Sourdough Dead by Carol E Ayer

Author:Carol E Ayer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Epicenter Press Inc.
Published: 2022-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 12

In the morning, I stumbled into the kitchen and made coffee—and not the decaffeinated type. I kept a few caffeinated pods on hand for when I didn’t sleep well. Jason’s involvement in Leon’s murder case wasn’t conducive to sleep, that was for sure. Of course, he probably hadn’t slept a wink in the two weeks since we’d found out about Leon.

I cut myself a generous slice of coffee cake and went to the couch with my breakfast. When I finished, I pulled myself up and got ready to go out for a business meeting.

Isabella’s neighbors, Donald and Mary Cohen, were celebrating their sixtieth wedding anniversary and had contacted me to commission the dessert for their party. I walked over to their house on Sandpiper Lane and knocked on the door. Mary answered and invited me inside.

I arranged myself in a comfy chair while Mary and Donald sat very close to each other on the couch. Donald put his arm across Mary’s shoulders. So sweet.

We chatted a bit about the weather and the October in Oceanville events.

“I heard that you’ve entered the butterfly race,” Mary said.

“Yes. It’s tomorrow. I’m excited.”

They told me they’d attended the Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley in 1960.

“It was one of our first dates,” Mary said.

“I was nervous,” Donald confessed. He looked at his wife. “You were so beautiful. I felt inadequate compared to the male athletes. I was sure you’d run off with one of them!”

She took his hand and kissed it.

I asked if they had any thoughts about the dessert.

“We understand you offer a penguin cake,” Donald said.

“Yes,” Mary said. “We love penguins. Most of them mate for life.” She regarded Donald affectionately. “Like us.”

Donald squeezed her shoulder and they smiled at each other.

“I can of course make you a penguin cake,” I said. “But only if you consider it an anniversary gift.”

“That’s very generous of you,” Mary said.

“I usually make it as a mixture of chocolate and vanilla cakes and frostings. Is that all right?”

They nodded.

“And you need it on Friday at one?”

“Right,” Mary said.

I got up to go but turned back. “You probably get asked this a lot, but do you have any secrets for staying together for so long?”

They looked at each other, their eyes twinkling.

“There are so many cliches, aren’t there?” Mary said. “Be friends first.”

“Don’t go to bed mad,” Donald said.

“Happy wife, happy life,” Mary added.

Donald laughed. “That one is kind of true.”

Mary said, “Communication is all-important.”

“But the real secret,” Donald said, “is . . .”

Again, they exchanged a glance.

“You have to figure it out for yourself,” Mary said as Donald nodded. “Every marriage is different.”

This was disheartening. I was hoping for something easy. I told the Cohens I’d see them soon. I left, marveling over how sweet they were to each other and how wonderful it was they were still in love after all this time. Would Jason and I be as lucky?

The rest of the day passed in a blur of swimming and jogging and completing the obstacle course.

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