Missing Ingredient by Dorn Stella

Author:Dorn, Stella
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Stella Dorn
Published: 2024-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

After about an hour, Sienna walked out to the main lobby of the bakery to survey how the area was doing. She had been thinking about doing some minor upgrades to a few things: making sure the water fountain had the additional spigot for a water bottle , selling some reusable water bottles, and offering a discount on purchases if someone brought in a cup to fill with the various juices that they sold alongside their sweets.

A moment after she started thinking about where she would start displaying the water bottles – as that was her largest hurdle right now – she heard the bells of the door chime as the door opened. She turned around. It was habit at this point. If she was in the lobby when a customer came in, she’d turn to face them if she wasn’t already facing the door.

There, in the doorway, stood Aurelia. She was one of Sienna's first friendships when she moved from Los Angeles to Columbia, Tennessee. Though clearly older than Sienna, Aurelia was sharp, and was a fellow widow… a unique bond for the two of them.

“Aurelia!”

“Sienna! Oh, it’s been too long,” Aurelia said as she walked over and hugged her. “I’ve been so busy with other things. Now that it’s all calmed down, why don’t we take a few minutes and just talk? I’ve missed you. Quite a bit.”

Sienna pulled away from the hug.

“I’ve got something I want to show you first,” she said. “Remember that call I gave you a few weeks ago? About the puppy?”

“Yes.” Aurelia looked at her as if that was something that she would never forget. “What about the call with the puppy?”

“Come on.”

Sienna took Aurelia down the back alleyway, where the little Cocker Spaniel was waiting for them. It jumped at them, her paws on Sienna’s legs first and then sniffing at Aurelia.

“Oh, it’s just as adorable as you said it was,” Aurelia said. “And, it’s such a shame you don’t seem to have the time to get it properly assessed. Either someone’s missing their pet, or this Cocker Spaniel needs a home, big time. Oh, look at those eyes!” She bent down slowly, offering a hand for the Cocker Spaniel to sniff.

Sienna watched as the puppy sniffed the back of Aurelia’s hand, and then nuzzled its head into her hand. Aurelia simply smiled.

“I wish I had the time. But there’s been some development on a case I’m working and I just… I don’t have the time. Maybe if Riley were to take it in to see if it’s micro-chipped, we could at least figure out if someone’s missing their pet dog,” Sienna suggested.

“Maybe.” Aurelia shrugged as she slowly got up. “Now… you said something about a case? Is there something you’re doing? Or is it something you can’t share because you’ve been asked to keep it quiet by the police?”

“I’m sure Officer Jackson wouldn’t mind getting a second opinion on this. He’s already asked me, after all,” she teased. Then, in

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