Decaffeinated Scandal: A Cozy Mystery (A Killer Coffee Mystery Series) Read online

  It took a few days, but Patrick did get me to listen to his side of the story and how wrong I was about Aunt Maxi’s house. I knew that he loved me so much, even though I was off doing my own thing. He had saved my beloved Aunt Maxi.

  “You okay?” Kelly asked when I finally opened the door. She’d just dropped off a cup of coffee and some left over ham and bean soup to a couple on the couch. “You weren’t gone long.”

  “I’m fine.” I looked around. “You’ve had some customers.”

  “Yeah. I can’t believe how many tourists are here this year for the Neewnollah Festival. It’s been hopping.” She did a drive-by wipe down of a table and grabbed an empty cup a customer had left.

  That was one thing I loved about Kelly. She saw what needed to be done and got it done quickly.

  “I’m here to grab Pepper and meet Patrick back at my house.” I looked over at Norman’s kennel. Pepper was lying next to it. “How long has Norman been in his cage?” I asked.

  “He went in there shortly after you left," she said and headed over to the cash register with money in hand.

  “Norman,” I said and bent down to the cage. “Are you okay?” I questioned him. He lifted his head and grunted. “Are you okay with taking him for a walk before you close?” I asked, making sure he would be okay for the night.

  “Of course.” She hit the buttons on the register and got out some change. “I’ll get him all tucked in.” She walked the change over to the customers on the couch.

  I reached into the cage and gave Norman one last pat on the head before grabbing Pepper’s little sweater and leash off of the hook.

  Pepper jumped around in excitement. He was so smart. He knew when I got his sweater and leash it was time to go home, but when I got only his leash, he knew we were going for a quick walk.

  I grabbed Pepper’s little blanket from underneath the counter.

  “Remember to come straight to the lake tomorrow for work since I’m closing the shop for the festival,” reminding Kelly that I’d have a booth down on the beach in front of the Cocoon Inn during the festivities.

  “I can’t wait. I’m dressing up too,” she said with excitement. “And I’m not going to tell you what I’m dressing up as either.”

  “Then I’m not telling you either.” I winked and said goodbye.

  Pepper darted out the door and stopped shy of the length of the leash because he knew it’d jerk him back. We walked over to the bike rack and I unchained my bike. Bicycles were the main mode of transportation in and around Honey Springs. Of course we had cars - I had one - but it was much easier to bike the seven minutes to my cabin in one direction or the seven minutes in the opposite direction to downtown Honey Springs. If I needed more produce than I could comfortably carry on my bike, I’d take the car out to the Hill Orchard. If I needed to run a lot of errands, I’d take the car, but for general everyday use, while the weather allowed, I rode my bike everywhere. Besides, Pepper looked so cute, all snuggled up in his blanket in the basket between the handlebars.

  The wood planks thumped underneath my tires as we drove down the boardwalk to the right. Off in the distance, I could see the small, white twinkling lights along the beach, connecting a few white tents. The tents were for vendors and games for the tourists. It seemed like this year the event was going to be bigger than ever. I knew that Camey was excited because she’d spent money on a small addition to accommodate more guests at the inn. The festivals were great publicity for Honey Springs, showing how we catered to our tourists in all seasons.

  The weatherperson had been right. The cool air whipped around me, creating goose bumps all over my body. I zipped the coat up to my neck as we coasted down the ramp of the boardwalk and onto the road leading straight to the cabin. Though it was still early in the evening, the moon had already taken its place in the dark sky and gave off some light through the trees as they covered the road like a bridge. Soon the leaves would be falling, leaving the trees naked for the winter months.

  My mind was all in a tizzy about Bev’s husband wanting to build a resort on the Bee Farm’s island. My stomach churned at the thought of it. Ron didn’t care about our town. Bev wasn’t even part of the family she was married into, never mind wanting to be part of the Honey Springs family.

  Pepper hunkered down a little more in the basket as the wind whipped around us at every turn.

