Muffins & Murder (Sweet Bites Book 3) (Sweet Bites Mysteries) (28 page)

Monday I was up and running again, glad we closed shop on Sundays so I had an excuse to take it easy.

The bell rang as I wiped down the counters in the back just before close. It had been a long day and I hoped the customer was fast so I could go home and collapse. I looked over my shoulder to see Jack with his hands in his pockets, watching me.

It brought a smile to my face. “How’s it going?” I asked, crossing over to him.

“Good. And you? How are you feeling today? Still sore from the accident?” He’d called to check in yesterday, but the call only lasted a few minutes.

“Not so much from that. Shoulder’s stiff, but I’m fine when I keep moving. I’m keeping up. I’m glad Honey’s coming in to help Wednesday.” The moment felt somehow awkward, though it was hardly ever awkward with him and I wondered what I could do to fix it.

“I wondered if you’d like to take a walk, maybe stop at the Thai place down the street for dinner?”

It wasn’t crashing on my sofa in my sweats, which I’d been dreaming of for the past three hours, but the image of us sitting across from each other at dinner was pretty great anyway. “I’d love that.” I glanced at the clock and saw it was only a few minutes to six. “Flip the lock, would you? I’m almost done here.”

I asked him about his shift at work the previous day while I counted out the register and double-checked my kitchen to make sure everything was set for the night. “Mind if I change into something that doesn’t smell like frosting?” I asked him when everything was squared away.

“Of course not.”

My trip upstairs was quick and soon we were walking hand-in-hand toward the Thai place.

Jack’s voice was strained when he said, “I suppose Shawn stopped in yesterday to say goodbye before he returned to Nogales.”

“Yes. We talked for an hour or so.” Only talked, though he’d wanted kisses.

“But he’s gone for the next month, right? So you’re free to go out with me?”

I looked over at him, allowing a smile to tease my lips. “I sure am.”

A smile bloomed on his face, making my breath catch in my throat.

“Good. What’s your schedule like Thursday night?” he asked. “Mom would love it if you joined us for a barbecue. I know it’s not exactly summer weather now, but we’ll eat inside if it’s cold. Sophie was excited when Mom suggested it at breakfast.”

How could I let that sweetheart down? Never mind the one standing across from me. “That sounds great to me. And I can probably be free just about any night you are.”

He stopped on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant and took my other hand so we formed a circle. “Look, I don’t want you to feel like Shawn and I are playing tug of war. This isn’t a race to beat Shawn, it’s because I want to be with you. I don’t intend to walk away, not when things are just starting to get interesting, but I don’t want to make this hard for you, either. I just want to see what we might have.”

I appreciated that he took the time to tell me. “Me too. It’s been rough the past six months or so, dealing with things post-Bronson, getting the bakery up and running, and my life under some semblance of control. But it’s starting to come together.”

“Controlled? Is that what you call this week?”

I chuckled. “Not so much this week, but generally speaking things are under control. And thank you, for giving me some time to figure out what I want. You didn’t have to be that understanding.”

He touched my cheek, running a finger across my cheekbones and along my jawline. “I think you’re worth it.” He gestured to the restaurant. “Ready for dinner?”

“Starving.” I didn’t know where either relationship was heading—maybe nowhere—but I decided to enjoy the next while and see where things ended up.

The holiday season has already gotten off to a great start—Tess has garnered a plum job at the Nova Cosmetics annual Christmas party. But when one of the party guests goes into convulsions and dies in the cosmetics company’s parking lot that night, Tess is dragged into another murder mystery—this time against her will.

 And unraveling the truth, and dealing with her twisted romantic relationships at the same time might be more than she bargained for.

The Ball’s in Her Court

Rebound

Family by Design

Shear Luck

Blank Slate

The Switch

Homecoming

Homecoming: Second Chances

Sweet Bites Mysteries

Brownies & Betrayal

Pistols & Pies

People always ask me which of my books is my favorite. The fact is, whichever one I’m working on right then seems to be my favorite. Tess has grabbed a corner of my mind from the moment I first created her more than two years ago and she won’t let go. Writing her and the rest of the characters in this series is a pleasure so a big thanks to my many fans who have supported me by purchasing my books so I can continue to spend time with these characters. Thanks to everyone who has written me emails or sent me messages on Facebook to tell me how much they’ve enjoyed the series.

A big thanks to my first-round critique partners, Tristi Pinkston, Keith Fisher, Nichole Giles, Jennifer Celaya, and Steve and Jaclyn Weist. And to my second-round readers Cami Checketts and Rachelle Christensen. Their suggestions and feedback always make my book so much better. Thanks to everyone who helped taste my recipes as I developed them—it’s a terrible burden to bear, I know, but you put up with it anyway.

Also, as always, a big thanks to my hubby who supports me through everything I do, helping with final proofreads, cover design and being there to bounce ideas off of when my stories get into a tangle.

Heather Justesen remembers making her first scratch cake when she was about thirteen. Thankfully, her baking skills have improved dramatically from the lopsided, but tasty mess she made that day. When she’s not writing or developing recipes, she runs with the local volunteer ambulance, enjoys gardening, playing with her chickens, cake decorating and working with her husband in their small business. 

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