Soft Serve Secrets: A Cozy Mystery (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book 3) Read Free

remained in the company of Miss Greta, her best friend since childhood. So, I wasn’t sure how Gracie was coming up with the idea that Miss Trixie was a black widow.
     
    “She can’t keep you from Ben’s room, can she?” I asked.
     
    Trixie looked down the hall from the waiting area. “No, but she’s putting up such a fuss when I’m in the room and it’s upsetting Ben which he doesn’t need right now. So I’m laying low until she leaves.”
     
    Stormi was having none of it. “That’s not right. You’re the wife. You should be at your husband’s side.”
     
    “I know dear, and hopefully she’ll leave soon so I can be.”
     
    I looked at my watch. “Trixie, we need to get back to the shoppe, but I’d like to come back and check on you and Ben tonight.”
     
    Trixie shook her head. “That’s sweet of you dear, but not necessary. I’m sure things will work out.”
     
    I wasn’t so sure about that. Unfortunately, I was right.
     
     
     
     
    *****
     
     
     
     
    After we returned to the shoppe, we filled Paige in on what happened between customers. Paige, like Stormi and I, was astounded to hear how Mr. Florez’ daughter treated Trixie.
     
    “That’s absurd,” Paige exclaimed. “Trixie wouldn’t hurt a fly. However…”
     
    Stormi straightened. “Oh no you don’t. Don’t even try to put doubt in my mind over Trixie!”
     
    Paige shrugged. “Listen, I don’t believe Trixie would harm Ben either, but I can see it from Gracie’s point of view.
     
    I was intrigued. I could always count on Paige to provide a no nonsense approach to any situation. “How so?”
     
    Paige sat down at one of the shoppe’s tables. I adorned each table with a small pot holding a pink Christmas cactus. Paige rubbed her finger over the blooms. “Well, if my father remarried out of the blue without me knowing the woman, and said woman has a murderess for a daughter, I’d be twitchy too.”
     
    Paige looked at the two of us behind the ice cream counter. “You’ve got to remember, we have known Trixie for years, but Gracie hasn’t. I can see her being protective of her father. Now I agree, she’s taking things a little too far by wanting Trix barred from the hospital room, but I can see where she’s coming from.”
     
    Stormi wiped the glass on the ice cream case with a damp cloth. “Yes, but why just go on assumptions? Wouldn’t it be better if she’d at least try to find out more about Trixie than strapping her to the witch’s stake immediately? I mean, think about it. If she was so worried about her father, why didn’t she come and see him and Trix the past few months and get to know her better?”
     
    Paige stood up from the table. “You got me there. I agree, she should have come and seen for herself how it was going between them if she was so concerned.”
     
    I agreed with both Paige and Stormi. “I’m sure Gracie is simply frightened for her father’s health. It was probably a jolt to hear he was rushed to the hospital. Maybe it’s easier for her to think Trixie caused something to happen than to consider Ben has a major health problem. The problem here is, we don’t know Gracie, but we do know Trixie.”
     
    “Maybe you think you do.” We all turned to see Stormi’s brother Brandon walk into the shoppe from the back door. He stopped by at least twice a week and more if he had a construction or handyman job in town. He was looking particularly sexy today with his black hair parted on the side and swept back off his forehead. His white t-shirt provided a nice contrast to his tanned face and blue eyes. Honestly, I couldn’t believe I thought this of Stormi’s younger brother. I’d known him since childhood and never thought of him in this fashion before. I needed to get that thought out of my head and back into the predicament that was Trixie and her stepdaughter.
     
    Stormi clutched her chest again. “Why do you like to scare the kajigers outta me! I’ve already had my