  “I’m sorry.” I realized I was probably peddling too fast and creating even more cold air for my sweet baby. “I have so much on my mind with the possibility of this new resort coming in.”

  Pepper looked up at me with his big, black, puppy dog eyes from underneath his salt and pepper eyebrows. I swear he was the best listener.

  “I’m just not so sure Honey Springs needs a golf course and all that fancy stuff. We are perfectly content with our little town.” I took the last curve before my cabin and looked to my left over the lake.

  The moonshine made it appear as if there was a layer of glass over the still lake. I couldn’t help but think that the lake would be constantly moving if we had a large resort where boaters would be up at all hours of the night. There was a no-wake zone in front of the boardwalk, but not on my portion of the quiet, untouched lake.

  We pulled into my driveway and up to the small log cabin that I called home. I still wasn’t sure about moving me and Pepper into Patrick’s house. It was a large house on the opposite side of Honey Springs. Though I had loved that house since I’d stayed there with Aunt Maxi all those summers, this cabin had given me comfort and brought me back to love when I had needed it most in my life. It’d healed me when I was broken.

  I got off the bike and lifted Pepper out of his basket. He ran around and did his business while I walked the bike over to the front porch steps, leaning it on the kickstand. I walked up the stairs and opened the door, flipping on the porch light to welcome Patrick when he got there.

  On my way to the front door, I fluffed up the outdoor pillows on the two rocking chairs my grandfather had made and were perfect for the small porch. The deep brown, ladder-back style rockers were so comfortable.

  I left the door open behind me so Pepper could come in. The inside of the cabin was very cozy. To the left was a small family room with a wood burning stove and two couches arranged in an L shape with big fluffy pillows to fall into. The kitchen was to the right with open shelving and a small table for two. The bathroom and laundry room were located in the back of the cabin on the right. The natural light from the skylights showcased the set of stairs that led up to my bedroom. I flipped on all the lights as I made my way up the steps to change my clothes.

  Even though I smelled like I worked in a gingerbread factory, I still wanted the comfort of a pair of sweats and old sweatshirt. The white iron bed, which Aunt Maxi let me take from her storage unit, with the patchwork quilt as a comforter, screamed for me to lay down for just a minute.

  “Roxy?” I heard Patrick call my name.

  I jumped up and realized that the couple of minutes I’d laid down for had turned into ten.

  “Coming down. Just changing my clothes,” I called back, quickly grabbing some sweats from my dresser.

  He’d already stoked the fire and gotten the chill out from the day. There were two glasses of wine, our plated food, and two lit candles on the small table.

  “You seem distracted.” He handed me a glass of wine before he walked over to the front door, opening it for Sassy and Pepper to come in. “Want to talk about it?”

  “Do you know anything about a resort interested in coming to the Bee Farm?” I asked and took a sip of wine.

  “There’s been some rumblings about it.” His head bobbed side to side. “I’m conflicted. It’s a great opportunity for Cane Construction to bid on, but I’m not so sure it’s good for the Bee Farm.”

  “How could it be good for the Bee Farm?” I questioned. “If there’s no room for the bees to pollinate, the bee population will go down and I’m sure that’s not good at all. Honey Springs is based
on the bees. All of our shops. Our entire economy. Where will I get my honey?”

  “Roxy,” Patrick said with an amused look on his face as he looked over the table at me. The candles cast a warm glow on his face. “I had no idea you were passionate about the bees.”

  I picked up my fork and twirled some spaghetti around it a few times. I’d suddenly lost my appetite when he confirmed he’d heard about the resort.

  “Is this something you might be interested in bidding for?” I didn’t look at him for fear I’d see confirmation in his eyes that he had indeed thought about it.

  “The owner called and left a message with Debbie.” Patrick was referring to his sister, Debbie Cane.

  Debbie had recently started working for the family’s company. Something she was reluctant to do because she didn’t want people thinking she was given a handout after her husband, Tim, had died. She was a single, stay at home mom and really did try to get another job, but with an unreliable sitter, her son Timmy Jr. was always being shuffled around to different people. Including me. After a few weeks of this, Debbie had given in and taken the great job Patrick had waiting for her.

