The Secret Baker

By Jennifer Zeliff and Brian Zeliff

Andy is a carefree handyman around a small town. Abby is a widowed mom of 4 struggling to make ends meet. Maddie is Andy's sister and the owner of Sweet Confections who is trying to solve a mystery. What will happen when these three lives collide? Will Andy make an impression on Abby? Will Maddie solve her mystery?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jennifer Zeliff
• Release date: Mar 31, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224736768

Jennifer Zeliff

Jennifer has been writing for over ten years, but this is her first published novel with her husband Brian. They have been happily married for 18 years and have four beautiful children that inspired some of the stories she writes. They live in Western New York.

Book preview

Prologue

It was early morning and no one else was in the bakery. I look forward to these few quiet moments by myself. As I turn on the lights, visions of dessert perfection entice me to get moving. Today’s special was a two-fer, an almond cherry bar fit for breakfast, then for dessert a layer bar with caramel and chocolate. This process was going to take a while, but the end result will be worth it.

I put on my apron and gathered the ingredients. This is the first time I’ve made two specials in one session. It is going to take all my concentration to get it done before anyone shows up. I start the dough for the cherry bar as it needs to rest before I can roll it out. My grandmother taught me this recipe, and I know it very well. I add the butter to the flour and begin to cut it in to make the pastry nice and flaky. Sour cream adds a different texture to the dough, and it works well.

Before long, I am ready to go on to the layer bar. Caramel is always tricky, but I have learned that using a thermometer helps me control the heat and most of the time prevents it from burning. Then I work on the custard.

While both of those are chilling, I take out the dough and roll it out. I add cherry pie filling between the layers and place it in the oven to bake. There is a little of the dough left and I bake it into little rectangles for my bars. The cherry bars will take about an hour to bake, but the base for the bars is done in 15 minutes.

I pull them out to cool off and check on the caramel and chocolate custard. They are just about set and ready to go. Glancing at the clock, I have just over an hour left before I need to leave. Just enough time if nothing goes wrong.

The hour passes quickly, and everything goes as planned. The layer bars have come out perfectly. The cherry bars are glazed, sliced, and ready to eat. All the dishes are being cleaned in the dishwasher.

I wipe off the counter, shut off the lights and walk towards the back door. The front door jingles as I shut the door quietly and leave. Another successful mission. 

Chapter 1

It was only 8am and the chocolate chill pill jar was already empty. What should have been a normal Tuesday morning had descended into mayhem, with a side of mischief and malarkey to go with it. Abby heaved a sigh, pushed her blond hair out of her face, and balanced Tommy on her hip. He’d been awake since 6am, dumping his trains, spilling cheerios, and singing at the top of his lungs. Her husband Marc had died 18 months ago, overseas on assignment for the Air Force. The dull ache of that scar still haunted her.

Aaahhh burst into Abby’s reverie, as ten-year-old Ben burst around the corner with his six-year-old brother Sam chasing him. They barreled onto the couch almost knocking the lamp from the end table onto the floor. Abby lurched just in time and caught it before it crashed. Sorry Mom. They chorused.

We were playing Star Wars ninjas. Ben explained.

What’s the rule?

No jumping on the furniture. They said together.

We promise not to do it again. Sam turned on a pout face that looked just like his father’s. Abby bit back the tears and took a deep breath.

Twenty jumping jacks, and then go get dressed.

Yes. Mom. And they took off screeching through the house.

Whee. Went Tommy right in her ear.

Inside voice. Please. Tommy nodded as if he understood and scooted out of her arms toddling after his brothers. At 15 months old Tommy had been a surprise. Abby realized she hadn’t yet seen Emily. At eight and the only girl, she was hitting her creative stride. Abby rounded the corner into the kitchen to find the contents of the recycling bin all over the floor; markers spread hither and yon and tape everywhere. What are you doing dear?

Emily looked up from her cutting. I’m making a house for my dolls.

Does it need to be right here?

I promise I will pick up my mess.

Ok. You have fifteen minutes and then you need to eat some breakfast.

I already ate. Abby glanced over at the counter where Emily had pointed. The cereal and milk were still out; drips of milk were in a trail from the table to the dishwasher. But at least the dishes had made it in the dishwasher this time.

