by Diane Morlan
Decker said, “Why don’t I give you a ride home, Jennifer.”
I readily agreed.
Natalie looked around and said, “You aren’t all going to leave me here alone, are you? I haven’t even ordered yet.”
We all got up and Megan leaned over Natalie and said, “There are a couple of truckers up at the counter. Why don’t you go sit up there and order your lunch?”
“What a great idea! Why, Megan, I didn’t know you could be so nice.” She got up and sashayed over to the counter.
When Natalie was out of sight, we all laughed out loud, except for Bernie.
“Shame on you , Megan. That was just naughty.”
“I know, Bernie, but it sure was fun. Come on, we’ll stop at the Dairy Queen on the way home.”
“Oh, Megan. You say the nicest things.” Bernie laughed and followed Megan to her SUV.
I turned to say goodbye to them when something caught my eye. I walked over to a shelf with a two foot high sign in bright yellow with red letters spelling “Clearance.”
I love a sale but that’s not what I had seen. On the shelf beneath the sign was a red and green box with a Coca-Cola logo on it. I picked it up and shouted, “Whoopee. I found it!”
“Found what?” Jerry asked.
“I found the Coca-Cola Soda Fountain beer stein. I’ve been looking all over town for this little beauty.”
“Why?”
I explained that a customer had seen it in town but couldn’t remember where. “This place wasn’t even on her list. But I bet she came here for lunch and forgot all about it. No wonder she couldn’t remember where she had seen it.”
The biggest surprise was when I took it to the counter to pay for it. Clearance meant forty percent off. I found the beer stein and got a bargain to boot. Laura would be my customer forever! And the surf and turf dinner was mine!
We left the diner and Jerry helped me up into his truck. “Looks like I’m going to have to get a step-stool if we’re going to be seeing each other.”
I just looked at him, totally at a loss for words.
“I know you’re skittish about getting into a relationship, Jennifer.”
I started to deny it, then just shut up, for once and let Jerry finish.
“How about we start with that dinner date you promised me and see how it goes from there.”
“Wait a minute,” I said. “The deal was when you apologized to Bernie and me for suspecting her, I would go to dinner with you.”
“I already apologized to Bernie. I went to church this morning and caught up with her after Mass. She graciously accepted my apology. And now, I sincerely apologize to you for ever doubting you. Your loyalty to your friends is amazing.”
“If you think that’s something, try messing with my kids,” I said.
“Apology accepted?” He asked.
“Apology accepted,” I replied.
By now we were almost nose-to-nose. We were both smiling and I think my grin was probably as silly as his was.
Jerry started up the truck and eased out of the parking place. We crossed the river and headed across town to my townhouse.
“I’ll pick you up about eight, okay?” Jerry asked.
“Tonight?” I quickly computed how long I had to get ready.
“Yes, tonight. Do you have another date?”
“No. No. Of course not. Eight is fine. I’ll be ready.” I hope that was true. What was I going to wear? Did I have time to go shopping? It was three o’clock, no time to shop. I needed a facial.
I looked out the window just in time to see my favorite house, the Queen Anne with the whipped cream trim. “Stop!” I yelled, grabbing Decker’s arm. He hit the brakes and we both careened forward.
“What?” He yelled.
“Look at that house,” I said.
“What about it? Is it on fire or something?”
“No, not the big yellow house. The little blue one next to it.”
“Yeah, what about it? I looks just like the big house only smaller.”
“Yes. It’s perfect. And it’s for sale,” I said, pointing to a River Valley Realtors sign in the front yard.
“Okay.” Decker said, shaking his head and motioning with his hand that I should say more.
“I’ve been thinking about moving out of the townhouse I live in. I need a place of my own. A real house, one with character. I think I may have found it.” I dug in my purse for my cell phone and punched in the number on the sign.
The lovely little cottage was almost unnoticeable next to the huge Victorian, partly because it had been painted a dull slate blue. That was easily fixed. It looked like it was in good condition, even the roof looked new.
I called Megan on her cell and told her about the little house I had discovered.
“I’ll check it out, Jennifer and get back to you. We should be able to see it tomorrow. It’s not my listing so I want to check out what the asking price is and find out anything else that might be helpful.”
I turned to Decker. “Do you like to paint?”
“No, but I could learn to like it.” He picked up my hand and stroked it softly.
“Let’s go peek in the windows. I can’t wait to see the inside.”
“Hey, I’m a cop. Do you want to get arrested as a peeping Tom?”
“Don’t be silly,” I chided. “No one’s living there. We can sneak a quick look.”
I jumped out of the truck and Decker followed. I grabbed his hand and pulled him along behind me as I went from window to window all around the house.
The rooms were small, but not tiny. We peeked into each of the many windows. The turret provided the bedroom with a cozy niche, perfect for a comfy reading chair. There was even a one-car garage behind the house. It used the same driveway as the bigger house next door.
When we reached the back of the house, Jerry grabbed me up into his arms. He leaned down and brushed his lips across mine, then lingered there for a long soft kiss.
When we finally broke away, I felt dizzy. Then I peeked in a back window and saw a dining area at the back of the living room.
