The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic(25)
The back of her neck tingled.
That slow-moving shiver down her spine that made her think of spidery fingers inching over her shoulder or the weathered shadow of a face you always fear seeing in the corner of the mirror.
And that’s when she heard it.
A low, haunting sound that slithered under her skin and wrapped around her bones. There were no words, just an eerie, sinister snarl. No words. But Sadie knew a threat when she heard one.
She wanted to run into the house, scattering salt behind her.
Instead, she forced herself to walk at a leisurely pace, her heart pounding with certain dread the whole time.
Mint Julep Ice Cream
Use this to clear out the past and start over by painting all past painful memories in a happier light. Don’t eat too much, or you’ll be forgetting other things too, until you’re a doddery old fool like me, who can’t remember what day of the week it is. Getting old really is a son of a bitch.
Ingredients
1 c. sugar
? c. water
? c. bourbon
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. milk
2 c. heavy cream
6 large egg yolks
8–10 large sprigs fresh mint (plus extra for garnish)
Directions
1.?Bruise the leaves of the mint leaves to release oils and flavors. Combine the sugar, water, and the 8 mint sprigs in a small saucepan over medium heat, and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, and let cool completely. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, then add the bourbon.
2.?Combine the milk and cream in a large nonreactive saucepan, and bring to a gentle boil. In a small mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks together. Whisk 1 cup of the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture. In a slow, steady stream, add the egg mixture to the hot cream mixture. Continue to cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
3.?Whisk the bourbon mixture into the cream mixture. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap down against the surface of the mixture to keep a skin from forming, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
4.?Remove from the refrigerator, and pour the mixture into an ice-cream machine. Churn according to the manufacturer’s directions. For an extra kick, add a spoonful of bourbon over ice cream before serving.
??5??
“QUIT YOUR FIDGETING,” GIGI scowled, swatting at Sadie as they drove to church. Gigi was always crotchety on the way to church because, in her words, “If you’re gonna drag my ass to God’s house, He better know I’m not coming willingly.”
Her grandmother’s Baptist roots wouldn’t let her go too long without attending, despite her feelings on the matter. And today, Sadie needed backup. Everything was going, as Gigi always put it, to hell in a handbasket. The burned garden. That sound from the forest. Gigi. Bambi belonging to Jake. There were too many thoughts to fold in half. She’d need an origami master to make any kind of sense in her brain.
The second she pulled into the Poppy Meadows Community Church parking lot at the end of Main Street, thirty minutes early, she let out a shaky breath. The church wasn’t fancy, but it held fond memories of vacation bible school and potlucks, fundraisers and talent shows. The main building was bigger than normal for a church built back in the 1800s, and had been expanded on with a cluster of buildings recessed from the street and connected by charming walkways lined with cheery flowers. There was a large kitchen, Sunday school rooms, and meeting rooms, with a swath of meticulously manicured grass in the middle. Wrought iron bistro tables and hanging bougainvillea made it feel more like a European bed-and-breakfast than a place of worship. But perhaps the beauty was its own kind of worship.
She had barely opened her car door when she saw Miss Janet speed-walking over. Her floral dress stretched across her chest and swayed like a dance as she huffed to a stop.
“Sadie Revelare, you got those pies?” Miss Janet was in charge of the kitchen, which meant she handled the roster for who brought what refreshments for the coffee stand.
“Right here,” Sadie answered, reaching into the backseat and grabbing the three boxes.
“Good, good. Walk with me,” Janet demanded, and started off at a steady clip. “Now, you cut those pies and put them on individual plates. We don’t want everybody making a mess and getting their dirty fingers all over the place. And don’t make the slices too big, mind you,” she said, her mouth running faster than a motorboat. “And have you thought about your booth for the Fall Festival? You know I need the forms by the end of the week. Oh, and this is Jake—he’ll be helping you in the kitchen this morning,” Miss Janet finished as they entered the long galley. “I’m off to set up the coffee urns. Be quick about your work, child—we don’t have much time.”
Sadie blanched as she saw Jake standing in the kitchen with an apron tied around his waist. His dark jeans were ten times nicer than anything he used to wear, and his freshly pressed button-down shirt was the perfect shade of blue to set off his eyes. The slim fit of both made Sadie think of things she was pretty sure you weren’t supposed to think about in church.
Damn him. How was he everywhere?
She cast her eyes for something to land on. Anything other than staring at his hands on the counter. The hands that had once trailed up her inner thigh, the callouses snagging at her soft skin. The fingers that … No. Find something else to focus on, you dirty trollop, she scolded herself, feeling the heat that rushed her cheeks. Her eyes traveled the kitchen, which was dated but sparkling clean, with the strong chemical smell of Lysol. As the door swung shut, it blocked out the sound of the worship pastor’s acoustic guitar. The only noise was the hum from the giant, ancient refrigerator.