Tragic Toppings (17 page)

“I thought you were seeing someone new,” I said.

“He didn’t work out, and to be honest with you, I think I need a little break from men for a while. Now go and enjoy yourself, and Suzanne, for one night, forget about murder, recipe books, and most importantly of all, donuts.”

“I don’t know if I can keep from thinking about any one of those things,” I replied honestly, “let alone all of them.”

“You never know unless you try. Now scoot, before I change my mind.”

I didn’t need to be told twice. “I’ll drop the deposit off on the way home. It’s the least I can do. See you in the morning.” Before I made it out the door, I added, “Why don’t you sleep in tomorrow? That way I won’t feel so guilty tonight.”

“Really? Do you mean it?” I knew how much Emma cherished the mornings she got to sleep in instead of coming to the donut shop in total darkness.

“Sure, why not? Don’t come in until three-thirty.”

She laughed. “Wow, you’re a real sport.”

Emma had a point. I thought about it, and then said, “You know what? I’ve got a better idea. Take the day off, with pay, for your hard work these past few days. I can handle things here by myself tomorrow.”

“I don’t have the heart to do that to you,” she said. “But I will sleep in.”

“It’s your call, either way. And Emma?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

“You’re most welcome,” she said.

As I drove home to catch a quick nap, I realized yet again how lucky I was to have Emma in my life, both as an employee and a friend. I wasn’t sure I could run Donut Hearts on a full-time basis without her, and not just for the help she gave me in the kitchen. It was wonderful having a friend working side by side with me, and if she ever broke free and went off to college as she’d long threatened, I knew I’d miss her more than I could even imagine.

*   *   *

It felt as though I couldn’t have been asleep on the couch in our cottage for more than ten minutes when Momma came in. “Suzanne? Are you here?”

“Right here, Momma,” I said as I waved a hand in the air.

“I woke you, didn’t I?” she asked as she walked around the couch to face me.

I sat up and rubbed my eyes. “It’s fine. It was nearly time for me to get up anyway.” I looked her over, and then added, “Wow, you look nice. Don’t tell me you’re already set for your date tonight?”

“And why not? You know I hate leaving things until the last second.”

“What are you going to do for the next three hours until he gets here?” I asked.

“It’s not going to be that long.”

“What time is it?” I asked as I stared blearily at the clock.

“It’s nearly four-thirty,” she said.

“No! I’ve got to get ready. When Jake shows up, stall him.”

“When is he coming?” Momma asked.

There was a knock at the door. “Unless I miss my guess, he’s already here.” I ran up the stairs two at a time, not even waiting for Momma to greet him.

In nine minutes, I’d taken a shower and gotten dressed, but my hair was less than ideal. At least I’d had a chance to put a little makeup on. I’d needed every second of that nap, but Jake was going to have to deal with a less-than-perfect me.

At least it wasn’t our first, or even our second, date.

*   *   *

“You look great,” Jake said as I walked down the stairs. “I don’t even mind waiting when that’s the result I get.”

I stopped where I was. “Maybe I should have made you wait a little longer, then,” I said with a smile. I was wearing that rarity for me, a real dress. Jake was in his best suit, and I was glad we were going to a place as special as Napoli’s.

“I called the restaurant while you were in the shower,” Jake explained. “They said it wasn’t a problem if we showed up a little late. Angelica herself got on the line. She said they had our table reserved, so we should take our time. What happened today?”

“We can talk about it in the car on the way,” I said.

As we headed out the door, I called out, “Momma, I’m leaving now.”

She came out of the bedroom, and I was relieved to see that she was still dressed up. Knowing her, I wouldn’t have put it past her to chicken out already.

“You’re still going on your date, right?” It didn’t hurt to confirm that her plans were still solid.

“Of course I am,” she said shortly. “I’m actually looking forward to it.”

“You don’t need me to hang around until he gets here, do you? I can, you know. It’s no problem if we’re a little late.”

Momma gave me the look she reserved for the times she thought I was being at my most difficult. “Suzanne, I’m a grown woman. I’ll be fine.”

“Where are you two going tonight?” Jake asked. Momma had asked him to call her Dorothy, but he still had trouble managing it. I found it amusing that now he just avoided calling her anything at all if he could help it.

