Free Sweet as Pie Crimes by Anisa Claire West Page B

about unsolved crimes and unbaked pies and unfaithful ex-husbands.  All we had was the softness of each other’s lips and the scent of one another’s skin as we both dove ardently into the kiss and unlocked secret passions with each breath.

Epilogue
    3 Weeks Later
    Buttercup Valley, Washington
    Deep Dish Delights Pie Shoppe
    Spraying the whipped cream onto my newest Sensual Strawberry Rhubarb pie, I looked proudly at my decadent creation, hoping that it would be another runaway success.  But it wasn’t the county fair judges who I cared about impressing this time.  There was only one person whose seal of approval I sought with this deep dish pie.  Carrying the glass serving platter in my hands, I strolled to the front of the shoppe where Marcus was waiting patiently, sipping a mocha latte.
    “That looks incredible,” he said, smacking his lips as I smiled in satisfaction.
    “Let’s hope it tastes even more incredible.  You’re the first one to try it,” I revealed, setting the dish in front of him as he eagerly dug in with a fork.
    “Oh.  Oh! This is too good to be true.” He licked the fork and gazed at me with pleasure.  “And I’m not talking about the pie.  You’re too good to be true, Becca.”
    Since my divorce, I had struggled too long with the jaded myth of “too good to be true.” Why couldn’t a person be both good and true?  Through leaps and bounds of faith, I had found Marcus to possess the seemingly incompatible qualities of goodness and truth.  Once the forensic tests came back from the crime lab, Benson Helling’s DNA on the knife had been positively identified with a staggering .001 percent margin of error.  Following this revelation, he had been arrested at his bar and grille as Marcus’s name was finally cleared.  On that day, I had learned that my faith in Marcus had not been misplaced.  He truly deserved my trust despite our rocky beginning, what with the car accident and kidnapping!  I shook my head in silent laughter, remembering the moment I had finally told Marcus that I was divorced.  Initially, he had been annoyed that I had withheld this information, but he couldn’t argue when I pointed out that if I could forgive him for kidnapping me, then he could certainly let it slide that I hadn’t told him about my divorce!
    Now as we sat together, sharing a slice of impossibly sweet strawberry pie, I wondered how I was going to break it to Lori that we were a couple.  I hoped she would understand but knew that the idea of dating my captor might earn at least a frown of disapproval from her, if not a preachy lecture.  Maybe if she knew that he’s a pediatrician and still devotedly pushing towards a cure for little Victoria’s eye condition Lori would understand my love for him.  But as my eyes merged with Marcus’s, and I swept a pie crumb off his stubbly face, I didn’t care what anyone thought anymore.  I didn’t know what the future held for the two of us, but I knew he was here with me now.  And he made me very, very happy.  Almost as happy as a second slice of this gooey, luscious pie would make me. 
    ***

*BONUS SECTION*
     
     
    10 MOUTH WATERING PIE RECIPES
     
     
    TURN THE PAGE TO START BAKING LIKE BECCA!!

Recipe #1
    Sensual Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
    2 unbaked pie shells
3/4 cups of sugar
1/3 cups of flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
2 1/2 cups of fresh strawberries, cut in half
2 1/2 cups of rhubarb pieces
    Combine sugar, flour, salt, strawberries, and rhubarb.   Mix well.  Place filling in an unbaked pie shell,  Cover with top shell. Crimp edges. Cut a few slits in top crust. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes with foil wrapped around edge of pie. Remove the foil and bake until golden brown for 25 minutes.  For an extra injection of fruit flavor, serve with strawberry ice cream (Häagen Dazs is the recommended brand for its creaminess!)

Recipe #2
    Cling Peaches Pie
    1/2 cup of sugar
2 eggs (organic, cage-free)
Pinch of salt
1 unbaked pie shell
6