Peppered With Murder (The Darling Deli Series Book 26) Read online

  After that, she got started on the cornbread. She used a mix, but added her own touch in the form of a couple of spoonfuls of local honey. She poured the batter into a glass pan and slid that onto the rack above the peppers. The pie, she saved for last. She had made hundreds of pies over the years, and could have made the crust in her sleep. It was the recipe her mother had taught her, and almost always turned out perfectly flaky and rich.

  Cutting the apples was the most time-consuming part, besides rolling the crusts out. Her corer had been something she had lost in the fire that had burnt down her home years before, and it wasn’t a utensil that she used often enough to have replaced yet. She only remembered it at times like now; in the few minutes that she actually needed one every year.

  Still, it wasn’t long before she was tossing the apples in the powdered coating and pressing the bottom crust into the pie pan. Her meal was coming together nicely, and she couldn’t wait to try the results.

  She had just finished cutting slits into the top crust when she heard a knock at the front door. Candice was there. After washing her hands quickly and removing her flour-covered apron, she hurried down the hall to let her daughter in.

  “Sorry that I’m a few minutes later than I said I’d be,” the young woman said. “I stopped at the store to pick up some drinks. I know you said not to bring anything, but I felt bad.”

  “Thanks,” Moira said, taking the bag of soda from her daughter. “Come on in. The dogs are in the mud room. I’ll let them out once you’re settled. The guest bedroom is all set up, and Felix was napping in the living room last I checked.”

  “It smells great in here,” Candice said. “What did you make?”

  “Stuffed green peppers and cornbread are in the oven,” the deli owner said. “And I’ve got an apple pie that’s ready to go in as soon as those come out.”

  “Wow, that sounds perfect. I’ll join you in a second, I’m just going to say hi to Felix first.”

  Moira walked back down the hall to the kitchen by herself, putting the bag of drinks on the counter and moving its contents to the refrigerator. A few minutes later, Candice joined her, the calico in her arms. Both dogs, still behind the gate, began to whine and wag their tails.

  “Thanks for watching him,” she said, giving the feline a kiss between his ears. “Sorry it’s been so long.”

  “He’s no trouble at all,” she assured her daughter. “We love having him around. He sleeps curled up between us most nights, and takes up much less room than Maverick does when he tries the same thing.”

  The young woman grinned. “He’s got so much personality, doesn’t he? When I was younger, I used to think cats were kind of boring compared to dogs, but they’ve just got their own way of interacting with us.”

  At that moment, Keeva let out a sharp bark, unable to hold her excitement in any longer. Felix jumped out of Candice’s arms and ran to the kitchen doorway where he paused, looking back to eyeball the dogs as if daring them to chase him. Neither dog was paying attention to the cat, though; they had eyes only for Candice.

  “I think they want to say hi,” Moira said, smiling. “Want me to let them out?”

  “Sure. I want to say hi too. I haven’t seen them for ages.”

  The deli owner detached the gate and let the German shepherd and Irish wolfhound out. The two dogs skidded across the kitchen floor, greeting Candice enthusiastically. She barely had to bend down to pet Keeva, who weighed as much as she did.

  “Once you’re done, have them leave the kitchen,” Moira said. “I’m about to take the food out of the oven, and Keeva’s big enough to reach the table without even trying.”

  It was a bad habit that David had taught the dog. He thought it was cute — well, it was cute — to have the dog sit next to the table and eat treats off a plate like she was one of them. It was only cute once, though; not so much the next day when the wolfhound had taken it upon herself to grab a muffin off of Moira’s plate. That had been the catalyst for Moira’s new no dogs in the kitchen rule — at least when food was out.

  She was pleased to see that the stuffed peppers looked perfect when she took them out, and the corn bread was a gorgeous golden-brown. She checked the clock over the stove; David should be there any minute. It was time to put the pie in.

  CHAPTER THREE

  * * *

  David got there just as she was putting the finishing touches on the table. The three of them sat down to a family dinner that was just like old times, when Candice had come by for a meal a couple of times each week. David spent some time talking about the specialty beer he and Karissa were going to be shipping out on Monday, just in time for the holiday, and Moira told her daughter about the haunted house fundraiser she had promised Denise she would do.

  “That sounds fun,” Candice said. “Too bad I won’t be here for Halloween, or I would offer to help out.”

  Moira felt her heart sink. So, Candice was planning on being gone for even longer? She had been hoping that this visit would signify the beginning of her and Eli’s return.

  “We’ll miss you, but a couple of the employees at the deli have already volunteered to help, so I’m sure I’ll be able to manage,” she said. “When do you think Eli will be doing well enough for the two of you to move back?”

  “Well, that’s the thing,” Candice began, shooting an almost nervous look at her mother. “Now, don’t freak out, but I might be gone for a while. Eli will probably come back for a few weeks once he’s able to drive again to straighten things out at the ice cream shop and find a renter for the house —”

  “A renter?” Moira said. “How long are you going to be gone?”