I can see you ate already. Thank you for taking care of your dishes. Next time please also pick up the cereal and milk. You still have fifteen minutes and then you need to be done. College classes start today.

I know Mom. Emily said.  Abby had taken a sabbatical since Marc had passed, but today was her first day back in the classroom. Creative writing had been her passion but finding the time and the energy to write lately had been a struggle.

Abby walked down the hallway and up the stairs to finish getting ready for the day. She had just sat down on the toilet when Mom! was screeched out a full volume from Sam’s lungs.

Tommy broke my Spiderman toy!

I’ll be down in a minute.

Mom, Ben yelled, Can I have something to eat?

Abby sighed. Sometimes it felt like the merry go round wouldn’t stop. She loved her kids, but every once in a while, she wished for that freedom to fall in love, and have another parent around again.

MOM!! With a flush, the moment was broken, and Abby walked out of the bathroom and back into real life.

ANDY HOPPED INTO HIS pickup truck, and it sputtered to life which made him smile. He woke up this morning and the weather man was wrong again, no rain. It was going to be a good day. He had tried the corporate life after college thinking his degree in Communications would be fulfilling, but it was not for him. He worked every day, as his own boss, doing odd jobs around town as a handyman. He loved his freedom, but there was a hole in his life that he did not want to admit to anyone, especially himself.

This particular morning, he needed to stop at the hardware store to pick up a couple of items to be able to finish the job at the McGregor’s. Jim was behind the counter. Morning Andy, he said, I heard you were doing a little project for the McGregor’s. How’s it going?

Just fine. I need a box of #10 deck screws, 1 pressure treated 2x4, and 1 Pressure treated 2 x 10 to finish it up, Andy said.

Jim nodded. I’ll add it to your account.

Thanks. Andy headed down the aisle to grab what he needed. The McGregor’s needed a rail and step repaired for their back deck. It was a simple job and Andy expected it to be done that morning with no problem. He hopped back into his truck and continued on his way. As he drove, he started thinking about family and life.

His sister, Maddie, owned a bakery called Sweet Confections, and Andy would often stop by in between jobs or grab lunch if he was in the middle of a long project. She helped him out by recommending him for jobs to her customers after his old boss Brad Brinkman, the sniveling little weasel, had fired him in front of the executives when Andy had leveled him with a tirade about leadership and laziness. Good Riddance! Andy had returned the favor by fixing things for Maddie when they popped up; like her dishwasher for instance. Andy had earned a reputation for being a good handyman, he did his job well and he charged a fair price. Lost in thought, he realized at the last second that he was in the wrong lane and made a quick left from the right-hand lane.

Tires squealed. Horns blasted. And a lady in a minivan gave him the look of death. Andy waved in apology and continued his way to the McGregor’s, having narrowly avoided an accident.

THE FIRST DAY OF THE semester was usually exciting. Abby had always looked forward to the start of something brand new. But not this year, coming back meant she was now a single working mom. Sighing, she glanced down at the apple juice stain Tommy had left on her shirt. In the last second dash out the door, Abby had managed to grab a clean one from the laundry basket in the living room.

The sun warmed her back as she made her way to the Gerald T. Honeypot Liberal Arts Building. Her office was on the third floor, and as she opened the door, the scent of dust filled the air. It reminded her that it had been a while. The space looked like any other office, plain tan walls, gray carpet, and a plain beige desk. She longed to make it over, but there never seemed enough time or money to make it a more relaxing and inviting space where creativity could flow.

Beep! Beep! Her watch buzzed and Abby jumped, returning to the present. It was ten minutes to the start of class. Quickly she grabbed her binder full of notes and ideas, then shut the door.

The trip down the stairs to the second floor was a Cirque du Soleil act, balancing her coffee and breakfast in one hand with the binder in her other hand, as the laptop bag slapped her in the back of the knees. It was a miracle that she didn’t lose any of it on the way down.

