Read Online Football is Murder (Bee's Bakehouse Cozy Mysteries Book 4) (Bee's Bakehouse Mysteries) by Kathy Cranston - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kathy Cranston
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is!”
Jessie clasped her hands to her chest. “Wow. I’m not used to such a warm welcome.”
“Don’t listen to her. Of course she is,” Aunt Bee said from behind the counter.
Melanie was wandering around the café floor with a cloth in her hand, wiping down the tables.
“I see she’s put you to work.”
Melanie nodded enthusiastically. “Of course—wouldn’t have it any other way. Remember how excited we used to be to come work here?”
Jessie walked over and pulled out one of the stools at the counter. “Do I? It was an ongoing fantasy of mine for years. Whenever I had a bad day at work I used to dream of dropping everything and moving here and working in the Bakehouse.”
Melanie smiled almost wistfully. “And that’s what you did.”
“Why don’t you two sit and have something to eat,” Aunt Bee barked.
Jessie looked at her cousin in surprise. “Sure. I’ll just drop my purse in the back. It’ll be good to have a proper chat.”
* * *
“Talk to her,” Bee hissed.
Jessie turned around, surprised. She didn’t realize her aunt had followed her into the kitchen.
“Yeah, that’s what we’re going to do.”
Bee shook her head and paused. “There’s something up with her, Jessie. That’s what I mean. Talk to her. Find out what’s on her mind.”
Jessie’s breath caught in her throat. It was one thing to be mildly concerned and not say anything. It was another matter entirely if Aunt Bee had the same worries.
“What do you think it is? I have to admit, I’ve been a bit worried about her since she arrived.”
Bee wrung her hands. “I don’t know. And I don’t want to pry.”
“But it’s okay if I do?”
Bee shrugged. “Sure. You’re the same age. You have a different relationship. I don’t want her to think I’m nagging.”
Jessie patted her aunt’s arm affectionately. “I’ll try. Aunt Bee?”
“What?”
“I’m glad you’re looking out for us.”
It was true. Jessie might have been a grown woman for longer than she hadn’t been; she might have been independent and able to stand on her own two feet. But it was nice to have somebody in her corner. Bee may have been concerned about Melanie, but she knew the same would be true if it was Jessie who was acting strangely.
* * *
“This is so nice,” Melanie gushed, hugging her arms around herself.
She looked more rested than she had when she arrived, Jessie thought, trying to scrutinize her cousin without her noticing.
“I’m so glad you’re here. We’ve got so much to catch up on.”
“We do,” Melanie said. “Like you buying a stake in the Bakehouse.”
Jessie took a bite of her cheesecake. “I know, right? It was something I’d been thinking of for a long time. I guess I had this idea that I’d come here and look after Aunt Bee—pay her back for how good she was to me when I was a kid. Then I arrived and realized that Bee of all people doesn’t need to be taken care of.”
“But you stayed anyway.”
Jessie nodded. “Sure. It still felt right. And investing some of my redundancy payout in the café felt right. It allows Aunt Bee a bit more financial freedom. And I’m part owner of something amazing.”
“I might have to do the same.”
Confusion washed over Jessie. “Yeah… I was in a different place—don’t forget that. I’d lost my job and my marriage had fallen apart.”
Melanie swallowed. “Funny how our lives seem to mirror each other.”
“How do you mean?” Jessie asked warily.
Her cousin shrugged and looked around the café. She must have felt it was safe to talk because she went on after she’d checked that the place was practically empty.
“I lost my job. Can you believe it? After telling me I was on track to make partner, they laid me off.”
“What?” Jessie gasped. As much as she’d been dedicated to her own career, Melanie had been on another level. Jessie was surprised that Melanie hadn’t made partner yet, let alone that they’d gotten rid of
Jessie clasped her hands to her chest. “Wow. I’m not used to such a warm welcome.”
“Don’t listen to her. Of course she is,” Aunt Bee said from behind the counter.
Melanie was wandering around the café floor with a cloth in her hand, wiping down the tables.
“I see she’s put you to work.”
Melanie nodded enthusiastically. “Of course—wouldn’t have it any other way. Remember how excited we used to be to come work here?”
Jessie walked over and pulled out one of the stools at the counter. “Do I? It was an ongoing fantasy of mine for years. Whenever I had a bad day at work I used to dream of dropping everything and moving here and working in the Bakehouse.”
Melanie smiled almost wistfully. “And that’s what you did.”
“Why don’t you two sit and have something to eat,” Aunt Bee barked.
Jessie looked at her cousin in surprise. “Sure. I’ll just drop my purse in the back. It’ll be good to have a proper chat.”
* * *
“Talk to her,” Bee hissed.
Jessie turned around, surprised. She didn’t realize her aunt had followed her into the kitchen.
“Yeah, that’s what we’re going to do.”
Bee shook her head and paused. “There’s something up with her, Jessie. That’s what I mean. Talk to her. Find out what’s on her mind.”
Jessie’s breath caught in her throat. It was one thing to be mildly concerned and not say anything. It was another matter entirely if Aunt Bee had the same worries.
“What do you think it is? I have to admit, I’ve been a bit worried about her since she arrived.”
Bee wrung her hands. “I don’t know. And I don’t want to pry.”
“But it’s okay if I do?”
Bee shrugged. “Sure. You’re the same age. You have a different relationship. I don’t want her to think I’m nagging.”
Jessie patted her aunt’s arm affectionately. “I’ll try. Aunt Bee?”
“What?”
“I’m glad you’re looking out for us.”
It was true. Jessie might have been a grown woman for longer than she hadn’t been; she might have been independent and able to stand on her own two feet. But it was nice to have somebody in her corner. Bee may have been concerned about Melanie, but she knew the same would be true if it was Jessie who was acting strangely.
* * *
“This is so nice,” Melanie gushed, hugging her arms around herself.
She looked more rested than she had when she arrived, Jessie thought, trying to scrutinize her cousin without her noticing.
“I’m so glad you’re here. We’ve got so much to catch up on.”
“We do,” Melanie said. “Like you buying a stake in the Bakehouse.”
Jessie took a bite of her cheesecake. “I know, right? It was something I’d been thinking of for a long time. I guess I had this idea that I’d come here and look after Aunt Bee—pay her back for how good she was to me when I was a kid. Then I arrived and realized that Bee of all people doesn’t need to be taken care of.”
“But you stayed anyway.”
Jessie nodded. “Sure. It still felt right. And investing some of my redundancy payout in the café felt right. It allows Aunt Bee a bit more financial freedom. And I’m part owner of something amazing.”
“I might have to do the same.”
Confusion washed over Jessie. “Yeah… I was in a different place—don’t forget that. I’d lost my job and my marriage had fallen apart.”
Melanie swallowed. “Funny how our lives seem to mirror each other.”
“How do you mean?” Jessie asked warily.
Her cousin shrugged and looked around the café. She must have felt it was safe to talk because she went on after she’d checked that the place was practically empty.
“I lost my job. Can you believe it? After telling me I was on track to make partner, they laid me off.”
“What?” Jessie gasped. As much as she’d been dedicated to her own career, Melanie had been on another level. Jessie was surprised that Melanie hadn’t made partner yet, let alone that they’d gotten rid of
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