Fried and True: Raised and Glazed Cozy Mysteries, Book 11 by Ainsley Emma

Author:Ainsley, Emma
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Summer Prescott Books
Published: 2022-04-12T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

When she knocked on the door to awaken Jake for work the following morning, she found him already wide awake and freshly showered. Over his shoulder, she could see the blankets and sleeping bag folded neatly on the cot.

“How did you sleep?” she asked him.

“Like a baby.” Jake smiled. Maggie didn’t press him further. The only thing she found wanting was his clothes, the same ones he had worn the night before. Although from the strong scent of pine, she was quite sure he had washed them out by hand the night before and hung them in the garage bathroom to dry.

“Do you have any other clothes?” she asked.

Jake’s cheeks reddened again. “No, ma’am,” he said, again looking at the ground.

“Come inside for a moment,” she ordered. She turned back to the house and headed straight for the closet in the spare bedroom. She filled her arms with clothes and headed back to the kitchen. “My son Bradley was here on leave from the Navy when his little boy Wyatt was born, and he left a few things behind when he went back to duty. I think you’re about his size.” She handed the clothing over to him.

“Won’t he care that I’m wearing his clothes?”

“You know, as it turns out, I talked to my son last night and he told me that I could give you anything he left here, aside from little Wyatt’s things, of course.” Maggie smiled. “Why don’t you go on into my bathroom and change? When we get to work, I have another shirt for you to wear.”

“You keep clothes at the donut shop, too?”

Maggie chuckled. “My partner Ruby and I have shirts with the donut shop logo on them for our employees,” she said.

“Your partner?”

Maggie nodded. “Ruby Cobb? Do you know her? She has a farm outside of town,” she said. “Anyway, Ruby is both my best friend and my business partner. You’ll get the way we run things soon enough.”

Jake nodded his understanding. “I’ll be right back,” he said and disappeared to change.

Ruby had not arrived at the donut shop before Maggie pulled into the alley. Jake emerged from the car and followed her to the door as silently as he rode from the house. Maggie unlocked the door and let him in.

“Come this way,” she instructed. “This is the kitchen, obviously. The main part here is where we make the donuts.” She pointed out the prep table next to the sinks, the automatic donut machine, baker’s table, and the deep fryer. She showed him the office, store room, cooler, and the employee restroom before taking him through the swinging doors and showing him the dining room in the front.

“Good morning,” Ruby said. She had come in while Maggie and Jake were up front. “You must be Jake. I’m Ruby.”

“Ma’am.” Jake nodded. Maggie noted the redness in his cheeks again. She wondered if he thought it odd that Ruby already knew about him joining them, but she figured in time, he would figure out that Maggie didn’t make any major moves without consulting with her.

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