“She’s going with Jason,” Marla told the crowd, wagging her eyebrows. “You should see her dress. It’s absolutely gorgeous. She’ll look like a dream in that gown.”
“Aren’t you doing her friends’ hair at your salon?” Anita asked, lifting her penciled brows.
“Yes, that’s right. Then the following Friday is her final class.”
“We’ve reserved the dates for her graduation and Ryder’s birthday party.” Anita clapped her hands. “It’s about time we can celebrate happy occasions together.”
“Can we be excused?” one of Reed’s grandchildren asked. At his nod of approval, they scrambled from the table. Michael’s kids followed.
“Don’t you have events over Memorial Day weekend?” Anita asked, spreading cream cheese on a bagel. She had been so busy setting things out that she hadn’t had a chance to eat yet. She helped herself to some smoked salmon and sliced onions.
Marla nodded after taking a sip of hot coffee. “Nicole is having us over on that Saturday. Then Sunday is the police picnic. Thank goodness we have a babysitter lined up.”
Ryder, seated in his highchair, babbled his opinion. Marla beamed at him and offered him a bite of cut-up strawberry. He took it and popped it in his mouth.
Dalton cleared his throat. “Um, about the picnic this year. It might be my last one.”
Rendered speechless, Marla gaped at him.
He gave her a sheepish grin. “I was going to break the news in private, but this is as good an opening as I’m going to get. It’s my twenty-fifth year at the department. I’m eligible for retirement with full benefits.”
“No way.” Marla’s heart thudded in her chest. Surely, he didn’t mean what she thought he meant?
“Yes, way,” he said in teen-speak. “I put in my notice to retire as of September the first. I could have quit immediately with two weeks warning, but I hope to train my successor and not leave everyone hanging. That’s the least I can do.”
Marla’s thoughts about his workplace gelled, and she realized why she’d sensed something was off. He’d removed his personal photos, including pictures of Ryder that he’d kept on his desk. He must have packed them away so as not to lose anything during the transition.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but I wanted to make sure we’d be all right financially,” he said, giving her hand a squeeze. “I’ll be able to spend more time with Ryder and can help around the house while you’re at work.”
“What will you do all day?” Brianna cried. “You can’t leave your job.”
Marla flashed his daughter a grateful glance. She’d been thinking the same thing.
“Listen, muffin. It’ll be safer this way. With a new child to raise, I don’t want to keep putting my life in jeopardy. Even though my position is mostly administrative, I do follow up on things in person. I need to think about our family now that we have a little one in our care.”
“I thought you loved field work,” Marla said in a petulant tone. Unable to wrap her mind around his announcement, she resented that he hadn’t discussed this decision with her. No, she more than resented it. It made her heart pound and her teeth grind together.
“I do love the investigative part. I’ve been toying with the idea of becoming a private security consultant, and maybe I can teach at the law enforcement academy. I’ve been looking into their requirements.”
“I’d bet you’d been good at teaching,” Marla grudgingly admitted. At least he was considering his options.
At forty-eight, Dalton still had many years ahead of him. Would his pension be enough to cover Ryder’s schooling and his daughter’s college? They had Marla’s income, but she counted on his share. Part-time work would be helpful in that regard.
More importantly, she’d be relieved of the worry that he might get shot in the line of duty. That factor alone should erase her concerns.
He gave her a broad grin. “You know about my interest in history. This would give us a chance to attend one of the local battle reenactments. It could be fun.”
Marla swallowed her doubts. “Oh, joy. You could even volunteer at the local history museum. You already know the curator. She was a suspect in one of your cases.”
“That’s right. Don’t worry. I’ll find things to keep myself occupied.”
Marla remembered in vivid detail how Dalton’s mother had felt when his dad retired. Kate had required a long period of adjustment and had resented his desire to travel to art shows. She’d finally learned how to compromise to meet both their needs, but it hadn’t been an easy journey. Too bad the couple was out of town this weekend, or Marla could have asked Kate for advice.
Her gut churned at the potential problems ahead. Let’s stay positive, she thought. It might be handy to have Dalton around. When Ryder got sick or the daycare center closed for holidays, he could take charge of their son while she went to work. But the best thing would be the extra time they’d have to spend together.
