Maple Hills Mystery Box Set 3

by Wendy Meadows

Next, she planned on making the rice crispy treats. As she carried her mixing bowls to the sink, Lidia peeked through the doorway. “What is that heavenly smell?”

  “I just put in the angel food cakes,” Nikki responded. “Do we have enough chocolates for the store for the rest of the day?” Lidia assured her that they did and suggested they make some more the next day. Nikki was relieved to know she could continue her wedding prep and started gathering the ingredients for the rice crispy squares.

  “Just let me know if you need anything, Nikki,” Lidia said, and then headed back to the front of the store to help Seth and Tori.

  As the afternoon wore on, Nikki was still working in the kitchen. She kept an organized kitchen, which helped when she had large orders. She flew around preparing her ingredients and tools. The staff knew just where to put things, so Nikki did not have to waste her time looking. After she checked the cakes in the oven, Nikki melted marshmallows in a massive kettle on the stovetop and mixed in the crispy cereal. She decided she would make them heart-shaped with pink icing. She looked at her wall of cookie cutters. She had different cookie cutters for different occasions. She even had a dog biscuit-shaped one. She found a heart-shaped cookie cutter just the right size. Nikki molded the crispy treats in the heart shape, and by the time the cakes were ready to come out of the oven, the treats were nearly done. Nikki decided to ice the heart shapes when she decorated the next batch of strawberries. She took the three angel food cakes out of the oven and set them aside to cool. Just then, Lidia walked into the kitchen.

  “Hey Nikki, there is a young woman here to see you. Do you have a minute? Wow, it smells amazing in here.”

  “Thanks. I can take a break…did she say who she was?” asked Nikki, washing her hands. Lidia shook her head no. Nikki dried her hands and walked out to the front of the shop, curious.

  Lidia trailed after her. “She is sitting at the side table.”

  Nikki looked and saw a pretty, well-dressed young woman sitting by herself. She was sipping hot chocolate and looking around the store while she waited. Nikki walked over and held out her hand. “Hi, I’m Nikki.”

  The young woman shook Nikki’s hand. “Hi, I’m Becky. I am Susan’s maid of honor. Could I talk to you for a minute?” Nikki sighed inwardly but put a smile on her face. Becky was a petite blonde who seemed to be the epitome of calmness and organization. Her heels matched her skirt, and her hair was done up in an impeccable bun.

  “Sure. I am between desserts at the moment,” Nikki told her while sitting down.

  “Your chocolates look amazing,” said Becky, glancing at the display cases.

  “Thank you. We make all of them ourselves.”

  “I can tell,” said Becky approvingly.

  “Is there something I can help you with?” asked Nikki, urging Becky to get to the point.

  “Well, I actually stopped by to offer my services. Susan and I have been best friends since kindergarten. I want her wedding to be perfect, and I am willing to do anything to help make that happen, including helping you, if you need me.”

  “Oh wow, thank you. I appreciate you stopping by, but my crew and I have this under control,” replied Nikki. She wondered for a moment if Susan was still worried about the fact that her request for a chocolate table had been last-minute.

  “Okay. But if you change your mind and need anything, just let me know,” she said, handing Nikki her card. Nikki read it and put it in her apron pocket. “I really want this wedding to be perfect for Susan. She deserves the best. You can call me day or night. I am available for you.”

  “I understand. I know the whole town is pitching in to make it a dream wedding. I heard the city parks crew is getting double overtime to get the decorations in place,” replied Nikki.

  “Yes, I think that is wonderful. It is so nice to live in a small town where everyone knows you. And it helps that her dad is the mayor,” said Becky with a wink. “Well, I will let you get back to making your chocolates,” she said, getting up from the table. “Please do not hesitate to call me if you need anything.”

  Nikki assured Becky she would call her if she needed her. They got up, and Nikki smiled at her. “It is nice that Susan has such a good friend watching out for her. Please reassure her that everything is right on schedule for the chocolates to be ready for her wedding.”

