Black Sheep Cake (Strawberry Top Short Mystery 2): Strawberry Top Mysteries, #2

By CC Dragon

Being the odd one out is even worse in a small town where everyone knows your business… 

Stacey "Strawberry Top" Fields is divorced and back home in Willowbrook, TN. Teased for her red hair a kid, she feels on display again as she tries to restart her life. A prize-winning cook and blue ribbon baker, Stacey is debating a suggestion by her best friend, Brandy Jo. Recording a cooking show for the Internet sounds like fun but is it a career? 

A divorced single mom, Brandy Jo wants to produce the show but has other pressing problems. Her family is having a reunion and she’s the black sheep failure with an ex-husband, one son, and a few part-time jobs. It gets much worse when her nice but uninsured car, a gift from a wealthy aunt, disappears. 

Luckily, Stacey is helping with the desserts table and making Brandy Jo’s favorite chocolate cake. Plus, Stacey is known for her amateur sleuthing skills. Her best friend needs that car and whoever stole it will be made to pay. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cheryl Dragon
• Release date: Nov 24, 2015
• ISBN: 9781519939470

CC Dragon

Author of Cozy Mysteries and Romantic Suspense. Loyal Chicago girl who loves deep dish pizza, the Cubs, and The Lake! Addicted to amateur sleuths :)

Book preview

Black Sheep Cake

Strawberry Top Short Mystery Book 2

By CC Dragon

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Black Sheep Cake (Strawberry Top Short Mystery 2)

Copyright © November 2015

By CC Dragon AKA Cheryl Dragon

Cover art by Coverkicks.com

Edited by Mary Yakovets

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

Blurb

Being the odd one out is even worse in a small town where everyone knows your business…

Stacey Strawberry Top Fields is divorced and back home in Willowbrook, TN. Teased for her red hair as a kid, she feels on display again as she tries to restart her life. A prize-winning cook and blue ribbon baker, Stacey is debating a suggestion by her best friend, Brandy Jo. Recording a cooking show for the Internet sounds like fun but is it a career?

A divorced single mom, Brandy Jo wants to produce the show but has other pressing problems. Her family is having a reunion and she’s the black sheep failure with an ex-husband, one son, and a few part-time jobs. It gets much worse when her nice but uninsured car, a gift from a wealthy aunt, disappears.

Luckily, Stacey is helping with the desserts table and making Brandy Jo’s favorite chocolate cake. Plus, Stacey is known for her amateur sleuthing skills. Her best friend needs that car and whoever stole it will be made to pay.

Dedication

Everyone can feel like they don’t fit in…this is for all those who are the black sheep in the family…like me. My creative muse makes me the crazy/ weird one.

Special Thanks…to my street team:

Maranda, Donna, Heather, Wendi, Veronica, Sarah, Jennifer, Zee, Mary, Callie, Brandy, Janet, Jeannie, Sheryl, Layla, Marissa, Katie, and Sara!

Chapter One

Stacey! Mama yelled.

I sat up in bed and rubbed my eyes. Some mornings being back in my childhood bedroom was a nostalgic dream. Life was low pressure and I could happily bake, keep an eye on Grammy, and spend time getting back to being myself without the evil ex-husband in my thoughts at all.

Stacey Fields, your cats got in my good yarn! Mama shouted.

Today would not be one of the mornings.

Damn! I slid out of bed and ignored my robe. Grammy liked the house warmer than I would’ve chosen. A short sleeve cotton nightshirt was plenty even in the fall.

I’m coming, I shouted as I headed into the bathroom.

Teeth brushed and hair tamed into a ponytail, I went downstairs and found the cats eating breakfast. They looked so innocent.

I found Mama in the sunroom trying to untangle the end tables.

I’ve got it, Mama. Don’t worry. Sorry, they’ve gotten too at home, I said.

She sat on the sofa. They’re so cute lying around and watching me knit.

You let them chase a ball of yarn and Grammy dangles a string. It just encourages them, I reminded her as I de-yarned the furniture.

They shredded some of it, Mama said.

I gathered all the loose and snagged yarn and sat next to her on the sofa. I’ll fix it. Cut off the ruined parts. Don’t worry. Go get ready. I don’t have anything pressing today.

What those cats get into at night. They seem so sweet when you’ve got your eye on them, Mama replied.

I know you’re not a fan of pets. I can go buy a condo. It was my standard counter.

Grammy puttered to the door. I hope they didn’t eat any of that yarn. That’s all we need—them chasing strings hanging out of each other’s butts.

I tried not to giggle but I needed coffee to handle my frank grandmother and frustrated mother.

Really, that’ll be Stacey’s problem if it happens. I have to get ready for work. Mama headed upstairs.

Breakfast is ready. You better go put your face on, Grammy said.

Why? I left the yarn mess and followed her to the kitchen.

John is coming to take me to the senior center today. Oh, I put you down for making treats tomorrow. A how-to. Something simple.

Grammy, a little notice would help. I sat at the barstool facing the island and ate my eggs and bacon, trying to come up with a plan.

You’re a genius in the kitchen. You’ve got a whole day. She shrugged. You really don’t care about a man seeing you like that?

I frowned. A man? It’s John. This infamous handyman who I never actually see. Why is he driving you? I can take you to the center.

He’s got to do the furnace checks for the town. He offered. She finished her own breakfast. You can’t meet him in your nightgown.

Maybe part of me still felt like a boring married lady. Sure, occasionally other men would flirt with me when I was married, but I ignored them. If they were too forward I put them in their place. I didn’t dress too sexy or too conservative. There was an art to being a lady. But if the lawn service showed up I didn’t really worry if I had makeup on.

I don’t need to meet him now. It’s not like I’m in lingerie. The nightgown hit my knees. Hardly daring.

No, but you used to care how you looked. Grammy opened her purse and pulled out her lipstick.

I poured myself a big cup of coffee and took a drink. I care, but…wait. Are you trying to set me up with John?

She laughed. "No, of course not. He’s a handyman. You’ve proven you can hook a big fish. But that doesn’t mean you should let any