by Tonya Kappes
Lately, it’d been too cold or there was too much ice on the road to ride the bike.
“Be careful.” I warned Patrick when he took one of the sharper curves. “There’s black ice on the road.”
The taillights of a truck in the distance started to cross over the center line of the small road.
“There must be some up there.” Patrick pointed to the car. We watched as the driver jerked the truck back over. “Whoa!”
“Oh no!” I yelled as we watched the truck cross over again, this time going through the trees and down the embankment toward the lake.
I eased up in the seat of Patrick’s truck and looked down to see if the people in the truck were okay when we got to the place they’d went off the road.
“Call 9-1-1!” Patrick yelled at me and put his truck in park when we saw the other truck had actually gone into the Lake Honey Springs and the front end was going under the water.
I fumbled for my phone and dialed all while trying to see Patrick through the pitch dark of night. The headlights of the sunken truck was fading fast into the depths of the water.
I rattled off the information to dispatch operator and jumped out of the car when I saw Patrick had jumped into the lake. I grabbed the blankets and his work flashlight out from behind the seats and headed down to the lake.
“Patrick!” I screamed when I didn’t see him come back up from the frigid water. “Patrick!” I frantically screamed, dropping the blankets and shining the flashlight in the water. “Patrick!”
I ran up and down where the truck had gone in but not sure where it was because the headlights of the truck were no longer visible. When I heard some splashing a few yards out in the lake, I moved the flashlight and saw Patrick.
“I’ve got the woman!” Patrick swam toward the bank with the woman in the crock of his arm. “She’s alive!”
In the distance, I could hear the sirens. They echoed off the lake. I ran to meet Patrick and the woman with one of the blankets to wrap around her.
“I’ve got to go and get the driver.” He laid her gently on her side on the ground before he went right back into the water.
“Here,” I told her, wrapping more blankets around her. “Are you okay?” I asked and when she looked up at me, I recognized her as the woman arguing with her husband in the Watershed.
“My husband,” she tried to talk but was shivering. “My husband!” she jumped up as the shock of it all started to set in. “Ryan!” She screamed.
“Please, put this around you until the ambulance gets here.” I tried to put the blanket back on her shoulders but she was trying to run back into the water. “Stop! Don’t go back in there!”
“Ryan!” It was all she seemed to say while I jerked her back. Literally held her back.
The ambulance and police showed up, taking over just as Patrick had come back up from the depths of the Lake Honey Springs with the limp man over his shoulder.
After Patrick got him to shore, we let the emergency crew take over.
“What happened?” Sheriff Spencer Shepard asked when he got there.
“I think they hit black ice because we saw them swerve, then correct, then swerve again, ending up in the lake,” Patrick told Spencer while we stood to the side an watched the EMTs give Ryan CPR. “We saw them having supper at the Watershed.”
“Do you know them?” I asked Spencer.
“Ryan and Yvonne Moore. He owns the butcher shop in town,” he said. “She’s his fourth wife.”
I’d recognized the name, but rarely went to the butcher for anything. I knew Aunt Maxi had gone there for all of her meats.
“Yeah.” Patrick’s brows furrowed as he nodded. “I remember him, but never see him in there when I go in there.”
Patrick was a lifelong resident of Honey Springs and he did all the cooking when we were at home since I’d spent all day at the coffee house cooking for others, though I did bring a lot of leftovers home.
The bright yellow lights of the tow truck circled, lighting up the darkness. They were working on getting the truck up from the depths of the lake while the emergency workers continued to work on Ryan.
“No!” Yvonne fell to the ground, laying on Ryan.
Spencer excused himself and walked over to see what was going on. We watched as the emergency workers looked at Spencer and shook their heads.
“Oh no,” I gasped bringing my hand up to my mouth, knowing Ryan Moore was dead.
RECIPES
Pumpkin Sugar Cookies-submitted by Tonya Kappes
Lemon Philly Pie- submitted by Gayle Plumb Shanahan
Cheesecake-Stuffed Pumpkin Bread-submitted by Susan Parham
Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
Sugar Cookies just got better with a little pumpkin! This recipe creates soft, chewy, lightly spicy glazed pumpkin sugar cookies that are perfect for Fall!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup pumpkin puree {canned pumpkin}
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
For the glaze topping:
3 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat and set aside. In a large bowl, stir butter, oil, pumpkin, sugars, vanilla and eggs together until incorporated and smooth. Slowly mix in all dry ingredients until completely incorporated. Scoop onto prepared baking sheet using 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop and flatten to 1/2 inch thick using the bottom of a glass. If the dough is sticking to the glass, press the bottom of the glass in granulated sugar before flattening. Bake 8-9 minutes.
While cookies bake, stir all ingredients together for glaze until smooth.
Once cookies are finished baking, cool 3 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to cooling rack. Spread 1 1/2 teaspoons glaze over each warm cookie. Let glaze harden 2-3 hours before serving. OR eat them warm with lots of runny glaze.
Southern Pecan Bread
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup butter, melted
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13 baking dish with foil or parchment paper. Coat lightly with nonstick spray and set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer using the paddle attachment combine both the sugars and butter, mixing on low until combined. Add in the eggs, vanilla, and salt and turn mixer up to medium speed and mix for 1 minute until smooth.
