Killer Campaign (Lisa Chance Cozy Mysteries Book 3)
Page 20
Lisa and Mo walked in companionable silence, the warm sun on their faces and the cool breeze stirring their hair. Far away, a bird called out and was answered by another bird.
Their footsteps crunched on the gravel and undergrowth. Soon they arrived at the rim of the Grand Canyon. They stepped off the trail and held hands, gazing out over the spectacular view. Red rock walls shone in the morning light, and the snaking river far below sent sparkles of light from its mirrored surface. Far in the distance, the northern rim of the canyon wore bands of blue, gray, and purple.
Mo squeezed her hand. “Are you hungry?” he said. “I hope you are.”
“I’m always hungry,” Lisa said.
Mo set his backpack under a tree and took out a blanket. He scouted for the flattest, shadiest spot that still had a view, then flapped the blanket in the air and settled it on the ground. He sat on one corner and opened another compartment of his pack. Lisa sat on another corner and slid her backpack off, stretching her shoulders.
Mo opened a foil-wrapped item and immediately got Lisa’s attention as the smell of fresh bread wafted her way.
“Where did this come from?” Lisa said.
“Nero’s,” Mo said. “Go ahead and grab a piece while it’s still warm.”
He produced napkins, plates, cutlery, and butter. Lisa took a piece of the bread and spread butter on it. The golden butter melted into the soft center of the bread. She bit into it.
“Heavenly,” she breathed.
Next Mo took out a container of pasta salad. The pasta salad was dotted with the rich purple of ripe olives and the bright white of feta. Mo gave Lisa a fork and she speared a big bite. The tart dressing, earthy olives, and perfect al dente chew of the pasta made for a beautiful bite.
“Did you make this?” she said.
Mo shook his head. “Nero’s again. This one, too,” he said as he opened another container to reveal a caprese salad.
The red, white, and green of the caprese salad looked like a mixed up Italian flag. Lisa used her fork to get a bite, making sure to get a leaf of basil, a piece of red ripe tomato, and a hunk of mozzarella all on the fork.
“Delicious,” she said. “But aren’t you going to eat?”
Mo smiled. “I’m enjoying myself just seeing you happy. But yes, once I have everything unpacked, I’ll join in.”
He took out a bottle of sparkling cider and two plastic champagne flutes and poured them each a glass.
“To us,” he said, raising his glass.
“To us,” she said, gently tapping her glass to his before drinking.
She held the glass in her hand, not sure where to put it without spilling it. The food tempted her to down the rest just so she could free her hand.
“You look like you could use some help,” Mo said.
He pulled a funny little wire contraption out of the pack. It had a squat base with copper wire in a swirling pattern, and arms on all sides, like an octopus. Mo put his champagne flute in one of the arms, where it sat perfectly balanced. He gestured at the arm closest to Lisa. She delicately set her glass in the grip of the arm, then clapped her hands when it, too, perched there in perfect balance.
“What is that thing?” she said, laughing.
“It’s a champagne octopus,” Mo said.
“What?”
“I have a friend who does wire sculpture. He made it. Perfect for light glamping. Cute, no?” Mo said.
“Very cute.”
“And now we have both hands free to eat.”
“Your friend might be a genius,” Lisa said.
Mo grinned at her and spread butter on a piece of bread.
The sun moved higher in the sky as they ate their picnic, bringing out glints of copper in Mo’s wavy brown hair.
Mo refilled their champagne flutes and put them in the champagne octopus. He took Lisa’s hand.
“Lisa, before we got together, I’d gotten used to the idea of spending my life alone. But these past few months together have made me happier than I knew I could be.”
He patted the pockets of his cargo pants, a panicky look overtaking him for a moment before he found the correct pocket. Mo pulled a small black velvet box out of the pocket by his knee.
Lisa’s heart beat wildly.
“I think I’m supposed to get on one knee,” Mo said, “but we’re already sitting on this blanket.”
Lisa blinked back tears as she giggled. “That’s ok,” she said.
He opened the little box. Nestled in white satin was a gold ring with three small stones, a diamond in the middle with an emerald on either side.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.
“Lisa Chance, will you marry me?”
“Of course I will!”
She leaned in to throw her arms around him for an excited kiss, and instead pitched forward, knocking the cider bottle over and spilling the remaining cider all over the blanket.
“Oh no! Sorry!” She tried to mop up the cider with the napkins.
Mo put his hands over hers, his face all smiles.
“Don’t worry about the cider,” he said, laughing. “You said yes? You really said yes?”
“Yes!” Lisa cried, dropping the napkins in a wet pile on the blanket. “Yes.”
He grinned at her.
“Do you want the ring?” he said.
“I thought you would never ask,” she said.
He took the ring out of the box and slid it clumsily onto her finger. The stones sparkled and flashed in the sunlight. They giggled at each other for a second, then Mo got to his feet. He held his hand out to help Lisa up.
They looked out at the Grand Canyon again, hand in hand. The whole world shone bright and fresh in the spring sunshine. Mo squeezed her hand, and Lisa squeezed back.
“We should probably pack this all up and go,” he said. “I don’t want you to get cold.” He gestured at the cider soaking her pant leg.
“I feel like I’ll never be cold again,” Lisa said.
Mo laid a hand gently on the side of her face and gazed into her eyes. “I love you,” he said.
“I love you, too,” she whispered.
When his lips met hers, they still tasted faintly of apple from the cider. Mo wrapped his strong arms around her, his kisses taking her breath away.
“Are you ready?” she said when they broke contact.
“Let’s go.”
END
Author’s Note
Thanks for reading Killer Campaign! I hope you’re having as much fun in Moss Creek as I am. Right now I’m hard at work on book 4 of the series, Beauty and a Beastly Murder. You can read about the book below.
But before you go, I’d like to humbly ask you to consider leaving an honest review of Killer Campaign. Reviews serve two important functions. First, they help other readers find books they’ll enjoy. Second, they let the author know what you liked or didn’t like, and what you want to see more of.
If you want to keep up with me and what’s next for Lisa Chance or another series I’ve got cooking, sign up to receive my newsletter. https://www.estellerichards.com/subscribe/
About the author
Estelle Richards lives in the beautiful high desert of the American Southwest. She writes the Lisa Chance Cozy Mystery series.
BEAUTY AND A BEASTLY MURDER
Summertime and the living is easy… But so is the dying.
When the new mayor proposed the first annual Moss Creek Summer Festival, café owner Lisa Chance hoped she could sit back and enjoy the boost in customers. But since the mayor is her mother, Lisa gets stuck helping backstage at the Miss Moss Creek beauty pageant.
When the celebrity head judge is found dead days before the pageant begins, everyone assumes the older man died of a heart attack, until the coroner finds poison. With a cloud of murder hanging over the festival, its first year might be its last.
The pageant is about to begin, and a coldblooded poisoner is lurking among the pretty faces. Lisa must bring the killer to justice before murder ruins the
festival and sinks the economic hopes of the town she loves.
BEAUTY AND A BEASTLY MURDER, the fourth book in the Lisa Chance Cozy Mystery series, is coming June 29, 2018.
Pre-order it on Amazon: books2read.com/u/3nO0j8