Sweets Galore: The Sixth Samantha Sweet Mystery (The Samantha Sweet Mysteries) Read online

  Two of the houses on the list still needed to be winterized and they decided to start with the one farther away, a small house on a few acres of land south of town. Sam reviewed the procedures and let Kelly do the work, pointing out certain notes on her checklist.

  “You doing better after that little fiasco last night?” Sam asked as they walked through the empty house, checking windows and doors.

  “Yeah. Sorry I vented on you.”

  “Has he tried to contact you again?”

  “He called once, right after I left the restaurant. Said he was sorry if he embarrassed me with the cake incident. He sounded sincere about that.”

  Sorry for embarrassing Kelly, not sorry for his own actions. That reminded her of the old Jake.

  “Did he suggest getting together again?”

  “Vaguely. But I don’t know. It wasn’t just the fact that he lost patience with the guy who tried to audition. He probably gets that kind of thing a lot. And the guy really had no chance of getting onto the show . . .”

  “But?”

  “Well, it was just the way he did it. Two minutes earlier he’d been all smiles and politeness. I don’t trust people whose moods change that fast. You know? It’s like he’s super polite when there’s something in it for him, but to somebody unimportant he just blows them off.”

  Jake had always been a charmer. Sam knew it so well, the way he’d lured her into his bed, even though there’d been no talk of making plans or permanency about the relationship. Of course she had herself to blame for that too.

  “If he wants to try again for a meal, I might go,” Kelly said. “I don’t know . . . there’s the whole young-Evie thing too. I just . . . I haven’t seen much to admire about him, Mom. I should probably give him more of a chance, but I really don’t get the feeling I’m going to like him much.”

  “Well, you’ll figure it out.” Down inside, her heart was doing little leaps of joy. The last thing she needed was Jake Calendar hanging around now that he knew where to find them.

  Kelly pointed to a window latch that didn’t seem secure and asked whether she should get it repaired. Sam gave it a tug and was able to turn the latch to a better position. They finished checking the place and left.

  By the time they reached the second property, a condo near the movie theater, Kelly had the steps down pat for getting into the lockboxes and remembering to sign in on the sheet that documented the work they were doing. Thirty minutes per house, per week should be adequate considering there weren’t lawns to mow or shrubs to trim this time of year. They headed back to the middle of town.

  “Okay, now that everything is ready for cold weather,” Sam said, “you should be able to handle it from here. Drop me back at the bakery and go on to the Bowen Road place that we worked on together the other day. Check it over. Pay special attention for any sign of mice. They love to come indoors once the seasons change. Go ahead and scatter some poison around. There’s a can of Ratzout in that plastic supply bin in the back. Call me if you run into any snags but I want you to get a feel for being there and making all the decisions on your own.”

  “Mom, I’m not three.”

  Sam glanced at her daughter. “Sorry. I— I sounded just like my mother, didn’t I?”

  “Pretty much.” Kelly’s eyes twinkled. “Actually, a lot.”

  “Oh, god. So sorry!”

  Kelly pulled up in front of Sweet’s Sweets. “It’s okay. Someday I’ll probably do that to my own kid.”

  “Plan to come to dinner out at Beau’s tonight. The rest of the aunts, uncles and cousins should be coming in today and we’re going to grill steaks and give everyone an informal place to visit all they want. And you know they all want to see you.” She got out of the truck and patted the door as Kelly drove away.

  Sam walked into her shop where Jen had two customers and the phone was ringing. Within moments Sam became caught up and the rest of the afternoon went by in a blur. At some point Beau called to say that he would pick up the steaks if she didn’t have time. Her mother called to let her know that Uncle Buster, Aunt Lily and her cousin Wilhelmina had arrived in town.

  Nina Rae, Bessie and Lily planned to make the rounds of the art galleries. Since that would bring them within two blocks of her shop, Sam wasn’t surprised when the ladies stopped in.

  “Isn’t it the most darling little place?” Nina Rae said.

