attracted to women than men, but her parents were putting a lot of pressure on her to be what they wanted her to be. The boyfriend was pretty rough on her, too, from what I heard. Bruises. That sort of thing. It was big gossip in the girls' locker room my senior year. But," she added with a sigh, "that was years ago."
Darcy turned her coffee mug around in circles on the table. Everything seemed to come back to Megan's parents and what they didn't like about Megan's life. She had plenty of experience with her own mother not accepting her for who she was. It just wasn't anything she would ever be able to understand. A parent's love should be unconditional.
Next to her, Jon put his hand over hers, his thumb stroking little circles around her knuckles. "Sounds like talking to Megan's parents is going to be our priority tomorrow."
"I could come with you," Izzy offered. "The people there might be more willing to talk to me, since I'm from that town. Oh, wait. That wouldn't leave anyone to watch the store."
"I don't want to leave the bookstore closed if I can help it," Darcy said quickly. "If we come up with someone for you to talk to we'll call you, okay?"
It was as good an excuse as any. Darcy didn't have the heart to mention that the people in Cider Hill might actually be less willing to talk to Izzy since she had been under suspicion for murder there, once upon a time. She'd been cleared, of course, and the real killer put in jail, but Darcy knew from experience that people didn't ever forgive that easily.
When the pizzas came, they ate together in the kitchen while Connor and Lilly ate in the living room, laughing at some show Darcy had found for them on the television. She listened to them, and thought how good it sounded to have children in her house.
Jon caught the look on her face and smiled at her. Children were a topic they had discussed only in passing. They both felt they wanted kids of their own, but like everything else it was a discussion for another time.
Right now, there was another mystery to solve, a wanted fugitive to help, and Christmas to plan.
Life was definitely full.
Chapter Nine
Cider Hill was another of the small towns in the area around Misty Hollow. Darcy had always liked being in a rural area where people could live and work among the beauty of divine creation. The dense growths of trees along the roadsides were buried in snow, patches of it caught in their branches and piled around their trunks. As Jon drove them she caught glimpses of trails in the deeper drifts where deer and other animals had scurried away for shelter.
"I wish we hadn't had to leave so early," She complained with a yawn. They had watched the sun come up on the drive over, stopping at a convenience store on the way for gas and coffee. Big cups of coffee.
She had left a note for JoEllen before they left, careful to write her name as "Ellen," after peeking in on her and Connor in the spare bedroom. Both of them were asleep. After staying up until almost eleven o'clock playing with Lilly, Darcy wasn't surprised that Connor was sleeping so soundly. The note reminded JoEllen, without coming right out and saying so, that she needed to stay inside. There was food in the fridge and books to read and TV to watch. The wanted contract killer would just have to deal with being a homebody. For now.
"Five hour trips are better started at five in the morning," Jon said. "I was hoping we could make up some time but the roads are still too slick. Maybe if it hadn't snowed last night. I want to catch Megan's parents early in the day in case they give us something useful."
"Or if they turn out to be suspects?"
"To tell you the truth, they're already suspects." He covered a yawn with the back of his hand. "At least in my books. Everything points to them. Plus, we've pretty much eliminated Nielson and Blair. Doesn't leave us too many options."
Darcy muttered
Darcy turned her coffee mug around in circles on the table. Everything seemed to come back to Megan's parents and what they didn't like about Megan's life. She had plenty of experience with her own mother not accepting her for who she was. It just wasn't anything she would ever be able to understand. A parent's love should be unconditional.
Next to her, Jon put his hand over hers, his thumb stroking little circles around her knuckles. "Sounds like talking to Megan's parents is going to be our priority tomorrow."
"I could come with you," Izzy offered. "The people there might be more willing to talk to me, since I'm from that town. Oh, wait. That wouldn't leave anyone to watch the store."
"I don't want to leave the bookstore closed if I can help it," Darcy said quickly. "If we come up with someone for you to talk to we'll call you, okay?"
It was as good an excuse as any. Darcy didn't have the heart to mention that the people in Cider Hill might actually be less willing to talk to Izzy since she had been under suspicion for murder there, once upon a time. She'd been cleared, of course, and the real killer put in jail, but Darcy knew from experience that people didn't ever forgive that easily.
When the pizzas came, they ate together in the kitchen while Connor and Lilly ate in the living room, laughing at some show Darcy had found for them on the television. She listened to them, and thought how good it sounded to have children in her house.
Jon caught the look on her face and smiled at her. Children were a topic they had discussed only in passing. They both felt they wanted kids of their own, but like everything else it was a discussion for another time.
Right now, there was another mystery to solve, a wanted fugitive to help, and Christmas to plan.
Life was definitely full.
Chapter Nine
Cider Hill was another of the small towns in the area around Misty Hollow. Darcy had always liked being in a rural area where people could live and work among the beauty of divine creation. The dense growths of trees along the roadsides were buried in snow, patches of it caught in their branches and piled around their trunks. As Jon drove them she caught glimpses of trails in the deeper drifts where deer and other animals had scurried away for shelter.
"I wish we hadn't had to leave so early," She complained with a yawn. They had watched the sun come up on the drive over, stopping at a convenience store on the way for gas and coffee. Big cups of coffee.
She had left a note for JoEllen before they left, careful to write her name as "Ellen," after peeking in on her and Connor in the spare bedroom. Both of them were asleep. After staying up until almost eleven o'clock playing with Lilly, Darcy wasn't surprised that Connor was sleeping so soundly. The note reminded JoEllen, without coming right out and saying so, that she needed to stay inside. There was food in the fridge and books to read and TV to watch. The wanted contract killer would just have to deal with being a homebody. For now.
"Five hour trips are better started at five in the morning," Jon said. "I was hoping we could make up some time but the roads are still too slick. Maybe if it hadn't snowed last night. I want to catch Megan's parents early in the day in case they give us something useful."
"Or if they turn out to be suspects?"
"To tell you the truth, they're already suspects." He covered a yawn with the back of his hand. "At least in my books. Everything points to them. Plus, we've pretty much eliminated Nielson and Blair. Doesn't leave us too many options."
Darcy muttered
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