Fatal Chocolate Obsession (Death by Chocolate Book 5)
Page 20
“He can read minds. He probably already knows the boys are in my house.”
Fred nodded. “Lindsay needs a new sofa, but the boys are fine. Paula and Sophie are with them, and they have everything under control.”
Oh dear. That meant Zach would get another lesson in being wild and Paula would have to give him a gallon of milk to calm him down. Maybe even some Benadryl syrup.
Tina relaxed onto her pillow. “I didn’t know what else to do. I couldn’t let Ken get them. Thank you for whatever you did to him.”
“Threatened him, brainwashed him, hypnotized him, did a Vulcan mind meld on him,” I said. “Fred never tortures and tells.”
“Hello, Lindsay.” Rick’s new girlfriend came into the room. This time she wore street clothes—slacks and a silk blouse. Must be off duty.
“Hi, Robin.” I introduced everybody. “Did you hear they have the guy who beat up Rick?”
“I did. I was with him when the police came in to talk to him. I also heard about your ordeal. Are you okay?”
“Oh, sure. My friends are planning a welcome home party. Wine and chocolate. I’ll soon be good as new.”
“Good friends, chocolate and wine. They all have healing properties.”
I turned to Fred. It was time for some answers. “Speaking of my friends, Sophie’s been at your house a lot here lately.”
He nodded. “She has. I guess I might as well tell you.”
“Uh, yeah!” I sat forward, anticipating.
“She didn’t want anyone to know.”
“Why not? You’re both adults.”
“She was afraid you’d think less of her.”
“You cannot be serious.”
“You always seem so fearless. She didn’t want to admit she’s afraid.”
Somehow the conversation had gone completely off the tracks. “Afraid?”
“After Jay Jamison broke into her house. I think it’s perfectly normal for her to be fearful. I’m teaching her Karate.”
“You’re…teaching…her…Karate?”
“Yes. What did you think?”
He knew exactly what I’d thought.
“I thought you were teaching her Karate, of course. And you need to teach me too.”
“Okay.”
“You need to teach me self-defense and Trent needs to get me a gun and teach me to shoot.”
“Trent is not going to get you a gun.” The man himself stepped into the room. Apparently someone had put up a big neon sign in the hospital lobby, Party in Room 207.
I rose and went to him.
He pulled me gently into his arms. “I’ve still got a lot of paperwork to do. I don’t know when I’ll be finished, so I don’t know when I’ll get to your house. I just wanted to be sure you’re okay. The doctor said you refused to spend the night here.”
“I’ll take her home,” Fred said.
“I’ll go to her house and check on her later,” Robin offered. How on earth did Rick ever catch the interest of this woman?
I tugged on Trent’s hand. “I need to talk to you in the hallway.”
“Okay.” He followed me out.
I waited as a nurse walked past us then I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my lips to his ear. “You can’t come to my house tonight,” I whispered.
“I can and I will.”
“No, the kids are there!”
“Tina’s kids?”
“Yes. She had to keep them safe from Ken.”
“I figured that was where she sent them. But I’m coming anyway. You shouldn’t be alone tonight.” He held me away from him and looked into my eyes. “I’ll sleep on the sofa.”
“That’s ridiculous. Brandon’s in the hospital—”
“With a police officer outside his door.”
I nodded. “So I’m not in any danger.”
He let out a huge sigh. “You were kidnapped and beaten. Both your eyes are black, your face is swollen, and your lips look like you’ve had surgery on them. I’d like to be with you tonight and tomorrow because I love you. I thought maybe you’d want me to be there.”
“I do. Of course I do. But…on the sofa?”
“I could stay with you for a couple of hours, then go downstairs before the kids wake up.”
I smiled. I wasn’t about to tell him how early those kids got up. “Deal.”
He gave me a light kiss on my swollen lips. “See you sometime tonight.” He started down the hall, away from me.
“Trent!” I ran after him.
He stopped and turned back. I threw my arms around him again. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
“You want me to get a vasectomy?”
I laughed. “Not tonight.”
I leaned back in his arms so I could gaze into his eyes. They sparkled with green fire. “I’m talking to Trent, my boyfriend, not Detective Adam Trent, right?”
“We’re the same person, you know.”
I sighed. “Maybe, but this information is only for boyfriend Trent’s ears.”
“Go ahead. I won’t tell the cop person.”
Cop was probably listening anyway. Cops do that.
I leaned close to his ear. “I lo—” I choked, started coughing.
Trent held me at arm’s length. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” I straightened and faced him squarely. “I love you.”
He grinned. “I love you too.”
I smiled as much as I could with swollen lips. “I’ll always remember this special moment we shared in the hallway of Pleasant Grove General Hospital.”
THE END
RECIPES
My thanks to my cousin, Ruth Waller Jones, of Stafford, KS, for sharing her recipes for Chocolate Pecan Pie, Chocolate Nut Cupcakes, Chocolate Marshmallow Pudding and Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ruth is a wonderful relative and a wonderful cook.
CHOCOLATE CHIP PECAN PIE
1 unbaked 9 inch pie shell
4 eggs
1 cup light corn syrup
6 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Beat eggs, corn syrup and sugar. Add butter, flour and vanilla and beat until smooth. Stir in nuts and chips. Pour into pie shell and bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until set.
CHOCOLATE MARSHMALLOW PUDDING
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 cups water
12 marshmallows, cut into fourths
1 tsp. baking powder
1/3 cup cocoa
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Cook water and 1/2 cup sugar for five minutes. Pour into medium casserole dish. Top with marshmallows. Cream butter and remaining sugar. Add vanilla and milk. Combine flour, cocoa and baking powder then add to mixture. Stir until blended. Add nuts. Pour mixture over marshmallows. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
CHOCOLATE NUT CUPCAKES
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup butter
1-1/2 cups chopped pecans
4 eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
Melt chocolate and butter. Stir in pecans. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.
Combine flour and sugar and add to mixture. Mix well, but do not beat.
Fill muffin cups 1/2 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Makes 24 cupcakes.
Note: These cupcakes are dense and moist, not fluffy and dry. They are very rich and can be enjoyed plain or with ice cream or chocolate cream cheese frosting for an extra rich dessert.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8-ounce pkg. cream cheese
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup cocoa powde
r
1 Tbsp. vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
Beat cream cheese and butter. Combine powdered sugar and cocoa. Add to cream cheese mixture. Beat a lot. Add vanilla and beat some more until frosting is of desired consistency.
CHOCOLATE SHEET CAKE
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup water
1/2 cup oil
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 buttermilk
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease sheet cake pan and dust with cocoa.
In saucepan bring butter, cocoa and water to a boil. Pour into large mixing bowl and add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Pour into pan and bake for 15-17 minutes. Frost while hot.
Frosting for Chocolate Sheet Cake
1/2 butter
1/3 cup cocoa
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 pound powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
3/4 cup chopped nuts
Bring butter, cocoa and buttermilk to a boil. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until spreadable. Add nuts and spread on hot cake.
GOOEY PEANUT BUTTER BARS
1 chocolate cake mix
1 egg
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
16 Reese Peanut Butter Cups, unwrapped and frozen
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup Reese’s Pieces
Grease 8 inch square cake pan. Dust with cocoa.
Combine cake mix, egg, butter and vanilla. Beat until a soft dough forms. Press half the dough into baking pan. Arrange frozen Peanut Butter Cups over the top. Press the rest of the dough over the tops of the Peanut Butter Cups. Drizzle half the can of sweetened condensed milk over dough. Sprinkle with Reese’s Pieces. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.