Linzer Tarts and Broken Hearts, page 1
Table of Contents
Excerpt
Praise for Carol Henry
Linzer Tarts and Broken Hearts
Copyright
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Linzer Tart Cookies
A word about the author…
Thank you for purchasing
Also available from The Wild Rose Press
Wow! What a kiss. Whoever penned the original song and lyrics about that kiss knew what they were talking about. Jace held her secure in his embrace, their lips clinging. The kiss became lingering, softer, as he rubbed his hands gently over her back, then down, lower, igniting a longing she hadn’t felt in a long time. Not sure who broke the kiss first, Amber rested her forehead on his chest, then turned her cheek and listened to his heartbeat…or was it hers? She couldn’t tell. His chin rested on top of her head, his breath teasing her hair. She didn’t want the magical spell to end. She simply wanted to stay in his arms forever. Safe. Secure. Loved?
She heard the girls before they stormed the kitchen. Apparently Jace did as well, for he stepped back, his arms letting her go, and made like he was still drying the dishes.
Praise for Carol Henry
Ciara’s Homecoming Christmas: “Author Carol Henry writes down-to-earth characters who struggle with realistic decisions. Her solid descriptions of setting and place pull the reader into the story and have the reader cheering for the couple. This novella is a quick, heartwarming, and enjoyable holiday read.”
~ J.A. Davis, author
~*~
Cairo Connection: “The descriptions as the characters walked down the street in Cairo, entered the plush accommodations, visited a spice and open-air market, you could see, feel, and smell just like you were with them. …The attraction between Megan and Jordan sizzled as they tried to stay apart…a fantastic read.”
~Tena Stetler, author
Linzer Tarts and Broken Hearts
by
Carol Henry
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.
Linzer Tarts and Broken Hearts
COPYRIGHT © 2021 by Carol A. Henry
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Contact Information: info@thewildrosepress.com
Cover Art by Jennifer Greeff
The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
PO Box 708
Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708
Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com
Publishing History
First Edition, 2021
Digital ISBN 978-1-5092-3718-0
Published in the United States of America
Dedication
To all my children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and other family members who gathered around my kitchen table for our traditional Christmas Cookie Baking Day, and the dining room table for our “special” Tea Parties afterward. I dedicate this Christmas Cookie Novella in your honor, for giving me many wonderful memories over the years to cherish for a lifetime. May this novella hold many wonderful smiles, memories, and love beyond “measure.” And may it resonate with other families who share the joy of baking together.
With all my love, Mom (aka, Carol A. Henry).
Acknowledgments
To my editor, Josette Arthur, and her magic wand—thanks for keeping me grammatically on target, and for your support, and especially for your friendship. And to Jennifer Greeff for the delightful cover. And to my family for their continued love and support.
Chapter One
Sirens blared, and red lights flashed as two sheriff vehicles pulled up to the house across the street. Amber ran to the front window and carefully pulled the curtain aside. Now what? This was getting to be a common scene in this neighborhood. She was beginning to rethink her decision to move back to her hometown. She wasn’t able to find an affordable apartment in a better neighborhood, closer to her parents for her and her daughter. She’d been laid off from her job with the travel agency in Syracuse, and her unemployment benefits were slim. With what little she’d been able to set aside while working, renting this apartment was turning out to be a tight squeeze. She knew her parents would help her, but she didn’t want to depend on their generosity. She’d been combing through the want ads, looking for a position she was qualified for in the Ithaca area, but hadn’t landed a position yet.
Amber turned as her six-year-old daughter, Beth, came running to her side.
“Mommy, Mommy. What’s that?”
She bent down and cuddled Beth in her arms. “It’s okay, baby. The police are here and will take care of everything. You’re safe inside here with me.”
“Are we okay, Mommy? I thought they were coming to our house.” Beth squeezed her little arms around Amber’s neck and then patted her back in an effort to comfort her. For such a small child, Beth had an abundance of compassion for others.
Amber returned the squeeze and kissed her daughter’s cheek. “I’m fine, honey. You okay?”
“All those lights and that noise—it’s scary.”
“Yes, well, we’re okay. How about we go in the kitchen and bake some cookies to take to Grandma and Grandpa on Saturday? I’m pretty sure I have enough ingredients. We can make your favorite linzer tarts.”
“Do we have raspberry jam, too? That’s my favorite.”
“Yes. Give me a minute. Go pick up your toys while I get everything ready and turn on the oven.”
Amber watched her daughter run from the room. That was the wonderful thing about kids. It didn’t take much for them to switch gears mid-stream and run off in another direction, their minds already focused elsewhere.
Her own thoughts and concerns? Not so much.
