A Frosty Wedding Reception: An unputdownable Cozy Mystery (The Weather Girl Mysteries Book 5) by Quinn Ashleigh

Author:Quinn, Ashleigh
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: AKQ Publishing
Published: 2024-11-07T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Twenty minutes later and one trip to the bakery, we walked over to Gerald’s hardware store. The bell above the door jingled cheerfully as we entered, and the familiar scent of wood, metal, and paint filled my nostrils. Jake stood behind the counter, his face a mask of stoicism as he tended to a customer.

“Morning, Jake,” Hilda greeted him, her voice bright and chipper. “Autumn and I brought you some treats from the bakery.”

“Thanks,” Jake replied, his expression softening ever so slightly as he glanced at the box of baked goods. “I appreciate it.”

As the customer left, Hilda wasted no time in diving into a conversation. “So, how have things been holding up around here without your dad?”

I glared at the side of her face, but she stared straight at Jake unwavering.

“Busy,” Jake admitted, running a hand through his disheveled hair. “But I'm managing.”

“Must be tough,” I chimed in sympathetically. “Especially with everything that's been going on.”

Jake sighed, his eyes downcast. “Yeah, well, Dad and I weren't exactly close. But he was still my father, you know?”

“Of course,” I said softly, trying to convey understanding through my gaze.

At that moment, a young woman with a warm smile appeared from the back room. “Jake, I brought some more—” she paused, spotting us. “Oh, hello there!”

“Autumn, Hilda…this is Emily, my fiancée,” Jake introduced her, a hint of pride in his voice.

“Nice to meet you both,” Emily said, extending her hand for a friendly shake.

“Likewise,” I replied, shaking her hand firmly. “You picked a great guy here.” A little white lie, I’d barely met the guy right now.

“Thanks,” she said, blushing slightly. “So, what brings you two by today?”

“Actually,” Hilda began, a twinkle in her eye. “I recently had my credit card stolen, and we were hoping Jake could tell us more about that incident that happened here with the stolen credit card.”

Heat rose to my cheeks. I wasn’t expecting her to just come out and ask something like interrogation. I had to hand it to her, Hilda had a heck of an opening question.

“Ah, right, I forgot all about that,” Jake said, his brow furrowing. “Dad caught that guy, Stanley Miners, trying to use a stolen and copied card at the store. He was furious—tossed him out on his rear end. Stanley would do anything for a buck.”

Emily's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before she expertly covered her reaction with a cough.

“That must have been quite a scene,” I said, keeping my attention on Emily. She averted her eyes.

“Definitely,” Jake agreed. “Dad didn't take kindly to thieves or liars.”

The bell rang again as a few older men walked in bickering over the best way to save pipes in the winter.

“Well, looks like you have some customers. If you need anything, let us know. I liked your dad a whole lot.” Hilda rushed me out of the store.

The cold breeze rustled through the trees on Main Street as Hilda and I waved our goodbyes to Jake and Emily. The

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