Ginger Snaps [EBOOK]

<h3>Chapter 1</h3>
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“All right, students, step away from your final projects, please.”
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Ginger Burnet, baker extraordinaire and part-time solver of murders and mysteries, watched with pride as all her students put down their various tools and stepped away from their creations.
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It was the final day of the final exam for the specialist Baking as Art class that she ran at the illustrious Chiswick Park Academy. The academy, set amongst the rolling green hills and fields of Gloucestershire in the southwest of England, was deep in the throes of exam season. For Ginger’s students, that had meant planning an artistic, showstopping baking project that demonstrated the skills and techniques they had learned over the course of the year.
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Now, after eight hours spread over the course of three days, Ginger felt her heart swell with pride as she looked at the incredible creations her students had produced. There were towering layer cakes decorated with intricate buttercream piping; another worktop presented a life-sized cat made of delicately baked sponge cake with fur made with sculpted fondant then painstakingly painted; someone else had gone wild with their chocolatier techniques, turning a collection of different flavoured cupcakes into a sinuous forest topped with curling chocolate flora.
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“I can’t believe it’s finally over,” Amelia announced dramatically, sliding down the front of her workstation to sit on the cool tiled floor.
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Ginger got a bottle of water out of the fridge and passed it to her student and former assistant from when she was the academy’s resident baker.
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“You did so well,” Ginger said, admiring the intricate mirror glazed cake that Amelia had then adorned with chocolate flowers of different colours, each of the petals individually cut out and stuck into place with buttercream. “All of you did.”
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“How did it manage to feel like I’ve been working on this for eternity and also feel rushed the whole time?” Sam asked, crouching so their eyeline was level with the worktop, peering critically at the construction of cake, colourful macarons, and artfully painted chocolate shapes that made up their rendition of a tableau from Alice in Wonderland.
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“Time works differently during exam season,” Amelia said wearily, getting to her feet and draining the rest of the bottle of water. “So if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go and sleep for the rest of the day, while trying to convince myself that I’ll still have time tomorrow to prep for my biology exam.”
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One by one, the weary students murmured their goodbyes and filed out of the classroom. Some looked satisfied, looking at their projects with pride. Others shook their heads mournfully or nibbled nervously on their fingertips.
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Just as the final few students exited, there came a light rapping on the door. Ginger turned, a smile stretching across her face. Rhys Morgan, history teacher and heartthrob of Chiswick Park Academy, was leaning easily against the doorframe. The seams of his crisp blue shirt struggled to contain his muscled biceps as he crossed his arms, and Ginger let her eyes linger for a few extra moments. It had been a long day, she deserved a treat.
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“How has your day been, Miss Burnet?” Rhys asked, pushing off from the doorframe and sauntering over to her, a smirk tugging at his lips.
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Ginger laughed, biting her lip as she felt herself flush. She and Rhys had started dating a few months before, but they’d been taking things slow, especially after Ginger’s almost deadly run-in with a vengeful poisoner at the beginning of the school year the previous September.
<br><br>
But it was now May and things were going… very well. In fact, she flushed even more as she remembered some specific moments that had gone spectacularly well. Which was why she backed up from Rhys, waving a warning finger at him playfully as she put her cooking station between them.
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“Mr Morgan!” she chastised, squeaking out a surprised laugh as he darted around the worktop to wrap his arms around her from behind. “We agreed to no flirting at work. Did you bring your camera with you or are you just happy to see me?”
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He hummed regretfully against her neck and pulled back, showing her the camera hung around his neck. “Technically both?”
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Slipping free of the arm that he kept loosely around her waist, Ginger gave him a pointed look, raising one eyebrow. Quickly she threw up her hands with a huff.
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“It’s irritatingly difficult to stay annoyed at you when you look so good,” she grumbled. “I’m a sweaty, flour-dusted mess and you look like you just stepped out of a menswear catalogue.”
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She couldn’t help but grin as it was now Rhys’ turn to flush. He tugged self-consciously at his loosened tie and fussed at the few dark brown curls that fell forward onto his forehead.
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“So, you wanted me to take photos of all the final projects?” he asked, quickly clearing his throat.
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“You’re cute when you’re flustered,” Ginger said with a wink, before crossing to the closest magnificent creation. “We need to get these photographed and filmed and then into a fridge. I’ll mark them on taste later.”
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“I wish my exams had a cake tasting portion,” Rhys said, beginning to take detailed, close-up photos. “I don’t suppose you want any help with the tasting portion, do you?”
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“There will be plenty of sweet treats left over after I’m done marking,” Ginger said with a laugh, prepping the next project for Rhys’ attention. “Hey, I can ask the students, but I’m sure they won’t mind donating portions of their bakes to your mum’s new assisted living centre? It would certainly make her popular.”
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Rhys chuckled. “She’s already plenty popular. I was meant to have a phone call with her last night, but she cancelled on me. Apparently, she had several dinner invitations to choose between.”
