Page 112 of A Taste of Vanilla

Warren’s expression blanks. “No one said anything.”

“You had a face.”

A customer near the pastry case clears her throat.

“Sorry,” she says. “Are you open, or is this more of a family fight soft open?”

I close my eyes.

Dev claps once. “We’re open-open. Full drama comes free with purchase.”

The woman grins. “Great. Then I’ll take two muffins and whatever drink makes men decorative.”

“Excellent choice,” Dev sings.

I turn to Marley. “Your brother cannot fix my oven in front ofcustomers.” The ovens need to be ready to go until the end of the day.

Warren looks toward the kitchen. “I can inspect it after closing.”

“I don’t need?—”

Agatha makes a popping sound.

Not a small pop. A loud, metallic crack from the kitchen that makes everyone freeze.

The lights above the kitchen flicker once.

Then the smell hits.

Burning sugar, followed by something sharper. Electrical.

Lisa curses. “Turn it off!”

Warren moves fast, slipping past me and through the kitchen doorway before I can even process the sound.

My heart hammers.

The oven’s display goes dark.

Warren reaches it, checks the exterior with the back of his hand, and looks at Lisa.

“Breaker?”

“Back left,” she informs him.

He moves to the panel.

I stand in the middle of my own kitchen, useless and furious as Warren opens the breaker panel and flips one switch off.

The low hum stops, but the smell lingers.

Dev appears in the doorway. “Did Agatha die?”

“Do not say that,” I snap.

Warren crouches in front of the oven, and Oliver joins him, serious now.

Marley hovers behind us all.