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Cozy Mystery Ghost Story Collection: The Complete Shannon Porter Mystery Series

Page 25

by Haley Harper


  “And just what have you realized?” He drew her into his arms so that his lips touched her hair. Then he whispered softly into her ear.

  “I think I’m falling in love with you.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  The final week of her trip flew by. Somehow she had managed to spend a lot of time with Kevin and still get her work done. He was very understanding and seemed more than happy to do his own thing while she did hers. He also took Edgar for long walks and played countless games of fetch. They had become the best of friends and nothing could have made Shannon happier.

  They had talked at length about working out the logistics of their relationship, but in the end they had decided to let things take their own course. He had a job to get back to, and she had this book to get published before she could make any changes to her life. She also needed time to talk things over with her Mom.

  Their last night together before Kevin had to leave was somber. They were already dreading being apart. They built a fire down on the beach and sat for hours just talking and roasting marshmallows. Their relationship was so easy, so comfortable and so right. It filled Shannon with a kind of warmth that she had never known. When he walked her home for the last time, he refused to say goodbye.

  “Just good night,” he said. “Never goodbye. Goodbye is for when you leave someone. I’m not leaving you. I’m taking you with me,” and he put his hand over his heart. Shannon couldn’t help crying just a little.

  “I’m going to miss you. I’ll get up and see you off in the morning.” Kevin shook his head.

  “No you won’t. we’re heading out at 4. I think you’ll still be in dreamland. And besides, the guys will ride me all the way home if you do.” Shannon laughed.

  “Okay, macho man, I don’t want to embarrass you in front of your friends.” They kissed one last time and she watched as he walked back to his cottage. She couldn’t help but think about their first meeting and how she had thought he was a jerk. How quickly things can change.

  She tossed and turned all that night. All she could think about was Kevin leaving. For whatever reason, it made her think about the legend of the Blue Lady and how that poor woman had waited through the night for a beloved husband that would never return. Her one regret for this trip was not having seen the ghost for herself. Climbing into bed, she considered for a second setting her alarm and getting up to see Kevin off anyway, in spite of what he said. Then, deciding that she couldn’t just ignore his wishes she changed her mind.

  She was sound asleep when Edgar’s low throaty grumble woke her. She rubbed her eyes a couple of times to make sure she was really seeing what she thought she was seeing. There, across her room, looking out the window to the sea, was the floating form of the Blue Lady. She threw the covers back and crawled to the foot of the bed, trying not to move too fast. She reached out to touch the form but her hand met only air. And then she was gone.

  Shannon looked at her bedside clock. The blue numbers blinked 4:00 AM silently at her over and over. It was 4 am and Kevin would be heading out soon. She went to the window and drew the curtain aside slightly. She could see them loading the car and getting situated. As Kevin slammed the gate of the SUV closed he looked up towards her window. She knew he couldn’t see her, and he didn’t wave. She didn’t try to draw his attention. Just the fact that he had looked was enough.

  She still had two days left of her stay but they were going to be lonely with Kevin gone. She would head into town and visit with Maggie. She wanted to pop out and say goodbye to Sam too. She had been out to see him once since Adele had been arrested. He was doing okay although a little lost. He was eager to chat with her about his family history, and openly confessed that he himself saw the Blue Lady often but was afraid to tell anyone, for fear of being ridiculed. Shannon was ecstatic to be able to include some firsthand encounters in her book.

  Her last day she spent with Jemma. Although she had only known her for two weeks, she already felt like an old friend.

  She was thinking of the Blue Lady as she put the last item in her suitcase. Shannon was convinced that, without her help, they maybe would never have looked at Adele as a suspect and solved the murder. The earring on the mantel had been the key to it all. Wanting to find a way to say thank you and goodbye, Shannon reached into her purse, pulling out a small wooden carving of a dog that looked just like Edgar. Shannon carried it with her always, calling it her good luck charm. She placed the tiny item on the mantel exactly where she had found the earring. “Good luck, and find peace, Blue Lady,” she said softly.

  The End

  Authentic New England Recipes

  New England Clam Bake

  Ingredients:

  Purchase enough of the following to feed the size group that will be attending

  Lobster

  Cherry stone clams

  Spicy sausage

  New potatoes

  Corn on the Cob

  2 pounds butter

  Firewood

  Keep ingredients cold until ready to use

  Outside:

  Dig a pit about four feet around and three feet deep

  Place large smooth stones in the bottom of the pit to cover

  Build a fire on top of the rocks

  Let the fire burn for 3-4 hours until the rocks are sizzling hot, replenishing the wood as necessary

  When the rocks are hot, let the fire burn down and then brush away any remaining wood, ashes and coals

  Place a good three inched or so of seaweed on top of the rocks

  Wrap all of the food in foil and place on top of the seaweed

  Place another layer of seaweed over the food, wetting it if it is too dry

  Cover the n tire pit with water soaked heavy cloth. Use rocks to hold the cloth in place