Amber looked back out the window, remembering the awful day she’d lost her husband. Memories crowded her brain. Beth had been four when the police pulled into the driveway and knocked on their front door. Officer Renwick stood, hands on his duty belt, looking intense. She knew immediately something had happened to Rick by the look on Officer Renwick’s face, not just a minor injury as had happened several times. In Rick’s line of work, she’d anticipated the worst every time he left the house. As an undercover agent, sometimes he’d be gone for days at a time. But that day Rick had been killed in a shoot-out while undercover, during a drug raid. She’d lost it in front of her daughter and crumbled to the floor. Thankfully, a woman officer was present and had assisted her. They’d called her parents, who had driven to Syracuse and taken control.
No wonder the lights flashing and the sirens blaring outside their apartment today had worried Beth. But to have Beth try to comfort her was distressing.
The flashing lights continued as two armed cops ran to the front door of the house across the street, knocked, and then strong-armed their way into the house. Being inside, she didn’t see what took place, but ten minutes later they were leading a tall, dark-haired, burly, handcuffed man to their patrol car. Another patrol car screeched to a halt, and two officers jumped out. Seconds later, an ambulance pulled up, then the paramedics went inside and came out wheeling a woman on the stretcher toward the back of the ambulance.
Amber glanced back to the cops that had congregated around the first patrol car, remembering the number of times she’d lost sleep worrying about her husband when he was on patrol. Did these men have wives who also lost sleep over their safety? She shook her head, glad she didn’t have to worry about that any longer. Now, taking deep breaths, she counted to twenty-five, rolled her neck to relieve the tension, and vowed never to get involved with an officer of the law again. Her heart couldn’t handle the strain of losing someone, wondering whether or not she’d see them once they walked out the door each day. And she wasn’t going to put her daughter through that nightmare again.
She was about to step back and put the incident out of her mind when one of the officers turned and glanced down the street. Tall, dark hair, slim, with a look of confidence and caution about him, he definitely filled out his uniform. He looked familiar. Probably because she had seen him while he was on one of the other calls that had taken place in the neighborhood. The other cop standing next to him was shorter, younger looking, but also exuded an air of confidence and caution. The taller of the two spotted her, stepped off the curb, and headed toward her apartment. Not wanting him to knock on the door and upset Beth, she quietly opened the door and stepped out onto the front steps as he drew closer.
“Can I help you, Officer?” Hands on the newel post, she stood on the last step and looked up into dazzling ice-blue eyes.
“I saw you looking out the window and wanted to let you know that everything is under control. There is nothing for you to be worried about.”
“I appreciate you letting us know. What about Mrs. Delmar? Is she going to be okay?”
“It doesn’t look serious, but she’ll need to be checked out at the hospital.”
“What about her children?”
“They’re unharmed and under their grandparents’ care for now.”
“Mommy, I’m ready,” Beth called from the kitchen. “Let’s bake cookies.”
“Coming. You get the rolling pin and cookie cutters.”
“I see you’re busy. Sorry to disturb you, ma’am.” The officer’s caring tone warmed her insides.
“Thank you, Officer.” She watched as he turned and sauntered back to his cruiser and his partner. If it weren’t for making contact through the window, would he have come to check on her?
“Where’s my apron, Mommy?” Beth called down the hallway.
Amber shut and locked the front door and headed toward the kitchen. “On the hook behind the pantry door.”
Half an hour later, with cookies cut into hearts, half of them with smaller hearts cut from the center, in the oven baking, Amber surveyed the kitchen. Flour was strewn everywhere. She was going to have to not only mop up the kitchen table, but the chairs and floor as well. But seeing her daughter smile made it all worth it.
“Okay, sweetie, it’s cookies and milk time and then off to bed. You have school tomorrow.”
Later that night, sleep eluded Amber as she was reminded once again of the situation she’d found herself in. The police incident across the street, and the good-looking officer knocking on her door, reminded her of Rick. Which led to her current dilemma and reason she needed to find a job. She was ready to accept any job, within reason. She needed to be able to afford a better apartment, and neighborhood, where she could raise her daughter without fear of playing outside. She hadn’t found any suitable position in the want ads in the newspaper, so first thing in the morning, she would go to the unemployment office while Beth was in school, and see if they could help.
****
Sergeant Jace Gundersen was tired of his work schedule. Being a single dad on the police force didn’t make raising a seven-year-old easy. Especially when his daughter was high strung and vied for his attention every chance she got. He chalked it up to him being a single parent and her being an only child. She’d continually begged him to let her visit and play with her friends. Friends that she had only met this school year and were outside her regular day-care group. Friends of parents he didn’t know.
Although his hometown was fairly low key when it came to major crime, it had enough peacekeeping activity to keep them on their toes. Being a police officer, he’d been involved in a few disputes, misdemeanors, traffic infractions, and a few small robberies. Last week he’d been called to a domestic, which ended with the ex-boyfriend being arrested. Unfortunately, two young children had witnessed the assault and arrest, as their mother was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. But he couldn’t get the close encounter with the woman across the street that had been looking out the window out of his mind. What had possessed him to actually go to her apartment and check on her, he still couldn’t fathom. But he wasn’t sorry he had. Her emerald green eyes, pixie face, and hair in a ponytail had given her a youthful look that had his heart stuttering and his thoughts tangled. Until he’d heard her young daughter call to her from inside the house.
