Read Online Hearty Homestyle Murder: Book 9 in The Darling Deli Series by Patti Benning - Free Book Online Page B

do?”
    “That’s true, good point. I don’t know what to tell you, Moira. I just hope this all gets cleared up soon.”
    ***
    David got to her house a few minutes after eight. He greeted Maverick and Keeva, who were both happy to see him, then gave Moira a quick kiss on the lips.
    “Still no word about her?” he asked, looking down at the grey dog.
    “None. It’s like she came out of nowhere.”
    “I posted about her on a website that reunites lost pets with their owners in Michigan,” he said. “No one has answered the ad yet though.”
    “That’s good.” Moira looked down at the huge dog and smiled. When she glanced up and saw that David had his eyebrows raised and was wearing an amused expression, she blushed. “I mean… well, I’ll be honest. I like her. I would be more than happy to keep her if her original owners never show up. But of course if they do contact me, I’ll be happy for her and them. I’m sure they miss her.”
    “I would warn you again not to get too attached, but I’ve got the feeling it’s already too late,” he replied, chuckling. “I just hope no more strays show up. This place will be overrun with animals. Where’s the little dog, anyway?” He looked around, noticing Diamond’s absence.
    “Martha came back a day early. She stopped by earlier and took Diamond home.”
    “Oh.” She was amused to see disappointment flicker across his face. Despite his comments, he seemed to have enjoyed having the three dogs around. “Well, I bet they were happy to see each other.”
    “Definitely,” she said. “Since having Diamond over went so well, I told Martha that I can watch her again the next time she goes away. She makes weekend trips to Traverse City pretty often, so it will be nice for her not to have to hire a sitter anymore.”
    “I’m sure Maverick will enjoy having his friend over for the weekend once in a while,” David said with a smile. “Are you ready to go, or do you have to let them out one more time?”
    “The dogs were just out—I’m ready.” She gave each of the dogs a pat goodbye, told them that she would be back later, then grabbed her purse and followed David out the door.

CHAPTER TWELVE
    “Hey, Ms. D, can I talk to you?” Darrin asked, poking his head into the deli’s kitchen. “It will just take a minute.”
    “Sure,” she said, setting aside the knife that she had been using to slice carrots. “Come on in. What’s going on?”
    “Well, my dad is selling his place in Wisconsin and he needs some help getting everything packed up. Do you think it would be all right if I went over there this weekend? I’ll be back on Monday. I know it’s short notice, but I’m only scheduled for the one shift on Sunday, and Allison already agreed to cover for me.”
    “Of course,” she told him. “You take as much time as you need to help your dad. I met him once, didn’t I?”
    “Yeah. He used to live here, actually. He grew up in Maple Creek. When my grandfather died, he inherited the old house in Wisconsin, but the payments are just getting to be too much.” He sighed. “It’s too bad. It really is a beautiful place. It’s a waterfront property right on Lake Michigan, which is why the taxes are so high.”
    “He must be pretty upset that he has to sell it. Go ahead, Darrin. It’s nice of you to help him out. And don’t worry about being back in time for work Monday. I don’t mind taking an extra shift.”
    “Thanks, Ms. D. I’ll work extra when I get back to make up for it.” He raised his hand in a wave goodbye, then left. Moira smiled as she got back to chopping up vegetables. She was lucky to have such a helpful, conscientious employee.
    A moment later she heard the bell ring, announcing that a customer had come in. She set her knife down for a second time, grabbed her cup of coffee, which was nearly cold by now, and headed towards the front. She was surprised but pleased to see Sandy Keller examining the cheese shelves.
    “Oh, hi,”