A Murder Yule Regret, page 23
“I trusted the wrong person. I should have let you in when you came back,” Eliza said.
He shrugged, because it didn’t matter anymore. “You let me in this time.”
Eliza propelled herself from the couch, landing in front of him in one swift movement. She flung her arms around him, collapsing into muffled sobs. I didn’t need to hear what she said to him to know that their relationship, for all its ups and downs, had a chance to mend.
Brad, with the hard lines of his jaw and his perfect teeth, caught my eye and smiled. “Thank you,” he mouthed.
I smiled back and left them to their family reunion. The Blackbird Ladies were going to need their tissues when I told them this story.
Chapter 27
The umbrella organization that ran the women’s shelter, Crosby House, had hired a new manager recently. Eliza had applied to be a volunteer when I’d first mentioned that I helped out there. She came with me on the very day she was approved—December 23rd. She spent the afternoon reading to some of the children taking shelter there while I baked cookies with some of the women. Once the cookies had cooled, mothers and children gathered together at the large table to spread icing onto the shapes, shake sprinkles onto them, and do their level best piping red and green accents.
“My dad is staying till the first, then he’ll head back home. He and Brad have been golfing. Can you believe it?” Eliza laughed as she squeezed a glob of icing from her pastry bag. “I didn’t know either of them actually knew how to golf.”
“And Russ?”
“He went back home. Apparently, he has a wife and kids he had to get back to.”
We parted ways with a hug, Eliza heading back to her husband and father, and me hightailing it to Yeast of Eden for the last party of the season. Until New Year’s Eve, anyway.
I parked down the street and walked past the town’s Christmas tree, past last-minute shoppers bustling about, their arms laden with gifts, past the shops of my hometown. The bread shop was bursting with activity. This party was one Olaya was holding for her employees, her friends, and her family.
I pushed through the front door, the tinkling of the bell barely audible over the music playing. The people laughed and chattered, cups of Olaya’s perfect coffee, or a handmade latte, or a little spiked punch in one hand, baked delicacies in the other.
Hugs, hugs, and more hugs all around. Martina was livelier than I’d ever seen her. She was the reserved Solis sister, but tonight she was positively gregarious. “Ivy, you are like my little sister,” she said, draping her arm around me. Her words were a little slurred from the spiked punch. “Or maybe more like my cousin, but still, you are family.”
I raised a brow at Consuelo, who gave a conspiratorial wink. “She’s feeling happy.
“I can see that.”
Emmaline and Billy sat across from each other at one of the tables. Billy had a candy cane–shaped bread stick clamped between his teeth, his eyes staring intently at his wife. I moved closer to see what was happening, groaning when I saw their hands clasped together, elbows firm against the table, locked in an epic arm-wrestling battle. “Don’t say anything, Ivy,” Em said, somehow sensing my presence without ever taking her gaze from Billy. “No distractions.”
“Enough said.” I ambled away, wishing Felix and Janae, Maggie and Tae, Zula, and the rest of Olaya’s kitchen crew a merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, and a happy Kwanza. The group split apart, and there was Olaya, her arm threaded through my father’s. They fit together, I decided then and there. She made Owen happy, and my dad could certainly use a little happiness in his life. And for his part, he seemed to bring a glow to Olaya’s cheeks.
“Do you approve?” a voice said in my ear.
I turned and smiled at Miguel. “Of Owen and Olaya? One hundred percent.”
“Not that they need your approval,” said Mrs. Branford with a chuckle. I swiveled my head to see all the Blackbird Ladies sitting at their usual table, Mrs. Branford holding her cane with one hand.
“You’re right about that,” I said, realizing that Mrs. Branford was actually right about nearly everything.
Miguel pulled me close. “Merry Christmas, Ivy,” he said, and he kissed my cheek.
* * *
December 24th. I crouched down before Agatha and tightened the little red bow I’d affixed to her collar. I hadn’t gone so far as to buy her a holiday dog sweater, tempted though I was. Maybe if we lived in the icy cold of the mountains, but her double coat was just fine for the temperate winter beach climate.
The white lights on the little Christmas tree twinkled, the sprinkling of ornaments sparse, but enough. We had a few minutes before leaving for my dad’s house. I stood, reaching out and letting my fingers flutter over one of the ornaments hanging on the tree. It was an old empty spool of thread, a narrow piece of paper wound around it. On that paper was written: Ivy’s Wish List. Beneath that was a list of the things I’d wanted from Santa the year I’d been five.
