Who Killed Lilly Paine: Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles by K.D. McNiven

Author:K.D. McNiven [McNiven, K.D.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2023-05-20T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23

After she had taken out two of her favorite movies, Maddy strolled into the kitchen to grab a bag of popcorn. She figured they might as well go all-out tonight, and what was better than a movie and a bowl of popcorn with butter drizzled over the top? She had just placed the bag in the microwave when the doorbell rang. It was probably Mary, as her mother could not have gotten food that quickly.

“Hold on,” Maddy called, rushing to open the door. When she did, she stood frozen, her mouth gaping as she viewed the tall, rugged man standing before her. He looked like he’d stepped out of a western magazine, dressed in a black wool hat, cowboy boots, and faded blue jeans. “Johnny Baker!”

He grinned and removed his hat politely. “Hi, green eyes,” he replied.

Maddy stood speechless.

“Well, don’t just stand there gawkin’. Say something.”

“Come in. What are you doing here? Last I heard, you owned a horse ranch in Southern California. I guess I never thought I’d see you again.”

“Disappointed?”

“Surprised, is all.” Maddy motioned for him to sit on the sofa, and plopped into the recliner opposite, still taken aback by her old flame’s presence. “What brings you to Magnolia Bluff?”

“I moved back after my divorce. I bought a small horse ranch on the outskirts of town.”

“Divorce? I hadn’t heard. I’m sorry to hear that.”

He shrugged. “It wasn’t meant to be, so we parted the sheets and went our ways. What about you, Maddy? I read in the paper about the case you’re on—a real shocker.”

Maddy’s cheeks ballooned as she released a long sigh. “Tell me about it. The Paine’s have been next door for years. We’re like family. Lilly’s murder threw me for a loop, for sure. It’s taken its toll on me emotionally.”

“Well, you look fantastic,” he said.

“Thank you.” Maddy felt the blood rush to her face. “You don’t look so bad yourself, cowboy.

“I’ve thought a lot about you over the years. About us. I couldn’t help but wonder what life would have been like had I not forged ahead to fulfill my career and instead gone with you to California.”

“Regrets?”

She shook her head. “I love my job, John. Not that it wouldn’t have been an adventure following you, but I knew what I wanted.”

“Then you chose wisely. Where’s Rita?” He panned the room searching for her.

Maddy smiled. “She went to Corral 44 to bring dinner back. We needed a breather, so she went for food while I dug through some corny romance movies. I was about to pop some corn. Interested?”

“Sounds real tempting, but I don’t want to spoil your girls’ night.”

“You wouldn’t. I’ll even split my dinner with you. What do you say? Rita would love to visit with you, too. She often mentioned disappointment that we didn’t work out.”

“I’m not ashamed to say I cried in my beer for a long while.” He chuckled, his bright blue eyes sparkling with humor.

“If I remember correctly, I soaked a few pillows, too. It was not an easy choice.

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