Cinnamon Toasted Read Online Free

didn’t. Blame it on women’s intuition.
    “I’m surprised to find your shop still open after your usual closing time,” he said. A hint of Georgia lingered in his smooth baritone.
    I rinsed suds from the cups and setthem in a rack to drain. “Are you here in an official capacity, McBride? Or are you in the market for spice other than salt and pepper, your old standbys?”
    “Nothing wrong with good old salt and pepper.”
    “Boring.” I reached for a dish towel to dry my hands. “Food tastes better if you spice it up a bit.”
    He hooked his thumbs in his belt and grinned. The dimple in his right cheek made a briefappearance. “Would you believe my visit is part of a community outreach program? Sort of a ‘make nice with the local business owners’ project of mine?”
    “Nice try, but no.” I hung the towel on a hook to dry.
    Something in my tone caused my faithful mutt to wake from his nap. I swear Casey slept as much as a newborn. The pup yawned broadly, then padded over to the lawman to sit at his feet. Casey’stail swished back and forth like a metronome in a pathetic bid for attention.
    McBride squatted on his haunches and scratched the sweet spot behind Casey’s ears. The small dog practically writhed in ecstasy. “How you doing, boy?”
    Judging from Casey’s unabashed behavior, I concluded my pet was doing quite well indeed. I’d lecture him later on the pitfalls of being too “easy.” A more discerninganimal would have held out for a doggy treat before surrendering in a undignified display of adoration.
    “So how’s business?” McBride asked as he got to his feet.
    “Why the sudden interest?” I swept past him, headed for the front of the shop.
    McBride joined me as I started tidying up. Grabbing the champagne bottle, I debated whether to save what was left or dump the contents. McBride raised abrow. “Since when have you started drinking in the middle of the day? Experts say drinking alone is a bad habit.”
    “I wasn’t drinking alone.” I dropped the bottle in the waste basket with a resounding thud. “I had company.”
    He waited for me to continue.
    “ Plenty of company.” I huffed out a breath. “Reba Mae and Melly were here. We were celebrating.”
    “Celebrating?” A corner of his mouth twitchedin another smile. “I’m having a hard time picturing prim and proper Melly Prescott sipping champagne in the middle of the afternoon—and out of a teacup, no less.”
    “Well, I’m fresh out of champagne flutes.” I hoisted the trash bag from the basket, tied it shut, and set it by the back door as a reminder to put it in the Dumpster later. Then I returned to the front of the shop where McBride waited.“Reba Mae won a role in a play the opera house is putting on this season.”
    “Don’t tell me—Melly Prescott is also a budding thespian, and there was a part for an older woman who is never without her pearls.”
    The thought of Melly onstage in her signature pearls and twinsets made me laugh. “No,” I said. “Melly isn’t destined to be an actress, but she’s about to come into a nice sum of money.”
    “How’s that? She win the Georgia lottery?”
    “No lottery ticket needed in Melly’s case. Seems she has a God-given knack with computers. She redesigned a software program. Some company’s convinced it’ll be their next big moneymaker.”
    McBride shook his head, bemused. “Never would have guessed she’d be the type to even own a computer.”
    “Goes to show, you can’t judge a book by its cover.” I openedthe cash register to tally the day’s sales. “Not only is Melly a computer whiz, she can also program a DVR, converse on Facebook, has more apps on her smartphone than Lindsey, and—” I paused for dramatic effect. “—she can text with her thumbs.”
    “Both thumbs, eh?” McBride said, sounding suitably impressed. “Gotta admire someone with that kind of skill set.”
    I glanced up from my neat piles offives, tens, and twenties.