by Amber Crewes
“Are you ready?” her mother asked. Rebecca wore a mint green dress and matching white-brimmed hat, along with two strands of pearls across her chest. “The fellows have walked down the aisle. It’s time, Meghan.”
She grinned. “I’m ready,” she replied. “Let’s go.”
They walked downstairs, her sisters holding their bouquets of white roses and whispering as they stood by the kitchen door. The Truman sisters each wore a dusty blue floor-length silk dress with off-the-shoulder sleeves. Ribbons that matched the color of Meghan’s dress were tied at their waists, and each had their hair piled atop their heads in elegant ballerina knots.
One by one, they walked outside, until Meghan and Henry were the only people left indoors.
“You look stunning, my dear,” Henry murmured as he looked at his daughter in her wedding dress. He was dressed in a blue suit with a blue and white checkered tie, and he wore his best brown leather cowboy boots for the occasion.
“Thank you, Daddy,” she smiled.
“Are you ready to become Mrs. Irvin?” he asked as he opened the kitchen door. Meghan could hear the music swelling; it was Canon in D, the bridal march, meaning it was her time to walk down the aisle to her future.
“I am ready,” she assured him, and she slipped her arm through his and walked outside.
The small crowd gasped as she appeared, and everyone stood. Meghan saw Jack standing before her at the altar, and her knees felt weak. He was dashing in his navy suit, and Meghan felt happy tears in the corners of her dark eyes.
She floated down the aisle, smiling as she saw her friends and family members gathered together. Jackie, a friend from Sandy Bay, winked as she caught her eye. Pamela and Trudy sat together, both beaming at her. Mrs. Sheridan and her husband, Frank, held hands, and Meghan blew a kiss as she passed them.
They reached the front of the aisle, and Meghan grinned as she saw Dash, Fiesta, and Siesta perched elegantly to the side of the bridal party. They were each wearing collars with decorative flowers attached; Dash wore white roses, and Fiesta and Siesta had Baby’s Breath on their collars. The dogs had arrived earlier that day, and she was delighted that they were attending the wedding.
Her father gave her hand to Jack and returned to his seat next to Rebecca. Meghan smiled at her mother, and then she saw David sitting next to her, dressed in a beige linen suit with a navy-blue tie. She was surprised. David had been released from jail, but she had not expected him to come to her wedding.
The music ceased, and she turned her attention back to Jack. His eyes were sparkling, and Meghan could see tears brimming as he looked at her. Pastor Winston greeted the guests, and the wedding ceremony began. The Pastor read several Bible passages, and Meghan’s sister, Molly, recited an original poem. Karen and Trudy performed a song, which was a surprise to Meghan, and Meghan and Jack’s parents were brought up to the front to light a tall blue candle together.
Finally, Meghan and Jack exchanged their rings and vows, and their marriage was declared official. “Detective Irvin, you may kiss your bride,” Pastor Winston announced with a smile on his face.
Meghan’s heart fluttered as Jack gathered her in his arms and gave her a long kiss. She giggled as he stepped backwards and dipped her, and her guests cheered in delight.
“Now presenting Mr. and Mrs. Jack and Meghan Irvin!” Pastor Winston shouted merrily.
--------------------
The reception was just as Meghan had imagined; at their al fresco party, her parents had had hundreds of string lights strung across the backyard, and each table was covered in tiny gold candles. The dinner was catered by Julio’s, and Meghan couldn’t have been happier as she flitted from table to table to visit with her guests.
As she finished her conversation with Mrs. Sheridan and Frank, Meghan felt a tap on the shoulder. She turned to find Karen beaming at her. Karen wore a buttery yellow sleeveless A-line dress that accentuated her impressive muscle tone, and Meghan thought her friend had never looked more beautiful.
“Congratulations, sweetie,” Karen murmured as they embraced. “What a beautiful ceremony. The poem was simply darling, and you and Jack could not have looked more in love. What a joy it has been to share in this special time. I am so happy for you, dear.”
“You made it wonderful,” Meghan praised her dear friend. “I didn’t know you were going to sing. You have such a lovely voice, Karen.”
“We wanted to surprise you,” Karen chirped. “You’ve had a crazy time down here, and we wanted to spoil you.”
Meghan smiled. She had had a crazy time before her wedding; she could not believe that only three days before, she had been sitting in the police station after being threatened by the man on the street.
“I just can’t believe how it all played out,” she admitted to Karen. “Or how Thelma’s killer was caught. What were the odds we would run into him on the street outside of Cameron’s building?”
The police had arrived and taken the hooded man into the station where he confessed to more than threatening Meghan. The man, Walter Carson, had been hired by Cameron Barrington to kill Thelma. Cameron had believed David and his wife were having an affair, and he hired Walter to kill her. He planned to use the life insurance money to revamp his newspaper and media company, and he didn’t think anyone would ever find out.
David’s involvement had been a fluke; he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and he had not been in a romantic relationship with Thelma. On the night she died, he had met up with Thelma to refuse a business proposal she had made, and their conversation had grown heated. It hadn’t been a lover’s quarrel, but a fight about a shady deal.
