Christmas Recipe for Romance novel · Chapter 18 of 24
Chapter 18: Barton's Mother
Nobody on the lane moved.
The snow came down through the cone of yellow light and settled on my uncle's good coat.
Barton opened his mouth, and a small dry noise came out of it, and nothing else.
The deputy had taken his hat off.
The Boston chef stood frozen in the doorway with his cigarette burning down to his fingers.
"He's an old man," Barton said at last. "Old men say things."
"I said it once," said Ansel. "In your kitchen. You were in the cellar."
"Mr. Doyle," said the deputy, to the ground. "I don't see any trespass."
"Then go home, Deputy."
"Yes, sir."
The cruiser backed out of the lane with great care.
The chef looked at Barton and the papers sticking out of his pocket.
He ground out the cigarette on the rail.
"Thursday," he said. "Either I get eight recipes or I get a train."
He went inside and shut the door.
The rest of this chapter is part of the paid portion of the series. Chapters 1–12 of Christmas Recipe for Romance are free to read — start from the beginning, then unlock the rest with coins in the app.
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