by Peggy Dulle
“At first I thought Disney World.”
I smiled.
“But then I thought three days there wouldn’t be enough.”
“That’s true, that place deserves at least a full week.”
“I thought you’d agree.”
“Then I thought camping. I love to camp.”
I frowned. Just the thought of sleeping in a tent on dirt made me shudder.
“But I knew you preferred hotel living.”
I nodded.
“So where is the one place that Stretch can get her thrills and Liza can enjoy herself, too?”
I shrugged.
“How about Vegas? It has casinos for Stretch and shows for Liza.”
“That’s great!” I threw my arms around Tom and kissed him. We almost missed our flight.
When we were settled into our seats on the plane, I got a text from Kenny.
Kenny: So do you know where you are going yet?
Me: Yes
Kenny: Where?
Me: Vegas!
Kenny: Good choice!
Me: I can gamble and Tom has tickets to see the Jersey Boys and one of the Cirque du Soleil shows.
Kenny: Perfect :)
Me: Yes :)
Kenny: Have fun!
The plane took off and Tom held my hand and smiled. “How are you doing Mrs. Owens?”
“I’m doing fine, Mr. Owens.”
He leaned toward me and we kissed. I had a lot to do in the next several weeks. I needed to move and set up a new classroom but I was looking forward to waking up in the arms of the man I love every day. It was perfect.
Tom closed his eyes and he was asleep in minutes. I just can’t sleep sitting up or in the middle of the day, so I read the Sky Mall magazine. There were some cool things in it, especially for Shelby.
My phone dinged, so I got it out of my purse. There was a new message.
Kenny: Stretch?
Me: What’s up? Miss me already?
Kenny: Of course I do.
Me: So what can I do for you?
Then nothing for several minutes. Was he still there? What was wrong?
Me: Kenny?
Kenny: I’m here.
Me: What’s up?
Kenny: I need my partner.
My stomach fell and knotted into a big ball as my breathing and heart rate raced. I took several calming breaths, holding tight to the arm rests and then I continued to type.
Me: Where are you?
Kenny: At a rest stop, I’m on my Ducati
Me: Where are you going?
Kenny: LOL
Me: What?
Kenny: Vegas
Me: Why?
Kenny: A girl in trouble.
Me: Come to me and we’ll fight the monster together.
Kenny: I’m on my way.
Maury’s Frittata
Ingredients:
½ medium onion, minced
3 medium garlic cloves, pressed
2 tablespoons chicken broth
½ cup chopped cooked ham
½ cup mushrooms, thinly sliced
½ medium tomato, seeds removed, and diced
½ cup spinach
3 large eggs
1 tablespoons basil, chopped fresh
2 tablespoon rosemary, chopped fresh
Salt and black pepper to taste
½ cup cheddar cheese
Cooking Directions
Mince onions and press garlic. Heat 1 tablespoon of broth in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet. Sauté onion over medium heat 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic, mushrooms, spinach and continue to sauté for another 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon broth, chicken, tomato, ¼ cup of cheese, salt, pepper and cook for another minute. Stir well, and gently scrape pan with a wooden spoon.
Beat eggs well, and season with salt and pepper. Mix in chopped basil and rosemary. Pour eggs over vegetables evenly and turn heat to low. Cook eggs for about 2 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom with a heat-resistant spatula. When eggs are mostly cooked but still very wet, stop stirring. You want to see cooked eggs scattered throughout, but loose egg in between. Continue cooking on stove for another minute.
Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. Put skillet under broiler. Watch carefully while top browns. This will take 2-4 minutes.
Remove skillet from oven and let sit for about 5 minutes to finish cooking in center. Cut in wedges and serve.
Chocolate Melting Cake
8 ounces of semisweet chocolate
1 cup (2 sticks) of butter
7 eggs, divided use
6 tablespoons of sugar
1/2 cup of flour
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Melt the chocolate and butter and cool for 10 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix four eggs with sugar. Whisk. Then add flour and whisk.
Whisk the remaining three eggs and add the egg mixture to the chocolate mixture. Pour this mixture into individual ramekins.
Bake until just done, about 15-20 minutes (interior will be melting).
Serve with vanilla ice cream.
It’s best if you dip your spoon into the vanilla ice cream then into the center of the cake. Feeding it to someone else is always fun, too!
About the Author
I have always loved books, being an avid reader for as long as I can remember and until I was a senior in High School, I was also a prolific writer. Life continued, as it always does. I got my degree, married a wonderful man, Mark, and had two fabulous daughters, Lynn & Michelle. Michelle married, Adam, and gave me a delightful grandson, Austin. We all live in Hilmar, California. I have been an elementary teacher for twenty-six years.
It wasn’t until 2001 that the urge to write returned and it came on with a vengeance. To date I have written forty-five novels. You will notice that in all my novels the characters have pets. That’s because I always have a multitude of animals in my life.
Under Peggy Dulle, I have several published mystery novels. In my Liza Wilcox Mystery series: Death is Clowning Around, Apple Pots and Funeral Plots, Secrets at Sea, and Saddle Up. Other mysteries include my Get Away Diner Mystery series: The River’s Secret and A Kept Secret. Paranormal mystery: Spirit of Consequence. Visit my website: www.peggydulle.com
Under PD Musso, I have two fantasy novel series. Dawn of Destiny is part of the Hunters series and Recruitment is part of the Blood Badge series. Check out my website: www.pdmusso.com
Connect with Me Online:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ILV2RT
Facebook: http://facebook.com/PeggyDulle