“I can’t believe Cameron is still insisting that your parents had something to do with Thelma’s death,” Karen whispered as Meghan waved to Jackie, who was chatting with Stanley Bull by the pool. “What a jerk.”
Meghan rolled her eyes. “He’s a scum-bag, that’s for sure; he hired Walter to stalk and kill Thelma, and Walter confessed to it all in exchange for a lighter sentence. Cameron’s sitting in jail right now, and Doug told Jack that they’ll be pressing charges in the next week or so.”
“Good,” Karen said. “I’m glad to hear it. Enough talk of murder and charges at your wedding, now. Go enjoy your party.”
Meghan smiled. “I will.”
She wandered to her parents’ table and sat down in the empty chair beside her mother. “How are you doing, Mama?”
Rebecca gave her a soft smile. “I’m okay,” she murmured. “A lot has happened, and I’m a bit shaken, but I am glad to see you happy.”
Meghan hugged her. “Thank you for letting us tone down the wedding,” she whispered. “This is exactly what we wanted.”
Rebecca nodded. “A small wedding felt more appropriate than a large party, especially with all the attention we’ve gotten lately.”
Meghan took her mother’s hands in hers. “Mama, I love you,” she told her. “No matter what. The past is behind us, and I want us to move forward as a family.”
Rebecca’s eyes filled with tears. “That’s what I want,” she told her daughter. “I made a mistake when I was younger, dear. I shouldn’t have gotten pregnant, and I should have told your father. I was always hard on you because I didn’t want you to make mistakes and end up with deep regrets like me.”
“I know, Mama,” Meghan assured her, but Rebecca continued.
“When I found David, I wanted to make up for lost time. I’ve been helping him with his business, and I am so proud of him. What a surprise that two of my children ended up owning and operating successful bakeries. What a treat. I am so proud of him, and you, and I want you two to get to know each other. I want all of us to be a family.”
Meghan glanced over at her father. He was talking with Jack’s parents. Henry was still angry with Rebecca, but Meghan knew her parents would get through it. “We will be a family, Mama,” she whispered to Rebecca. “Just give Daddy some time.”
She nodded. “Divorce isn’t an option
for us,” she told her daughter. “Just like it won’t be for you. You’re a married woman, Meghan. This is such a wonderful day.”
“Do you approve?” she asked her mother.
“I do,” Rebecca assured her. “Jack is a good man, and I know he will be honest and good to you. I have no doubts.”
Meghan grinned, and she heard Jack calling for her. “Mrs. Irvin? It’s time to cut the cake.”
She walked over to him and gasped as she looked at the cake. It was a seven-tiered white cake with black cream roses dotting the sides. “It’s beautiful,” she cried as she stared at the dessert.
“Your brother made it,” Jack told her with a smile on his face. “It was delivered from his bakery this morning.”
Meghan searched the reception until she found David. She met his gaze with a warm smile, and she blew him a kiss.
They cut the cake and each fed each other a piece. “This cake is amazing. It’s truly sweet,” she remarked as she licked a piece of icing from her lips.
“Yes, it is,” her husband agreed with a grin. “But do you know the sweetest thing of all, Mrs. Irvin?”
“What is it, Mr. Irvin?” she asked playfully.
He took her into his arms and kissed her on the mouth, her heart racing as she fell into his embrace. He pulled back and leaned in closer to her, whispering into her ear. “The sweetest thing is having you as my wife, Mrs. Irvin.”
She blushed. “Being your wife is truly the sweetest thing to ever happen to me,” she told him before taking his face in her hands and kissing his lips. “And now, we live happily ever after!”
The End
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About Jingle Bells and Deadly Smells
Released: November, 2019
Series: Book 10 – Sandy Bay Cozy Mystery Series
Standalone: Yes
Cliff-hanger: No
Christmas is that season…that season of pleasant surprises…delicious smells…and family and friends to share the holidays with.
This Christmas, Sandy Bay’s lovable bakery owner, Meghan Truman, gets a whole lot more than she bargained for…plus a dead body at the door of her favorite restaurant. Some people would rather sweep this murder under the carpet but something smells awfully fishy about the events surrounding it.
Will Meghan join Detective Irvin to find the murderer or will this event serve to etch unpleasant memories of this most wonderful time of the year?
JINGLE BELLS AND DEADLY SMELLS CHAPTER 1 SNEAK PEEK
I t was going to be a white Christmas in Sandy Bay, and Meghan Truman could hardly contain her excitement as the glittering white snowflakes tumbled from the sky. Meghan shivered as she adjusted the pink tartan scarf around her neck, thankful for its comfort as she stepped outside into the chilly evening. Meghan set off down the street toward Spark, a new boutique in town. She was ten minutes late for her shopping date with Jackie, her close friend, and Meghan trudged through the snow in her knee-length brown boots.
“Can you spare a dime, Miss?”
Meghan bit her bottom lip as a homeless man on the corner beckoned her toward him. She nervously ran a hand through her long, dark hair, shaking her head as she passed.
“I’m sorry,” Meghan muttered as she looked down at her boots. “I don’t have any cash.”