A Scooby-Doo coloring book
Crayons—the box with a sharpener
A bike for Billy
To see Santa
A sleepover with Emmi
I chuckled. I hadn’t wanted much, and from what I remembered, Billy had gotten his bike, and I’d proceeded to have untold numbers of sleepovers with Emmaline.
Miguel came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me, his cheek next to mine. “You okay?”
The reunion between Eliza Fox and her father had touched my heart and made me yearn for my mom. Her absence left an ache in me that I knew would never be filled, but I was glad I’d been part of Eliza’s and John’s reconciliation. I let out the deep breath I’d been holding. “Yeah.”
And I was. I was with Miguel.
We gazed at the tree for a minute before Miguel pointed to a shiny silver sphere glinting amidst the pine needles. “Is that a new ornament?”
It wasn’t one I recognized. “Mrs. Branford must have brought it over,” I said. She was tricky like that. I reached for it, noticing the line dividing the sphere. “It opens.”
Miguel moved to my side as I pried the two sides apart. And then I gasped. Tucked inside a pillow of velvet was a shimmering ring. Not just any ring, but the engagement ring my mother had worn for the thirty-nine years she and my dad had been married.
My heart nearly stopped. “What—”
With a gentle nudge, Miguel turned me to face him. “Ivy,” he began, “it’s taken us a long time to find each other again. I never want to let you go.”
I fought back tears, but my eyes welled. This . . . this was happening.
“I love you, Ivy Culpepper, and I want to spend my life with you.”
Agatha made a sweet sound at our feet, not wanting to be left out. Miguel looked down at her and nodded. “And with you, Ags.”
This. Was. Happening. After my failed marriage, I’d vowed never to do it again unless I was one thousand percent sure.
“Ivy,” Miguel said. “Will you spend your life with me?”
A tear slipped down my cheek as I looked first at him, then at my mother’s ring cradled in the special silver ornament.
I was completely, totally one thousand percent sure. Ten thousand percent. No, a million percent sure that Miguel and I were meant to be together. That we’d live a happy shared life by each other’s side.
“Yes,” I tried to say, but the word came out as a croak, my emotions choking me.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” he said, and I nodded, trying to smile through my ugly tears.
He took the ornament from me and removed the ring. Then he lifted my left hand and slipped it onto my ring finger.
Finally, the words broke free. “Yes,” I said. “I love you, Miguel, and I will be your wife.”
He lowered his lips to mine, the white lights on the Christmas tree twinkling in celebration. “The ring,” I mumbled. “How . . . ?”
His lips smiled against mine. “Your dad gave me the ring when I asked for his blessing.”
And with that, we kissed.
And Agatha barked.
And I said, “Whose house will we live in?”
Recipes
In the olden days in France, the spirit of love drew families together on Christmas Eve, just as it does now. People surrounded the blazing “Yule log” to warm themselves before walking the cobbled streets to midnight mass. The burning ashes of the Yule log, or BÛCHE DE NOËL, were said to hold magical properties, protecting newborns from illness and animals from fever.
The log-shaped cake is a symbol of Christmas and a renewal of this belief.
Here’s hoping ‘yule’ have a very happy holiday!
Winnie
YULE LOG (BÛCHE DE NOËL)
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
¾ cup all-purpose flour
⅓ cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
4 large eggs, divided
¾ cup sugar
5 tbsp sour cream
¼ cup butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
Mascarpone Cream Filling
1⅓ cups heavy whipping cream, cold
¾ cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt
8 oz mascarpone cheese
Whipped Chocolate Ganache
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips or a block, finely chopped
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Line a 17×12-inch jellyroll sheet pan with parchment paper, allowing the edges to roll up to cover the lip of the pan.
3. In a medium bowl, blend together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until light and well blended.
5. Add the sour cream, melted butter, and vanilla extract to the egg/sugar mixture, and blend together well.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Gently blend until well combined.
7. In a mixing bowl, whip the egg whites until a stiff peak forms when you lift the beaters out.
8. Gently, so as not to break down the beaten egg whites, fold ⅓ of the whites into the chocolate mixture. Add the rest of the beaten whites and fold together until combined.
9. Pour the cake batter into the pan, spreading to make it even. Bake for 10–12 minutes. The top of the cake should spring back when touched. You can also insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it is ready.