  “I don’t know,” her daughter said. “I got offered a job managing a store called Calvin’s Chocolate Creations. It’s a chain, and they’re opening up a new location in Orchard Heights — that’s a township that’s just a few miles from the place where Eli’s staying. It’s a nice area. Anyway, I met the owner while I was in line at a coffee shop, and I told him all about what happened to my store, and he pretty much offered me the job on the spot. It pays well, and with Candice’s Candies gone, I’m not sure where else I would find a job up here.”

  “You could always work at the deli. You know that.”

  “I know, and I’m grateful for that, but no offense Mom… that wouldn’t pay enough for what we need. The job at Calvin’s Chocolate Creations is salaried, with benefits, and since we’re married, Eli will be included on the insurance. He’s been paying for it out of pocket up to now, so that will save us a lot of money. Even if work on the candy shop started tomorrow, it probably wouldn’t be finished until sometime next year since they wouldn’t be able to work through the winter. I can’t go that long without a real job, not with a mortgage to pay and medical bills. Plus, I’ve been thinking of going back to school. Another two years would get me a bachelor’s degree, and I think I could really benefit from some marketing classes.”

  She took a deep breath, and Moira realized something that saddened her. Her daughter felt like she had to justify her reasons for taking an excellent job. She didn’t want that; her daughter should feel free to pursue whatever was best for herself.

  “You don’t have to explain,” she said, forcing herself to smile even though she was still struggling to process the information. “I think it sounds wonderful. Do you think you’ll still try to rebuild your candy shop eventually?”

  “Oh, definitely,” the young woman said. “I still want to be self-employed, and I’ll keep working towards achieving that again, but for right now, this job will be amazing. Eli and I will rent an apartment near my job, and he wants to attend some food safety classes. He would love to be able to package and sell homemade ice cream out of his grandfather’s store. Who knows, one day you might be buying Maple Creek ice cream from supermarket freezers.”

  “Is that the brand name he’s thinking of?”

  Candice nodded. “Even though the ice cream shop is in Lake Marion, we both think Maple Creek
sounds better. He’s planning a flavor with maple syrup from local trees, which will tie in with the name.”

  “It sounds like you both have a lot going on.”

  “Well, he’s had a lot of time to do nothing but think and plan. Me too, for that matter, since I haven’t been running the candy shop.”

  “When do you start your new job?”

  “Monday,” she said. “I didn’t want to mention anything until I was sure I was going to get it.”

  “Congratulations, honey,” Moira said. “I’m proud of you.”

  “Me too.” David smiled at both of them. “Soup, beer, ice cream, and candy… between the four of us, we could almost open our own grocery store.”

  The deli owner laughed, trying not to think too much about what her daughter’s new job meant. She had been so thrilled when Candice had opened the candy shop in the next town over, and now, in what seemed like the blink of an eye, everything had changed. Would things ever get back to normal? What exactly was normal, come to think of it? Things had changed so dramatically for her and Candice both over the past couple of years. They hadn’t really had the time to settle into a new normal after all of the upheavals in their lives.

  She cleared her throat and pushed her chair back. “Is everyone ready for pie?” she asked. “I’ll get the ice cream out of the freezer.”

  “I’m ready,” Candice said, rising to clear her place. “Would it be all right if I took a slice over to Reggie sometime tomorrow morning? I want to stop by and visit him before I go. I still have to tell him that Eli and I won’t be coming back for a while, and I know he’s going to be upset.”

  Moira didn’t think a slice of apple pie was going to do much to soften the blow to the elderly man. He had been all set to move into the bedroom on the first floor of Candice and Eli’s farmhouse when the fire had happened. His grandson’s injury had delayed the move, and now it looked like it would be delayed even longer. She knew that the assisted living home he was staying at wasn’t a terrible place, but it still couldn’t compare with living with family.

  “Of course,” she said. “Bring him as much as you want. You can tell him I’ll try to stop by and visit him myself next time I’m in town.” She felt a rush of guilt as she realized that with Eli recovering hours away from Lake Marion and Maple Creek, she was probably Reggie’s only real visitor. She really did need to set aside more time to see him. If everything that was going on with the newly married couple was hard for her, she couldn’t imagine what it would be like for him. Eli was his only family, and he had gone from planning to spend his last years living with his grandson, to not even knowing when he might see him again. It made her own troubles seem small by comparison.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  * * *

  Moira decided to join her daughter on her trip to Lake Marion on Saturday morning. She packed a couple of slices of apple pie, a couple extra stuffed peppers and some cornbread for good measure. She figured the older man could use a good, home-cooked meal every now and then. She had eaten at the assisted living home before, and the food was only slightly better than hospital food.

