Final Sentence (A COOKBOOK NOOK MYSTERY) by Gerber Daryl Wood

Author:Gerber, Daryl Wood [Gerber, Daryl Wood]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2013-07-02T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

A DENSE WALL OF fog packed the seashore Monday morning. Luckily the gloom didn’t translate into lack of sales. In fact, the weather might have encouraged the passel of families and children to shop rather than head for the beaches to practice their sandcastle skills. Katie’s tasty cranberry chocolate muffins might have had something to do with the size of the swelling crowd, as well.

“Mmmm.” Bailey took a second bite-sized muffin from the tier of goodies, peeled off the wrapper, and popped it into her mouth. “The flavor is divine,” she mumbled between bites. “If I keep eating like this, I’m going to grow into the size of that blueberry girl in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” One thing Bailey and I shared in common was our love of books. One day over lunch while at Taylor & Squibb, we realized we had read not only the complete collection of Nancy Drew books but the entire set of Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot mysteries, as well. “Remember the blueberry girl?” Bailey puffed out her cheeks. I laughed.

A few customers who were inspecting the aprons display stopped and gawked at us. Bailey, a bit of an exhibitionist, waved and yelled, “Hi, folks. Once you’re done buying a couple of knickknacks and cookbooks, make your way into the café for a midmorning coffee and pastry. You won’t be disappointed.” She bumped my hip with hers. “By the way, did you see the recent order catalog from Ingram’s?”

Ingram’s was the major book distributor in the world, with over two million titles. We ordered books from other distributors, but Ingram’s supplied our mainstay.

“I found some top-selling cookbooks that we don’t have on the shelves. The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook: 2,000 Recipes from 20 Years of America’s Most Trusted Cooking Magazine and Guy Fieri Food: Cookin’ It, Livin’ It, Lovin’ It. You know about Guy Fieri, right?”

“I saw him on the Food Network. He visits diners around America? I love his spiky hair and his joie de vivre.”

“He’s a cutie. Also, I noticed Everyday Food: Great Food Fast, by Martha Stewart, was on the Ingram’s list. We don’t have any of her cookbooks, and though she’s not my cup of tea, I’m sure she’ll appeal to many of our moms on the go.”

“Does her cookbook have lots of photographs?”

“Plenty.”

Our customers preferred cookbooks with eye-catching pictures. “Write the titles on the order sheet, and we’ll get them.”

The front door opened and a pair of bronzed surfer girls shuffled in and made a beeline to the natural foods cookbook section. Right behind them, a swarm of preschool girls buzzed in, followed by what I assumed were their mothers.

One girl shrieked, “Oh, look, a kitty.” The rest echoed her, and they darted to the children’s corner and pounced on Tigger. Luckily the little guy loved affection. Soon I heard the girls singing, “But the cat came back, she wouldn’t stay away, she was sitting on the porch the very next day”—lyrics I had heard the Muppets sing years ago.

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