A Deal to Die For by Josie Belle

Author:Josie Belle [Belle, Josie]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781101618769
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime
Published: 2012-12-30T13:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

“I…uh…” Maggie knew it was bad form to stutter at an invitation to dinner, but she couldn’t have been more surprised if the man had dropped to one knee and busted out a ten-carat diamond ring.

“You don’t have to answer right now,” Pete said. He seemed to sense that he’d stunned her. “It’s casual, just as friends.”

He looked so nervous that Maggie felt bad for him, especially given that he had no idea Sam was in the back room undoubtedly hearing all of this.

Maggie knew she couldn’t humiliate Pete by saying no, even if he didn’t know they had an audience. She felt she had no choice but to say, “Sure, I’d like that.”

His brown eyes were clouded with doubt.

“Really,” she added. “You just caught me by surprise, that’s all.”

“Excellent!” Pete said. He strolled to the door and looked back with a grin. “Friday night at six. I’ll pick you up?”

“I’ll be here, working on the shop,” Maggie said. “Can you meet me here?”

“Will do,” Pete said. “Night, Maggie.”

“Night, Pete,” she said.

The door closed behind him, and Maggie noted that it was completely dark outside now. She glanced over her shoulder and waited for Sam to appear. She had no doubt that he would tease her mercilessly about this. She waited. He didn’t show.

She walked through the shop, aware of how her feet echoed on the floor. She so didn’t want to hear what Sam had to say about her date with Pete. She remembered the morning of the flea market, just before they had found Vera Madison dead, Sam had been teasing her because he had heard that Pete was going to ask her out, and now he had—in front of Sam. The irony was almost too much.

When she got to the break room, she felt a chilly draft. The room was empty, and the door that led to the alley was just closing.

Maggie sprinted around the boxes of Vera Madison’s stuff and pushed the door open. When she peered outside, she just caught a glimpse of Sam as he disappeared around the corner of the building.

She opened her mouth to call him back, but she didn’t. What could she possibly say to him? Obviously, he had overheard Pete’s invitation and had done the mature thing and left, not wanting to embarrass all of them. Maggie had to give him credit for that. In the old days, he would have mocked her to the brink of tears or, even worse, kissed her.

And, just like that, she remembered the very first day Sam Collins had placed his lips on hers. She had been walking home from working at Doc Franklin’s. Sam had been passing around a football on the town green with his buddies when the ball flew right at Maggie, narrowly missing her. Sam had run across the street to get the ball, and she had studiously ignored him like she always had.

He had thrown the ball back to his friends and then began to follow her. She refused to acknowledge him.

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