Turn mixer to low and mix in the flour until just combined. Fold in the pecans.
Transfer mixture to your prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the center is just set and the edges are lightly golden.
Cool completely in the pan, and then cut into squares.
Lemon Philly Pie
(Sent in by Gayle Plumb Shanahan)
Ingredients:
3 eggs
3/4 c sugar
3/4 c lemon juice
3 t. lemon zest
12 oz. cream cheese
1/2 pt. whipping cream
Fresh raspberries
Instructions:
Beat eggs in top of double boiler until thick and fluffy.
Continue beating while gradually adding sugar, zest and lemon juice.
Cook over hot water and continue to stir constantly until lemon custard is smooth and thick.
Place cream cheese in large bowl and cream until soft and smooth.
Gradually add lemon custard to cream cheese and blend after each addition.
Place in a pre-baked pie shell and chill.
Top with raspberries and fresh sweetened whipped cream.
Cheesecake-Stuffed Pumpkin Bread
(Sent in by Susan Parham)
Ingredients Cheesecake Swirl:
One 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1 large egg
Pumpkin Bread:
Nonstick cooking spray
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Directions For the cheesecake swirl:
Position an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees
F.
Combine the cream cheese, granulated sugar, sour cream and egg in a large bowl and beat
with a mixer until well combined; set aside.
For the pumpkin bread:
Generously spray a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray and dust with flour.
Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
Whisk together the granulated sugar and pumpkin puree in a large bowl, then whisk in the
oil, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and egg.
Whisk in the flour mixture until just combined.
Reserve 1 cup of the pumpkin batter.
Spread the remaining batter in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan.
Spoon the cream cheese mixture over the pumpkin batter, then put the reserved cup
pumpkin batter in a line down the center of the pan.
Insert the tip of a paring knife into the batter and drag it through and up to swirl 5 to 6
times.
Bake until the top is cracked and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 1
hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then carefully invert onto a platter or cake stand and
flip upright.
Let cool completely, at least 1 1/2 hours.
Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve.
Also by Tonya Kappes
Magical Cures Mystery Series
A CHARMING CRIME
A CHARMING CURE
A CHARMING POTION (novella)
A CHARMING WISH
A CHARMING SPELL
A CHARMING MAGIC
A CHARMING SECRET
A CHARMING CHRISTMAS (novella)
A CHARMING FATALITY
A CHARMING DEATH (novella)
A CHARMING GHOST
A CHARMING HEX
A CHARMING VOODOO
A CHARMING CORPSE
A CHARMING MISFORTUNE
A Camper and Criminals Cozy Mystery
BEACHES, BUNGALOWS, & BURGLARIES
DESERTS, DRIVERS, & DERELICTS
FORESTS, FISHING, & FORGERY
CHRISTMAS, CRIMINALS, & CAMPERS
MOTORHOMES, MAPS, & MURDER
CANYONS, CARAVANS, & CADAVERS
HITCHES, HIDEOUTS, & HOMICIDE
ASSAILANTS, ASPHALT, & ALIBIS
VALLEYS, VEHICLES & VICTIMS
A Southern Cake Baker Series
(under the pen name of Maymee Bell)
CAKE AND PUNISHMENT
BATTER OFF DEAD
A Ghostly Southern Mystery Series
A GHOSTLY UNDERTAKING
A GHOSTLY GRAVE
A GHOSTLY DEMISE
A GHOSTLY MURDER
A GHOSTLY REUNION
A GHOSTLY MORTALITY
A GHOSTLY SECRET
A GHOSTLY SUSPECT
Killer Coffee Mystery Series
SCENE OF THE GRIND
MOCHA AND MURDER
FRESHLY GROUND MURDER
COLD BLOODED BREW
DECAFFEINATED SCANDAL
A KILLER LATTE
HOLIDAY ROAST MORTEM
MAIL CARRIER COZY MYSTERY
STAMPED OUT
ADDRESSED FOR MURDER
Kenni Lowry Mystery Series
FIXIN’ TO DIE
SOUTHERN FRIED
AX TO GRIND
SIX FEET UNDER
DEAD AS A DOORNAIL
TANGLED UP IN TINSEL
DIGGIN’ UP DIRT
Spies and Spells Mystery Series
SPIES AND SPELLS
BETTING OFF DEAD
GET WITCH or DIE TRYING
A Laurel London Mystery Series
CHECKERED CRIME
CHECKERED PAST
CHECKERED THIEF
A Divorced Diva Beading Mystery Series
A BEAD OF DOUBT SHORT STORY
STRUNG OUT TO DIE
CRIMPED TO DEATH
Olivia Davis Paranormal Mystery Series
SPLITSVILLE.COM
COLOR ME LOVE (novella)
COLOR ME A CRIME
About the Author
Tonya has written over 60 novels and four novellas, all of which have graced numerous bestseller lists, including the USA Today. Best known for stories charged with emotion and humor and filled with flawed characters, her novels have garnered reader praise and glowing critical reviews. She lives with her husband and a very spoiled rescue cat named Ro. Tonya grew up in the small southern Kentucky town of Nicholasville. Now that her four boys are grown men, Tonya writes full-time.
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