Pumpkin Spice Lies: A Pumpkin Hollow Mystery, book 16 by Kathleen Suzette (new books to read .txt) 📗

for two weeks in July. Tomorrow was the opening day of our second annual Pumpkin Hollow Days event, and the town was abuzz with excitement.

We weren’t selling the pumpkin spice fudge online or in the store until tomorrow, and it would only be available for the two weeks that Pumpkin Hollow Days ran. It would make another appearance online and in the candy store during the Halloween season, and then be retired again after Thanksgiving. Pumpkin Hollow Days was our little tease until the Halloween season began.

“You should sell pumpkin spice fudge all year long,” Christy said, smoothing a tiny bit of the fudge from the edge of the pan where it had spilled. She put it in her mouth and groaned. “So good.”

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder, but since we’re talking about candy, it makes the taste buds grow fonder,” Mom said. “If we sell it all year long, it will become common and every day. It’s special, and I want to keep it that way.”

I knew what Mom meant, but I was pretty sure I could eat it every day and not grow tired of it.

The Pumpkin Hollow Candy Store was handed down from my mother’s parents, and one day it would be handed down to Christy and me.

“I know,” Christy relented. “I just love this stuff.”

Mom chuckled and went to the cupboard and removed a knife and three small plates. “Me too. I guess it won’t hurt if we don’t wait.”

She cut into one end of the fudge and put three small pieces on the plates and handed them to us.

“Yum,” I said and took a bite of the still warm fudge. As I ate it, the swirl of spices filled my mouth, and I made a ‘0’ with my thumb and forefinger. “Perfect.”

“Do you think I put too much cloves in it?” Mom asked, smelling her piece.

I shook my head. “No. I love cloves. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

“It’s wonderful,” Christy agreed. “I swear, I could eat a pound of this every day.”

“Me too,” I said and finished the small piece. I looked longingly at the rest of the fudge in the pan. I could seriously eat a huge slab of it by myself.

“We already have fourteen walk-in orders for it,” Mom informed us. “The locals know it’s coming and they couldn’t wait. I’ve got to get some more made. I think I’ll leave the recipe as it is. Unless I decide to add more ginger later.” She shrugged.

“Fourteen?” Christy asked. “On top of what you’re making to take to the vendor fair tomorrow?”

She nodded. “People have been coming in for days now, placing orders for it.”

“I don’t blame them, but that’s a lot of fudge to make today,” I said. “I’m glad they can’t order it online yet.”

“Well, that changes tomorrow, so we’ve got to get working on it,” Mom said as she measured out sugar for another batch.

“Hey, I knew I smelled something good coming from in here.”

I turned and saw my fiancé, Detective Ethan Banks, standing in the doorway. “Doesn’t it smell heavenly?”

He chuckled and came to stare at the pan of fudge. “Heavenly is the right word for it. How did I not know this was happening today?”

“I don’t know. You weren’t thinking,” I said and brushed a lock of blond hair from his forehead. “We’ve got the vendor fair tomorrow, and Mom said she already has orders for pumpkin spice fudge waiting to be filled.” I went to the cupboard and got him a plate.

“Can I put an order in?” he asked, looking at Mom.

“Of course you can,” she said. “But there may be a little wait. How are you doing, Ethan?” She went to the refrigerator to get the butter out.

He nodded. “I’m doing great now that I’m getting some pumpkin spice fudge. I swear, the whole candy store smells like pumpkin spice. You’re going to drive the customers crazy with it.”

“Good, we’ll sell a bunch of it,” Mom said.

I cut him a piece that was larger than what Mom had given us, and put it on the plate and handed it to him. “Here you go.”

He leaned over and kissed me and took the plate. “You’re the best fiancée a guy could ever have.”

I chuckled and felt myself blush. “You’re so adorable,” I said and hugged him.

“You two are sickeningly cute,” Christy said dryly.

“We can’t help it, it comes naturally,” Ethan said and took a bite of his fudge.

I shrugged at her. “You and Devon are cute, too, so you can’t say anything about us being too cute.”

She smiled. “I’m going back out front to make sure everything is filled and straightened.” She headed to the kitchen doorway.

“Well?” I asked Ethan.

He shook his head. “This is the best fudge I’ve ever eaten. Seriously. I love all the flavors you make, Ann, but this is the best, hands down.”

My mother turned to him, carton of butter in hand. “Thank you, Ethan, that’s kind of you to say. I think we’re all partial to it. But I love hearing how much people enjoy the candy I make.”

“I’ll tell you how much I love it, as long as I get a lot of it.”

She grinned and unwrapped a cube of butter.

“What are you up to?” I asked him.

He shrugged. “Not much. I just got a break in between doing paperwork and a meeting, and I thought I’d stop by and see what you were up to.”

“I’m glad you stopped by. I have bad news, though.”

His eyes widened. “What? How bad?”

I shrugged. “Kind of bad. I can’t find a place to hold the wedding reception. I waited too long to find one. I’m sorry.” I’d been worried about it for weeks as I called around to find a venue,