Raspberry Creme Murder: A Frosted Love Cozy Mystery - Book 14 (Frosted Love Cozy Mysteries) Read Free

to the living room. Sam glared after her,
neutralizing her expression when she saw Missy standing there, observing the
conversation.
    “It
was nice getting to know you tonight,” Sam said awkwardly, hurrying out of the
kitchen.
    “You
too,” Missy called after her, wondering at the intensity of her reaction.

Chapter 3
    “So
how are you enjoying life as a free woman?” Chas Beckett asked Missy over
dinner at their favorite crawfish café.
    “Oh
Chas, I’m loving it – I wish I had done it sooner!” she exclaimed. “I get to
see more of you, I can attend all of the Burgundies and Books meetings, and
yesterday I babysat for Cheryl and Ben and planted some petunias in my front
garden,” she grinned, scooping up a forkful of Cajun “dirty rice.”
    “Well,
the transition has certainly been positive for me,” he smiled, reaching for her
hand and caressing the back of it with his thumb.
    “Does
that mean that you aren’t tired of me yet?” Missy teased, blushing beneath the
intensity of his gaze. Something seemed to have been changing with Chas lately
– his glances lingered longer, his touches were more frequent, his kisses
deeper, all of which pleased her and scared her to death at the same time.
    “I
don’t know that I’ll ever get tired of you, but I’m willing to test the
question,” he waggled his eyebrows comically.
    “Lucky
me,” Missy replied, savoring a plump crawfish.
    Chas
was about to respond, when his phone buzzed insistently from its place next to
his plate. Glancing at the screen he told her that he had to take the call, and
stepped outside as a courtesy to the other diners. Missy buttered a moist and
dense piece of cornbread, enjoying the quintessentially southern treat while
she waited for him to return.
    “Bad
news?” she asked, when she saw the look on his face as he returned to the
table.
    “Work,”
he replied, sighing. He signaled the server and asked for a to-go cup for his
sweet tea and a box for his lunch. “Looks like it’s going to be a long night.”
    “Wouldn’t
you know it…just when I get freed up and am available, something comes up for
you at work,” Missy smile ruefully.
    “I’ll
make it up to you,” he said, putting his leftover container in a paper bag and
kissing her quickly. “Will you be okay with catching a cab?” he asked,
concerned.
    “Of
course, you go ahead. Don’t worry about me,” she smiled, pushing him toward the
door. “I’m going to take my sweet time finishing dinner, and then head home to
read my book,” she explained when he hesitated. “Now git!” she ordered
playfully. With a grateful grin, Chas headed for the door.
    **
    Toffee
and Bitsy greeted Missy with wagging tails and doggy grins when she returned
home from dinner with Chas, so she quickly dashed upstairs to change into
jogging clothes, and took them to the park for an impromptu game of fetch. As
usual, Bitsy tired long before the lanky golden retriever, and panted happily
at Missy’s feet, watching the antics of Toffee and their owner. They stayed for
about an hour, then headed for home when the sun began to sink toward the
horizon. Missy made sure that her furry friends each had a treat and that their
food and water bowls were full before making her way upstairs for a bath, a
book and bed.
    Slipping
into the tub for a relaxing soak, Missy thought about how fortunate she was to
be able to scale back her time at work in order to live life more fully, even
though she still checked in with Ben and Cheryl numerous times a day. The
Bayou Baker had completed its first season with great ratings, and the
producers had promised Missy that they would be renewing her contract. Now that
she wasn’t working at her shops full time, filming the show wouldn’t be nearly
as stressful, and she was actually looking forward to the upcoming season.
    As
Missy toweled off after her bath, relaxed and ready to read, she heard the text
tone on her phone go off and sighed. Wrapping a fluffy robe