Read Online Sugar Rush by Rachel Astor - Free Book Online Page A

I found this tucked inside.”
    Constance’s eyes grew sad and she turned away, back to the recipe. “This is amazing,” she said in a whisper, the room going still with reverence. “There’s no way you can lose.”
    Both Constance and Ava, so well versed in all things candy, recognized a masterpiece when they saw one.
    “This may be her finest work yet,” Dulcie said.
    Constance nodded. “Thank goodness you found it. What if it had been lost forever?”
    A smile crept across Dulcie’s face. “And that’s not all,” she said, pulling the four other sheets out of her bag. “There are others.”
    They both inhaled, looking like they were dying to grab the papers right out of her hand.
    Dulcie set the first one down.
    Peanut Butter Crunch Truffle.
    The girls dove in to examine it. Dulcie had already studied the recipe for ages; a rich peanut butter ganache, dipped in milk chocolate then drizzled with a peanut butter glaze, topped with fresh ground peanuts and chocolate shavings.
    Positively luscious.
    “This is exactly something your mother would come up with,” Constance said, just a hint of sadness shadowing her eyes.
    Ava nodded.
    Then right away, they looked back at Dulcie for more.
    She rolled her eyes and set the next recipe down.
    Cranberry Pomegranate Zinger.
    Saltwater taffy had always been one of her mom’s favorites, and they carried at least a half dozen gourmet flavors on any given day. This one would be a huge hit with the taffy regulars.
    “My mouth is watering over how tangy this will be, but oh my God, so good,” Ava said. “This is going to be perfect for those long nights studying for finals.”
    Dulcie couldn’t help but grin. Ava must be Miss Popular with her study buddies, considering the volume of candy she usually left the store with at the end of her shift.
    Dulcie set the next recipe down.
    Decadent Cookie Dough Fudge.
    The name said it all; a milk chocolate fudge, generously dotted with chunks of homemade chocolate chip cookie dough, and with the amount of dough the recipe called for, the fudge was merely something to hold all those chunks together. It would be beautiful cut up into serving sizes, the chocolate marbling through the cookie dough.
    “I would have died for this one when I was pregnant,” Constance said. “And she even thought of that.” She ran her finger down the list of ingredients. “See, no eggs.” She glanced up. “Pregnant women can’t usually eat cookie dough, at least the homemade kind, because of the raw eggs in it.”
    “Maybe Mom craved the same things you did when she was having me.”
    Constance nodded. She quickly turned away, though not fast enough to hide the tears glazing her eyes.
    Dulcie cleared her throat, which had suddenly grown a lump. “And this is the final one,” she said, setting down the precious last piece she had of her mother.
    Toasted Coconut Brittle.
    “Oh my gosh, it’s so simple,” Ava said.
    “And so perfect,” Constance added.
    Dulcie nodded. It was like her mother thought of her when she came up with it. Coconut had always been one of Dulcie’s favorite flavors. The recipe had the base of any other brittle: sugar, syrup, butter, but this time she added a subtle infusion of coconut essence, and a generous dose of shredded coconut, toasted to perfection.
    “The customers are going to go nuts,” Constance said. “It can’t be said enough. Your mother was a genius.” She fanned the five new recipes out for closer inspection.
    “I can’t wait to get working on them,” Ava said.
    Dulcie plucked the Salted Caramel Apple Enchantment back off the table, clutching it to her chest. “We can make the others, but this is the one for the competition. No one can see it until we start testing. You can’t say a word to anyone.”
    Ava made a zipper motion over her lips, and Constance nodded reverently. “Of course we won’t say anything. The competition isn’t going to know what hit them.”
    That was just what Dulcie