  Becky smiled and waved as she left the chocolate shop. Some snow swirled in as the door closed, and Nikki went over to wipe the floor with a dishcloth tucked in her back pocket, making sure it was not too slippery. She stood up and looked out the window. Snow swirled around the park, and people were walking and enjoying themselves. The park was beginning to look magical. She laughed when she saw the mayor trying to reposition a strand of lights around the gazebo. One of the people walking by stopped and gave him a hand. Nikki smiled. It was nice to live in a quaint, small town. Everyone knew each other and was quick to lend a hand when needed. Sure, there were drawbacks, because sometimes you felt like everybody knew your business, but Nikki felt accepted and that was important to her. She wanted to feel safe and to give Seth a safe place to call home. Maple Hills provided that feeling, and it made Nikki both happy and grateful.

  She turned and assessed the customers. Tori was helping Nikki’s next-door neighbor. Seth was assisting an elderly gentleman, and Lidia was ringing up another customer’s order. Lidia looked up and caught her eye over the crowd. She smiled as if to assure Nikki that they had everything under control.

  Nikki went back into the kitchen and put away the treats she had made. She washed the dishes and set up a new batch of strawberries for customer orders. Tori and Seth appeared, as the afternoon rush had begun to calm down and it was close to closing time, so Nikki recruited them to help with the strawberries. They stood side by side and cleaned and dipped the strawberries. Nikki liked watching them work together. They were happy, and that made Nikki happy. She was glad to see her son smiling.

  Nikki left them to their work and went into the shop. Lidia had a few customers left, and Nikki helped her close up after the customers had left. Nikki put the chocolates away from the display cases, making notes on an inventory sheet as she went along. She remarked to Lidia that they would have to make quite a batch tomorrow to ensure they kept up with customer demand. Lidia nodded as she turned off the hot chocolate machine and started wiping down the counters. After putting away the chocolates, Nikki counted the register and put the deposit in its bank bag. The bank bag always waited under the counter in the evenings. She would have Tori drop it in the night deposit on her way home.

  The front door opened, and Nikki looked up to see Hawk walk in. He shook off his coat and stomped his feet, bits of snow falling onto the mat at the front door.

  “I knew I should have locked the door sooner,” Nikki teased.

  “Good evening,” he said, bending over to kiss Nikki.

  “Your face is cold,” she teased and shooed him away.

  Hawk laughed. “Hey, how about I cook a big dinner tonight at your place? Everyone can come.”

  “That sounds perfect,” said Nikki. “Would you like to come over?” she asked Lidia.

  “Sure. I would love to,” Lidia replied. Hawk’s cooking was famous and she never missed a chance to enjoy it.

  “Let me ask Tori and Seth,” said Nikki, walking to the kitchen. She poked her head in and asked them what they were doing that night.

  “We don’t have any plans,” Seth said.

  “Well, Hawk is offering to cook, and I hate to pass up that offer,” said Nikki with a grin.

  “Count us in,” said Seth with an enthusiastic whoop. “Does he need any help?”

  “I don’t think so. Are you almost done with those orders?”

  “Yes. We just have one more tray to dip,” said Seth.

  “Thank you, that is such a big help,” said Nikki. “I don’t know what I’d do without you guys.”

  “Oh, Mom. We’d never leave you in the lurch,” Seth grinned, wiping his hands on his apron. />
  Seth and Tori finished the strawberries not long after that, and then drove together and dropped off the deposit. Nikki followed Hawk back to her place. Lidia stopped by her house and then met them all at Nikki’s house. Hawk insisted he would cook and that they should all put their feet up. He told Nikki and the crew to relax in the den. Seth went out and retrieved some firewood from the shed and started a warm fire. Nikki sank into the sofa, and Lidia relaxed in the recliner. Seth and Tori sat in the loveseat and talked. They relaxed, watching the flickering flames and chatting happily while Hawk made dinner. As nice as it was to rest her aching feet, Nikki found it hard to sit still when someone else was cooking in her kitchen. After a while she went into the kitchen and offered to help, but Hawk assured her once again he had it under control. From the rich smells of browning meat and savory herbs with caramelized onions filling the kitchen, she had no problem believing him and went back to the den to plan the next day’s tasks with Lidia. Soon, Hawk called them to the table; they were greeted with two steaming casserole dishes and a tray of biscuits. Everyone exclaimed how delicious the dinner smelled and thanked Hawk. Hawk was a true genius in the kitchen, the kind of person who could throw something together from just a few ingredients and still feed a crowd and have them begging for more. After dinner, everyone pitched in and washed the dishes. As the night got late, Lidia went home, and Tori left too, yawning. Seth went to his room soon after he finished wiping down the last counter, giving Nikki and Hawk a wave as he disappeared down the hall.