He pulled into the office, reported in, then checked out and headed toward Linda’s Day Care to pick up his daughter, Joanna. The kids were all excited to see a uniformed officer as he knocked and entered the facility.
As soon as Joanna spotted him, she ran to his side. “Daddy, Daddy. Look what I made in school today. And guess what, Beth invited me to come to her house tomorrow after school.”
Jace knelt down and hugged his daughter, mindful of his hard, bulletproof, ballistic vest surrounding his body.
She kissed his cheek, then stepped back to show him her artwork. “A pumpkin with a funny face on it. Look.”
“Good job, sweetheart. But tomorrow is Saturday, and there is no school, so we’ll have to plan a playdate for another time. Okay?”
“Okay.” Her smile faded as she turned to collect her backpack and jacket.
“Will Joanna be coming tomorrow afternoon?” Linda asked. Her jovial personality and ability to take care of kids for those who had crazy weekend schedules was a big plus. One of the reasons he’d enrolled Joanna in this day care. The bus would pick up and drop off kids at this location during the school year, as well. And days when he would have to work a longer shift, he only needed to pay a bit of overtime. Like tonight.
“Sorry I’m late again. Add it to my bill for the end of the week. As for tomorrow, I’m off, so Joanna won’t be here until Monday.”
“She’s no trouble. She always finds something to do and works and plays well with the others. I have no problem getting her to help pick up.”
“She does like coming here. Thanks.”
True to Linda’s words, his daughter was in the play area putting the books, crayons, color books, and other toys back in their proper places. She hugged a couple of the younger kids, then walked fast across the room and put her shoes and jacket on without being told.
“Bye, Linda.” She waved to the kids in the back of the room and went out the front door.
Jace smiled, waved to everyone in the room, and followed his daughter to the car. Once she was buckled in her car seat and they were on the road, Joanna talked nonstop about her friend Beth. Not wanting to commit to letting her visit her new friend until he had a chance to check the family out, he instead made a quick decision he hoped would do the trick to get her mind off her friend’s invite.
“I thought we’d stop at your favorite fast-food restaurant for supper tonight. What do you think? We can do a drive through and take it to the park and have a picnic.”
“Okay. But we need to call Beth and tell her I can’t come over tomorrow.”
So much for hoping she’d switch gears and get excited about something else. It was going to be a long weekend.
Chapter Two
The autumnal weather was perfect for a drive out to the country to visit her parents. Amber had called ahead to make sure they were going to be home, so it wasn’t surprising to see them waiting on the front porch of their small ranch-style home. In their late fifties, they didn’t let grass grow under their feet. However, she was surprised to find them still home for the winter months, as they liked to kick back in their motor home and travel around the countryside, always heading for the warmer climate before the snow fell.
“There’s my little girl,” Margaret Hanover gushed, arms outstretched, as she rushed down the front porch steps lined with large orange pumpkins that were displayed on each step.
Beth ran toward her grandmother, who knelt down and enclosed her in waiting arms. Beth, in turn, circled her tiny arms around her grandmother’s neck and snuggled.
“It’s so good to see you, Bethie. Come, Grandpa has been waiting all morning.”
Beth ran up the steps and hugged her grandfather. Clifford Hanover was a big burly man, clean-shaven, with a tender heart and open arms. The smile on his face was warm and welcoming.
“How are you, my dear?” her mother asked, wrapping her arms around Amber’s shoulders and placing a quick kiss on her cheek. “Have you found work yet?”
“No. Not yet. I’ve applied for a couple of positions at the university. One is at the travel office, so I’m hoping for that one. It fits my background better.”
“Good for you. I’m sure you’ll get it. Come on inside. I have the tea water on. Your father has some wonderful news to share.”
“I could use a cup of tea. Beth and I made a batch of linzer tarts. It’s her favorite cookie.”
“And your father’s, too. He’ll be delighted.”
Her father was already pouring tea when they entered the cozy kitchen. As usual, the round wooden table was covered with a bright, festive, autumnal-design tablecloth. In the center was a vase of fake flowers, rounding out the theme. Her mother always highlighted each season, and as this was the end of autumn, the decorations always sequenced from Halloween to Thanksgiving. And with Christmas just around the corner, Amber knew the change in décor would happen instantly the day after Thanksgiving.
Beth unwrapped the platter of cookies and placed them in the center of the table. She stepped back in dramatic fashion and extended her hands in supplication toward the display. “We made these ourselves, didn’t we, Mommy?”