  It amazed me that Patrick didn’t seem to be fazed by the idea of a resort at the Bee Farm. He continued to eat until he looked up and noticed I wasn’t eating. “Roxy, I’m not saying I’m happy with the bees dying out or whatever is going on over on the island, but we can’t stop economic development. It’s part of life and if it’s going to help us grow our community...” He set his fork down and shrugged one shoulder. “I think he’s just digging around. Ask your Mom. She had that meeting with him tonight.”

  “That’s who she was meeting with?” I dropped my fork. “She’s on the bandwagon of having a resort come in here and kill even more bees?” I couldn’t believe it.

  “I don’t think he’s been too. . .”

  “Ron. He is Ron.” I wanted to make sure Patrick knew his name.

  “Okay.” Patrick picked his fork back up and leaned his forearms on the table. “Ron isn’t trying to be quiet about it. From what I heard, he’s bringing in the CFO, secretary, and other members of his company’s board to come to the festival and check out the town. Apparently, he likes the small town thing.”

  “He doesn’t like being with family.” I couldn’t understand why Honey Springs was so appealing to someone like Ron. At least from what Bev had said about him. “His wife Bev said that Ron was never with his daughter when she was growing up. In fact,” I tapped the edge of the fork on my plate, “she said that they’d just rekindled their relationship and he offered to take care of his grandson for the summer.”

  “See. He’s trying to be a good family man.” Patrick took a bit of his food.

  “No, he’s not. Bev said when he took the grandson for the summer, it meant that she was supposed to care for him while he went off looking for uninhabited land to build his grand resorts on. They only live in these areas for a couple of years before he moves on to the next business deal.” I got up and took my plate over to the counter where I dumped the contents into a plastic container for later.

  “She said all that?” Patrick finished up the last of his food and gulped down the rest of his wine.

  “That and more.” I wasn’t sure what all she’d said to Bunny, but I knew it was an earful and I’d check on that in the morning. For now, I put my plate in the dishwasher and then cleaned up Patrick’s.

  “It’s been a long day. Tomorrow is going to be longer.” Patrick walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around me. “Can we make a decision on the wedding date before we watch Netflix?”

  I twisted around in his arms to face him and drape my arms over his shoulders.

  “Do you really want a fancy wedding?” I did want him to tell me the truth. “This is your first and only wedding, so I want you to have what you want.”

  “I want you to be my wife. That’s all.” He kissed the tip of my nose. “If you want a big wedding, then I’ll do it. If you don’t, that’s fine too.”

  “Let me get through Neewollah Festival and I’ll give you a definite date.” My words pleased him because he smiled so big. “I’m going to become Mrs. Patrick Cane.”

  “That’s music to my ears.” He gave me a good squeeze. “Now, are you going to move them or make me the bad guy?”

  We looked over at Sassy and Pepper. They were sprawled out over the couch in front of the TV, basking in the warmth glow of the fireplace.

  “You can be the bad guy.” I nudged him their way and grabbed my wine glass. I took a couple of sips and couldn’t stop smiling. Patrick was perfect for me. He knew how to calm me when I was all uptight about Ron building some grand resort. Patrick didn’t seem too bothered by it and he’d lived here all his life.

  I tried to bottle up his reassurance, but the goose bumps crawling up my legs and along my body were not from being chilled.

  Five

  When I opened the door to the Bean Hive the next morning, I was fully prepared to have the smell of pumpkin spice fill my spirit with joy. Instead, Norman was standing there filling the bakery with his own joy.

  “Good morning, Norman,” I greeted the white pudgy pup with a pat on the head and a quick rub on the belly. “We’ve got a few hours to get this stink on out of here. But before we do anything,” I called over my shoulder, hanging my bag on the coat rack and grabbing an extra leash I had hanging there after I flipped all the coffee pots on the brew cycle, “we are going to go potty.”

  Norman grunted and snorted his way to the door, which was a good sign that he was potty trained. I glanced over at the pee pads I had Kelly lay out and they were dry. This was a good thing to tell any potential forever homes.

