Authors: Joyce Lavene,Jim Lavene

Tags: #Female Sleuth, #Christmas, #ghost, #Cozy Mystery

Murder Fir Christmas (23 page)

The wise men came down from the church to present their gifts. Kids started to crowd around Santa, so Thomas and Peter left to get in line. Stella Griffin and the other firefighters walked to the shelter. They had donned warm coats. The fire chief smiled and waved at Bonnie.

Rose greeted Stella with a hug. “I’m so glad you could visit with us tonight.” The older lady looked beside the chief. “And, Eric, you look so handsome!”

Eric Harcourt looked at his mother. “Who are you talking to?”

“Oh, Eric,” she started. “I want you to meet Eric Gamlyn.” She gestured in the ghost’s direction.

Her son shook his head. “Mother, there’s no one—”

Stella interrupted. “Maybe we should get something to drink. Your mother has some things she needs to tell you.” She whispered to the air next to her, “I know you can’t drink.”

“She’s right, Eric. We do need to talk.” Rose pulled her son by the arm.

The four pressed their way to the refreshment table near the back of the shelter, leaving Bonnie and Matthew alone. The sun finally fell beneath the horizon. She’d forgotten how quickly night came in the mountains. Thousands of Christmas lights came on, illuminating the tiny town and all the towering pine trees lining the street.

“I think we should talk too.” She studied his face. His dark eyes sparkled in the outdoor lighting. “Now that we are working together…I mean, I don’t know.”

His smile flickered. “What is it?”

“Well, when we were out in the woods…you asked me if I wanted to go out on a date.”

Matthew’s gentle smile turned into a broad grin. But he was looking beyond her, over her head. She spun around, irritable at his inattention.

There, just at the edge of the light from the shelter, Dustu and his big white stag stood beside a tall, leafless oak tree. At his feet, Oginali, the wolf puppy, jumped around, yipping with delight.

Bonnie shook her head and couldn’t help smiling too. She had to admit that little pup was something special. She felt Matthew’s warmth behind her.

“So about that date…” he whispered.

She turned again, to face him. It was her time to stare behind him, as an older Cherokee man came striding towards them. Matthew turned to see what she was looking at.

“Elder Francis,” he said reverently.

“Are you Unega Awinita?” he asked her in his thick native accent.

Bonnie wasn’t sure how to respond, but Matthew nodded vigorously. It didn’t matter, though, because Elder Francis acted as though he already knew the answer.

“Will you come to the reservation? One of our sacred eagles has been killed out of turn, without proper ceremony or honor. We need your expertise and the help of the white fawn.”

RECIPES

Traditional Stollen

German sweet bread with fruit and nuts, perfect for Christmas morning

For the dough:

1 package (1/4 oz.) active dry yeast

2 tablespoons warm water (105° F)

1 cup warm milk (105° F)

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 tablespoon grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup raisins

1/2 cup mixed candied fruit (cherries and pineapple)

1/2 cup chopped almonds

For the glaze:

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

2 to 3 tablespoons milk

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, butter, sugar, eggs, lemon and orange zest, salt and 3 cups flour. Add the raisins, candied fruit and almonds. Add 1/2 cup remaining flour at a time, to form a soft, loose dough.

Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Use more flour if necessary. Place in a greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.

Punch dough down and divide in half; cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll or press each half into a 12” x 7” oval. Fold long-wise to 1” of opposite side; press edge lightly to seal. Place on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375°f.

Bake loaves for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

Combine confectioners' sugar and enough milk to form a thin glaze; spread over stollen.

Yield: 2 loaves, 12-14 slices per loaf

Sausage and Potato Casserole with Cheese

A light meal, great for a cold day

1 pound Italian-style sausage, cut into 1/2” slices

1 medium onion, diced into 1/2” pieces

1 green pepper, diced into 1/2” pieces

4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch chunks

3-4 cloves garlic, chopped coarsely

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 tablespoon dried basil

1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes

3/4 cup mozzarella cheese

Optional: 1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, seeds removed, sliced into thin rounds

In a large skillet, brown sausage slices lightly on both sides. Drain excess grease. Preheat oven to 350°f.

Add potatoes, onions, and peppers. Sautée until potatoes are fork-tender, 15-20 minutes. Add garlic about halfway through. Drain excess grease.

Transfer sautéed ingredients to a 9”x16” baking dish. Top with diced tomatoes, then basil, then mozzarella cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until cheese is well-melted. Serve with your choice of bread.

Serves 4

Almond Crescent Cookies

A Christmas favorite, from the Sweet Pepper Café

1 cup butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons almond extract

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup ground almond meal, or almond flour

About 1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°f. Spray several cookie sheets with cooking spray, or line with parchment paper.

With a mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and almond extracts, beat until incorporated.

With a wooden spoon, stir in the flour and almonds. Work mixture into a firm dough (Use your hands if necessary.) The dough will be crumbly.

Take 1 rounded tablespoon of dough, and with floured hands, roll into a log shape, thicker in the middle than the ends. Bend into a crescent shape.

Place on cookie sheets and repeat until all dough is used. Bake 12-15 minutes or until light brown.

Sift powdered sugar into a medium bowl. While the cookies are still warm, roll the crescents in the powdered sugar. Cool on racks.

Yields 30-40 cookies

About the Authors

Joyce and Jim Lavene write award-winning, best-selling mystery and urban fantasy fiction as themselves, J.J. Cook, and Ellie Grant. They have written and published more than 80 novels for Harlequin, Penguin, Amazon, and Simon and Schuster along with hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications. They live in rural North Carolina with their family, their rescue animals, Quincy - cat, Stan Lee – cat, and Rudi - dog.

Visit them at:

www.joyceandjimlavene.com

www.Facebook.com/JoyceandJimLavene

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/AuthorJLavene

Amazon Author Central Page:
http://amazon.com/author/jlavene

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