“Don’t worry; we’ll wait for you. Perhaps,” she added with a twinkle in her eye. Momma was definitely happier these days, and I knew that Chief Martin being in her life had a great deal to do with it. That factor alone had made me more willing to accept the man for what he was, and in turn, he’d begun to trust my unofficial capabilities more. I knew that something might derail our new spirit of cooperation, though, so I planned to enjoy it all while I could.
I took a chicken leg, basted in sauce and simmering in the oven for an hour, and helped myself to some of the veggies my mother was so good at making. After cutting them into chunks, she drizzled them in olive oil and added a little sea salt, then roasted them in the oven. They were incredible, each bite perfectly done, crisp on the outside and perfect inside. The chicken was moist and juicy, and I added a little of Momma’s sauce from the pan to top mine off.
After we’d eaten, Momma said, “It always amazes me how good something can be that doesn’t cost all that much to prepare and serve.”
“You don’t give yourself enough credit,” Grace said. “I could take the exact same ingredients and render them into something entirely inedible.”
“I’m sure you’re just being too hard on yourself.”
“Obviously you’ve never tasted her cooking,” I said with a smile.
Grace laughed at my comment. “You’re one to talk.”
“Hey, I’m a specialist more than a general chef. I might not be able to do much besides make donuts, but I’m very good at what I do.”
“Agreed,” Grace said as she stood and started gathering dishes.
Momma stood as well. “Grace, leave those to me.”
“We don’t mind helping,” I said as I joined them as they cleared the table. “After all, it’s the least that we can do.”
Normally Momma might fight me on it, but this time she just smiled. “If you’re sure you two don’t mind, I’ve gotten into a new mystery that I just can’t put down. It’s about a diner, of all things, if you can imagine that.”
“Is it all about the food?” Grace asked. “I might like to read that myself when you’re finished.”
“Not just comfort food, but crime solving, too,” Momma said. “There’s a large family working at the diner itself, but the main amateur detectives are a granddaughter and her grandfather. I’ll be honest with you. I hesitated to start reading books electronically at first, but once I took the plunge, I was sold.”
“Sometimes they make life easier than toting books around, don’t they?” I said. “My book group has been picking some huge books lately, and I have to admit, I enjoy the rest it gives my arms not having to hold a paper book up at night.”
“Go on and read,” Grace said. “We’ve got this.”
As we cleared the dishes and put the leftovers away in the fridge, Grace asked me, “Have you come up with any new ideas?”
“About who killed Jude?” I asked.
“No, I was wondering what you were going to do about the wedding donuts.”
I hit my forehead. “Honestly, I forgot all about them.”
“Well, you’d better come up with something,” Grace said. “Emily’s expecting miracles from you, and if I know her mother, she’s not going to accept anything less than perfection.”
“After we finish the dishes, let’s invite Momma to brainstorm with us. She’ll get a kick out of it, and I could use all of the help I can get.”
“I’m all for it,” Grace said.
We made short work of the dishes, and when we came into the living room, we found Momma engrossed in her e-reader.
“Do you have a minute?” I asked her.
“Of course,” she said as she turned it off and put it on the coffee table. “What can I do for you?”
“I’m afraid that I might be in over my head with something,” I said.
Momma just smiled. “It wouldn’t be the first time that I’ve ever heard that in your life.”
I laughed, recalling the times in the past that I’d said the exact same thing. “It’s different this time, since Emily wants me to create wedding donuts for the reception in honor of the role I played in getting her and Max together.”
“Personally, I think it’s a wonderful idea.”
“You don’t think it’s a little unconventional?” I asked her.
“Suzanne, being the maid of honor in your ex-husband’s wedding sort of threw conventionality out the window, wouldn’t you say?”
“So, what are your thoughts?” I asked.