  Hawk and Nikki sat on the sofa and relaxed by the fire. It had been a long day, but she was grateful to have such wonderful people around her. Still, she could sense that Hawk was a little tense.

  “What are you thinking?” she finally asked him.

  “Are you sure you can pull this off?” Hawk asked, worried about Nikki’s workload.

  “With my family and friends around, I can accomplish anything,” she reassured him. “Lidia keeps me on track and reminds me I’m usually ahead of schedule. Seth and Tori always pick up the slack. And then there’s you…always swooping in with a delicious dinner just when we think we’re all going to collapse on our feet after another busy day.” She smiled at him. “It will go just fine.” She snuggled under his arm, content to rest quietly in the silence with him. They sat and watched the fire for about half an hour more. Hawk eventually said he needed to go and get some rest. Nikki thanked him and gave him a hug and kiss. She helped him with his coat and opened the door for him. The night sky was full of stars. It was a beautiful crisp evening, with the fresh coating of snow over everything, and Nikki knew she would have no trouble sleeping that night. She waved goodbye to Hawk, locked her door, and went to bed.

  3

  The next morning, Nikki got up early and had breakfast with Seth. Seth was in an especially good mood because he planned to surprise Tori with tickets to the movies that night. A new romantic comedy had just been released with an actor they both loved to watch, and he thought it would be a nice way to relax at the end of the day. “I’m sure she’ll love it, Seth. She knows you adore her and that things have just been busy lately…a nice date will be a good sign, I think.” Nikki gave his hand a squeeze as they left the house and he smiled, heartened. When she and Seth drove to the shop, there was already a small group of customers waiting on the sidewalk.

  “It is going to be a busy day,” Nikki predicted. She was not wrong. As soon as Nikki opened the door, the customers started rolling in. A gentleman asked about the award displayed prominently in the front window. Seth proudly explained that Nikki had won it in a chocolate competition last Christmas. The man was impressed, and Nikki could tell Seth liked to brag about her. She smiled and was once again glad she had entered the competition. Her petit fours had been the talk of the town for two weeks after the competition.

  Nikki looked around after she slid another tray of chocolate hazelnut truffles into the display case. The shop was busy with last-minute Valentine’s Day shoppers. Everyone was complimenting Nikki on her chocolate-dipped strawberries. Seth and Tori were helping in the shop while Lidia was working in the kitchen. Tori was helping a young girl pick out a mixed bag of chocolates. The little girl had stopped by Nikki’s shop before. She took her time and was careful with her selection. The counters ended up with fingerprints, but Nikki did not mind. The little girl took out her hard-earned allowance to pay for the chocolates and shyly said that she hoped her mother would like the gift. After she left, Nikki wiped off the counters with a smile.

  Nikki was in the front waiting on some customers when the door opened and Susan walked in with a handsome gentleman. They were holding hands and each had a twinkle in their eyes. The man could not stop staring at Susan. They were bundled warmly in their coats, with thick sweaters and jeans to keep out the cold. They both looked a bit haggard but happy.

  “Nikki,” Susan called and waved. She stepped over to the side of the counter while her gentleman removed his jacket and draped it over one of the café chairs.

  Nikki waved back. “How are you today?” Nikki asked.

  “I’m great. Can we talk for a minute?”

  “Sure, just let me finish up here.” Nikki finished tying a pretty bow on the chocolate box in front of her. “Here you are, Miss Sims,” Nikki said and handed it over the counter to her. Miss Sims smiled and thanked Nikki.

  “I recommend this shop to all my neighbors, you know,” said Miss Sims as she waved and exited the store. Nikki left the front counter in the capable hands of her son and Tori, fetched three mugs of hot chocolate, and walked over to Susan. Nikki handed them the mugs and sat down.

