Pickups and Pirates (Southern Relics Cozy Mysteries Book 3) by Bella Falls

Author:Bella Falls [Falls, Bella]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Evermore Press
Published: 2020-04-29T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Parts of Bellfort’s waterside had flooded, and we picked a careful path down the street to the Maritime Museum. We passed shop owners and locals pitching in to clean up the bigger pieces of destruction. A lot bustled around Docksiders, the restaurant Dani had told us about that lost most of its structure and its pier that allowed boats to pull up and tie off to eat lunch and dinner there.

“I feel a little guilty that we’re not helping out,” Crystal said, trailing behind us as she got caught up in the spectacle. “I haven’t even checked if there’s any damage to my store yet.”

I stopped walking and hugged her about her shoulders. “I know, and if you want Dad to take you back, you and Odie can go take care of what’s yours. We’d totally understand.”

Casting grateful eyes up at me, she used her phone to call her husband. “Hey, can you make your way to Bellfort?”

A low growl of a voice boomed from the yard in front of the museum. “I’m already here.” With long strides, Odie closed the distance between him and his wife and swept her off her feet.

Mason leapt off the bench by the front entrance and sprinted to Charli, hugging her close and whispering into her ear.

Dad strolled towards me, the thin smile on his face the only hint at his worry. “Hey, butter bean. Did y’all get what you went after?”

The enormity of what we’d gone through and accomplished hit me all at once, and I threw myself into his arms. He patted my back and whispered comforting words until I calmed down.

“There’s a lot to tell you, but we shouldn’t do it out in the open,” I said, checking around to make sure no one was watching.

Auggie stepped out of the shadows and stomped her cigarette out on the walkway. “Good, because you never know who might be listening. Took you guys long enough, and you better have a good explanation as to why the video feed stopped,” she fussed.

My mouth gaped open at her abrupt greeting, and I glanced at the boys to figure out who’d brought her in the first place. “Shouldn’t you be back at the house resting and making sure you’re not suffering from a concussion?”

Odie stroked his beard. “She made me bring her,” he admitted.

“That’s right, no one is leaving me out of this again, you hear me?” she grumbled, pointing an accusing finger at us all. For the first time, she noticed the state of us girls, and her expression softened. “Besides, I come bearing gifts. Your granny gave me some food and sweet tea she put together because she said you might need it. I have to admit, I might need a slice of that pecan pie she sent.”

Rissa guided us to the side employee entrance of the museum. “The front doors should be bolted tight, plus there are sandbags sitting in front of them.” She punched some numbers on the security system keypad. With a frown, she repeated her actions.

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