Read Online Murder Fir Christmas by Joyce Lavene, Jim Lavene - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Joyce Lavene, Jim Lavene
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Elk Farms.’ We get customers before they even get off the road.”
Bonnie had noticed the red roof that was especially bright in the snow. The Merry Christmas part had been obscured by the white stuff, but it still made a powerful statement.
“We might have to steal that idea from you,” she joked.
“Go ahead. I borrowed it from someone else anyway.”
Eric had seen them coming from the house and stepped outside. He smiled when he saw Bonnie get out of the truck and walked out to greet her with a big hug. Their mother was right behind him with tears and kisses when she saw her daughter.
“Thanks for bringing her down the mountain.” Eric shook hands with Matthew. “She might not have made it down until spring with the way she feels about driving in the snow.”
Bonnie watched the two men together. Eric was tall and strongly built, muscular from years of working on the tree farm. He was blond and blue eyed and had just turned fifty. Her mother had been blond too, with blue eyes. Her hair was white now.
She didn’t remember Eric’s father. He’d died before she was born. Her father had married her mother when Rose was in her late thirties. Bonnie had been born a short time later. That made Bonnie and her brother almost twenty years apart and like a whole other family.
Matthew was taller than Eric and much darker. The two made an interesting picture, standing together as they spoke. It was not surprising that he and Eric knew one another. Everyone knew everyone else in Christmas Tree Valley. No doubt she’d bumped into Matthew earlier in life without remembering him when they met again.
“Come inside, and let’s warm up with some hot cider,” Rose invited him.
“I’d love to, but Peter is with Tom. I know they’ve been wondering when I’m getting back. Raincheck?”
“Always.” Rose smiled at him.
“I’ll see you later, Bonnie,” Matthew said. “It’s been a pleasure. Don’t forget the pup.”
As he was heading back to his truck, Eric and Rose asked, “Pup?” in unison.
Bonnie didn’t answer. There was time enough for that later. She ran to get her things, handing them off to Eric so she could bring the wolf inside.
He glanced at the wolf pup, a frown between his eyes. “A wolf pup? Where did it come from?”
“I’ll explain over cider after I’ve had a chance to change clothes and get my feet warm. I hope I don’t have frostbite on my toes. I’m exhausted, starving, and freezing. Everything else can wait a while.”
Rose had already made lunch. Bonnie went to her old room and changed out of her cold, wet clothes. She put on some sweatpants and a sweater. Her toes were fine when she put on double pairs of wool socks and let out a sigh of relief. At least that part of getting home was over.
With a hearty pot pie on the table, they sat down for lunch, and Bonnie told them about everything that had happened since she’d gotten to Sweet Pepper.
“That’s terrible,” her mother said. “Harvey’s family is only two farms down. He was such a young man and had those two children, Abigail and Gerald. Who would want to kill him?”
“Maybe it was an accident,” Eric suggested. “Maybe someone was hunting on the island. Is that what happened to the wolf pup?”
“I don’t know yet,” Bonnie said, opening a hot corn muffin and slathering butter on it. “Nothing is getting done because of the weather.”
“Except for criminal activity,” Rose reminded her. “Sweet Pepper isn’t big enough for those kinds of things to go on.”
“I met someone interesting while I was working,” Bonnie told her. “Remember when you used to tell me about Eric Gamlyn, the old Sweet Pepper fire chief?”
Rose appeared confused for a moment, but her frown passed, and her blue eyes lit up. “Of course. We probably would have been married if he hadn’t left town so suddenly. He wasn’t the fire chief then, and his family didn’t have much money. He came to see me the night before he
Bonnie had noticed the red roof that was especially bright in the snow. The Merry Christmas part had been obscured by the white stuff, but it still made a powerful statement.
“We might have to steal that idea from you,” she joked.
“Go ahead. I borrowed it from someone else anyway.”
Eric had seen them coming from the house and stepped outside. He smiled when he saw Bonnie get out of the truck and walked out to greet her with a big hug. Their mother was right behind him with tears and kisses when she saw her daughter.
“Thanks for bringing her down the mountain.” Eric shook hands with Matthew. “She might not have made it down until spring with the way she feels about driving in the snow.”
Bonnie watched the two men together. Eric was tall and strongly built, muscular from years of working on the tree farm. He was blond and blue eyed and had just turned fifty. Her mother had been blond too, with blue eyes. Her hair was white now.
She didn’t remember Eric’s father. He’d died before she was born. Her father had married her mother when Rose was in her late thirties. Bonnie had been born a short time later. That made Bonnie and her brother almost twenty years apart and like a whole other family.
Matthew was taller than Eric and much darker. The two made an interesting picture, standing together as they spoke. It was not surprising that he and Eric knew one another. Everyone knew everyone else in Christmas Tree Valley. No doubt she’d bumped into Matthew earlier in life without remembering him when they met again.
“Come inside, and let’s warm up with some hot cider,” Rose invited him.
“I’d love to, but Peter is with Tom. I know they’ve been wondering when I’m getting back. Raincheck?”
“Always.” Rose smiled at him.
“I’ll see you later, Bonnie,” Matthew said. “It’s been a pleasure. Don’t forget the pup.”
As he was heading back to his truck, Eric and Rose asked, “Pup?” in unison.
Bonnie didn’t answer. There was time enough for that later. She ran to get her things, handing them off to Eric so she could bring the wolf inside.
He glanced at the wolf pup, a frown between his eyes. “A wolf pup? Where did it come from?”
“I’ll explain over cider after I’ve had a chance to change clothes and get my feet warm. I hope I don’t have frostbite on my toes. I’m exhausted, starving, and freezing. Everything else can wait a while.”
Rose had already made lunch. Bonnie went to her old room and changed out of her cold, wet clothes. She put on some sweatpants and a sweater. Her toes were fine when she put on double pairs of wool socks and let out a sigh of relief. At least that part of getting home was over.
With a hearty pot pie on the table, they sat down for lunch, and Bonnie told them about everything that had happened since she’d gotten to Sweet Pepper.
“That’s terrible,” her mother said. “Harvey’s family is only two farms down. He was such a young man and had those two children, Abigail and Gerald. Who would want to kill him?”
“Maybe it was an accident,” Eric suggested. “Maybe someone was hunting on the island. Is that what happened to the wolf pup?”
“I don’t know yet,” Bonnie said, opening a hot corn muffin and slathering butter on it. “Nothing is getting done because of the weather.”
“Except for criminal activity,” Rose reminded her. “Sweet Pepper isn’t big enough for those kinds of things to go on.”
“I met someone interesting while I was working,” Bonnie told her. “Remember when you used to tell me about Eric Gamlyn, the old Sweet Pepper fire chief?”
Rose appeared confused for a moment, but her frown passed, and her blue eyes lit up. “Of course. We probably would have been married if he hadn’t left town so suddenly. He wasn’t the fire chief then, and his family didn’t have much money. He came to see me the night before he
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