by Amber Crewes
“Perfect,” Meghan said, satisfied as she filled a cloth sack with the food. “I can drop these off with that man, and hopefully, he’ll go to bed with a full belly tonight.”
She raced out of the bakery and back onto the slippery streets. She nearly fell as her feet slipped beneath her, but she regained her composure and marched off toward the corner where she had encountered the homeless man.
“Oh no,” Meghan sighed as she arrived to find the man had vanished. “He’s gone. I was too late.”
She hung her head, wishing she had had something to give the man when she first met him. “Maybe I’ll see him again someday,” Meghan considered as she rested the bag of food down on the side of street. “Maybe he’ll come back. I’ll leave this food here for now. I hope he finds it.”
Jackie chastised Meghan as she entered the shop. “Where have you been? You are too late, girlfriend. This is the second time this week you’ve been late to a hang out.”
Meghan’s cheeks burned, and she sheepishly apologized to Jackie, explaining why she was late.
“Oh, Meghan,” Jackie said kindly as she saw the tears in her dark eyes. “You were full of the holiday spirit. I’m proud of you. What a good person you are.”
Meghan shrugged. “I just think everyone deserves a full belly and a warm bed.”
Jackie smiled. “Your heart is truly sweet, Meghan. Hey, speaking of truly sweet, are you doing the desserts for Jack’s holiday party?”
Meghan grinned at the mention of Jack Irvin, her handsome detective boyfriend. “No,” she explained to Jackie. “Chief Nunan reached out and asked me to do the desserts, but I decided to pass the chance up; I want to go to the party as a guest, and I think dealing with the desserts would be a lot of stress.”
Jackie nodded. “That makes sense,” she told Meghan. “Well, the Sandy Bay Police Department Christmas Party is always a huge event in town. Everyone dresses up, and there is mistletoe, and it’s just magical.”
Meghan smiled. “I need to find the perfect dress; do you think I would look nice in red velvet?”
Jackie squinted her eyes at Meghan, looking up and down at her curvy frame. “Yes,” she finally replied. “I think with your dark hair and olive skin, you would glow in red velvet. Come on! Let’s see what this shop has to offer.”
“Ladies!”
Meghan and Jackie turned to find Kirsty Fisher beaming at them, her blonde bob sitting elegantly just above her shoulders, and a strand of tiny pearls wrapped around her thin neck. Kirsty was a dedicated philanthropist and organizer in the community; if there was an event or party, it was likely that Kirsty had planned and put on the event, and she was always looking for favors as she dreamed up new functions for the town.
“So good to see you girls,” Kirsty cooed as she gave Meghan and Jackie air-kisses on both cheeks. “In fact, I was just thinking of you, Meghan. What are you doing next weekend?”
Meghan grimaced. “Why do you ask, Kirsty?”
Kirsty adjusted her red and green sweater set and smiled warmly. “I’m organizing a celebration of Christmas carols, and I would love if you could help me.”
Meghan paused. She had intentionally slowed her schedule over the last week, and she was looking forward to some much-needed rest and recuperation after such a busy, eventful year in Sandy Bay.
“Kirsty,” Meghan began. “I’m not really taking on new orders right now; I’m not even doing the desserts for Jack’s holiday party. It’s been a hectic year, and I’m trying to give myself, along with Trudy and Pamela, some time to catch our breath.”
Kirsty shook her head. “I don’t want your treats,” she informed her. “I need your voice. I’m trying to recruit anyone and everyone to participate, and for a small donation, you can join in the fun.”
Meghan raised an eyebrow. “I have a terrible voice,” she told Kirsty. “It’s horrendous; I was actually cut from my middle-school choir because I’m tone-deaf.”
Kirsty waved her hands dismissively. “You can just lip-sync, then. Jackie, I’m sure you can sing on pitch. Would you join us?”
Jackie wrinkled her nose. “My voice isn’t good…”
Kirsty huffed in frustration. “This is for a good cause, girls,” she informed Meghan and Jackie. “The donations are being given to the local homeless agency, and with the holidays just around the corner, it is important to think of others.”
The image of the homeless man on the corner from earlier flashed through Meghan’s mind, and she nodded emphatically. “Yes, you are right,” she said to Kirsty. “We’ll both be there.”
Kirsty tossed her blonde hair behind her shoulder and smiled haughtily. “That’s what I wanted to hear,” she told both ladies. “Wonderful. Just bring something for the homeless folks who attend. You can even bring something store-bought, Meghan. Just make sure you have something for them, as well as your donation. Toodles, girls! See you at the Christmas carol.”
