Tastes Like Murder (Cookies & Chance Mysteries Book 1) Read Online Free

been busy." I put my hand up to smooth my own ebony hair. It was as long as Gianna's, but with slightly more curl. On humid days like this, it became a frizz fest. "Every day seems to bring in a few new customers. Little by little, we're getting there."
    "Well, that's because the place rocks." Gianna beamed.
    "We need to find your sister a man." Josie signaled to the waitress for another round. "Who's available in this town?"
    Gianna shrugged. "How would I know? Law books and prep classes are my life these days." She gave my arm a nudge. "Mom and Dad are upset you haven't been over for dinner all week. By the way, Jake O'Brien stopped by the house yesterday to fix the dishwasher. Mom tried to call you about a dozen times. Smells like a possible setup to me."
    I groaned. "Give me a break. Jake's a nice guy, but we're just friends."
    "Grandma's making your favorite tomorrow." My sister took a sip of her wine.
    I licked my lips with anticipation. "Braciole?"
    "Damn straight." She grinned.
    If there was one thing I couldn't resist, it was Grandma Rosa's braciole. My mouth watered, and I could almost taste the thin slices of beef, pan fried with a filling of herbs and cheese, then dipped into her rich tomato sauce. A definite comfort food since I had been a child. "Okay, I'll think about it."
    "Mom's worried about you. She said to forget the apartment and move back home for a while."
    I pressed my fingers against my temples. "Yeah, she's told me that about a thousand times." I was renting the building with an option to buy and had no intention of moving back home. Ever.
    "Have the divorce papers come through yet?" Ellen asked suddenly.
    My favorite topic. "It was final a few weeks ago."
    "Wow, that was fast, wasn't it?" Ellen observed.
    I nodded mutely . What else could I say? It was a huge relief to be done with the legal tangles. The divorce process had been an emotional roller coaster. I'd suspected Colin's indiscretions for quite a while before actually catching him with Amanda. He'd sworn it had only been the one time, but since Amanda owned a condo in Florida, I had no idea how long they might have been enjoying each other's company. When I refused to give him another chance, he became cruel and belittled me at every opportunity possible. I'd shed more than my fair share of tears and only wanted to move past it all.
    Gianna squeezed my hand while she addressed Ellen's question. "No-faults usually don't take very long because there's no children or property involved."
    "Would you believe that skank Amanda had the nerve to stop by the shop this afternoon?" Josie asked.
    "Get the heck out," Ellen said. "What did she want?"
    Josie reached for another beer. "Only to get in Sal's face and remind us how she wields all the power in this town."
    "Sickening," Gianna breathed.
    Ellen shook her head. "Some people are just born evil."
    Josie took a long sip. "She'll get hers eventually, if I have anything to say about it."
    I stared at my best friend. "Look, I'm fine now. It was a bit of a shock seeing her at first, but I think I did okay."
    "You were amazing." Josie grinned. "Calm, cool, and collected. But that bitch won't go away. I know her. She'll keep tormenting you."
    "This town is big enough for the both of us."
    Josie snickered. "I don't think any town that contains Amanda has spare breathing room. Hell, she could suck the air out of China."
    We laughed.
    Disgust was written all over Ellen's face. "She wouldn't even make a donation to Hopeful House when I asked her to." Ellen and a group of other nurses served on a committee that provided help to families of children with leukemia.
    Gianna's mouth fell open. "With all the money she's got? And it would be a tax write-off for her anyway."
    Ellen nodded. "Exactly. I don't know how anyone could be so selfish. What a useless turd."
    We all stared. Ellen had been quiet in high school, and I'd never known her to speak ill of anyone. She didn't have any children, but Josie had told me