“Yes, but I still think he could’ve said it better.” She picked up her mug and took a small sip. “Since Bill canceled our contract, I’ll need a new publicity person. I wonder if Emma would be interested in helping me.”
“Wouldn’t hurt to ask,” Abby said. “And before I hang up, there’s something I want to ask you.”
“Anything.”
“I noticed that you and Detective Woods are on a first-name basis, and his parting comment mentioned seeing you again. Is there any possibility…?”
“No, Abby, don’t even go there.”
“I’m zipping my lips, but on the one hand, you have Brad Woods and on the other, Scooby Doo.”
“I don’t watch Scooby Doo. I would normally be watching Perry Mason right now. Emma was watching…oh, never mind.” Her head flopped against the sofa, and she closed her eyes. “Abby, I’m doing fine for now.”
“I hear you. I’ll drop by in the morning for one of Henrietta’s muffins.”
“Good night. Thanks for passing along the news to me.”
On her remote, she punched in the numbers for the classic T.V. channel. Oh, it’s the episode where the man had his wife’s priceless artwork copied so that he could sell the originals, and the art dealer was murdered. I hope I can stay awake until the end of this one…
Celeste came awake with a start at the sound of someone knocking on her door. From the scene playing out on the T.V., she could tell that she’d been asleep for about thirty minutes.
“Mrs. Adams. Mrs. Adams, are you in there?”
It’s Richard. She jumped to her feet and rushed to the door.
“What’s wrong?”
He held up both hands. “Don’t worry, ma’am. No one has been murdered.”
She breathed a sigh of relief.
“I couldn’t reach you on the phone, and the coffeemaker in room 202 isn’t working.”
Oh, I left my phone on vibrate. She grabbed a key off of the hook by the door.
“Thank goodness for small problems, Richard. Follow me out to the storage building.”
The motion-sensor security light came on when they walked around the side of the cottage to the steel-framed building.
“Howard bought a dozen four-cup coffee makers at a going-out-of-business sale. He paid five dollars apiece for them. He thought he’d hit the jackpot, and I thought he was crazy. He said, ‘But Ceecee, we’ll have them if we need them.’ ”
She opened and removed the padlock and flipped on the light switch.
“He was always planning ahead, while I believed in living in the moment at hand. We had a running joke between us that he was an always make a checklist guy married to a fly by the seat of her pants girl.”
Richard snickered and grabbed one of the boxes off of the shelf. “Sounds like he was a cool dude,” he said. “And, see, he’s still taking care of you, Mrs. Adams.”
Maybe it was the rum or pure exhaustion, but for the first time in a long time, she wasn’t on the verge of tears. Instead, his statement had made her smile. She gazed at the stacks of coffeemakers, wastebaskets, digital alarm clocks, phones, and comforter sets all purchased at bargain prices. Thank you for everything, Howard. I’m going to be okay.
The End
If you enjoy reading books set in the Blue Ridge Mountains, be sure to read The Evergreen B&B Series.
Book 1: Inheriting Evergreen
Kristy Miller’s aunt dies suddenly, leaving Kristy a large portion of her multi-million dollar estate including her mountain home, Evergreen. Kristy soon discovers that Aunt Leslie had kept a few secrets from her family, not the least of which is how she earned her fortune.
One of her aunt’s secrets leads Kristy into a new relationship with the charming but stubborn Drew Stone. Each of Drew’s young sons received a large inheritance from Aunt Leslie, but Mr. Stone maintains that he has never met or heard of Kristy’s aunt and wants no part of the money.
And then there’s the other secret—Evergreen might be haunted, sending Kristy in search of a ghost.
Book 2: Haunting Evergreen
Soon after the grand opening of the Evergreen Bed & Breakfast, a guest believes that she has seen a ghost in the honeymoon suite. She contacts paranormal researcher, Justin Marino and reality T.V. star, Lisa Ryan. Lisa knows that Justin has very little respect for T.V. ghost hunters but that doesn't stop her from involving him in a scheme to gain entrance to Evergreen. He reluctantly joins her for a night in the honeymoon suite and what they find takes them both by surprise.
Book 3: Revisiting Evergreen
Stephanie Perry is hiding a terrible secret from her past that has driven her to a mental breakdown and caused her to separate from her husband Neal. Determined to uncover her secret and win her back, Neal agrees to accompany her to a family reunion at Evergreen. Upon seeing the house again, Stephanie senses that the ghosts of her ancestors might still be in residence there. Will the kindred spirits from Evergreen’s past give her the courage to tell the truth and put her life back together?
Visit www.lkcampbell.com for purchase links.
Other Titles by L.K. Campbell
Novels
A Soldier’s Love
Gold Star Wife
A Different Tune
Revenge Wore Lipstick
The Dakota Lawmen Mysteries Series
The Law & Annabelle
The Sheriff & Camille
The Marshal & Susanna
The Deputy & Mirabel
The Detective & Charlotte
Short Stories
Comfy Shorts: Four Romantic Reads
Visit www.lkcampbell.com for more information and purchase links.
Mrs. Carlyle's Second Honeymoon Page 13