“What?” Amy let out a giggle.
“Right this way, please,” Lilly said, and stepped out of their path.
The covert restauranteurs had lined Eva’s hall with candles. Mouth-watering scents drifted through the space.
“Into the dining area, please,” Lilly said and flapped her kitchen towel toward the arch on their right.
Heather and Ryan entered first and stopped dead. Amy crashed into their backs.
“What is it? What do you see?” She craned her neck and peered over their shoulders.
The living room had been transformed. A massive table sat in its center, topped with candles, and porcelain plates, wine glasses and a single soda glass for Lilly. Nameplates sat in front of each chair.
“Please, take a seat,” Lilly said. “I’ll be right back with the garlic bread.”
“You had me at garlic bread,” Amy whispered, and rushed past Heather and Ryan. She picked out her name plate and sank into the cushy upholstered dining chair. “Wow. Fancy, isn’t it?” She dropped the animals’ leashes, and the two of them rushed the sofa at the end of the room.
Heather and Ryan took their places, and Eva and Lilly strolled into the dining area a second later, carrying a bottle of sparkling grape juice each. “Happy New Year,” they said, in unison.
“Happy New Year!” Heather replied.
Dave howled his agreement from the sofa. Cupcake turned in frantic circles and chased her tail.
“Tonight, we wanted to bring in the New Year the way we want to spend the next one,” Lilly said, in a voice which said their speech had been rehearsed ad nauseam.
“With friends and family, dear to our heart,” Eva finished and beamed at them all.
The two of them popped the corks off the sparkling grape juice at the same moment, and Amy shrieked and clasped her cheeks, then applauded.
Lilly and Eva rushed around the table and filled glasses to the brim. Finally, they took their seats, grabbed their glasses and raised them high.
“To a new year,” Eva said.
“To my new family,” Lilly added in.
Heather’s heart skipped a beat. “To another wonderful year with the people we love –”
Dave barked, loudly.
Everyone at the table chuckled.
“Sorry,” Heather said. “To another wonderful year with the people and the animals we love.”
They sipped from their glasses and the crisp fizz spread down the back of Heather’s throat and excited her stomach.
Ryan leaned in close and kissed her on the cheek. “Happy New Year, darling.”
THE END
A letter from the Author
To each and every one of my Amazing readers: I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Let me know what you think by leaving a review!
I’ll be releasing another installment in two weeks so to stay in the loop (and to get free books and other fancy stuff) Join my Book club.
Stay Curious,
Susan Gillard
Lavender Grape Dust Murder: A Donut Hole Cozy Mystery - Book 32 Page 7