“I have news, too,” Charlene blurted, folding her hands on the table. “I’ve accepted a position as elementary school principal at a private academy in West Palm Beach. It pays more than the other job openings and they want me to start in August.”
Marla’s lips parted. “What? I thought you were homesick for up north.”
Charlene gave her a frank stare. “I am, but I realized my life is here with Michael and the kids. I was scared because I’m becoming more forgetful. I didn’t want to lose my mind before I achieved my dream.”
“Is that what’s been bothering you? You hinted during our last phone conversation that something was wrong. I was afraid you had an illness you were hiding from us.”
Charlene’s eyes moistened. “I’m worried that it’s Alzheimer’s. A cousin of mine had it, and in the end, she didn’t know her own children. I wouldn’t want you to see me that way.”
Understanding dawned. Charlene was afraid she’d lose herself and wanted to spare her immediate family the pain. Even if she’d moved up north and the kids visited during the summers, she might have told them to stay home if her condition deteriorated. But that would be avoiding the problem, not confronting it with the full support of her loved ones.
“Everyone forgets things as they get older,” she told her sister-in-law. “It doesn’t mean you have a serious problem, but you can always get it checked out. We’re here for you no matter what happens.”
“I know. You’ve reminded me that family is everything. I want to stay through the good as well as the bad.” She grasped Michael’s hand and gave him a teary smile.
“And I’ve promised to set aside Saturdays for family day,” he responded with a fond glance at his wife. “Work will have to wait. We need to spend time with our children before they grow up and leave the house. It’ll happen in the blink of an eye.”
“I hope not.” Marla gazed at Ryder, playing with his food while seated in his highchair. He threw a piece of melon on the floor and grinned when he noticed her looking at him. She shook her head, unable to imagine him as an adult. Time was already passing by too fast.
Dalton took her hand and squeezed it, enjoying the moment with her. It would be good to have him home to share each milestone.
Marla’s heart filled with love as she regarded the familiar faces around the table. “Being together is all that matters. We may not know what tomorrow will bring, but we have each other and that makes us stronger. Here’s to more happy events in the future.”
The others raised their glasses in acknowledgment and offered hearty cheers.
Family Brunch Menu
MENU
Zucchini, Eggs and Cheese
Smoked Salmon
Bagels and Cream Cheese
Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole
Sliced Tomatoes and Onions
Peach Cobbler
ZUCCHINI, EGGS AND CHEESE
Ingredients
1 cup biscuit mix
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup vegetable oil
6 eggs, beaten
32 oz. sliced zucchini
8 oz. chopped onions
4 oz. chopped tomatoes
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all ingredients except tomatoes in a large bowl. Pour into greased 9x13x2 inch baking dish. Sprinkle tomatoes on top. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serves 4 to 6.
CHEESY HASH BROWN CASSEROLE
Ingredients
15 oz. can cream of celery soup
1 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 Tbsp. flour
½ tsp. garlic powder
24 to 30 oz. package frozen hash brown potatoes
2 cups reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Paprika
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine soup, sour cream, flour, and garlic powder. Stir in potatoes and cheddar cheese. Pour into a greased 9x13x2 inch baking dish. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and paprika on top. Bake uncovered for 50 to 60 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Serves 6 to 8.
PEACH COBBLER
Ingredients
¼ cup unsalted butter
1 ½ cups biscuit mix
1 cup sugar
⅔ cup reduced fat milk
21 oz. can peach pie filling
Cinnamon
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt the butter and spread it on the bottom of a 9x13x2 inch baking pan. In a bowl, whisk together the biscuit mix, sugar, and milk. Pour batter into pan. Drop the fruit to cover batter evenly. Sprinkle cinnamon on top. Bake for 30 minutes or until browned and bubbly.
Acknowledgments
It takes a village to produce a book, and such is the case with Styled for Murder. I would like to express my gratitude to the following members of my team who helped make this book possible:
Ann Meier and Janice Hardy – You welcomed me to the Orlando area and invited me to join your critique group. This made me feel so very welcome after relocating to a new town where I’d be starting all over. Our Zoom meetings gave me the incentive to get back to work after a long dry spell due to the pandemic and a major move. I never would have finished this book without your encouragement. Your perceptive comments made the story stronger and helped me get this book ready for publication.