There was a slight bit of chatter as she rounded the corner and saw three students waiting for her. A funny look crossed their faces as Abby realized with a jolt of shock that she had forgotten to change her shirt. Oh well, they didn’t have four kids at home. They were just teenagers, and she was well, not anymore. How Abby hated that, but it was the truth. Marc had always joked that he liked her old body. Abby smiled to herself at the thought. Marc would call her old in jest all the time. But in truth she was only 36, although she felt like she was much older. Abby darted into the bathroom and quickly changed her shirt.

I apologize for my appearance. My 15-month-old son got me with his apple juice right before I left the house. Abby said as she stepped back into the hallway.

The kids all nodded, but no one said anything else.  Mostly, the students she had in this Intro to Creative Writing class just wanted English course credit. It was the same with her short story class. They all took it because they thought it would be easy.

Abby was teaching both courses this semester, as well as co-teaching a literature class with a colleague. She’d said yes because the extra income would be nice, but in truth she wanted to be penning novels. Abby set her bags and breakfast down on the table in the front of the room and began warming up the laptop and plugging everything in. A few more students filed in. The projector hummed to life and Abby typed in her password. The clock read 8:30am. Abby decided to wait a few more minutes. At the last moment, a large group walked in laughing.

Good morning, Abby said, Please find a seat. I’m passing around a seating chart. Put your name on it. I’m Dr. Holmes, welcome to Intro to Creative Writing. In this class you will be expected to complete a short novel which will count for 75% of your grade.

Abby picked up a stack of papers. This is your syllabus. In it is what we are covering and when it is due. Today we are going to discuss the five different genres and then you are going to pick which one you would like to write on and email it to me by next class.

Sometimes she wished teaching could be more like Indiana Jones dashing into class wearing her fedora, throwing some notes on the board before the bad guys pounced and she’d be forced to use her whip to escape the clutches of evil. But alas, that was fiction, and this was real life.

Open your notebooks and let’s get started. Abby said, coming back to reality.

Chapter 2

Abby walked out into the sunshine and fresh air, inhaling deeply. She needed some mommy fuel in the form of coffee and a snack. It didn’t matter that this was her second trip to her favorite bakery today. She would have to remember to pack a lunch tomorrow. Sweet Confections was a short drive away, and she had thirty minutes before her next class started. Every day a new surprise treat appeared in the display case. The cashier didn’t know anything about who made them, but they were delicious. It was Abby’s reward for a job well done. Usually, she picked up her treat to go with the kids yelling from the backseat but today, since she had to be back for another class and had released her morning class five minutes early, she decided to relax and enjoy a brief respite.

Abby peered through the glass case. Today’s confection looked like it belonged in a French patisserie with its layers of mousse and caramel and chocolate. Her mouth watered.

Hi Abby! Maddie greeted her from behind the counter. A friendship had blossomed through her frequent visits.

Abby stood up. Hi Maddie. How are you today?

I’m pretty good. How was the first day of classes?

They were ok. I’m hoping someone will surprise me this semester.

Maddie smiled. I hope so too. Would you like the special today?

Abby nodded. Yes, please. And a cup of your cinnamon coffee.

You got it. Abby pulled out her wallet and paid. Maddie handed her the treat and coffee. Abby found a spot in the corner by the window to sit down. Her sabbatical research was due in a few short months. She had promised to write a full-length novel and get it published. She hadn’t written a word. Oh, she’d tried, but the words never came, and life got in the way. She needed some inspiration.

The door to the bakery jingled and in walked an oddly familiar man. He was about 6 foot tall with a decent build. Well, she had asked for inspiration, and she could work with this.  

ANDY FINISHED THE JOB at the McGregor's just in time for lunch. It had taken longer than he had expected, but that was how these projects went sometimes. As he walked into the café, he noticed the special behind the glass case and saw that they were almost gone. Lately, there had been these special treats that had begun to appear. Andy had offered to put in a camera, but so far Maddie had refused.

Maddie noticed him walk in and said, Hey there bro, what’s going on today?

Andy replied, Just stopped by to take a look at the dishwasher you asked me to check. What is going on with it again? Andy had installed it for her a couple years ago and he remembered what a pain in the butt it had been to install it. He was not looking forward to tearing it apart.

