Free Death Waxed Over (Book 3 in the Candlemaking Mysteries) by Tim Myers

morning.”
    She smiled. “You mean something along the
lines of a bakery item?”
    “ I wouldn’t say no to
something sweet,” I said.
    “ I’ve got just the thing, if
you can wait five minutes. It’s cooling on the rack. It’s called
Apple Pan Dowdy and it’s wonderful, if I say so myself. I got the
recipe from George’s mother, though she put off giving it to me
until we’d been married ten years. She wanted to make sure the
marriage was going to last before she shared the family secret;
it’s that good.”
    “ I can’t wait,” I
said.
    “ Well, you’re going to have
to force yourself. It’s so much better when it’s cooled slightly.”
She lowered her voice, though most of her customers had taken the
tables near the windows to enjoy the river view. “How are
you?”
    “ Well, I was hoping it was
just my imagination, but if things keep going the way they are, I’m
going to be out of the candleshop business by spring.”
    “ Harrison, you’ve got to
have more faith in people than that. Your customers are going to
stick by you.”
    I considered telling her about Mrs.
Jorgenson’s cancellation, and the feeble excuse she’d used, but
there was no reason to burden Millie with my problems. “Yeah,
you’re probably right.”
    “ That’s the spirit.” Her
telephone rang, and as she answered it, I looked through the
display case to see what else Millie had been up to. Though she was
trying to keep her voice low, I could catch everything she was
saying. “I won’t do it, George, so stop asking.” After a pause, she
said, “I don’t care what they think, and frankly, I’m disappointed
you do. Good-bye, George.”
    Millie hung up the telephone rather
forcefully, then stared at me a moment. “Don’t pretend you didn’t
hear that,” she said.
    “ It’s none of my business,”
I said.
    “ That’s where you’re wrong.
Some of the folks George works with think I should take a vacation
until this mess is cleared up, and my loving husband, who’s
normally bright enough to know better, suggested I do just
that.”
    “ Millie, I’m sorry. I can’t
believe this is affecting you.”
    “ We’re a family here,
Harrison. What affects one of us affects the rest. Don’t you worry,
I’m not going anywhere.”
    “ Thanks, I appreciate
that.”
    Millie said, “In fact, I can do you one
better than that. I made an extra Pan Dowdy for George, but he’s
shown himself particularly unworthy at the moment. I want you to
have it; if you like the recipe, that is.”
    “ I shouldn’t,” I said,
thinking of the calories more than anything else.
    “ Nonsense, you’ll hurt my
feelings if you turn it down. It’s either you or George eating
this. Otherwise it’s going in the garbage.”
    A man from one of the tables said, “If they
don’t want it, I’ll pay top dollar, Millie. I’ve had your Pan Dowdy
before.”
    “ Harry James Hickman, you
know better than to eavesdrop on other folks while they’re
talking.” Then she winked at him and added, “But I might save you a
piece if you play your cards right.”
    “ Yes, Ma’am,” Harry said
with a smile.
    “ Would it help if I talked
to George myself?” I said. “Maybe I can convince him that I didn’t
do anything wrong.”
    Millie shook her head. “Thanks for the
offer, but I’m sure he’ll realize his error by the time he gets
home, especially after he misses the smell of my cooking. He
doesn’t know it yet, but George is taking me out to dinner
tonight.”
    I was about to reply when Suzanne Gladstone
rushed in. She made straight for me and said, “Harrison, I need
Pearly, and I need him fast.”
    “ I’m sorry, but he’s taking
a few days off.”
    “ I’m sorry too, more than I
can tell you. What am I supposed to do? I’ve got a leak in my
bathroom pipes.”
    “ I’ll take a look and see
what I can do,” I said, not all that confident I could
help.
    Millie said, “Don’t forget to come back here
for your treat after you’re