Her heart sank as she walked away from the homeless man, and her cheeks burned with shame. She truly did not have any cash on her, but Meghan’s chest tightened with guilt as she considered the man’s plight. “Perhaps I could have given him my gloves,” she thought to herself. “Or I could have dashed home and fetched some treats for him from the bakery.”
She was the sole owner of Truly Sweet, a wildly successful bakery in Sandy Bay. She had opened the bakery after moving to Sandy Bay from Los Angeles less than a year ago, and now, after months of persistence and perseverance, Truly Sweet was one of the most popular bakeries in the Pacific Northwest. Meghan’s orders had more than quadrupled in the last three months, and she was thankful for the help of Trudy, her assistant, and Pamela, the high-school girl she had hired to help with the heavy workload.
“I have so much stale bread and old pastries sitting in my pantry,” she murmured, still distraught by her interaction with the homeless man. “It is so cold tonight, and he needs to eat. I will just have to be a few more minutes late to my shopping date.”
Meghan turned around, treading back through the heavy snow. She unlocked the front door of the bakery, smiling as the familiar sound of the little silver bells attached to the door jingled merrily. She heard her little twin dogs barking upstairs in her apartment, but she ignored them, sprinting into the kitchen of the bakery and removing a bag of old pastries and breads from the closet.
“Perfect,” Meghan said, satisfied as she filled a cloth sack with the food. “I can drop these off with that man, and hopefully, he will go to bed with a full belly tonight.”
She raced out of the bakery and back onto the slippery streets. She nearly fell as her feet slipped beneath her, but she regained her composure and marched off toward the corner where she had encountered the homeless man.
“Oh no,” Meghan sighed as she arrived to find the man had vanished. “He’s gone. I was too late.”
She hung her head, wishing she had had something to give the man when she first met him. “Maybe I’ll see him again someday,” Meghan considered as she rested the bag of food down on the side of street. “Maybe he’ll come back. I’ll leave this food here for now. I hope he finds it.”
Jackie chastised Meghan as she entered the shop. “Where have you been? You are too late, girlfriend. This is the second time this week you’ve been late to a hang out.”
Meghan’s cheeks burned, and she sheepishly apologized to Jackie, explaining why she was late.
“Oh, Meghan,” Jackie said kindly as she saw the tears in her dark eyes. “You were full of the holiday spirit. I’m proud of you. What a good person you are.”
Meghan shrugged. “I just think everyone deserves a full belly and a warm bed.”
Jackie smiled. “Your heart is truly sweet, Meghan. Hey, speaking of Truly Sweet, are you doing the desserts for Jack’s holiday party?”
Meghan grinned at the mention of Jack Irvin, her handsome detective boyfriend. “No,” she explained to Jackie. “Chief Nunan reached out and asked me to do the desserts, but I decided to pass the chance up; I want to go to the party as a guest, and I think dealing with the desserts would be a lot of stress.”
Jackie nodded. “That makes sense,” she told Meghan. “Well, the Sandy Bay Police Department Christmas Party is always a huge event in town. Everyone dresses up, and there is mistletoe, and it’s just magical.”
Meghan smiled. “I need to find the perfect dress; do you think I would look nice in red velvet?”
Jackie squinted her eyes at Meghan, looking up and down at her curvy frame. “Yes,” she finally replied. “I think with your dark hair and olive skin, you would glow in red velvet. Come on! Let’s see what this shop has to offer.”
“Ladies!”
Meghan and Jackie turned to find Kirsty Fisher beaming at them, her blonde bob sitting elegantly just above her shoulders, and a strand of tiny pearls wrapped around her thin neck. Kirsty was a dedicated philanthropist and organizer in the community; if there was an event or party, it was likely that Kirsty had planned and put on the event, and she was always looking for favors as she dreamed up new functions for the town.
“So good to see you girls,” Kirsty cooed as she gave Meghan and Jackie air-kisses on both cheeks. “In fact, I was just thinking of you, Meghan. What are you doing next weekend?”
Meghan grimac
ed. “Why do you ask, Kirsty?”
Kirsty adjusted her red and green sweater set and smiled warmly. “I’m organizing a celebration of Christmas carols, and I would love if you could help me.”
Meghan paused. She had intentionally slowed her schedule over the last week, and she was looking forward to some much-needed rest and recuperation after such a busy, eventful year in Sandy Bay.
“Kirsty,” Meghan began. “I’m not really taking on new orders right now; I’m not even doing the desserts for Jack’s holiday party. It’s been a hectic year, and I am trying to give myself, along with Trudy and Pamela, some time to catch our breath.”
Kirsty shook her head. “I don’t want your treats,” she informed her. “I need your voice. I am trying to recruit anyone and everyone to participate, and for a small donation, you can join in the fun.”
Meghan raised an eyebrow. “I have a terrible voice,” she told Kirsty. “It’s horrendous; I was actually cut from my middle-school choir because I am tone-deaf.”
Kirsty waved her hands dismissively. “You can just lip-sync, then. Jackie, I’m sure you can sing on pitch. Would you join us?”