“I’m not quite sure,” she said with a frown.

“Hey, if you make it Napoli’s, we can double date,” I said with a grin.

She laughed at that, and I was glad to see her good nature was back. “I believe we’ll choose another restaurant, if it’s all the same to you.”

“Be that way,” I said as I hugged her. “Did you take some aspirin as a preemptive strike?”

“There’s not a headache in sight,” she said as she hugged me back. “You two have fun.”

“We will,” I said.

“Have a pleasant evening,” Jake said.

“You, too. If she gets too difficult, call me.”

“Don’t worry. If I need backup, you’re first on my list.”

As we got in the car, Jake said, “You know something? I really like your mother.”

“That’s good to know. Truth be told, I like her, too. It’s different from loving her, you know? She can give me grief sometimes like no other person in the world, but she’s always there for me if I need her.”

“What more can you ask? So, are you hungry?”

“I’m starving,” I said, suddenly realizing it was true. “I can’t believe I fell asleep like that. Emma and I stayed after work and tried to replicate my recipes.”

“Have any luck?”

“Not much, I’m afraid,” I admitted. “Whoever stole it has really put me in a bind.”

“Have you come up with any new ideas about who it could have been?”

I thought about it, and then said, “The only thing I can figure is that it had to be one of my customers yesterday. Three-quarters of April Springs was in my shop because of that ad, so it could have been anyone.”

Jake nodded. “Then you probably had the killer as a customer.”

I wasn’t entirely certain I liked the sound of that, but it was true. “I can’t believe Tim could inspire such anger and spite in someone. Then again, Angelica was pretty torn up when she came by Donut Hearts today.”

“What happened? She seemed almost eager to have us there tonight.”

I didn’t really want to go into much detail. “We had a chat about love and loyalty, about how it’s easy to mistake attention for devotion, and how to look at the world.”

“Wow; that must have been some chat. I’m sorry I missed it.”

“Don’t be.”

Jake hesitated, and then asked, “Did you come to any conclusions about any of those subjects?”

“Just that love is hard at any age, but it’s almost always worth the risk you take in opening your heart to it.” I touched his shoulder lightly, happy for his presence beside me.

We drove on in silence, and after a few minutes, Jake asked, “Who would have thought you were that wise?”

“Hey, be careful there. I get one right now and then,” I said.

“You do more than that, and we both know it,” Jake said. He touched my hand lightly, and I could see a tear in his eye. I knew my boyfriend was a man’s man, a tough state police investigator who had faced down more than his share of criminals, but I also knew there was another side to him that most folks never saw.

He was a man who’d loved and lost, but he’d been willing to take a chance again with me.

And I just hoped I wouldn’t ever do anything to make him sorry for his decision.

CHAPTER 11

“Welcome, Suzanne,” Angelica said as she met us at the door of Napoli’s. Dressed elegantly in a sparkling black dress, Angelica looked as though the burdens she’d been under earlier had been lifted, or at the very least, eased considerably, since the last time I’d seen her. “We’ve been waiting for you.”

“Sorry we’re late. I took a nap and overslept,” I explained.

“We’re just all glad you’ve come tonight,” she said. “If you follow me, I’ll show you to your table.”

“If you’re out here, then who’s cooking?”

“My daughters are handling the kitchen tonight, and what a wonderful job they are doing!” She leaned close to me and added, “But no worries. I’ll be taking over as soon as you’re seated.”

“Were you waiting for us?” I asked as she led us to my favorite spot in the restaurant. There was a mural of Italy on the wall, and we were within the sound of the fountain in the lobby, out of sight, but still very desirable.

“It was my pleasure. Maria and Antonia are handling the orders, Sophia is nearby taking notes, and we’ve all been working hard preparing a feast for you. I hope you two are hungry. I’ve taken the liberty of planning your menu tonight.”

I lowered my voice and said, “Angelica, you really shouldn’t have gone to so much trouble for us.” I felt bad taking up so much of her time and attention.

She said proudly, “If I can’t treat my friends with a special dinner when I please, what kind of woman am I? Suzanne, you were there when I needed you, and I won’t forget it.”

