All Bark and No White Knight (Happy Tails Dog Walking Mysteries Book 4)
Page 16
Olivia didn’t even think twice as she turned to close and lock the door. Everything was back on track, and she was one happy camper.
Janelle’s secret event was a huge launch party for the dating app. It also went off without a hitch. Olivia met the executives at the party, and they profusely apologized for any distress that they might have caused her. Olivia tried to downplay it, but she had a feeling that Andrew had already warned them of her wrath.
Quite a few of the people that Andrew had interviewed were there, including Larry and Jenny. Olivia did not mention that she’d suspected them of murder. The mayor was there, too, and of course he was trying to take all the credit.
“You made an excellent choice in hiring Andrew,” he declared heartily to the visiting executives. “There is just so much talent in Lexingburg. We don’t know any other way to grow them!”
Olivia wanted to point out that Andrew hadn’t been born and bred in the town, but she decided to let the mayor have his moment. The party represented everyone who might be searching for love, and Olivia knew that deep down, the mayor just wanted to be loved like everyone else.
Strangely enough, Lady Celeste was not in attendance. Had something happened to make her want to avoid the mayor?
“So,” Delilah said with a big smile. “I guess you held on to your boyfriend after all.”
“I did. And I brought down a killer. It’s been a pretty good week for me,” Olivia said with a smile of her own. “And I noticed that you brought a date.”
“Yes, he finally came to his senses and asked if he could be my escort to the party,” Delilah said with a shrug. “We’ll see how it goes.”
She sauntered away, and Olivia chuckled. She could tell that Delilah was besotted.
In fact, everyone seemed happy—except for Jackie. She came alone, and she spent most of the time in the corner, glaring at everyone.
“Don’t frown,” Olivia chided her. “I’m still looking for your vandal.”
“It’s not that,” Jackie muttered. “I think that Brett and I are over.”
“Oh, no! What happened? Is he seeing someone else? You should definitely double-check before jumping to any conclusion.”
“Ha ha,” Jackie said dryly. “Andrew let slip that someone had targeted my shop, and Brett was so angry that I didn’t tell him. Like I’m supposed to reveal every bit of my life to him!”
Olivia wanted to point out that it was more than just a bit of her life, but she wisely kept her mouth shut and let Jackie rage.
“We haven’t even discussed if we’re exclusive or not! We were just going with the flow and seeing how things were, but suddenly I’m not into the relationship because I forgot to share one thing? Well, maybe I’m not into the relationship. Maybe not telling him was my way of subconsciously telling myself that we were done.”
Tears filled her eyes, and Olivia leaned over and hugged her, saying, “I’m ninety percent sure that if we kill him, Andrew won’t rat us out.”
Jackie chuckled. “No, he’s not worth it. Are you sure that whoever targeted me targeted you, too?”
Olivia nodded her head. “Yeah. Nick said that Rafe was forthcoming about everything, but he was adamant that he did not break into my place. Nick, of course, is warning me not to investigate, but we’re not talking about a killer, in this instance.”
Jackie looked dubious. “I don’t know, Olivia. Trouble really does seem to find you.”
“Relax. It’s not even super high on my priority list. First I need to find someone to work for me. I was going to hire Trish, but Paul was so impressed with the job she did that he gave her a raise. Then I have to find a way to help Janelle find some balance before she gets pregnant—because nobody is going to survive her mood swings—and then we’ll work on your vandal. Probably by then, Nick and Derek will have the case solved.”
“You know what they say about the road to hell, right?” Jackie grumbled.
“It’s paved with talent and hard work?”
“Nice try,” her friend snorted. “Come on. Let’s go rejoin the party. You have a very special boyfriend to celebrate.”
Olivia looked down at the bracelet on her wrist. A beautiful charm bracelet featuring different dog breeds. Andrew had purchased it for her that night at the gift shop and had been waiting until the party to give it to her.
Very special boyfriend, indeed.
End of “All Bark And No White Knight”
Happy Tails Dog Walker Mysteries Book Four
PS: Book Five of Stella St. Claire’s, Happy Tails Dog Walker Mysteries, will be out soon! Win a free copy of Book 5 by signing up to her mailing list at www.StellaStClaire.com.
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Stella lives and breathes cozy mysteries! With her head always buried inside these books, it’s no wonder that she would put pen to paper to bring her own cozy mysteries to life. The words flew onto the page, and she’s already teeming with ideas for the next cozy mystery series.
With her trusted canine by her side, it seemed only natural to be inspired by her beautiful beagle Doogle and the many hours they spent walking through scenic New England villages. When Stella’s not reading books, she’s off on road trips, exploring every nook and cranny in neighboring towns, seeking inspiration for her next book.
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