Cupcakes and Murder: A Frosted Love Cozy Mystery (Book 5) (Frosted Love Mysteries) by Carol Durand, Summer Prescott Page A

Cheryl had
just vacated.
    “Oh
my goodness, Chas, it was crazy! Cheryl and I were busy from open to close – it
was such a great reopening,” she smiled, tired, but delighted nonetheless.
    “You
didn’t happen to save me a Cupcake of the Day, did you?” Beckett asked
hopefully.
    “Of
course I did, but you’re going to have to get it yourself, I’m taking a
breather,” she teased, indicating a cake keeper on the counter that had exactly
one Campfire Cupcake left in it. Knowing that Chas would want one, Missy had
kept it hidden behind the counter until closing time.
    “I
think I’ve put on a couple of pounds since we started dating,” the incredibly
fit detective grumbled, good-naturedly.
    “It
suits you,” she observed, admiring Chas Beckett’s impressive form and blushing
when he turned around and caught her. He discreetly chose to let her off the
hook and not reply, when he saw the suffusion of color in her cheeks, and took
a massive bite of his treat instead.
    He
closed his eyes at the flavor, and shook his head slowly from side to side. “I
don’t know how you do it, but I have the strangest feeling I’m going to be
gaining a few more pounds if you keep this up,” he remarked, savoring the bite.
    “Thanks,”
Missy replied, pleased with his reaction. “But I’m feeling a little…I don’t
know, stagnant I suppose.”
    “Stagnant?
What do you mean?” Chas was surprised. “You have two thriving businesses, if
that’s not growth, I don’t know what would be.”
    “No,
I don’t mean in that regard. I love the success of both shops, but I want some
fresh ideas – some new and exotic flavor combinations to try out. I’ve been
experimenting, but I feel like I’m running out of innovative ideas,” she
explained.
    “Hmm…so
you want some fresh, exotic and innovative ideas? I have an idea that might
just help you out.”
    “Really?
What?” Missy asked eagerly. She loved being creative in the kitchen and testing
out all sorts of flavor combinations for her specialty cupcakes, but she had
felt frustrated lately.
    “When’s
the last time you took a vacation?”
    Missy
was puzzled, not understanding how his question could possibly relate to the
topic at hand. “I’ve never been on vacation. What does that have to do with
anything?”
    “You
mean to tell me that you’ve owned this business since you were seventeen years
old and you’ve never had a vacation?” Chas was astounded.
    “Well,
I mean, I’ve been to cupcake competitions on occasion, but other than that, no.
There was never time for me to do that – I have a business to run.”
    Chas
shook his head, looking at her with admiration and disbelief. “Well,
fortunately, you now have staff members who can take care of things in your
absence.” He leaned forward, gazing at her intently. “Look Missy, I know how
much your businesses mean to you, and I know how hard you’ve worked to make
them as successful as they are, but even the hardest workers need a break every
now and then. You need to recharge, have a change of scenery, and get your
creative juices flowing again. A vacation sounds just like what the doctor
ordered to stimulate your creativity,” he urged, taking her hand and rubbing
his thumb over the back of it unconsciously while he talked.
    “Oh
Chas, I wouldn’t even know where to begin,” she protested, a bit overwhelmed at
the thought, but intrigued at the same time.
    “I
have an idea,” he smiled, reassuring her. “There is a forensics conference that
I’ll be attending in Cozumel in a couple of weeks, and because I’ve signed up
for the entire week, I can get rooms at a very high-end resort for next to
nothing. Why don’t you come with me? We can get a couple of rooms, and you’ll
have exotic, tropical inspiration every day while I’m in a grand lecture hall,
then we can meet up in the evenings to explore new cuisines and relax. I’ll
take a couple of extra days at the beginning and the end of the