Tuesday Tales 2024-4-9 Gentle

Welcome to Tuesday Tales, powered by a small group of authors, where word prompts inspire passages in the books we’re writing. Today’s word is gentle. My snippet is from a cozy mystery set in fictional Glisten, Georgia. When you finish reading, make sure to visit all the talented authors of Tuesday Tales.

I awoke later than usual the following morning and headed, like a zombie, for the coffee. Luella was hard at work, putting the final touches on a batch of cookies. Several cooling racks lined the counter, with the output ready to be placed in bins and containers. Some were marked freezer. Dreamy cookie smells filled the kitchen—cinnamon and a gentle syrupy aroma. “Did you get up in the night and eat leftover barbecue?” I inquired.

“No, I slept like the dead. I had toast this morning and some of the fries. The rest will be good for lunch.”

Roy meandered in, seeking a coffee refill, his hair still ruffled from sleep. I sensed a strained vibe between him and Luella. He muttered to me, “Good, you’re up. I was about to text you, sleepy head.”

I retorted, “I could have used another hour. I guess Robin got up early and went to work.”

Luella blurted, “She said she had to meet with her boss.”

I poured coffee and joined Roy at the small table by the window. It was nice to look out and not see droves of police. We stared at one another for a few moments, and then he shifted his gaze to Luella and quickly back at me, apparently as a signal. Unobtrusively, I scrutinized the intrepid baker as she placed warm cookies on a large, decorative saucer. Her eyes were red and she appeared tightly coiled, but the worn-out look had abated.

She set the saucer between us on the table. “Cream cheese cinnamon and frosted maple.”

“Thanks,” we gushed simultaneously.

Grinning, I reached for a plump cinnamon cookie.

Roy grabbed a leaf-shaped frosted maple and bit in.

Luella nodded in apparent satisfaction and turned to remove what appeared to be a final cookie batch from the oven.

After my stomach had received the breakfast treat and given its blessing, I said, “Within the next few days, I need to get a handle on the work my godfather wanted me to do. Is it all right to put the study back to order, Roy?”

“Yes, anytime is fine. Pelier should return the electronics to me later today or tomorrow. I’ll drop them by, in case Jack put notes or instructions on there for you about the upgrades to the Inn.”

“Yeah, he could have. I don’t really know. In my head I was thinking he used a physical notebook.”

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed the piece inspired by the word gentle. If you haven’t done so already, check out the other excerpts at Tuesday Tales.

Cheers & Happy Reading!

Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic with Spirited Stories

All rights reserved, copyright @ 2024 Flossie Benton Rogers