  Let the food steam for at least an hour and a half

  Remove from pit and serve with lots of melted butter

  New England Crab Cakes

  12 ounces of fresh crab meat

  1 cup bread crumbs

  1 egg

  2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

  2 tablespoons mayonnaise

  2 green onions chopped

  1 ½ tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley

  1 tablespoon lemon juice salt and pepper to taste

  Butter and olive oil for frying

  Toss all ingredients together and mix gently

  Add salt and pepper to taste

  Form into small cakes

  Combine some butter and olive oil in a non stick skillet

  Cook over medium heat turning once until golden brown

  Remove carefully and pat back into cake if they break apart

  Hearty Fish Chowder

  2 pounds of white fish

  4 slices of bacon chopped

  1 small onion chopped

  3 potatoes chopped into cubes

  1 carrot chopped in small cubes

  1 cup frozen corn

  2 cups clam juice or fish stock

  2 cups milk

  Butter to garnish

  Salt and pepper to taste

  Directions:

  In large cast iron Dutch oven, fry bacon until crisp

  Add onion to bacon and cook until soft

  Add clam juice or stock, vegetables and simmer until the potatoes are almost done

  Add milk and fish and simmer on low for about ten minutes longer until fish is cooked. Do not allow the milk to boil

  Ladle into serving bowls and garnish with a dollop of butter and salt and pepper to taste

  Maggie’s Best Molasses Cookies

  Ingredients

  1 teaspoon ginger

  ½ teaspoon cloves

  ½ teaspoon allspice

  2 teaspoons cinnamon

  1 cup molasses

  ½ pound butter

  2 teaspoons baking soda

  1 cup white sugar

  ¼ cup hot water

  4 cups flour

  2 teaspoons salt

  Directions

 
In a heavy saucepan, bring the molasses slowly to a boil

  Take pan off the burner and stir in butter until melted

  Add the baking soda to the hot water to dissolve

  Stir the dissolved baking soda into the molasses

  Pour the sugar into a large deep mixing bowl

  Add the molasses to the sugar and mix well

  Add remaining ingredients and mix well

  Wrap the dough in waxed paper and refrigerate for at least an hour

  Roll out and cut with cookie cutters or form into a roll and slice

  Place on non stick pan, parchment paper lined sheet, or greased sheet

  Bake in a 325⁰ oven for about 15 minutes

  Cool on wire rack

  Campfire Cornbread

  Ingredients

  1 cup yellow cornmeal

  1 cup flour

  ¼ cup sugar

  1 tablespoon baking powder

  1 egg

  1 cup milk

  4 tablespoons melted butter or oil

  Directions

  Mix all ingredients together to form a smooth batter

  Heat cast iron skillet over hot coals

  Add oil to coat the bottom

  Pour batter into the skillet

  Cook until golden brown

  Slow Cooker Baked Beans

  Ingredients

  2 pounds navy beans

  1 onion diced

  ½ cup molasses

  1/3 cup ketchup or BBQ sauce

  2 tablespoons maple syrup

  2 cloves garlic chopped fine

  2 teaspoons mustard powder

  2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

  1 ½ cups water

  ½ pound bacon

  Directions

  Soak beans overnight and drain off liquid

  Fry bacon until crisp and then break into pieces

  Mix all ingredients together in slow cooker

  Cook on low for 10-12 hours

  Wild Blueberry Muffins

  Ingredients

  ½ cup butter or margarine

  2 cups flour

  1 ¼ cups sugar

  2 eggs

  ½ cup milk

  2 teaspoons baking powder

  ½ teaspoon salt

  2 ½ cups blueberries

  Directions

  Preheat oven to 375⁰

  Cream butter and sugar together

  Add eggs separately mixing in well

  Add blueberries and mix gently

  Bake in greased or paper lined tins for 25 – 30 minutes

  Wild Blueberry Coffee Cake

  Ingredients

  1 ½ cups flour

  ½ cup sugar

  1 tablespoon baking powder

  1 teaspoon cinnamon

  ½ teaspoon salt

  1 egg

  ½ cup milk

  ¼ cup melted butter

  1 ½ cups blueberries

  Topping

  ¾ cup brown sugar

  1 tablespoon flour

  ¼ cup melted butter

  ½ cup crushed walnuts

  Directions

  Mix egg milk and butter in one bowl

  Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in another bowl

  Stir wet ingredients into dry just until moist

  Fold in blueberries

  Pour into square baking dish

  Combine topping ingredients in small bowl

  Add butter

  Sprinkle over batter

  Bake at 400⁰ for 20-25 minutes until top is golden brown

  Traditional New England Johnnycake

  Ingredients

  1 cup cornmeal

  ¾ teaspoon salt

  1 cup water

  ½ cup milk

  Oil or bacon grease for frying

  Directions

  Bring water to a full boil and then remove from heat

  Add salt to cornmeal

  Pour water into cornmeal stirring constantly

  Stir in milk

  Pour circles of batter into greased heated pan and cook until golden brown

  Flip and repeat on second side

  Serve with butter, maple syrup or applesauce

  Jemma’s Maple Sticky Buns

  Ingredients

  2 cups warm water with 1 teaspoon yeast

  2 tablespoons maple syrup

  2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  2 teaspoons salt

  5 cups flour

  ½ cup skimmed milk powder

  Directions

  Dissolve yeast in warm water and maple syrup

  Let stand until foamy

  Stir in 2 cups of the flour and the salt

  Mix in milk powder add remaining flour, kneading as you go then knead for about 10 minutes