  Sam gave her aunt Lily a hug. Her mother’s younger sister had always been Sam’s favorite. With her soft voice she often appeared to defer to Nina Rae, but Sam had learned that was the secret to getting your own way much of the time.

  “It’s as if the whole idea for the shop were hers, isn’t it?” Lily whispered in Sam’s ear. Aloud she said, “It’s beautiful, Sam. And everything looks amazing.”

  Lily’s shape—so much like Sam’s—attested to her love of pastries although Lily compensated well with her choices of expensive and flattering clothing. Sam wondered, more than once in her lifetime, how she’d managed to inherit more of her aunt’s genetic makeup than her own mother’s. Now if she could only remember to emulate Lily’s fashion sense.

  “Choose anything you want,” Sam said. “Our signature coffee is very good, and I can vouch for the goodies too.” She patted at her stomach.

  “You’ve lost some weight, haven’t you dear?” Bessie asked.

  Since last night? “I sure hope so.”

  “Oh, that reminds me,” Nina Rae said. “We all want to see your dress. I mean, before the official walk down the aisle.”

  No way was she walking into that minefield. Sam brightened her smile. “So! How about a couple of the butter cookies? Maybe a scone? Jen, make up a plate of treats and I’ll get everyone something to drink. Coffee or tea, everybody?”

  While they sampled several kinds of cookies Sam ducked into the kitchen and phoned Rupert. “Another zipper check,” she whispered.

  “Of course, sweetie. Ready now?”

  I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready. “Give me thirty minutes. Rupe, thanks. You’re the best.”

  Back in the sales room Sam put her smile in place and stood by while the women showed off their purchases from the plaza shops.

  “Too bad we couldn’t talk Wilhelmina into coming along,” Nina Rae said, dropping a lacy sweater back into her shopping bag.

  Sam pictured her athletic cousin who preferred that everyone call her Willie. Hitting the gift shops with a group of women would be Willie’s last desire in the world. In fact, they’d probably had a hard time convincing her to come to the wedding at all; Willie had never been interested in romance or marriage. Sam watched her mother, chatting with the other women at the bistro table.

  Could that be the reason Nina Rae never used the shortened versions of either Sam’s or Willie’s names? Some things still weren’t talked about very openly in her world. That could account for Nina Rae’s being so relieved to meet Beau and pushing so hard for their wedding. It was bad enough to have such a masculine niece.

  Sam shook off the feeling. Her mother came from a different generation, that was all. Deep down she knew that Nina Rae didn’t harbor any bad feelings toward Willie or anyone else. She glanced at the clock above the counter. The zipper.

  “Oh, gosh, I’m sorry to run out on you but I just remembered a delivery deadline. I need to get going,” she said.

  “Need any help?” Aunt Bessie asked.

  “No, no, you all stay here and finish your afternoon tea. I’ll see you tonight.” She dashed out the back door, into her van and back to her old house.

  Rupert was sitting in his Land Rover, reading through some typed pages.

  “No problem,” he assured her when she apologized for running late. “I’ll have to do some revision on this new one before I send it to my editor. No matter how good you think you’ve got it, there’s always some little thing to change.”

  He set the pages on the passenger seat and followed her inside.

  “I didn’t bring my body briefer with me, since I
just dashed over from the bakery,” she said, belatedly remembering the foundation garment. “But I need to know if this is even getting close. If not, I think we better call your friend the seamstress.”

  She stepped into the dress and called him into the bedroom. The zipper slid up. Not easily, but almost to the top.

  “I think another three pounds and I might actually breathe at the same time,” she said cautiously.

  The box. She’d handled it yesterday. Could it be?

  Chapter 7

  The heavenly scent of grilled meat wafted across the back deck and into the house, and Sam smiled at the sounds of their guests laughing and chatting outside in the mellow September evening. Kelly chopped tomatoes and added them to the big salad bowl on the kitchen counter.

  “I’m happy for you, Mom. Really glad you met Beau.”

