I’m
pretty sure that was you I saw picketing out front when I had my problems with
Lester Moorefield a few years back,” I said. That particular confrontation hadn’t
ended well for Lester, but not because of anything that I’d done, though some
of the townsfolk had suspected that I might have had a hand in the radio show
host’s demise.
“Suzanne, that
was a long time ago. I’m a big
enough man to admit when I’ve made a mistake, and I’m sorry to say that I was
wrong to do what I did back then. What do you say? Can we let
bygones be bygones? How about
a donut?”
“Sure, I’m not
one to hold grudges. What would you
like?”
He studied the
display case. “What’s the
healthiest donut you have on the menu?”
That was
easy. Back before Grace had come
around to the joys of my calorie-laden donut treats, I’d made a few special
ones just for her. “Let’s see. Today I’ve got vegan vanilla cake and a
blueberry banana that uses yogurt.”
“Wow. Seriously?”
“You’d be
surprised by how many folks like to indulge a little but still maintain a
modicum of healthy ingredients.”
“How do they
taste?” he asked as he looked at them skeptically.
“Tell you
what. I’ll let you taste a bite of
each first. If you don’t like either
one of them, you don’t have to pay me a cent.”
“But if I do?”
“Then you pay
double what they cost anyone else,” I said with a grin.
“Why don’t I just
buy them outright from you instead?” Brandon asked.
“You could
certainly do that if you’d like to, but I’m trying to prove a point here. Just because something’s healthy doesn’t
mean that it can’t taste good, too.”
“If you feel that
way, then why do you serve so many selections of the unhealthy options?”
Was he seriously
going to stand there in my donut shop and argue with me about my offerings? “Brandon, I never recommended a steady
diet of my fare to anyone, but every now and then it feels good to
indulge. So, what do you say? Are you willing to take me up on my
offer? How lucky are you feeling?”
“What’s to keep
me from lying?” he asked.
“Not a thing in
the world but your conscience,” I said.
“Why not? What have I got to lose?” he asked.
“Five bucks, from
where I’m standing,” I said with a smile as I retrieved one of each of the
donuts we’d just been discussing.
He didn’t want to
like them. I could see it in his
gaze as he studied my offerings.
I watched as a
sense of amazement covered his face when he took his first bite. “Say, this is really tasty.”
“I told you so. Now try the other one.”
Brandon took a
bite of that one as well, and then he frowned as he shook his head.
“What’s the
matter, don’t you like it?” I asked. I’d been sure that I’d offered him two winners.
“I don’t like it,
I love it.”
“Then why the
frown?”
“I owe you five
bucks,” Brandon said as he dug out his wallet and slid a five across the
counter. “You know what? I don’t even mind being proven wrong.”
“Good for you,” I
said. “How about if I throw in one
more of each donut to go? That way
you’re getting your money’s worth, and I still get to make my point.”
“No, a bet’s a
bet. You won fair and square,” he
said. “How about some coffee?”
“Do you actually
drink that? Isn’t it bad for you,
too?”
“Not in
moderation,” he said. “Speaking of
coffee, that was too bad about how Alex Tyler died. Who would have dreamed that he drank
poisoned coffee from your donut shop.”
“I’m sure that it
wasn’t poisoned when it left here,” I said, immediately going on the
defensive.
“No doubt you’re
right,” he said. “Does your
boyfriend have any idea who might have done it?”
“Haven’t you
heard?” I asked him as I showed him my wedding ring. “He’s my husband
pretty sure that was you I saw picketing out front when I had my problems with
Lester Moorefield a few years back,” I said. That particular confrontation hadn’t
ended well for Lester, but not because of anything that I’d done, though some
of the townsfolk had suspected that I might have had a hand in the radio show
host’s demise.
“Suzanne, that
was a long time ago. I’m a big
enough man to admit when I’ve made a mistake, and I’m sorry to say that I was
wrong to do what I did back then. What do you say? Can we let
bygones be bygones? How about
a donut?”
“Sure, I’m not
one to hold grudges. What would you
like?”
He studied the
display case. “What’s the
healthiest donut you have on the menu?”
That was
easy. Back before Grace had come
around to the joys of my calorie-laden donut treats, I’d made a few special
ones just for her. “Let’s see. Today I’ve got vegan vanilla cake and a
blueberry banana that uses yogurt.”
“Wow. Seriously?”
“You’d be
surprised by how many folks like to indulge a little but still maintain a
modicum of healthy ingredients.”
“How do they
taste?” he asked as he looked at them skeptically.
“Tell you
what. I’ll let you taste a bite of
each first. If you don’t like either
one of them, you don’t have to pay me a cent.”
“But if I do?”
“Then you pay
double what they cost anyone else,” I said with a grin.
“Why don’t I just
buy them outright from you instead?” Brandon asked.
“You could
certainly do that if you’d like to, but I’m trying to prove a point here. Just because something’s healthy doesn’t
mean that it can’t taste good, too.”
“If you feel that
way, then why do you serve so many selections of the unhealthy options?”
Was he seriously
going to stand there in my donut shop and argue with me about my offerings? “Brandon, I never recommended a steady
diet of my fare to anyone, but every now and then it feels good to
indulge. So, what do you say? Are you willing to take me up on my
offer? How lucky are you feeling?”
“What’s to keep
me from lying?” he asked.
“Not a thing in
the world but your conscience,” I said.
“Why not? What have I got to lose?” he asked.
“Five bucks, from
where I’m standing,” I said with a smile as I retrieved one of each of the
donuts we’d just been discussing.
He didn’t want to
like them. I could see it in his
gaze as he studied my offerings.
I watched as a
sense of amazement covered his face when he took his first bite. “Say, this is really tasty.”
“I told you so. Now try the other one.”
Brandon took a
bite of that one as well, and then he frowned as he shook his head.
“What’s the
matter, don’t you like it?” I asked. I’d been sure that I’d offered him two winners.
“I don’t like it,
I love it.”
“Then why the
frown?”
“I owe you five
bucks,” Brandon said as he dug out his wallet and slid a five across the
counter. “You know what? I don’t even mind being proven wrong.”
“Good for you,” I
said. “How about if I throw in one
more of each donut to go? That way
you’re getting your money’s worth, and I still get to make my point.”
“No, a bet’s a
bet. You won fair and square,” he
said. “How about some coffee?”
“Do you actually
drink that? Isn’t it bad for you,
too?”
“Not in
moderation,” he said. “Speaking of
coffee, that was too bad about how Alex Tyler died. Who would have dreamed that he drank
poisoned coffee from your donut shop.”
“I’m sure that it
wasn’t poisoned when it left here,” I said, immediately going on the
defensive.
“No doubt you’re
right,” he said. “Does your
boyfriend have any idea who might have done it?”
“Haven’t you
heard?” I asked him as I showed him my wedding ring. “He’s my husband
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