  She drove herself and her daughter into the Lake Marion, having plenty of time to admire the lake for which the town was named as she followed the curve of the town’s Main Street. The assisted living home was on the opposite side of town from where she was coming from, but even so, the drive wasn’t more than fifteen minutes. That was one of the things that made her little stone house so perfect; it was almost perfectly centered between Maple Creek and Lake Marion, the two towns that they visited most.

  Besides having the assisted living home, Lake Marion also played host to the office that David ran his private investigating business out of, and what used to be Candice’s candy shop. She noticed that her daughter purposely looked away when they passed the shell of the building that used to be her business. Moira didn’t blame her. The ruined store was a dark reminder of everything that she had lost – and almost lost. If things had gone just a little bit differently, Eli could have passed away in the fire that had claimed the building. She didn’t blame her daughter for wanting to get away from that.

  Reggie beamed when he saw them walk in the door laden with food. He was sitting in the common area, watching the news on one of the room’s two televisions. The other was playing old sitcoms, the kind with a laugh track that always seemed to grate on Moira’s ears.

  “Candice, I didn’t know you were in town. It’s wonderful to see you.”

  She bent down to give the older man a hug. “It’s good to see you too, Reggie,” she said. “Eli said to give you his love. He will be able to visit pretty soon, I hope.”

  “I hope so. If he doesn’t visit soon, I might have to drag myself down there. Of course, that would mean bribing either you or Moira to drive me.”

  “I would be happy to, but I won’t have time for another couple of weeks.”

  The deli owner told him about the haunted house and updated him on what Denise was doing with Logan’s appeal. After they chatted for a bit, she excused herself to give her daughter and the older man some privacy while Candice broke the news to him that she and Eli would be gone for months yet to come. She wandered around the building, giving them enough time to talk, while wondering how many years it would be until she found herself here. Hopefully David would be by her side. She felt like if she had him with her, she could conquer anything. It was one of the reasons she felt so bad for Reggie; he was all alone.

  She returned, surprised to see the older man still smiling. Candice was sitting next to him, saying, “We’ll still visit a couple of times a month. And it isn’t forever. We still plan to settle down in Maple Creek, eventually. I really am sorry that you didn’t get to move in with us.”

  “Oh, don’t worry yourself about me,” he said, patting her arm. “Truth be told, I don’t mind being here so much. Some of the residents threw me a going-away party before the fire, and it made me realize just how many friends I have here. I won’t be all alone, so don’t be concerned about that. It makes my heart glad to see you and Eli working together to start over. There’s no reason you should spend your entire lives in one small town. Go experience the world some before settling down. We’ll all still be here when you get back.”

  “He’s right, Candice,” Moira said. “I’m proud of you and Eli. You’re both making the best of a bad situation, and you’re sticking together while doing it.”

  “Thanks,” her daughter said, sniffling. “We really will visit. I’m going to miss you both. And David, of course, and even the dogs.”

  “We’ll miss you too, but know that you and Eli being happy will also make us happy. David, Reggie and I will stick together. I’ll bring over some food on the weeks you don’t visit, and we’ll all go out to dinner sometimes. We’ll all look out for each other.”

  “See?” Reggie said. “Don’t worry about us. As long as I don’t have to eat the bland food they serve here every day, I’ll be happy. My grandson has spent a long time taking care of me. It’s time the two of you take care of each other.”

  They returned to the house a little bit after eleven and she got ready to leave for work right away. Sundays were the deli’s shortest day, with the shop only being open for six hours. Today, she would be working the shift by herself. During the summer, when the town played host to groups of tourists, they sometimes had two employees work the six hours, but it was late enough in autumn that business would be slow.

  She hesitated on her way out the door, considering asking Candice if she would like to come in with her for old times’ sake, but seeing her daughter lounging on the couch with her cat on her lap and Maverick curled up beside them, she decided to let the young woman be. Her daughter was starting a new job tomorrow; she deserved to rest and relax today as much as she wanted.

  She said a quick goodbye to David, who would be going into the brewery later that afternoon, and got into her metallic green SUV. The car had been new the year before, and besides a few str
ay dog hairs, still felt almost the same as it had when she had first driven out of the lot.

  It was chilly enough that she left the windows up and turned on the heat. Though the fall colors were still brilliant, she realized that many of the trees had already begun to lose their leaves. In just a few short weeks, the trees would resemble skeletal hands reaching up towards the sky. One thing she loved about her state was how much it changed with the seasons. Of course, the temperature extremes in both winter and summer she could do without, but the beautiful scenery made up for it. She just wished that she had made more time over the summer to go to the Lake Michigan beach, which was only about twenty minutes away, and enjoy the waves and the sand dunes. She had kept telling herself that she had plenty of time, but before she knew it, the weather had started cooling off and it had been too late.

  There’s always next year, she told herself that she pulled out of the driveway. She had gone to the beach a couple of times this past year, but it had always been with the dogs; they were barred from the more populated beaches and the best sand dunes. Next year, she wanted to make an effort to spend the day there with David and – if they were available – Eli and Candice.