  In comparison to Jake? Sam decided not to read too much into her daughter’s comment. It only mattered that she knew she’d made the right choice. Jake the charmer with his changeable moods, or Beau the solid, honest man who loved her above all else. There was no comparison.

  “Thanks, Kel. I can’t believe how lucky I’ve been this past year.” A picture of the wooden box popped into her head. Had it played a big role in bringing her that luck?

  Kelly nodded as she added a chopped avocado to the salad. “True. A lot of great things have happened for you. Including having me move back home.”

  Sam rolled her eyes. “Including that. But don’t get too cocky.”

  Chants of “steak-steak-steak” rose from the back deck.

  “We’d better be getting the rest of this food to the table, or there’s likely to be an uprising,” Kelly said.

  “This is a Texas crowd. As long as the steak makes it to the plates we’ll be okay.”

  She picked up tongs and pulled ears of sweet corn from the big kettle on the stove, stacking them on a large platter. Thick toast with garlic butter filled a couple of baskets, and a casserole with barbeque beans had just come out of the oven.

  Bessie stepped into the kitchen. “I hope Chub can pry our bull-headed daughter away from your horses long enough to eat with us,” she said with a laugh. “I’d really hoped she’d outgrow that stage by her teens, like most girls do. But no, she works with ’em all week and rides ’em for fun on the weekends.”

  “She’s welcome to ride here, all she wants,” Sam said. “Beau says these two don’t get nearly enough exercise.”

  “Let’s not tell Willie that until after supper.” Bessie took the platter of corn Sam had set on the kitchen’s center island.

  Sam glanced out the wide windows that faced the pasture as she set the baked beans on the table. In the distance Willie stroked Old Boy on his velvety nose then turned toward the house. Sam had the feeling Beau had already given her cousin the go-ahead for all the horse-time she wanted.

  Beau caught Sam’s eye through the window and she pointed toward the laden table. He handed platters of steaks to Chub and Buster then reached for the rope on the large bell that hung near the back door.

  The long dining table had been maxed out with extra leaves and it didn’t take but a rabbit’s hair, as her father would say, for everyone to get to their seats.

  “Here’s to Sammy and Beau,” Howard said, raising his glass of bourbon. “Thanks for having us all out to your home.”

  Sam felt a warm glow. It meant a lot to her that her father liked Beau so well and approved of the home she would now call her own. But then, hadn’t she known that he would? The fertile ranchland and barn, the horses and dogs, the big log house—if Howard Sweet could have ordered up an ideal spot for his eldest daughter, Sam knew this would be it. She pressed her lips together so they wouldn’t tremble.

  “To my lovely bride and her family,” Beau said, with a warm hand on her shoulder. “I’m right proud to be here, as ya’ll would say.”

  Somehow they all knew that he meant it with respect.

  “Now let’s eat this fabulous steak,” said Uncle Buster.

  Bowls and platters were passed and conversation waned.

  “Day after tomorrow, Mrs. Cardwell,” Beau said quietly as he leaned toward her with the salad bowl.

  She passed the bowl along and linked her little finger with his, under the table, for a quick moment.

  “I love you, Beau. Thank you for being you.”

  “You two are gonna have years and years to moon over each other like that,” Uncle Buster said in his usual good-natured challenging manner. “Now, don’t let this dinner get cold.”

  Everyone laughed. Sam gave Beau’s hand another squeeze.

  As the plates began to empty and offers of seconds and thirds went unheeded, Sam nudged Kelly and the two cleared the way for dessert.

  “I thought about making a special cake for tonight,” she said as she carried in a stack of small plates. “But then I remembered that Daddy would probably disown me if there weren’t pie with at least one meal. So, Sweet’s Sweets is proud to present our own recipe for real, authentic Texas pecan pie.”

  She gave a small curtsy and Kelly walked in with two pies.

  “Well, it’s a good thing you said that,” Uncle Buster said with a fake scowl. “Hanging’s too good for a woman who don’t serve pecan pie at a special occasion like this.”

  Sam let the remark slide. Buster’s humor often missed the mark, part of the reason she and Rayleen had often called him Uncle Bluster when they were kids.

