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

conference and
we can do some exploring. You can check out local markets for spices and fruits
– it could be a perfect way to break through your baker’s block. What do you
think?”
    “That
sounds so tempting,” Missy nodded thoughtfully. “But what about my shops? I
can’t just abandon them now that they’re up and running.”
    “Ben
is more than capable of handling one of the shops, and Cheryl could handle the
other. You said you were going to hire another crew member for the LaChance
shop anyway – you’d have two weeks to bring them up to speed and you’d be fully
staffed while you were away.”
    “But
what if Cheryl isn’t ready to take charge of a shop yet?” she worried.
    “Didn’t
you say that she’s much more capable than she realizes?” Chas reminded her.
“This could be your chance to boost her confidence and show her that she’s
completely able to take charge. Besides, Ben is just a phone call away if she
panics.”
    “That’s
true. So I’d be restarting my creativity, and helping Cheryl overcome her fears
at the same time,” she mused, nodding.
    “Exactly!”
Chas agreed. “It’s a win/win, what could go wrong?”
    Missy’s
eyes sparkled as she impulsively reached over to hug his neck. “Yes, let’s do
this! Make the reservations,” she grinned.

Chapter 2
     
    Missy’s
heart went out to Grayson Myers the moment that she met him. He had an
appearance that might seem scary to many of the folks who frequented Missy’s
Muffins and More, but all that the perceptive owner saw in this quiet young man
was the haunted sadness of his eyes, and the shy, sweet smile that lit up the
room. The fact that one of his ears and his lip were pierced, he dressed in
black and wore his thick, glossy, dark hair long, didn’t distract her from
seeing the sensitive, intelligent person underneath. Their conversation went
well beyond that of discussing the information contained on his application for
employment, and Missy found out that his father had died when he was young, his
mother had worked several jobs to keep her and her baby boy afloat, and that he
was studying biology in college with the goal of saving the planet. His manner
was respectful, his heart was kind and Missy hired him on the spot, knowing
that Cheryl would take him under her wing. Telling him to report to the
LaChance shop bright and early on Monday morning, Missy felt confident that she
had made the right choice.
    Missy
took a deep breath, leaned her head back against the headrest, and checked her
phone for emergency texts from Cheryl one last time before shutting her phone
off for takeoff. She and Chas were flying out of New Orleans, and would be
arriving in Cozumel just after lunch. They planned to settle in at the resort,
then find somewhere authentic and wonderful for lunch before heading out to
explore a bit.
    The
brilliant blue skies, smell of the ocean, and plethora of brightly colored
exotic flowers nearly took Missy’s breath away when they arrived in Cozumel.
The sun shone brightly, as though welcoming the couple to the tropical
paradise. They checked in at the front desk, cooled by ocean breezes wafting
through the lobby, and received keys to their rooms that were conveniently
located across the hall from each other. Missy surveyed the opulent interior of
her room, taking in the dark rattan furnishings, snowy white linens and
spectacular view of the ocean. She unpacked, placing her things in drawers and
on hangers in the spacious closet and tossing a clean outfit to change into
onto the bed, along with a swimsuit for later. She’d never been outside of the
US before, and planned to make the most of every second in another country. She
turned her phone on to check for texts and saw that Cheryl had texted.
    “ I’m
so sorry to bother you while you’re on vacay, Ms. G., but I had a customer who
wanted a box for her cupcakes rather than a bag, even though she wasn’t buying
a full dozen, so I gave her a box anyway to