“We’re safe now.” Brenda stroked his cheek.
“And, thanks to Joyce not hanging up the phone, I heard every word of what happened here.” Detective Crackle stepped forward and gazed at Joyce intently. “Are you hurt?”
“No.” Joyce smiled as she reached for his hand. “I’m not hurt at all.”
“Good.” Detective Crackle took her hand, then wrapped his other arm around her and pulled her in for a tight hug. Joyce was stunned by the embrace. “Please.” He lowered his voice so that only she could hear. “Please don’t ever scare me like that again.”
As Joyce pulled back to meet his eyes, her heart skipped a beat. She waited for a smile to cross his lips, to soften his words, to turn them into a light joke. Instead, his expression remained serious. “Promise me?”
Stunned, she nodded slowly. “I promise.”
He smiled then, before he turned and walked off towards Cecilia.
Brenda gazed at her friend with a small smile on her lips.
“Not a word, Brenda!” Joyce held up one hand.
“I didn’t say anything.” Brenda’s eyes widened as her smile spread into a grin.
“Don’t you have some donuts to make, or something?” Joyce rolled her eyes.
“Oh really?” Brenda laughed. “Don’t you have some paperwork to catch up on?”
“How about both of you take the day off.” Charlie wrapped his arms around both of their shoulders. “There is a little girl at home who is waiting for the ice cream I promised her.”
“Ice cream, yes.” Joyce nodded quickly. “Lots of it.”
“We need whipped cream, too.” Brenda grinned as Charlie started to lead them away.
“Fine, fine, whatever you want.” Charlie laughed.
“Wait.” Brenda looked back over her shoulder at Joey who had settled on the edge of his bed. “Joey, do you like ice cream?”
“Absolutely!” Joey smiled.
“Let’s go have some.” Brenda gestured to him.
Charlie hesitated as he looked at Brenda, then at Joyce. Then he nodded as Joey stood up.
“We can definitely make that happen.”
“Crackle!” Joyce waved her hand in his direction. “When you’re finished here, come join us for some ice cream!”
The End
***
Thank you very much for reading Frosted Donuts and Fatal Falls. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. You can sign up for my newsletter to be notified of my latest releases so you don’t miss out on the special new release price at
http://www.cindybellbooks.com
Frosted Vanilla Donut Recipe
Ingredients:
Donuts:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup melted butter
Oil for deep frying
Vanilla Frosting:
2 tablespoons milk plus extra to thin the frosting if necessary
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Preparation:
Prepare a baking tray by lining it with parchment paper and a bit of flour and set aside. Take paper towel and lie it under and over a cooling rack ready to drain the donuts.
In a bowl combine the sifted flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg and salt. Add the sugar.
In another bowl lightly beat the egg. Add the buttermilk, vanilla extract and melted butter.
Gradually add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until well-combined.
With lightly floured hands push the mixture out on the lined and floured baking tray until it is about half an inch thick and then using a donut cutter cut out the donuts. Take the off- cuts and roll out again and cut. It should make about 12 donut holes and donuts.
Using a deep fryer, a heavy bottomed pot or a dutch oven heat the oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Fry a few donut holes and donuts at a time. When the donuts turn light brown, turn them over and fry the other side until golden brown. About a minute on each side. Set the fried donuts on the prepared cooling rack.
To prepare the frosting, whisk together the milk, butter, vanilla extract and confectioners’ sugar in a bowl until well-combined. Gradually whisk in more milk if necessary to get the desired consistency.
Dip the warm donuts into the frosting and place on the rack to set.
Enjoy!!
Also by Cindy Bell
Donut Truck Cozy Mysteries
Deadly Deals and Donuts
Fatal Festive Donuts
Bunny Donuts and a Body
Strawberry Donuts and Scandal
Chocolate Centered Cozy Mysteries
The Sweet Smell of Murder
A Deadly Delicious Delivery
A Bitter Sweet Murder
A Treacherous Tasty Trail
Pastry and Peril
Trouble and Treats
Fudge Films and Felonies
Custom-Made Murder
Skydiving, Soufflés and Sabotage
Christmas Chocolates and Crimes
Hot Chocolate and Homicide
Chocolate Caramels and Conmen
Picnics, Pies and Lies
Devils Food Cake and Drama
Cinnamon and a Corspe
Nuts About Nuts Cozy Mysteries
A Tough Case to Crack
A Seed of Doubt
Wagging Tail Cozy Mysteries
Murder at Pawprint Creek
Murder at Pooch Park
Murder at the Pet Boutique
A Merry Murder at St. Bernard Cabins
Murder at the Dog Training Academy
Dune House Cozy Mysteries
Seaside Secrets
Boats and Bad Guys
Treasured History
Hidden Hideaways
Dodgy Dealings
Suspects and Surprises
Ruffled Feathers
A Fishy Discovery
Danger in the Depths
Celebrities and Chaos
Pups, Pilots and Peril
Tides, Trails and Trouble
Racing and Robberies
Athletes and Alibis
Manuscripts and Deadly Motives
Pelicans, Pier and Poison
Sage Gardens Cozy Mysteries
Birthdays Can Be Deadly
Money Can Be Deadly
Trust Can Be Deadly
Ties Can Be Deadly
Rocks Can Be Deadly
Jewelry Can Be Deadly
Numbers Can Be Deadly
Memories Can Be Deadly
Paintings Can Be Deadly
Snow Can Be Deadly
Tea Can Be Deadly
Greed Can Be Deadly
Clutter Can Be Deadly
Bekki the Beautician Cozy Mysteries
Hairspray and Homicide
A Dyed Blonde and a Dead Body
Mascara and Murder
Pageant and Poison
Conditioner and a Corpse
Mistletoe, Makeup and Murder
Hairpin, Hair Dryer and Homicide
Blush, a Bride and a Body
Shampoo and a Stiff
Cosmetics, a Cruise and a Killer
Lipstick, a Long Iron and Lifeless
Camping, Concealer and Criminals
Treated and Dyed
A Wrinkle-Free Murder
A Macaron Patisserie Cozy Mystery Series
Sifting for Suspects
Recipes and Revenge
Mansions, Macarons and Murder
Heavenly Highland Inn Cozy Mysteries
Murdering the Roses
Dead in the Daisies
Killing th
e Carnations
Drowning the Daffodils
Suffocating the Sunflowers
Books, Bullets and Blooms
A Deadly Serious Gardening Contest
A Bridal Bouquet and a Body
Digging for Dirt
Wendy the Wedding Planner Cozy Mysteries
Matrimony, Money and Murder
Chefs, Ceremonies and Crimes
Knives and Nuptials
Mice, Marriage and Murder
About the Author
Cindy Bell is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author. She is the author of the cozy mystery series Wagging Tail, Donut Truck, Dune House, Sage Gardens, Chocolate Centered, Macaron Patisserie, Nuts about Nuts, Bekki the Beautician, Heavenly Highland Inn and Wendy the Wedding Planner.
Cindy has always loved reading, but it is only recently that she has discovered her passion for writing romantic cozy mysteries. She loves walking along the beach thinking of the next adventure her characters can embark on.
You can sign up for her newsletter so you are notified of her latest releases at http://www.cindybellbooks.com.