  While Kelly cut and served the pie, Beau leaned toward Sam again. “We gonna tell them tonight?”

  “Oh. Yes, definitely.” She tapped on her wine glass with her fork. “We have a little change of plans to announce.”

  Nina Rae’s face froze.

  “No, Mother, you will be relieved to know that we are not cancelling or changing the wedding date. Sorry, I should have rephrased my introduction.”

  Her mother’s expression lightened.

  “We have changed our travel plans for the honeymoon. We’re going to Ireland.”

  Voices erupted from every side of the big table.

  “The trip is courtesy of Uncle Terrance.”

  At least half the faces wore puzzled expressions.

  “Mother, you confirmed for me the other day that there was a great-uncle of mine in Galway, Ireland, and although I don’t remember him myself, apparently he remembered me. And I’m surprised to say, he remembered me in his will. The trip is from him.”

  A dozen more questions came at her, but Sam had to admit that she didn’t know much more than she’d already told them.

  “I can’t say anything more, other than ‘let’s eat pie’.” She gave a shrug and took up a forkful of pecans in their sticky filling.

  Beau offered after-dinner drinks and Buster and Willie went out to the back deck for a cigarette with theirs, while Lily insisted on helping Sam and Kelly in the kitchen.

  “I’d keep news of this inheritance down if I were you,” Lily said as she rinsed another plate and handed it to Sam to put in the dishwasher. “Your little sis is going to have a cow over the fact that she didn’t get something too.”

  “I don’t know that she didn’t get anything,” Sam said, fudging the truth just a little.

  Hardgate had said the inheritance went to one niece in each branch of the family, which actually would cut out Rayleen. But until Sam knew more, including whether the bequest was even worth arguing over, she didn’t intend to allow it to become a battle. She would split the proceeds with her sister if it amounted to anything.

  Nina Rae’s mouth seemed a little pinched when Sam emerged from the kitchen, massaging lotion into her hands.

  “Coffee, Mother? I’ve got decaf.”

  “No thank you. Your father and I need to be going. I wouldn’t want Zoë to think it rude of us to come in late at night.”

  Were the battle lines already being drawn?

  “Zoë’s used to all sorts of guests. I’m sure she doesn’t keep tabs on when everyone comes and goes.”

/>   “Be that as it may, we’ll be leaving shortly. I just need to say goodbye to Bessie and Chub.”

  “Mother—”

  But Nina Rae already had her purse strap over her arm and was halfway to the door. She gave Bessie a quick peck on the cheek, snagged Howard’s elbow and they were gone. Sam sighed. But she wasn’t going to stress over it. The week had enough built-in stressors without spending time worrying over her mother’s never-ending tendency to read drama into every little thing. She’d long ago given up trying to please everyone.

  However, despite telling herself to stop analyzing, to simply focus on getting through the next few days with her sanity intact, she found herself thinking of ways to temper the situation. No doubt there would be talk in the family about Sam being the sole heir to whatever it turned out to be. She probably shouldn’t have told them about it.

  She dozed fitfully until her alarm went off. Rolling toward Beau’s side of the bed she discovered that he was already up. She still wasn’t used to the fact that he sometimes got emergency calls during the night and awakening to an empty house was going to happen now and then. However, a strip of light at the base of the bathroom door confirmed that he hadn’t left yet. The light clicked off and she heard the door quietly open.

  “I’m awake,” she said. “Let me turn on a lamp for you.”

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

  She pulled herself out of bed, explaining why he was the least disturbing person in her life at the moment.

  He wore his rancher clothes—jeans, plaid shirt, roper boots. “Thought I’d tend the horses early and try to finish my day at the office in time to help out with whatever you need me to do today.”

  “Have you seen my checklist? I feel like there are a million things and a dozen people I have to satisfy before I can relax.”

  “Don’t let your mother get you down,” he said, wrapping his arms around her. “They’re only here a few days and then we’re off on our trip. And I’m going to make sure that your family members are the least of your worries during our honeymoon.”