Jackie rolled her eyes as Kirsty sashayed out of the boutique. “How did we just get roped into that?”
Meghan shrugged. “Kirsty is right,” she told Jackie. “It’s the season of love and giving. I can whip up a batch of cookies to take with me, and we’ll both go. Besides, it’s only for a few hours, and it’s for a great cause. What could go wrong?
On the evening of the event, Jack picked Meghan up from the bakery. His blonde hair was smoothed down with gel, and Meghan thought he looked handsome in his green Christmas sweater.
“Thanks for going with me tonight,” Meghan said to Jack as she leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss him softly on the lips.
“Of course,” he replied. “It’s a good cause, and I’m proud of you.”
Meghan smiled. “It will be fun. It’s always good to give back.”
Jack and Meghan drove to the Sandy Bay Community Center, and as he helped Meghan out of the car, her eyes sparkled with joy. “Look at the decorations,” she cried, pointing to a ten-foot high Christmas tree positioned outside of the main entry. “It’s beautiful.”
Jack playfully swatted Meghan on the arm. “Don’t you know by now that Sandy Bay knows how to celebrate?”
Jack took Meghan’s hand as they entered the massive main room. Meghan saw Kirsty assembling carolers onto bleachers, and she waved at Jackie from across the room. “I’m going to go get settled. Can you put my cookies on that dessert table over there?”
Jack nodded, taking the bag from Meghan’s hands. “Of course. You go have fun!”
Meghan scurried over to where the singers were corralled, but as she began to ascend the stairs to her row on the bleachers, she heard a shout. Meghan turned to see four men shoving each other next to the dessert table.
“I want all of those cookies. You ate too much cake.”
“Don’t be selfish. My kids need some food too.”
“This stupid party was the only way to get some good food, and I’m going to take what I want.”
Meghan saw one of the men reach into the bag and take out her cookies. From his tattered clothes and greasy hair, she presumed he was homeless. She watched in horror as he threw her cookies onto the floor.
“I’ll be right back,” Meghan whispered to Jackie as she took off across the room. “Hey, sir? Sir? I only made enough so that each person could’wouldve two cookies.”
The man scowled, but he nodded at Meghan. “Sorry. I was just excited.”
Meghan felt a hard tap on her shoulder. She heard Jack’s deep voice coming toward her. “Don’t you touch her!”
Meghan’s heart beat faster as she turned around. Jack ran to her side, but as she made eye contact with the man who touched her shoulder, she gasped.
“What do you think you are doing?” Jack demanded as he stepped between Meghan and the man. “Keep your hands off of my girlfriend.”
The man chuckled, winking at Meghan. “Who do I think I am? Meghan, honey? Wanna tell ‘em?”
Meghan’s jaw-dropped. “Daddy,” she whispered. “Daddy, I can’t believe you are here.
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br /> Click here to find out what happens next in Jingle Bells and Deadly Smells, the 10th book in the Sandy Bay Cozy Mystery Series!
ALSO BY AMBER CREWES
The Sandy Bay Cozy Mystery Series
Apple Pie and Trouble (Book 1) – OUT NOW
Brownies and Dark Shadows (Book 2) – OUT NOW
Cookies and Buried Secrets (Book 3) – OUT NOW
Donuts and Disaster (Book 4) – OUT NOW
Éclairs and Lethal Layers (Book 5) – OUT NOW
Finger Foods and Missing Legs (Book 6) – OUT NOW
Gingerbread and Scary Endings (Book 7) – OUT NOW
Hot Chocolate and Cold Bodies (Book 8) – OUT NOW
Ice Cream and Guilty Pleasures (Book 9) – OUT NOW
Jingle Bells and Deadly Smells (Book 10) – OUT NOW
King Cake and Grave Mistakes (Book 11)– OUT NOW
Lemon Tarts and Fiery Darts (Book 12) – OUT NOW
Muffins and Coffins (Book 13) – OUT NOW
Nuts and a Choking Corpse (Book 14) – OUT NOW
Orange Mousse and a Fatal Truce (Book 15) – OUT NOW
Peaches and Crime (Book 16) – OUT NOW
Queen Tarts and a Christmas Nightmare (Book 17) – OUT NOW
Rhubarb Pie and Revenge (Book 18) – OUT NOW
Slaughter of the Wedding Cake (Book 19) – OUT NOW
Tiramisu and Terror (Book 20) – OUT NOW