TUESDAY TALES - WORD PROMPT "PUZZLE" - #smalltownromance #romance

Welcome! This week our word prompt is "puzzle." I am continuing the story "Renovating the Billionaire." I hope you enjoy this snippet. Please scroll down to return to Tuesday Tales and the awesome authors there. Thank you for stopping by. 

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Pine Grove Mayor, Grey Andrews, was nursing a cup of coffee when Jess entered the Cozy Cupcake. He nodded to Jess, who took his gesture as an opening. After she placed her pie boxes on the counter, she pulled out a chair and joined him.

“How come the guy who inherited that awful house on the lake didn’t put it up for sale yet?” she asked him.

“I think he’s going to keep it.”

“Keep it?” Her eyebrows rose.

“Yeah. Maybe tear it down.”

“Tear it down? No, no. He can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“There’s an ordinance or something about that, right?”

“Only if it’s a landmark, and that old place isn’t. At least not as far as I know,” Grey replied.

“Landmark?”

“Yeah. Can I buy you a cup of coffee?”

“No, thanks. I’ve got to get back. But what’s this about landmarks?”

“We have a committee, at least we had one, before Jonas Setton died. He’d pick the buildings we’d landmark. Once a building is declared a landmark by the town, you can’t tear it down. And any renovation has to be true to the time period.”

“So who’s doing it now?”

“No one. Why don’t you come to the next town meeting?”

“Me?”

“Sure. You can see how it’s done.”

“Do you have someone to take Jonas’ place?”

“Nope.” Grey narrowed his eyes. “Would you be interested?”

She dropped her gaze to her hands. “I might.”

“Good. Come to the meeting. I’ll bring it up and you can volunteer.”

“I just might do that,” she said, rising.

Grey reached out and closed his fingers over her arm. “It puzzles me why you’d want that job.”

“I got my reasons,” she said, smiling.

He let her go and Jess headed for her wheezy old car and home to bake.

TUESDAY TALES - Picture Prompt - More of "Renovatingg the Billionaire."

Welcome! Thank you for coming. This week is picture prompt week and only 300 words allowed. We have another snippet from "Renovating the Billionaire."  Scroll down to return to Tuesday Tales. 

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Jess gazed at the plates and cups on the knickknack shelf in Laura Dailey’s kitchen. With a sigh, she smiled at the older woman.

“Sometimes I wish you were my mother.”

“Hush! Don’t say that. Your momma did the best by you she could.”

“Yeah, I know. Still. It’s hard sometimes.”

Laura gave the young woman a brief hug. “I know sweetie. But you’re doin’ real fine. Your pies and cakes are as good as mine.”

“Not yet. But someday they will be.”

Laura glanced at her watch. “Going to visit your ma today?”

“Yep. It’s Tuesday.”

“Bus’ll be there in fifteen.”

“Oops. I’d better go.”

“You go on. I’ll deliver these to the Cozy Café when they’re cool.”

“Thank you.”

Jess slipped her worn leather purse over her shoulder. She checked to make sure she had a bag of Twizzlers, her mom’s favorite candy. It was all she was allowed to take into the prison.

The sun broke through the clouds as she made her way to the stop, across the street from the bank. Bus pulled up not thirty seconds after she arrived.

Fishing around in her pockets, she’d forgotten to count out her change. She rummaged through her bag for a few crumpled bills. She counted out twenty dollars and ten cents.

“Don’t worry about it,” the driver, Dale, said, taking her money. “I’ll lend you the rest.”

“Dale. You gotta stop doin’ that.”

“Can’t have you standin’ up your ma now, can we?”

She smiled.

“Course, if you’d go out with me, just once, all those debts would be forgotten.”

Her face heated at his stare. “We’ve been over that. I’m not dating anyone. I told you.”

“One day, you’ll change your mind.”

“Not likely.”

“I’m a patient man.”

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TUESDAY TALES - Word prompt "corn" - more of RENOVATING THE BILLIONAIRE.

   Welcome! This week's word prompt is "corn." We have another snippet from "Renovating the Billionaire," this week. Thanks for stopping by. Scroll down for the link back to Tuesday Tales. 

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   It was a hot day in July and Jess’s air conditioning in her old jalopy was on the fritz. Every ten minutes it would blast out cold air for fifteen seconds, then stop. Giving up, she opened all the windows wide and put a favorite CD in the player. Blasting the sound, she looked out the window at the clear blue sky. The Pine Grove air smelled fresh and clean. She took a deep breath.