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“Ah Rosanna,” Ginger said, shaking her head with amusement. “Ever the charmer. Such a shame she didn’t pass any of that onto you.”
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Rhys flicked her a dry look as he moved onto photographing Amelia’s beautiful creation. “I’m cooking dinner tonight, remember? You should probably be slightly nicer to me.”
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Ginger sidled up behind him, pressing a quick kiss on his shirt between his shoulder blades.
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“I’m always very, very nice to you,” she said, ruffling his hair before moving away to clear away the detritus from around the next cake.
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However, before she reached the workstation, a high-pitched ringing surged in her ears. Next thing she knew, Ginger was on hands and knees down on the floor, the tile cold against her cheek. Her vision blurred. An overwhelming sense of dread sank its claws into the back of her neck and her breath came in ragged gasps.
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“Ginger!” Rhys’ hands were warm and reassuring on her upper arms. “Come on, sit up for me. Slowly now. That’s it.”
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She leaned back against Rhys’ broad chest, staring at her slightly shaking hands without recognition. It felt as if the top of her skull was floating away from the rest of her head.
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“Deep breaths.” Rhys scooted her gently to lean against the base of one of the workstations. “I’ll be right back.”
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“I’m fine,” Ginger murmured, blinking rapidly to try and clear the floating shapes from her vision. “It’s just been a long day.”
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Rhys crouched down in front of her, pressing a cold bottle of water into her hands. “Is this the first time this has happened?”
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“Ever?” Ginger asked, taking a long drink. “Or the first time this has happened since I got hit over the head with a shovel?”
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“The second one.” Rhys sat on the floor beside her. “I know it’s been months, but there might be something that’s only just developing now—”
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“Rhys, my love,” Ginger said, patting him gently on his stubbled cheek. “I’m fine. It’s not some kind of slow-moving brain damage. I just didn’t eat lunch today because I was busy, it’s hot, and I’ve been on my feet marking a live exam all afternoon.”
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He frowned, the familiar little swirl forming between his eyebrows. “That makes sense,” he reluctantly agreed. “I just worry, you know? Seeing you drop like that just now reminded me too much of when you passed out on the roof of Ava’s house and…”
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Gently, Ginger took his hand, pressing a kiss to his knuckles. “I’m fine,” she assured him. “Now, help me to my feet so we can finish photographing my darling students’ hard work. Then we’ll load the ones in risk of melting into the fridges, I’ll clean up the mess while you close up your classroom, and then we’ll head back to mine for dinner. Sound good?”
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“The tidying up can wait until tomorrow,” Rhys said, standing up but not pulling her with him. “You can stay on the floor and finish that water, I’ll do the photos, we’ll turn down the aircon in here to keep everything cool, and then we’ll leave.” He started photographing the next cake. “This isn’t a discussion. Drink your water.”
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Ginger mock grumbled for a minute, sipping on the water. In truth, however, she was grateful for Rhys. It felt good to be able to take the time to let the feeling come back into her hands and for that feeling of panicky disconnect to fade. The only thing that sent a stab of guilt into her throat was that she’d skirted Rhys’ question for a reason.
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This wasn’t the first time this had happened recently. A few times at home she’d found her vision going hazy and once she’d nearly fallen down the stairs when the feeling hit mid-step. But she didn’t want to worry him. No doubt it was all just stress-related and would fade once exam season was over.
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Enjoying the quiet click of Rhys’ camera shutter going off over and over again, Ginger looked around as best she could from the floor, mentally cataloguing the mess she would need to tackle the next day. The several sinks were full of last minute bowls and utensils, and the worktops were littered with modelling tools, knives, piping bags, and stencils.
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Glancing to the front of the classroom, Ginger mentally made a note to find where she’d put the knives from her special set. She remembered loaning the small, sharp knives to one student or another to help make a particularly delicate cut, but who knew where they’d ended up. The bowl from the mechanical mixer on her workstation was missing too, as were both of her favourite work whisks.
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“Utter chaos,” she muttered to herself, finishing the bottle of water. “I really need to plan better for next year.”
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“And I’m sure you will,” Rhys said, finishing the last of the photos and helping Ginger to her feet. “Well, that’s Friday finished for us. Let’s leave this place icy cold and go enjoy our weekend, shall we?”
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“I like how you think.” Ginger turned down the air conditioning before closing and locking the classroom. “Lead the way, Mr. Morgan. I’m expecting great things from this dinner you’ve promised me.”
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“Well, that was your first mistake,” Rhys said wryly, hooking an arm around her waist. “I make no promises but one: if it goes badly, I’ll be the one to pay for takeaway.”
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“I’m never going to say no to free food,” Ginger teased, resting her head on his shoulder, determinedly blinking away a few errant black spots in her vision as they walked down the corridor and out into the open air.