placing
little Cammie gently in her crib and switching on the baby monitor nearby. He
placed his arm around Missy’s shoulders and they stood gazing down at the tiny
pink face of their godchild, soaking in the sweetness of the moment, then
turned and went back to the living room. Settling on the couch to watch a
movie, Missy snuggled into his embrace, tilting her face up for a kiss.
“Mmm…I
could get used to this,” Chas murmured, burying his face in her hair.
“What,
babysitting?” Missy asked, her eyes closed, enjoying the moment.
“No,
I was thinking more along the lines of you and me, enjoying each other’s
company.”
“Well,
we do that pretty often,” she observed with a smile.
“I
just can’t get enough of you, Missy Gladstone,” he said, his blue eyes
capturing her gaze.
“Good,”
she whispered.
They
fell asleep about halfway through the movie, and were snuggled up and snoring
softly when Cheryl and Ben came home after their date. Rather than disturbing
them, Cheryl placed a light blanket over the couple. Ben switched off the baby
monitor in the living room and the new parents headed to bed.
“Think
they’ll ever be doing this?” Ben asked his wife as they pulled the covers up to
their chins.
“The
family thing?” Cheryl asked, then nodded. “Yeah, in their own time and in their
own way, I’m sure they will.
Chapter 22
“Missy!
You have to try this!” Echo came charging into Crème de la Cupcake clutching a bowl of something green and gooey, and thrust it toward her best
friend. She’d been spending a lot of time creating new flavors lately, and
Missy had tried them all.
“That
really looks like something from a horror movie,” the cupcake artist commented,
handing her friend a vegan bran muffin that she had saved from the morning
rush.
“You
have to try it and tell me what you think. It’s really good for you,” she
assured her skeptical friend, who was eyeing the bowl
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