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Authors: Nancy J. Parra
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I’ll be fine.” Mindy’s large brown eyes were a photographer’s dream.
“Does Grandma Ruth know you’re here?”
“Yes, I called her,” Mindy said. “We’re supposed to have dinner later and catch up.”
“Cool.” I kissed my cousin’s cheek and headed out of the dining room.
“Toni?”
“Yes?” I looked back at her.
“I’m going to be here awhile, is that okay?”
“Sure.” I gave her a half shrug. “There’s plenty of room in the house. You know that Tasha and her son, Kip, are living on the third floor, right?”
“Yes, Grandma and Tim told me.”
“And have you met Aubrey?”
As if on cue, the puppy came tearing down the stairs and flew into the dining room. He jumped up on the table, grabbed a piece of toast, and went to the far corner to sit and grin as if he’d accomplished the best trick ever.
“Aubrey, no!” I said and walked over to him. He tried to run into the kitchen, but I grabbed him and took the toast from his mouth. “Kennel.” I took him by the collar and dragged him into his kennel on the enclosed mudroom near the door. I put him inside and shut the door. He turned quickly to face me and wagged his tail.
I struggled not to smile at his antics—at least until I got out of view.
The moment I crossed into the dining room, I grinned and Aubrey barked behind me.
“What was that?” Mindy looked horrified as I imagine anyone who unexpectedly came into contact with a large-breed puppy who stole the food off the table.
“Sorry, that’s Aubrey—Kip’s dog. He’s just a puppy and still in the pushing boundaries mode.”
“Nice.” Mindy shook her head. “I didn’t really want that toast anyway.” She patted her perfectly flat stomach. “I’m watching my figure.”
“Do you mind going in in a minute or two and letting him out of his kennel? He gets timed out but we don’t want to make him wait too long. Besides, if you let him out he’ll love you forever for rescuing him. That is, until he forgets and tries another one of his antics.” My own stomach rumbled loudly as if to join in the conversation. “Did Tim tell you which bedroom I made up for you?”
“Yes, thanks. Go on. Go rest.” She waved her hands as if to shoo me out of the room. “I’ve got the dog and the kitchen cleanup. Feel better.”
“I hope to,” I said and went upstairs. I didn’t mind a full house. My bedroom was attached to a Jack-and-Jill bath that was shared with a room that was currently used as a guest room. I had put Mindy in Mom and Dad’s master bedroom. Tim should be sleeping in the third-floor back bedroom that used to be a sunporch but Mom had enclosed for year-round sleeping.
The house really was large enough to be a bed-and-breakfast. I suppose with Tasha no longer working at the Welcome Inn she could now run the house as a B&B. Except I think she liked her work at the Red Tile Inn. Maybe with the discovery of a dead body, that had changed.
I made a mental note to ask Tasha about it. But first I was headed to bed where I hoped I could sleep off some of my problems.
CHAPTER 7
T he sound of the doorbell jangling woke me from a fitful sleep. I glanced at the clock. It was 3:00 P . M . Whoever was at the door was insistent and now pounded as well as jangled. The puppy barked as if to warn us of an intruder.
“I’m coming, I’m coming,” I grumbled and stumbled out into the hallway to meet Tim at the stairs. He looked like death warmed over. His hair stood up on one side and he had dark bags under his eyes.
“What the heck?” he asked as we hurried down the stairs. It sounded as if whoever was at the door was about ready to bust it down. It didn’t help that Aubrey barked and leapt at the door as if begging them to come in.
I reached it first and saw Officer Emry’s serious mug as he raised his hand to bang again. I yanked the door open leaving him to whoosh his hand through the air. “Yes?”
Aubrey rushed out to wind his way around Officer Emry’s
“Does Grandma Ruth know you’re here?”
“Yes, I called her,” Mindy said. “We’re supposed to have dinner later and catch up.”
“Cool.” I kissed my cousin’s cheek and headed out of the dining room.
“Toni?”
“Yes?” I looked back at her.
“I’m going to be here awhile, is that okay?”
“Sure.” I gave her a half shrug. “There’s plenty of room in the house. You know that Tasha and her son, Kip, are living on the third floor, right?”
“Yes, Grandma and Tim told me.”
“And have you met Aubrey?”
As if on cue, the puppy came tearing down the stairs and flew into the dining room. He jumped up on the table, grabbed a piece of toast, and went to the far corner to sit and grin as if he’d accomplished the best trick ever.
“Aubrey, no!” I said and walked over to him. He tried to run into the kitchen, but I grabbed him and took the toast from his mouth. “Kennel.” I took him by the collar and dragged him into his kennel on the enclosed mudroom near the door. I put him inside and shut the door. He turned quickly to face me and wagged his tail.
I struggled not to smile at his antics—at least until I got out of view.
The moment I crossed into the dining room, I grinned and Aubrey barked behind me.
“What was that?” Mindy looked horrified as I imagine anyone who unexpectedly came into contact with a large-breed puppy who stole the food off the table.
“Sorry, that’s Aubrey—Kip’s dog. He’s just a puppy and still in the pushing boundaries mode.”
“Nice.” Mindy shook her head. “I didn’t really want that toast anyway.” She patted her perfectly flat stomach. “I’m watching my figure.”
“Do you mind going in in a minute or two and letting him out of his kennel? He gets timed out but we don’t want to make him wait too long. Besides, if you let him out he’ll love you forever for rescuing him. That is, until he forgets and tries another one of his antics.” My own stomach rumbled loudly as if to join in the conversation. “Did Tim tell you which bedroom I made up for you?”
“Yes, thanks. Go on. Go rest.” She waved her hands as if to shoo me out of the room. “I’ve got the dog and the kitchen cleanup. Feel better.”
“I hope to,” I said and went upstairs. I didn’t mind a full house. My bedroom was attached to a Jack-and-Jill bath that was shared with a room that was currently used as a guest room. I had put Mindy in Mom and Dad’s master bedroom. Tim should be sleeping in the third-floor back bedroom that used to be a sunporch but Mom had enclosed for year-round sleeping.
The house really was large enough to be a bed-and-breakfast. I suppose with Tasha no longer working at the Welcome Inn she could now run the house as a B&B. Except I think she liked her work at the Red Tile Inn. Maybe with the discovery of a dead body, that had changed.
I made a mental note to ask Tasha about it. But first I was headed to bed where I hoped I could sleep off some of my problems.
CHAPTER 7
T he sound of the doorbell jangling woke me from a fitful sleep. I glanced at the clock. It was 3:00 P . M . Whoever was at the door was insistent and now pounded as well as jangled. The puppy barked as if to warn us of an intruder.
“I’m coming, I’m coming,” I grumbled and stumbled out into the hallway to meet Tim at the stairs. He looked like death warmed over. His hair stood up on one side and he had dark bags under his eyes.
“What the heck?” he asked as we hurried down the stairs. It sounded as if whoever was at the door was about ready to bust it down. It didn’t help that Aubrey barked and leapt at the door as if begging them to come in.
I reached it first and saw Officer Emry’s serious mug as he raised his hand to bang again. I yanked the door open leaving him to whoosh his hand through the air. “Yes?”
Aubrey rushed out to wind his way around Officer Emry’s
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