Book Retreat Mystery 07 - Murder in the Cookbook Nook by Ellery Adams

Author:Ellery Adams
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Kensington Books
Published: 2021-02-10T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Jane had never invited a guest to her home before. Then again, a guest had never stopped her sons from being harassed before.

“Can Captain Haviland come too?” pleaded Fitz.

Hem clasped his hands. “Please, Mom?”

“If it’s okay with Ms. Olivia, it’s okay with me.”

Olivia replied that she always preferred that her best friend went wherever she went. The boys smiled and scratched behind the poodle’s ears and patted him on the back.

“Can we give him a treat?” Hem asked Olivia. “For saving the day?”

Hearing the word “treat,” Haviland’s nose quivered and he glanced left and right, hoping something tasty was on offer.

“Why don’t I bring a bag of favorites to your house and you can reward him there?” Olivia suggested.

Haviland watched her slide his chicken and apple sausage dog treats and a bottle of Chivas Regal into a padded tote. He kept his eyes trained on the bag as everyone filed out of the cottage. But the moment the boys started across the grass, calling Haviland’s name as they picked up speed, the poodle forgot about the treats and looked to Olivia for permission.

She whispered, “Go on,” and he was off like a shot, barking with joy as he raced alongside Fitz and Hem.

“I could use some of that energy,” Jane said.

She was hot, thirsty, and emotionally drained. She needed to kick off her shoes and pour herself a generous measure of chilled prosecco.

Jane popped the cork on a fresh bottle and offered Olivia her pick of glasses. The twins washed their hands, grabbed water bottles from the fridge, and went to the living room to feed Haviland and watch an episode of their anime show.

The two women carried their drinks to the kitchen table.

Raising her stemless champagne flute, Jane said, “Thanks for looking out for my sons.”

Olivia knocked her glass against Jane’s and took a sip of scotch whiskey.

“I also want to thank you for helping Mr. Gilmore,” Jane went on. “Are you getting any writing done in the face of all this altruism?”

Olivia laughed. “To my surprise, I am. There’s freedom in anonymity. No one knows me here. Except Michel. And he’s too wrapped up in this competition to give me much thought. It’s oddly relaxing to be a stranger in an unfamiliar place. My words are flowing again.”

Jane got up and rooted through the pantry for a suitable snack. She found a can of mixed nuts and dumped the contents into a bowl. She put the bowl and a plate of cheese straws on the table.

“What about you?” Olivia asked, reaching for the nuts. “It must be hard to concentrate on everyday tasks after the death of a guest.”

Jane took a swallow of prosecco and said, “Honestly, I should be calling the sheriff right now. I should explain why I ran off while he was speaking to a theater full of guests. And I will. Eventually.” She watched the shifting bubbles in her glass. “From the moment this cooking competition started, every day’s felt a hundred hours long.

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