“They were just words,” I said.

“Words that have helped heal my heart,” Angelica said.

She left us, and Jake whistled softly. “Wow, I’m really glad we came here tonight.”

“She’s making too much of a fuss,” I said.

Jake grinned. “Suzanne, she is clearly enjoying it. Whether we deserve it or not, let’s just accept it all with a smile.”

“Okay, you’ve convinced me,” I said.

Maria came out with our salads, and she smiled brightly as she placed them on the table. “Thank you, Suzanne. I don’t know what you said to Momma this afternoon, but she’s a different woman since she got back from April Springs.”

“I’m just glad I was able to help,” I said. “I’m a big fan of your mother.”

Maria winked at me. “And it’s safe to say that we feel the same way about you.”

“What’s in store for us tonight?” Jake asked.

Maria smiled brightly at him, offering a dazzling display of her real beauty. “That’s a secret, but I’d brace myself if I were you. You might want to pace yourself, Momma may have gotten a tad carried away.”

After Maria was gone, I said, “She’s really quite beautiful, isn’t she?”

“Really? I hadn’t noticed,” Jake said, carefully looking down at his salad so he could avoid eye contact with me.

“Then you’re either blind, or you’re a liar,” I said gently as I touched his hand lightly. I was so happy to be there, with him, and among friends. “Which is it?”

He grinned at me as he answered, “I’m the biggest liar you ever saw in your life, but no man ever won any points answering that question honestly.”

I touched his cheek. “Jake, it’s okay to admit the truth.”

He seemed to consider that, and then said, “She’s a little young for my taste. To be honest with you, I can admire her from afar, but I’m kind of smitten with you.”

“And I’m glad for that,” I said with a smile.

Sophia came out next with a platter full of enough food for six people. When she came straight to us, I grabbed Jake’s hand.

“Brace yourself.”

“For what?”

“More food than even you and I can eat.”

He turned around and looked, and I could see that the broad smile he had was more about the food than the lovely young woman bringing it. “Try me.”

“Enjoy,” Sophia said as she put the platter down. There was pasta adorned with parmesan cheese and butter, some with Alfredo sauce, and some with a rich and meaty red sauce. There were butterfly shapes, ziti, rigatoni, and shells, and my favorite of all, ravioli.

“We can’t possibly eat all of this,” I protested.

“Speak for yourself,” Jake said, the gleam in his eyes strictly for the food now.

“Don’t forget to save room for dessert,” Sophia said with a smile.

“You are a wicked, wicked woman,” I said, returning the grin.

“So I’ve heard.”

As Jake and I sampled each offering, one just as exquisite as the next, I felt myself quickly growing full, though we’d barely made a dent in all of the offerings.

Jake pushed his plate away and put his fork down. “I hate to admit it, but I don’t think I can go on much longer if I’m going to drive us back to your place. What is she going to say about all of this food that’s left?”

“I’d say we’ll pack it up and send it with you,” Angelica said from behind me. I hadn’t even seen her approach.

“It’s all so wonderful,” I said. “I feel like royalty.”

Angelica looked pleased by my response. “That is all the praise I need. Did you enjoy it?”

“More than I can express,” I said.

“Good. I’m happy, then.”

I touched her hand lightly. “I can see that you are. I’m just glad I could help.”

“You did, more than I can ever express.”

Jake added, “I don’t know about that. I think you’ve done a pretty spectacular job of it.”

She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “You are most welcome, sir.” Angelica had a gleam in her eye as she asked, “Are you ready for dessert?”

Jake groaned. “Don’t do that to me. You’re killing me.”

She laughed and patted his shoulder. “Don’t be silly. We’ll put it in the bag with the rest. I don’t want you to be miserable.”

Angelica nodded toward the kitchen, and Maria and Sophia came out and whisked the plates away. Jake said, “I hate to bring this up, but we still need our check.”

Angelica smiled as she said, “No checks for you, not tonight.”

A heavyset man at another table must have overheard her. “Does that go for us, too? If it does, I need to change my order.”

Angelica looked intently at him for a moment before she spoke. “Did you save my life today?”

“Not yet, but the night’s still young.”

“Then we’ll wait and see,” Angelica said.