  “Thank you, Nikki. It is cold outside,” said Susan. She took a sip and smiled. “This is delicious. Have you met my fiancé, Tim?”

  “I have not,” said Nikki.

  “It is very nice to meet you,” said Tim to Nikki. He was a handsome young man, polite and well-spoken, a perfect match for the lovely young woman.

  “You, too. The wedding order is coming along nicely. The chocolates are almost ready, and we have everything we need for the chocolate fountain,” Nikki told them.

  “Thank you. I am so glad you were able to pull that together. You are amazing. I know the order was last-minute, and I still cannot believe you are pulling it off. Speaking of amazing, I was also hoping you could do me another favor.”

  “What is that?” asked Nikki, hiding her trepidation.

  “The rehearsal dinner is just around the corner, and I was thinking it would be nice to have some chocolates for the guests. You would not have to worry about setting up a table. We will have waiters roaming around with trays,” Susan said hopefully. “Only if it’s no trouble. I would love to give you some more business for the wedding and…I just thought, perhaps if you have some extra inventory…”

  “I am sure I can pull something together. Did you want a certain variety of chocolate, or would you like a sampling of my chocolates?” Nikki asked.

  “A sampling sounds terrific, don’t you think so, Tim?” Susan asked her fiancé.

  “Whatever you want, beautiful,” he answered, sipping his cocoa.

  “I can get a sampler order done in time for the rehearsal dinner,” Nikki assured Susan. “About how many guests will there be?”

  “There will probably be around fifty guests that night.”

  “That will not be a problem at all.”

  “Thank you so much,” Susan exclaimed. “Didn’t I tell you she was a lifesaver, Tim?”

  “Yes, you did. Thank you, Nikki,” Tim said.

  “Well, we will let you get to work,” Susan said. “Oh, and please come to the rehearsal dinner,” she insisted. “And bring a guest.”

  “Well, I’m not sure. I would not want to intrude. I am happy to make the chocolates, but I thought rehearsal dinners were just for family,” Nikki said, hesitating.

  “This is less of a rehearsal dinner and more of an informal gathering. We have invited a number of friends from town, and it is a casu
al affair,” Susan said eagerly to Nikki. “I want everyone to be able to compliment you on your fabulous confections, Nikki. You deserve that.”

  “Okay, I’ll be there,” agreed Nikki, smiling.

  “Wonderful,” exclaimed Susan. She and Tim stood up and put their coats on. Tim helped Susan with her coat and scarf. What a cute couple, Nikki thought. Tim and Susan left the shop, and Nikki got back to work as a number of customers filled up the shop. After a little while, there was a lull, so Nikki filled in Seth and Tori on the new developments.

  “Susan would like a sampling of chocolates for her guests at the rehearsal dinner,” Nikki told them. “I told her we would be able to pull it off. I will just need some help.” She paused for a moment, worried. Nikki had just remembered that Seth planned to surprise Tori with a date tonight. She met his eyes and tried to give him a reassuring smile.

  “I’m sure Lidia can help you sort it out,” said Tori.

  Seth hugged his mom. “Absolutely,” he said.

  Just then, the door opened, and Hawk walked in. He brushed the snow off his shoulders and took off his coat. He hung it on the back of a chair and walked over to Nikki, put his arm around her and kissed her hello.

  “Just the man I wanted to see,” said Nikki.

  Hawk raised his eyebrow.

  “We have been invited to attend Susan’s rehearsal dinner,” Nikki said with a smile.

  Hawk groaned. “Do I have to wear a suit two nights in a row?” he asked.

  “No, silly,” Nikki scolded him playfully. “It is casual dressy. You can wear jeans and a nice shirt. No jacket.”

  “That sounds a little less awful...”

  “So, will you join me?” Nikki asked coyly.

  “I would be happy to escort you to the dinner,” replied Hawk with a half bow. Nikki laughed.

  “Why did you stop by?” she asked.

  “Actually, I was just passing by and I wanted to drop in and say hello. I’m glad I did, because it sounds like you will need my help.”

  “I would appreciate that,” replied Nikki. She and Hawk went back to the kitchen to let Lidia know what was happening.