10. Once you remove the cake from the oven, carefully lift it from the pan using the edges of the parchment paper.
11. Working while the cake is still hot, use the parchment paper to roll cake into a jellyroll shape, starting on the short side. Allow cake to cool completely.
12. Later, once the cake is cooled all the way, begin the filling. Whip together the cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt until soft peaks form when lifting out the beaters.
13. Add the softened, but still cool, mascarpone cheese and whip again until stiff peaks form.
14. Carefully unfurl the cake roll. Use a spatula or other tool to carefully pull the parchment paper away from the cake, taking care not to break the cake itself.
15. Spread the filling onto the unrolled cake, leaving ¼ inch all the way around to allow for spreading. Without the parchment, roll the filled cake back into a roll.
16. Wrap rolled cake in plastic wrap, seam side down, and refrigerate for several hours.
17. After the cooling is complete, make the chocolate ganache by adding the chopped chocolate or the chips to a medium-sized bowl. Heat the cream until it’s very hot and on the verge of boiling (in the microwave or on the stove). Pour the hot cream over the chocolate.
18. Once the chocolate starts melting from the cream, whisk together until smooth.
19. Allow the ganache to cool to room temperature, transfer to a large mixer bowl, and whip on high speed until it lightens in color. The consistency should be spreadable.
20. Now to decorate! Start by diagonally cutting off a 3-inch end piece of the log (use a serrated knife), and use ganache to affix the cut section to the side of the larger log. It should appear as a branched piece of wood.
21. Using a spatula, spread the rest of the ganache over the cake. Use the tines of a fork along the length of the log to create “bark” lines.
22. Add fruit such as cranberries and sugared rosemary for a festive touch.
23. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Printed with permission from Life, Love, and Sugar: https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/yule-log-cake-buche-de-noel/
MRS. BRANFORD’S SPARKLING PEPPERMINT SWIRL
Ingredients
1½ oz vanilla vodka
1 oz crème de menthe liquor
Splash of grenadine
2½ oz sparkling wine
Instructions
1. Rim a chilled martini glass with crushed candy canes.
2. Fill a shaker with ice. Add vodka, crème de menthe, and grenadine in a shaker. Mix together, then strain into prepared glass.
3. Top with sparkling wine.
4. Garnish with a candy cane (optional).
CHRISTMAS PUNCH
Ingredients
5 cups 100 percent cranberry juice (cranberry juice cocktail)
2 bottles very dry sparkling wine (champagne, cava, or prosecco)
2 cups apple cider
1½ cups diet ginger ale
1½ cups dark rum or brandy
2 oranges, thinly sliced into rounds
1 cup fresh cranberries
Instructions
1. Chill all ingredients.
2. Fill a large punch bowl with ice. Top with the cranberry juice, sparkling wine, apple cider, ginger ale, and rum.
3. Stir to combine. Garnish with the orange slices and fresh cranberries.
STAR BREAD
Ingredients
1 package active dry yeast
¼ cup warm water
¾ cup warm milk (low-fat or full fat)
1 large egg, room temperature
¼ cup butter, softened
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3¼ to 3¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup seedless raspberry jam
2½ tablespoons butter, melted
Several tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
1. Dissolve yeast in warm water until foamy.
2. In a separate bowl, combine milk, egg, butter, sugar, and salt.
3. Add yeast mixture and 3 cups flour. Beat on medium speed until dough is smooth and sticky. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
4. Place dough on a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.
5. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning it to grease the top. Cover and set aside to rise until doubled.
6. Punch down dough.
7. Turn onto a floured surface and divide into four portions. Roll one portion into a 12-in. circle. Place on a greased 14-in. pizza pan. Spread with one-third of the jam to within ½ in. of edge. Repeat twice, layering dough and jam, and ending with final portion of dough.
8. Place a 2½-in. round cutter on top of the dough in center of circle as a marker only (don’t press through the dough).
9. Using a sharp knife, make 16 evenly spaced cuts from the round marker to the outer edge of dough. This will form a sort of starburst.
10. Remove cutter.
11. Taking hold of two adjacent strips, rotate them together twice outward. Pinch ends together. Repeat with remaining strips.
12. Cover star bread and let rise until almost doubled, approximately 30 minutes.
13. Preheat oven to 375°. Bake until golden brown, 18–22 minutes.
14. Remove from oven and immediately brush with melted butter.
15. Cool completely on a wire rack, then dust with confectioners’ sugar.
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Winnie Archer, A Murder Yule Regret