Jan Klein, Taryn Lee, and Sally Schmidt – I rely on my beta readers to read my book cover to cover while watching diligently for typos, inconsistencies, repetitions, and plot holes. I value your reports and set upon any corrections as soon as you suggest them. I need your sets of eyes and am deeply grateful you’re willing to spend time on my behalf. Your opinions as readers are incredibly helpful.
Deni Dietz – You’ve been my editor since my books were published by Five Star, and I am grateful you’re still willing to work with me. Your comments are always right on the mark.
Kat Sheridan from BlurbWriter.com – Kat comes up with the most pun-ilicious story blurbs with puns galore. You make my book descriptions so much fun to share.
Kim Killion from The Killion Group, Inc. – I adore this cover that is absolutely perfect for the story. I appreciate your willingness to make changes until the cover art is just right.
Judi Fennell from formatting4u.com – Your expertise in layout design ensures my book has a professional polish. Your attention to detail in getting my work ready for the market is much appreciated.
Author’s Note
Thank you for taking the time to read Styled for Murder. The inspiration for this story came from my own remodeling woes. We loved the finished product, but there was a lot of aggravation along the way same as in this story. Regarding the garlic festival, I modeled it after the South Florida Garlic Fest. Regretfully, I didn’t get the chance to attend before we moved away from the area. The house where we relocated has a propane gas tank, so I was glad to learn about the leak detectors during my research. As for edible gold, I haven’t tried this delicacy yet but will be on the lookout for gold-sprinkled foods.
If you enjoyed this book, please write a review at your favorite online bookstore. Reader recommendations are critically important in helping new readers find my work.
For updates on my new releases, giveaways, special offers and events, join my reader list at https://nancyjcohen.com/newsletter. Free Book Sampler for new subscribers.
About the Author
As a former registered nurse, Nancy J. Cohen helped people with their physical aches and pains, but she longed to soothe their troubles in a different way. The siren call of storytelling lured her from nursing into the exciting world of fiction. Wishing she could wield a curling iron with the same skill as crafting a story, she created hairdresser Marla Vail as a stylist with a nose for crime and a knack for exposing people’s secrets.
Titles in the Bad Hair Day Mysteries have been named Best Cozy Mystery by Suspense Magazine, won a Readers’ Favorite gold medal and a RONE Award, placed first in the Chanticleer International Book Awards and third in the Arizona Literary Awards.
Her nonfiction titles, Writing the Cozy Mystery and A Bad Hair Day Cookbook, have won gold medals in the FAPA President’s Book Awards and the Royal Palm Literary Awards, First Place in the IAN Book of the Year Awards and the Topshelf Magazine Book Awards. Writing the Cozy Mystery was also an Agatha Award Finalist.
Nancy’s imaginative romances have proven popular with fans as well. These books have won the HOLT Medallion and Best Book in Romantic SciFi/Fantasy at The Romance Reviews.
A featured speaker at libraries, conferences, and community events, Nancy is listed in Contemporary Authors, Poets & Writers, and Who’s Who in U.S. Writers, Editors, & Poets. She is a past president of Florida Romance Writers and Mystery Writers of America, Florida Chapter. When not busy writing, Nancy enjoys reading, fine dining, cruising, and visiting Disney World.
Follow Nancy Online
Email – [email protected]
Website – https://nancyjcohen.com
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Books by Nancy J. Cohen
The Bad Hair Day Mysteries
Permed to Death
Hair Raiser
Murder by Manicure
Body Wave
Highlights to Heaven
Died Blonde
Dead Roots
Perish by Pedicure
Killer Knots
Shear Murder
Hanging by a Hair
Peril by Ponytail
Haunted Hair Nights (Novella)
Facials Can Be Fatal
Hair Brained
Hairball Hijinks (Short Story)
Trimmed to Death
Easter Hair Hunt
Styled for Murder
Anthology
“Three Men and a Body” in Wicked Women Whodunit
The Drift Lords Series
Warrior Prince
Warrior Rogue
Warrior Lord
Science Fiction Romances
Keeper of the Rings
Silver Serenade
The Light-Years Series
Circle of Light
Moonlight Rhapsody
Starlight Child
Nonfiction
Writing the Cozy Mystery
A Bad Hair Day Cookbook
Order Now at https://nancyjcohen.com/books/
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Styled for Murder Page 27