Fireside Homicide Cozy Mystery Bundle
Page 26
Ross was standing in front of the fireplace with his back to her, warming his hands. She paused a moment to admire his broad shoulders and long legs. Then she noted that his normally neatly trimmed hair was a little shaggy around his collar.
“Good morning,” she said softly.
“Good morning, sleepy head,” he said, his eyes lighting up with a smile when he turned to face her. “Sleep well?”
“I did, thank you,” she answered.
“I wanted to come by and just fill you in on the latest development,” he said.
Gemma sat on the end of the sofa closest to the fireplace. Ross sat on the ottoman at her feet.
“Is Mrs. Northlake...?”
Ross shook his head. “She made it through the night. It’s still going to be touch and go for a while but the doctor thinks she’ll be just fine.”
“And then?”
“And then she’ll be dealt with according to the law,” Ross said, as if that was obvious. “Murder and attempted murder are pretty serious charges.”
“Attempted murder?”
“She was trying to poison you with that tea. Did you forget that?”
Gemma shrugged. “No, of course not. I just didn’t make the connection. Victoria knew what her mother had done.”
“She’s under observation in the psych ward at the hospital.”
“Is she suicidal?”
He nodded. “Probably. If and when she’s able to go home, her brothers will have to take more responsibility for caring for her than they have been.”
“Her brothers,” Gemma said.
“Who turned out to be the good guys in this whole thing,” Ross told her.
“Crazy,” Gemma said.
“Yep, crazy,” he said. “Kind of like you, Deputy Stone.”
“I’m not crazy,” Gemma protested, smacking him lightly on the hand.
“No, you make me crazy,” he said with a laugh and then he stood up, took both of her hands in his and pulled her to her feet.
Without shoes she felt like a midget standing next to him. He brushed her hair back behind her ears and gazed down into her eyes. Framing her face with both hands, he bent forward and kissed her. The thrill of his lips on hers nearly took her breath away. When he pulled away, his dark eyes were full of fire.
“If you don’t have any plans this afternoon, I thought I’d take another look at that cantankerous jalopy of yours,” he said.
“No plans,” Gemma whispered. “No plans at all.”
As she rested her head against the hard muscles of Ross’s chest, she closed her eyes and breathed in his spicy, woodsy scent. It felt good to be in his arms, safe and yet, oh, so exciting. One of these days, she was going to have to make a decision about these two men. Nick was always so sweet and loving and patient with her. He had been one of her best friends since second grade. Being in Ross’s arms was so thrilling, almost dangerous. She remembered Nick’s invitation for Valentine’s Day weekend. True, she had promised him she would go but now she began to wonder if it was too late to cancel.
The Dixie Cupp Diner Mystery Series
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Gemma Stone Mystery Series
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