  Let the dough rise, covered, in a warm place until double in size

  Punch down and roll out to about ¼”

  Spread the dough with softened butter

  Spread ½ cup maple syrup over the dough

  Roll up dough jellyroll style

  Slice about 1” thick

  In a 9” round pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter, ¾ cup maple syrup, and 1 cup chopped pecans

  Arrange slices in pan on top of topping mixture

  Let rise again

  Bake at 375⁰ until golden brown

  Sweet Hasty Pudding

  Preheat Oven to 325⁰

  Ingredients:

  2 cups milk

  2 cups light cream

  3 Tablespoons yellow cornmeal

  ½ cup dark brown sugar

  ½ cup maple syrup

  1 Tablespoon butter

  1 teaspoon cinnamon

  1 teaspoon ginger

  Pinch of nutmeg

  ½ teaspoon salt

  1/8 teaspoon baking soda

  2 eggs lightly beaten

  Directions

  In a heavy saucepan combine milk and cream. H

  Sprinkle with cornmeal and bring gently to a boil, stirring constantly

  Stir in sugar, maple syrup and butter

  Add dry ingredients

  Allow to cool for a few minutes

  Stir in beaten eggs until blended

  Bake in a buttered casserole for about 2 hours

  Serve with whipped cream or ice cream

  New England Boiled Dinner

  Ingredients

  3 pound corned beef brisket

  Peppercorns and cloves to taste or spice packet included with meat

  1 bay leaf

  Turnips

  Potatoes

  Carrots

  Cabbage

  Directions

  Place meat in a large roasting pan and add spice packet or cloves and peppercorns

  Cover meat with water

  Keep at a low simmer for four hours until meat is tender

  Remove meat from water and set aside

  Add vegetables to the water and add a bit more water if needed

  If the water is too salty, replace some with fresh

  Simmer until the vegetables are tender

  Slice meat across the grain in thin strips and serve with vegetables

  Red Flannel Hash

  Ingredients

  4 tablespoons butter

  1 small onion diced

  2 cups leftover corned beef chopped

  1 ½ cups chopped cooked beets

  1 ½ cups chopped cooked potatoes

  1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

  Salt and pepper to taste

  Directions

  Cook onions in b utter until soft

  Add corned beef, potatoes and beets

  Spread evenly over pan

  Cook over medium heat until crispy on the bottom

  Flip and cook second side

  Sprinkle with Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper

  Castle Chaos

  A Shannon Porter Mystery

  With bonus recipes

  By

  Haley Harper

  Chapter One

  Shannon dro
pped the armload of clothes on the bed beside her suitcase. It felt as though she had just unpacked and here she was folding clothes right from the dryer into her suitcase. She had been home from Maine for exactly two weeks and now she was leaving again. She was excited to be visiting Ireland, and to be staying at a haunted castle, but there was a lot going on at home too, and she wished she could just stay put for a while.

  For a few minutes she let her mind drift back to her trip to Maine. It had been another interesting trip for sure, with a lot more happening than just her book research. But the best part about it had been meeting Kevin.

  They weren’t exactly sure how their long distance relationship was going to work out, but they were both committed to working hard at it. First she had to get through this trip, get the book published and then take a little down time to focus on her personal life.

  Speaking of her personal life, she suddenly remembered that she had agreed to meet Burt and her mom for dinner downtown. The afternoon had slipped away from her and now it was almost four. Better finish up this packing and get ready.

  The happy couple were seated in their regular booth at the loud, cheerful fifty’s diner where they went every Friday night for dinner. They sat across the booth from each other, hands clasped on the table top. Shannon couldn’t help but smile. As weird as it was to think of her mom dating, she had to agree that they looked happy, like a couple of teenagers in love.

  Shannon’s dad had passed away years ago and Myra had been on her own since. Even this relationship with Burt was more of an accident than a planned thing. But Shannon was happy for them, and she had to admit, life was a little easier for her now that her mom had someone else to focus on. The “getting married and having kids” speech had started to fray her nerves.

  “Hi you lovebirds,” she said as she slid into the booth beside her mom.

  “Hi sweetie,” her mom replied as she slid to the end of the booth. “All ready for your next adventure?”

 

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