The Sweet Dreams Bake Shop (A Sweet Cove Mystery Book 1) Read Online Free Page A

color was closer to Angie’s, but Courtney’s hair was as straight as Jenna’s.
    The girls and their mother had spent many happy summers at Sweet Cove staying at their grandmother’s small cottage out on Robin’s Point. It was a tight squeeze fitting all of them into the tiny house, but Angie couldn’t remember happier times than when they were all together there. When Angie was twelve, her grandmother passed away and the cottage was sold. After that, the girls and their mother only came to Sweet Cove for day trips or an occasional weekend.
    Angie dropped her canvas bag on the floor next to the sofa and kicked off her shoes.
    “Let’s change fast.” Courtney tossed her sweater on the chair. “Then we can get in at least an hour of biking before dusk.”
    Angie’s heart ached with the sadness of Professor Linden’s passing and she just wanted to crawl into bed and take a nap, but she took a deep breath and went to the bedroom to put on her exercise clothes.
    ***
    The sky was streaked with pinks and violet when the girls returned from their ride as the sun was sinking behind the treetops. Exercising outdoors was just what Angie needed and she felt much less stressed when returning the bikes to the storage area in the basement. She decided she would go to check on Euclid after showering and eating some dinner.
    Angie chopped tomatoes, onions, and peppers and heated them in a frying pan while Courtney made garlic bread and warmed up tomato soup. Angie cracked eggs into a bowl with a bit of salt and beat them with a whisk for a few seconds. She poured them into the pan and swirled them with the veggies. When the omelets had firmed up, Angie sprinkled them with cheese and removed the pan from the burner. The girls took their plates of food and bowls of soup and curled up on the sofa to eat their dinner and talk.
    “I need to go take care of Euclid,” Angie said after devouring the food.
    “Do you want me to come?” Courtney wiped some soup from her chin.
    “No, I’ll go over myself. You concentrate on your schoolwork. I know you have that paper to write.” Angie stood and started to gather up the dishes but Courtney waved her off.
    “Go on. Go see the cat. I’ll handle clean-up. I’ll go with you in the morning to see him on our way to the bake shop.” Angie gave her sister a hug, grabbed a sweater, and headed off to see Euclid.
    Approaching Beach Street, a sinking feeling of sadness pulled at Angie’s stomach and she slowed her pace. The image of the professor lying on the brick walkway at the foot of her home’s front steps flashed in Angie’s mind. She tried to shake the mental picture from her brain. Streetlights illuminated the darkening sidewalks and the warmth of the day had dissipated leaving a chill in the evening air.
    The Victorian was shrouded in darkness. Climbing the front stairs to the wraparound porch, Angie pulled the key from her pocket. Low-level anxiety pricked at her as she inserted the key into the lock and she hoped there wasn’t a security alarm system that no one told her about. That’s all she would need, a screeching alarm going off while Euclid careened through the house as Angie desperately looked for how to turn it off.
    Opening the door, she braced herself and then let out a sigh of relief when the house remained silent. Her hand fumbled along the wall trying to find the light switch, and touching it, she flicked it on and lit up the foyer. The beauty of the space calmed her and her muscles relaxed. She hadn’t realized how wound up she was until the tension in her body eased a little.
    “Euclid?” Angie glanced into the dining room for the cat. She turned to the left of the entrance and headed for the living room. She turned on one of the lamps that stood on a side table and the light cast a warm glow over the room.
    “Here, kitty. Euclid?” The room was empty of any feline presence. I hope I don’t have to search eighteen rooms looking for him.
    Angie decided to head