   Turning the corner on her way home from pie deliveries, she passed Mrs. Leary’s corn field. Ever since the Mister had passed away, Genevieve Leary had found a way to plant, harvest, and sell her corn. The woman was a role model for survival. Jess gazed for a moment at the plants. The stalks were green and growing. Another two weeks and the ears would be ripe for picking.

   Jess’s mouth watered for the taste of that sweet corn. Slathered with butter and salt or just plain, it topped all. It wouldn’t be long now. Her mouth watered at the memory.

   Singing along to Wonderful World, Jess shook her head. Her life might be in the toilet, but there were some things money couldn’t buy, some parts of life available for everyone to enjoy, even a young woman scratching to survive.

   When she entered the house, she headed straight for the kitchen. She pulled down a big ole garage-sale pot she used for cooking corn.

   “Whatcha taking that down for? Corn’s not due for another couple a weeks,” her brother said.

   “I know. No need to wait ‘til the last minute though. I like to plan ahead.”

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TUESDAY TALES - "KNIFE" - More of Renovating the Billionaire

Welcome! Today's snippet is from "Renovating the Billionaire." Scroll down to return to Tuesday Tales and read the excellent stories there. Thanks for stopping by. 

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As she loaded the freshly made apple pies into the back of her old jalopy, Jess made a mental note to order more pie boxes. The car wheezed it’s way to the top of Mountain View Road heading for Main Street in Pine Grove. She had three deliveries to make. One to Teatime, one to Pine Grove Inn, and the last one to Tavern on the Lake.

The leaves had begun to turn, giving her a sneak preview of the color season yet to come. While she loved three seasons, winter bore down on her like a bad dream. She shivered in anticipation of the cloudy cold days to come.

Jess reversed order today, ending up at Teatime as the last delivery. Carol and Martin Carver ran Teatime, a cozy, little café with home-baked goods and exotic tea flavors. They also sold Carol’s crafts, unusual tea pots and artwork. Martin was filling a kettle when Jess entered.

The bell over the door drew his attention.

“Welcome, Jess.”

She smiled and handed him two boxes. He opened one and bent down to sniff.

“Ah, smells fantastic. You have the magic touch.”

“Just grandma’s recipe.”

 “How about a piece? On the house?” he asked, pulling a large knife out of the drawer. “And a cup of Earl Grey?”

Never having enough left over to make a pie for herself, Jess accepted his offer. Her mouth watered as she watched Martin cut a generous slice.

“I’ll get the tea,” she said, slipping behind the counter.

“Pour two cups. Time for my morning break.”

Jess ate slowly, savoring every bite.

“Heard about the rich guy who bought that old broken-down place on the lake?” Martin asked. 

Jess choked on a forkful of pie.  

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TUESDAY TALES - WORD PROMPT "WORN" - RENOVATING THE BILLIONAIRE

Welcome! This week the word prompt is "worn." I have another episode of "Renovating the Billionaire" for you. More about Jess and her brother. 
Scroll down to return to Tuesday Tales and the wonderful authors there. Thanks for stopping by. 

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Jess Lennox tied the apron around her waist. The bottom edge was a little frayed and the pink had faded to a dusty mauve color. Sure enough, it was worn, but it was her grandma’s and it held a special place in her heart.

“Wearing the lucky apron? That means something good for breakfast,” he younger brother Will said as he straddled a rickety chair in the tiny kitchen.

“Nope. Means fresh apple pie for The Cozy Kitchen,” Jess said, pulling a rolling pin out of the drawer.

“Crap.”

She smiled behind her hand. “And maybe apple pancakes if a certain brother behaves.”

“Apple pancakes?” A smile broke out on his face.

“Yeah. I have some leftover apple pieces. Ones that broke. You know how fussy Amy is about her apple pies. They have to be perfect.”

“I’ll take the imperfect ones. My stomach doesn’t know the difference.”

Jess melted a small pat of butter. One glance told her she was getting low. She’d have to make do because Amy wouldn’t pay her ‘till the end of the week.

“We should get a cow,” Will said, adding milk to his coffee.

“You want to milk it everyday?”

“I would. Then we’d have as much milk and butter as we need.”

“Butter doesn’t come from a cow. You have to churn it,” Jess said.

“Bet you’d get great butter in a couple of minutes in the blender or that fancy mixer you use for bread dough.”

She smacked him lightly on the back of the head.

“What was that for?”

“For being smarter than your sister,” she said, patting his shoulder.

“I may be smarter. But there’s nobody nicer.”

She chuckled. “Figure that earns you another pancake?”

“Uh huh.”

“Well, you figured right,” she said, pouring batter on the skillet. 

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