“Oh, my sideboard would fit in there. And there’s room for the mirror, too.”
“What’s a sideboard?” Jerry asked.
“It’s a beautiful piece of furniture that I’m going to put a down payment on tomorrow.”
“That’s nice,” he said, putting his arm around me. “You do that.” He nuzzled his lips against the back of my neck.
When Jerry finally pulled into my driveway, he asked, “Where would you like to go for dinner tonight?”
I looked into his gorgeous brown eyes and said, “Do you like Surf and Turf?”
MEGAN”S FAST AND EASY
ESPRESSO BROWNIES
Megan isn’t exactly the domestic type. But she likes to putz around the kitchen. Try this somewhat homemade recipe and see for yourself.
Start with your favorite Brownie mix. Follow the instructions on package, substituting ¼ cup of espresso instead of the water.
After pouring brownie mix into the pan, sprinkle 2 - 3 Tbsp. crushed espresso beans over the top. Megan says you don’t have to buy a whole package of espresso beans. She uses chocolate covered espresso beans.
Bake as indicated on the package.
Frosting.
Use ½ can of your favorite cake of frosting. Add a shot of coffee liqueur and mix. Spread over cooled brownies.
TRUDY’S DOILY PATTERN
Size: 8 ½” diameter.
Materials: Yarn Needle; Size 10 Crochet Cotton, 75 yds.
Crochet Hook: Size Steel #4 (2.00 mm) or size needed to obtain gauge.
Gauge: Rnd 1 = 1” across.
Abbreviations
beg
beginning
rnd
round
ch
chain
sc
single crochets
dc
double crochet
sl st(es)
slip stitch(es)
/> lp(s)
loop(s)
sp(s)
space(s)
rem
remaining
st(s)
stitch(es)
rep
repeat
yo
yarn over
Rnd 1: Ch 8, sl st in first ch to form ring; ch 3 (counts as first dc now and throughout), 23 dc in ring; join with sl st to first dc. (24 dc)
Rnd 2: Ch 6 (counts as dc, ch 3), (skip next st, dc in next st, ch 3) around; join with sl st to first dc. (12 dc)
Rnd 3: Ch 3, (5 dc in ch-3 sp, dc in next dc) around; join with sl st to first dc. (72 dc)
Rnd 4: Ch 3, 2 dc in same st as joining, (ch 5, skip 5 dc, 3 dc in next 3 dc) around; join with sl st to first dc. (36 dc)
Rnd 5: (Sl st, ch 1, sc) in next dc, (9 dc in next ch-5 sp, skip next dc, sc in next dc) around; join with sl st to first sc. (108 dc)
Rnd 6: Ch 6, (skip 2 sts, dc in next st, ch 3) around; join with sl st to first dc. (40 dc)
Rnd 7: Sl st in next ch-3 sp, ch 3, 4 dc in same sp, (ch 3, skip ch-3 sp, 5 dc in next ch-3 sp) around, ch 3; join with sl st to first dc. (100 dc)
Rnd 8: Sl st in next dc, (sl st, ch 3, 2 dc) in next dc, (ch 6, 3 dc in center dc of next 5-dc group) around, ch 6; join with sl st to first dc. (60 dc)
Rnd 9: (Sl st, ch 1, sc) in next dc, (11 dc in ch-6 sp, sc in center dc of next 3-dc group) around; join with sl st to first sc. (220 dc)
Rnd 10: Rep Rnd 6. (80 dc) Finish off and weave in ends.
Pattern courtesy of Maggie Weldon.
Maggie’s Crochet www.MaggiesCrochet.com
PO Box 2227 Kernersville, NC 27285,
Toll Free (US Orders Only): 1-888-454-2101 / Outside US: 1-336-992-0054
Diane Morlan was born in Aurora, Illinois in 1943. Diane likes to brag that she has had a library card since she was in Kindergarten. When she was fifteen years old, her family moved to Minneapolis. Since then she has considered both Illinois and Minnesota her home state. In 1977, Diane earned a B.A. in Social Work at Minnesota State University Moorhead. After working in that field for eight years, she returned to graduate school at the University of Minnesota where she earned an MSW. She worked as a psychotherapist at a community mental health center and a clinical social worker at a psychiatric hospital. Diane has also managed a group home for developmentally disabled adults. Moving away from the seriousness of social work, Diane worked for more than ten years managing a group of saleswomen, selling lingerie at home parties.
Like many people, Diane's dream was to write a novel someday. Currently she is semi-retired, works part-time at Kishwaukee College Library, and lives in Sycamore, IL. In 2007, Diane took a creative writing fiction course. One of the stories produced for that class won second prize and was published in the 2008 Kameilian Literary and Arts Magazine.
Diane has three children and six grandchildren. When not writing, she enjoys crocheting and visiting her friends in Minnesota. TOO DEAD TO DANCE is her first novel.
Please visit Diane’s website, www.DianeMorlan.com, for news and information on Jennifer Penny mysteries. Become a Facebook fan of Diane Morlan, Author.
www.cozycatpress.com
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Too Dead To Dance