Read Online Ripple of Secrets: Rose Gardner Mystery Novella #6.5 (Rose Gardner series Book 3) by Denise Grover Swank - Free Book Online Page A

silly. You know I’m an early riser. The question is what are you doing out so early on such a dreary day?”
    I stepped through the front door. “I had an early meeting that didn’t last as long as expected, so I thought I’d make good use of the time and fix the pipe under your sink. I got the part I needed.”
    She shut the door behind me as I headed into the kitchen. “You know you don’t have to do this, Joe. I could just hire a handyman. I feel badly about not paying you.”
    I set my toolbox on the floor in front of the sink and patted my stomach. “You pay me, Maeve. Good food is worth more than gold to a bachelor like myself.”
    She waved her hand. “Please. I have it on good authority that you’re a great cook.”
    My eyes widened in surprise. “Really? Where’d you hear that?”
    She paused and broke into a soft smile. “Why, from Rose.”
    I swallowed, riding out the stab of pain in my heart. “She talks about me?”
    “You were an important part of her life, Joe. Of course she talks about you.”
    I glanced out the window over the sink, then back at her, surprised she was telling me this. “What does she say?”
    “She says you’re a wonderful cook and she’s gotten out of the habit because of you. She’s quite self-conscious about it, actually. I do a lot of the cooking when we get together, and she was worried I would think her incapable of making a meal. But she cooked most of Christmas dinner yesterday despite my insistence on helping. She made a lasagna, so it wasn’t a typical Christmas dinner.”
    I chuckled. “She made a lasagna.” Leave it to Rose to make something non-traditional. But it only made the ache in my chest more intense. “I’m sure it was delicious. Don’t let her fool you. I may have done most of the cooking when we were together, but whenever she did cook, I’d have to fit in extra workouts because of all the helpings I’d eat.”
    “I believe it.” She moved to the oven and turned on the light, revealing a pan inside. “And speaking of food, I’m baking a batch of cinnamon rolls that should be out in a few minutes. You’ll have one, of course.”
    I opened the cabinet beneath the sink and dropped to the floor. “You spoil me, Maeve. So let’s call it even.” I looked up at her. “You haven’t told Rose I’m helping you out, have you?”
    Her lips pressed together before she answered. “No. I’ve respected your request for privacy. I haven’t told anyone.”
    “Thank you.” I wasn’t sure what Rose would think about me helping Mason’s mother. Would she assume I was spying on her? Trying to worm my way even deeper into her life? Whatever the case, I was positive Mason would presume I was up to something. And honestly, I could see why he might think that. Maeve Deveraux had a good heart. I was fairly sure she was incapable of forming enemies, if only for the fact that she was so kind to me, the man who was partially responsible for the murder of her daughter. Savannah’s death still weighed heavily on my conscience, so when I realized Maeve had some odd jobs that needed doing around the house, I showed up with my toolbox one day and spent an hour or so taking care of them. It had been the first of several visits.
    I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I felt a smug sense of satisfaction that I was doing something for Mason’s mother that he couldn’t. It was just further proof that he couldn’t give Rose what she needed. And while I still believed that, it wasn’t my primary motivation for helping her. I genuinely liked Maeve. She reminded me a lot of Roberta, our housekeeper when I was a boy.
    I set to work on replacing the PVC elbow of the drain while she puttered around the kitchen, softly humming as she worked. When I stood and ran some water to make sure the new joint didn’t leak, she set a warm frosted cinnamon roll and a fork on a plate for me.
    “I hope you have time to stay and eat with me today,” she said as she put the