Suddenly, a loud crash in the corner interrupted them. Andy turned to find a pretty lady with a red face and tears as the plate and coffee mug had crashed to the floor, breaking. Maddie rushed over to help clean up as Andy stood there watching her. There was something about her; he’d seen her before some place. Andy grabbed a flower from the vase by the cash register and made his way over to help.

This is my brother Andy, Maddie said, He is a handyman who helps me out from time to time. Andy this is Abby; she teaches over at the college.

Andy bent down and offered his hand to help Abby. As she grabbed his hand, he gently pulled her up, handed her the flower and gave her his best smile. Abby looked up, a note of recognition flashed across her face, You...! You owe me an apology for cutting me off on 5th St. I’d remember that face anywhere, that was a real fine move you made there. You almost caused an accident and made me late for class. Her blue eyes flashed in anger. What had she found so attractive about the man in front of her? He would make a better antagonist than protagonist.

You must have me confused with someone else. What time was this alleged incident?

It was about 8:15 am this morning and BOOM from out of nowhere you are there making a left from the right-hand lane and cut in front of me. Abby stepped towards him and pointed a finger in his face.

Andy’s breath caught in his throat. She was so close he could smell a slight scent of perfume. A jolt of energy surged through him. It had been a long time since he’d felt that way. Andy crossed his arms. You must be mistaken.

No, I remember it. I had just stopped into the bakery getting coffee and the breakfast special. Abby turned to face Maddie, you remember that heavenly treat this morning it was an almond cherry bar.

Oh, yes that was a big hit, Maddie said pausing from cleaning off the pink and gray gingham tablecloths.

Andy smirked as he remembered when his grandma would make something like that as a child. Abby’s face began to turn red, and she placed her hands on her hips, I do not see what is so funny about this.

Somehow Andy couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. She was so cute when she was angry. I’m sorry Abby. I do not recall this traffic incident you are speaking about. Do you like the flower?

Abby growled before marching out the door in a huff.

ABBY STOMPED OUT TO her car. Her feet hurt, but she didn’t care. She dropped the flower, a beautiful pink carnation, on the ground. She was about to slam the door shut when she paused; a moment of uncertainty struck her breathless. What if it wasn’t him and she’d just made a fool of herself in the bakery. Shame filled her like a leaded balloon. Her feet felt glued to the ground. Abby knew she should go back and apologize, but her embarrassment kept her butt in that seat. Abby glanced at her phone and made the excuse that she needed to get to her next class. She slammed the door and felt the frustration drain from her. I’ll send Maddie an apology note, Abby said nodding to herself as though this were the best course of action and started the car. She closed the door then reopened it and picked up the flower as a thin whiff of a smile crossed her face.

Abby pulled out of the parking lot, and her mind drifted back to that moment when Andy had walked in the door. His wavy brown hair and chocolate brown eyes made her heart skip a beat. The whole conversation confirmed her reaction that he would make a fine antagonist for a story. The wheels in her mind began to turn; maybe she could finish by the deadline.

PATRICK STOOD IN THE parking lot of Sweet Confections. He knew that Andy stopped by sometimes and was praying that this was one of those days. He was there for a purpose, but at the same time he wanted to avoid detection. This was hard and Patrick’s mind began to whirl. Was this a good idea? The doubt began to creep in, and he almost turned around and left. But then he straightened out his shoulders and began to march forward.

He saw Maddie duck into the back for more coffee and Patrick seized his moment to slip into the bakery undetected, where he could watch without being seen from a back corner table. Maddie came back through the door carrying two carafes full of coffee and laughing at something. He was proud of her, but he hadn’t gotten around to telling her. Today, he hoped to change that.

The military side of him wanted to just charge forth and begin barking orders, after all he was General at a large base. He had learned well to keep up a hard exterior. There was no room for soft at Air Force Base Tonawanda. But the truth was, on the inside, he was starting to crack.

So, he sat and waited. As he usually did in these quiet moments, he reflected back on the last couple of years. He’d been contemplating retirement, when everything changed. On a routine physical, the doctors had found cancer. That was the moment he'd realized he had needed to make amends, but he didn't know how. And he thought that he could just tough it out. So, he had hidden it from his kids. It had gotten really bad at one point, and Patrick shuddered just thinking about