Read Online The Greatest Gift (A Darcy Sweet Mystery) by K.J. Emrick - Free Book Online
Authors: K.J. Emrick
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long time yet.
A black and white shape sauntered out from around the leg of Jon's chair and then jumped up onto his lap. Smudge the cat rubbed his head against Jon's chest, then curled up into his lap, purring loudly.
It was hard to say who was more surprised, Jon or Darcy. Ever since they had started dating, Smudge had tolerated Jon being in Darcy's house. At best, he avoided Jon, or regarded him with that steely indifference that cats managed so well.
Now, Smudge was cozying up to Jon, as if to say "Hey. This is where you belong. Trust the cat."
"He's never done this before," Jon said, echoing Darcy's thoughts.
"Maybe you should take it as a sign you belong here," Darcy said hopefully.
"Yeah," he conceded, "Maybe." But that was all he said about it.
They sat in silence for a long moment. Jon stroked Smudge's fur and the cat purred louder, looking at Darcy with lazy, half-closed eyes. She could read his feline expression like a book. "He's not so bad," Smudge was saying. "If you want to keep him, I suppose I'll let you."
She was going to give Smudge an extra big saucer of milk before bed. He deserved it.
Chapter Seven
The Sweet Read bookstore was on Main Street down by the library and the bank and not that far from the Town Hall. It was a long rectangle of a building with one of its short sides facing the street. Darcy slowed her bicycle to a rolling stop at the front of the building, where the sign on the door read "OPEN a good book today." It had been her little joke. It still made her smile.
The bookstore shouldn't actually be open yet. Her one and only employee, Isabelle McIntosh, must have gotten to work early.
With a smack of her hand against her forehead, Darcy remembered how she had planned to take inventory with Isabelle this morning. They'd had this planned for two weeks. With her mother's wedding coming up and Belinda's troubles and Jon suddenly popping back into her life, she'd forgotten all about it.
Sheepishly, she rushed inside after setting her bicycle in the bike rack that she'd had installed out front more for herself than anyone else. "Hi, Izzy!" she called to Isabelle. "Are you here?"
"In the back," she called out to Darcy. She was in the office, over past the stacks of books and the newer display of electronic readers and the list of lending library books.
"I'm sorry that I'm late," Darcy said loudly as she stepped over to the front counter where the cash register sat next to a display of popular books. Izzy had already started the paperwork for the inventory and laid it out for her. "I kind of lost track of what day it is."
Izzy popped her head out of the office, a pencil stuck behind her ear and a short stack of books balanced cover to cover on one hand. "Not a problem, Darcy. I got started without you."
She blew back a loose strand of hair that had fallen into her face. Now that she wasn't in hiding any more, she'd let her natural blonde color return, and even started wearing it back from her face. She was a pretty woman, more so when she smiled. Several of the single men in town had started hanging out in the bookstore just to talk with Izzy. Darcy didn't mind that her single friend was helping to drum up business. Because they were doing inventory, Izzy was wearing jeans and a purple t-shirt. Usually she wore flirty dresses, the kind Darcy always wanted to try. When it came to matters of fashion, though, Izzy was definitely braver than Darcy.
Behind Izzy, her nine year old daughter Lilly skipped out of t he office with a big smile. "Hi, Darcy!" she said with a wave.
"Hi, Lilly. Are you going to help us today?"
"Uh-huh. Mom said it was okay."
"We could use all the help we can get." Darcy folded up a few pieces of paper that were more personal than business and shoved them into the back pocket of her beige khakis. "I don't think my Aunt Millie's going to be much help."
As if on cue, a book flew
A black and white shape sauntered out from around the leg of Jon's chair and then jumped up onto his lap. Smudge the cat rubbed his head against Jon's chest, then curled up into his lap, purring loudly.
It was hard to say who was more surprised, Jon or Darcy. Ever since they had started dating, Smudge had tolerated Jon being in Darcy's house. At best, he avoided Jon, or regarded him with that steely indifference that cats managed so well.
Now, Smudge was cozying up to Jon, as if to say "Hey. This is where you belong. Trust the cat."
"He's never done this before," Jon said, echoing Darcy's thoughts.
"Maybe you should take it as a sign you belong here," Darcy said hopefully.
"Yeah," he conceded, "Maybe." But that was all he said about it.
They sat in silence for a long moment. Jon stroked Smudge's fur and the cat purred louder, looking at Darcy with lazy, half-closed eyes. She could read his feline expression like a book. "He's not so bad," Smudge was saying. "If you want to keep him, I suppose I'll let you."
She was going to give Smudge an extra big saucer of milk before bed. He deserved it.
Chapter Seven
The Sweet Read bookstore was on Main Street down by the library and the bank and not that far from the Town Hall. It was a long rectangle of a building with one of its short sides facing the street. Darcy slowed her bicycle to a rolling stop at the front of the building, where the sign on the door read "OPEN a good book today." It had been her little joke. It still made her smile.
The bookstore shouldn't actually be open yet. Her one and only employee, Isabelle McIntosh, must have gotten to work early.
With a smack of her hand against her forehead, Darcy remembered how she had planned to take inventory with Isabelle this morning. They'd had this planned for two weeks. With her mother's wedding coming up and Belinda's troubles and Jon suddenly popping back into her life, she'd forgotten all about it.
Sheepishly, she rushed inside after setting her bicycle in the bike rack that she'd had installed out front more for herself than anyone else. "Hi, Izzy!" she called to Isabelle. "Are you here?"
"In the back," she called out to Darcy. She was in the office, over past the stacks of books and the newer display of electronic readers and the list of lending library books.
"I'm sorry that I'm late," Darcy said loudly as she stepped over to the front counter where the cash register sat next to a display of popular books. Izzy had already started the paperwork for the inventory and laid it out for her. "I kind of lost track of what day it is."
Izzy popped her head out of the office, a pencil stuck behind her ear and a short stack of books balanced cover to cover on one hand. "Not a problem, Darcy. I got started without you."
She blew back a loose strand of hair that had fallen into her face. Now that she wasn't in hiding any more, she'd let her natural blonde color return, and even started wearing it back from her face. She was a pretty woman, more so when she smiled. Several of the single men in town had started hanging out in the bookstore just to talk with Izzy. Darcy didn't mind that her single friend was helping to drum up business. Because they were doing inventory, Izzy was wearing jeans and a purple t-shirt. Usually she wore flirty dresses, the kind Darcy always wanted to try. When it came to matters of fashion, though, Izzy was definitely braver than Darcy.
Behind Izzy, her nine year old daughter Lilly skipped out of t he office with a big smile. "Hi, Darcy!" she said with a wave.
"Hi, Lilly. Are you going to help us today?"
"Uh-huh. Mom said it was okay."
"We could use all the help we can get." Darcy folded up a few pieces of paper that were more personal than business and shoved them into the back pocket of her beige khakis. "I don't think my Aunt Millie's going to be much help."
As if on cue, a book flew
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