  I’d gotten up at four a.m., about a half hour earlier than normal. I’d had a nightmare that included a bulldozer digging up the Bee Farm and hordes of bees flying across the lake, buzzing into the Bean Hive. Pepper, Sassy, and Patrick were all snuggled up together when I woke up. I didn’t have the heart to wake up Pepper and bring him with me. Plus, Patrick would bring him by and any time I got to see Patrick was a big win.

  Norman wasn’t the fastest dog in the world and the frosty air didn’t seem to get him to go any faster. Though I wanted to get back to the coffeehouse and get the donuts, scones, and muffins in the oven to get Norman’s ungodly smell out of the shop, I couldn’t help but take time to gaze over at the Bee Farm.

  I zipped my jacket up as far as it would go and put my free hand in my pocket. The moon hung overhead, shedding some light on the mostly forested island. I couldn’t even picture looking across the lake at a big resort that was lit up all the time. When there were a lot of lights, it was hard to see the stars. That was one of the things I loved about a small town compared to a large city. The lights of a city dimmed the effects of a starry night and a big resort would have the same effect.

  “I’m sorry, Norman.” I’d been so wrapped up in my thoughts, I didn’t realize Norman had done his business and was tugging me back towards the boardwalk. “Are you ready to eat?” He got a little more giddy-up in his step. “Do you want to eat?” I asked again to see if he did understand. His little legs moved faster and faster towards the Bean Hive. “You do know what I’m saying. Good boy, Norman.”

  The Bean Hive was the only shop on the boardwalk that opened at six a.m. Even Emily Rich at the Bee’s Knees Bakery didn’t open until ten a.m. Today was going to be a different day than most. I was going to be open until noon. At noon, I would move everything to the tent I’d rented for the Neewollah Festival. Babette had rented me a few glass counters and Patrick had run me some electric from the Cocoon Inn so I could keep the coffee and tea bar going. I’d written a note for Kelly to get out of school early and have it count towards her final in her economics class. She had to write a paper about how the festival would help with the economy in Honey Springs.

  “Here you go.” I filled Norman’s bowl with some of the prescription kibble Louise had left and freshened up his water. “I’ll flip on t
he coffeepots because that’ll help with the unwanted smell.” I didn’t want to offend him.

  I lit the candles on the fireplace mantle; I put a starter log in the fireplace and tented up some of the kindling so it would catch fire. Between the fireplace and the candles, I prayed Norman’s stinky toots would go unnoticed.

  I left him in the coffeehouse to eat while I headed into the kitchen. I grabbed my apron from the hook when I pushed through the door, tying it around my waist and then turning on the ovens. I headed into the freezer to get this morning’s pastries.

  The Mini All Butter Bundt Cakes with drizzles of pumpkin spice frosting were a perfect treat for the cool morning, along with Cranberry-Orange Glazed Scones. I also grabbed bags of frozen cake donuts and blueberry muffins. They were always big sellers.

  The ovens had to be preheated before I could bake, so I set the frozen pastries on the island and turned back to the dry ingredient shelves. I needed the ingredients for the Halloween Pumpkin Oatmeal dog treats that I told Louise I’d give her for the adoption packets she was handing out at the festival.

  The pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter was keeping with the spirit of the festivities. Although our furry friends wouldn’t know it was a pumpkin, their people would. It was a small touch that I hoped everyone would notice, including Bev and Ron, in hopes they’d realize you just couldn’t plop a big resort down just in any small town.

  “Canned pumpkin,” I whispered to myself and dragged my finger down the cans on one of the dry ingredient shelves. “Oatmeal, whole wheat flour.” I piled the jars in my arms and grabbed the olive oil in one hand and the cinnamon in the other.

  The ovens dinged to tell me they were preheated. I emptied my arms on the island and grabbed a few baking sheets. I lined them with parchment paper and placed all the frozen goodies on them. Before I put a few of the baking sheets in the ovens, I turned on the timer.