Record Store Reckoning by J.C. Kenney

Author:J.C. Kenney [J. C. Kenney]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Level Best Books
Published: 2022-01-26T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

The following evening, Darcy eased into a chair with a groan. She dug a ginger ale out of a cooler, then propped her feet up on it. It had been a long, arduous day at work. And she was sore from the tile work the day before. She’d earned this time on the deck and was going to enjoy a cold drink while she watched the water flow by.

She’d been up way too late finishing the job. One of the things she couldn’t stand was leaving a job unfinished. Even if it meant staying up until three to get it done. And then getting up at seven when the alarm went off.

She let out a long yawn as she stretched her arms above her head. Two water enthusiasts on kayaks raised their paddles. It was impossible to tell if they were greeting her or mocking her raised arms. To be on the safe side, she made a small wave with one hand.

“God, Ringo, sometimes being sociable is so anxiety-inducing.” She tossed a piece of sliced ham to him.

He gobbled up the morsel, then licked his paw. When he was finished cleaning up after his snack, he curled up in a ball by the cooler and closed his eyes.

“I like the way you think, buddy. Less work. More sleep.”

Once the kayakers were around the bend, Darcy’s sense of quiet serenity returned. It had been an extreme seven days. She shook her head to think at this time seven days ago, she’d just returned from the best vacation ever.

Now, her mentor was gone. She was in charge of her own business. And a murderer was on the loose.

“That, friends, is one whale of a week.” She raised her ginger ale to nobody in particular and slugged the last of it down.

A small rock landed on the deck a few feet from her. She turned to see where it had come from.

“Hey, Darc.” Liam tipped his Ball State baseball cap to her. “Sorry about the rock. Didn’t want to startle you.”

“No big. We’ve got a nice view tonight. Care to join us?”

“Absolutely. I brought snacks.”

She took a bag of pretzels and a container of Nutella out of the canvas tote Liam handed to her. “Nice! To what do I owe the honor?”

“I figured after your week from hell, a Snack from the Gods would come in handy.” He took a can of sweet tea from the bag as he got settled in a chair next to her.

Darcy laughed as she opened the Nutella container. The hazelnut spread had a heavenly aroma that took her right back to her college days. Growing up, Nutella hadn’t been on her radar. Liam introduced it to her one night while studying for an exam. She more than made up for the lost time in the ensuing months.

“How’d you know?” She opened the bag and commenced dipping pretzels straight into the spread.

“That was always your go-to snack when you were stressed out. Like, preparing for an ensemble performance level of stressed out.

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