Southern Peach Pie and A Dead Guy (Poppy Peters Mysteries Book 1) by A. Gardner

Author:A. Gardner [Gardner, A.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Gemma Halliday Publishing
Published: 2015-03-03T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

James pulls ingredients from the cupboards and grabs a handful of peaches from a fruit bowl on the kitchen table. He begins peeling the peaches, and right away I know what he's making. He is making Francois's famous peach pie. I watch him curiously as he cuts chunks of butter for the dough.

"You can probably make this in your sleep," James comments. I look to Cole. He is staring at the oven which is emitting the delightful smell of roast turkey.

"Not exactly," I say quietly. "I kind of bombed my first day."

"Well here." James passes me the bowl. "Let's see you at work."

I nervously nod and begin adding more ingredients to the dough. I begin mixing it with my hands like I did the first day of class. Cole sits at the kitchen table and starts chatting with a petite woman who just entered the room with a basket full of produce.

"Whoa." James stops me. "Take your time. We're not in a hurry here." He urges me to knead the dough slower. "You know, I've had tons of peach pies in my day but nothing beats this one. Do you want to know why?" I shrug. "Because my Dad used to make it for me."

"I used to bake with my grandma," I respond. I smile thinking about those Sunday afternoons we spent together. "She used to make these amazing little candies that she learned how to make in South America where she grew up."

"And I bet if you made those now you would enjoy every step of the process," James responds.

"Yeah." I watch him mix the peach filling as I think about Grandma Liz and the way she used to tease my dad for still cutting the crust off of his sandwiches.

"It's comfort food." James puts the pie together with little effort. His hands seem to move on their own, having memorized each step since infancy. "The food we eat that brings us back to those cherished moments. The turkey, collard greens, and peach pie will always remind me of family."

"I don't know if I've ever thought of food that way."

"Mary Ann, darling." James looks at the woman who is showing Cole her basket of persimmons. "This is Poppy and Cole. They're visiting from Georgia."

"Oh really?" Mary Ann replies. She's tan with blonde hair. She looks younger than James. "What brings you two to the farm?"

"They're from the academy," James adds.

"Oh." She has a surprised look on her face. "We've never had visitors from there before. Isn't this a treat?"

I smile and watch James proudly put the pie in one of his ovens. He has two that are stacked on top of each other. I help Mary Ann set the table, and Cole volunteers to make the collard greens. He immediately grabs a pot and gets to work on cooking them. James's daughter comes to the table and brings her teenage boyfriend who has on a beanie that covers most of his head. I try not to laugh when James gives him the stare down.

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