to drive me off.”
He wrapped me in his arms, and I breathed him in deeply. Not only did I feel safe and warm in his arms, I felt needed, wanted, and loved. It was almost as though we drew energy off each other in moments like this, and I was so glad he’d found his way into my life, and had allowed me to come into his.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, after giving me one final good night kiss.
“Bright and early?” I asked.
“For me, not you. I should be by the donut shop around noon.”
“Coward.” I laughed at him.
“I like to think of myself as wise. Even if you’re not on vacation, I am. If I don’t take these days, I’ll lose them. I’m going to sleep in, and then try my best not to do anything productive for the next few days.”
“That sounds like a fine plan to me,” I said.
“Trust me, I get enough excitement on my day job. Vacation is a time for me to recharge, and I’m in bad need of it at the moment.”
“I just wish I could join you. I honestly do.”
“That makes two of us. Don’t worry, there will be other times for us, Suzanne. See you tomorrow.”
I waved to him, and stood on the porch until he was gone.
At least Jake hadn’t volunteered to help me find Lester’s killer during his time off. I had no desire to drag him into this. He got enough murder and mayhem in his job, and I didn’t want it to ruin one of his rare vacation days.
When I walked back inside, Momma was still up. “How nice to have company. Jake looked delighted to see you,” she said as she glanced up from the crossword puzzle she was doing.
“Believe me, it was mutual,” I said.
“Of course it was. Will he be able to stay long this time?”
“He’s taking a few days off,” I admitted.
“You should, too,” Momma said.
“That’s what he said, but you know my schedule. I just can’t.”
She pointed her pencil at me. “You deserve a vacation. If you can’t get anyone else to help out at the donut shop, close it for a few days. Folks can live without your confections for that long.”
“I can’t afford to,” I said as I started up the stairs.
“Then I’ll work there.”
I smiled at her. “I never knew you made donuts,” I said.
“There are a great many things you don’t know about me.”
“I appreciate the offer, but I need to be there.”
She frowned at me. “Suzanne, if you are worried about the money, then I’ll cover your losses. There’s more to life than working all of the time.”
I knew my mother was serious if she was willing to spend that much. “I couldn’t take your money. Besides, I can’t leave for more reasons than that.”
“What’s stopping you?”
I left the stairs and walked back to her. “Why is this suddenly so important to you? I don’t get it.”
“I want you to be happy.”
“Funny, I want the exact same thing for you,” I said. “Tell you what. You go out on a real date, and I’ll take you up on your vacation offer.”
She shook her head. “My proposal to you isn’t contingent on anything else, and yours shouldn’t be, either. Take it or don’t take it; I won’t allow you to manipulate me like that.”
“I meant what I said,” I replied as I softened my voice. “I honestly do want you to find some happiness again.”
“You sound a great deal like Phillip Martin.”
It was all I could do not to roll my eyes. “He’s not my first choice of suitors, that shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, but if you want to see him, or anyone else, you know you have my blessing.”
She put her puzzle down on the couch. “Suddenly I’ve completely lost interest in this conversation.”
“And just when it was getting interesting,” I said with a smile.
“You’re not fooling anyone, Suzanne. The real reason you won’t take time off is that you’re investigating Lester Moorefield’s murder on your own, and you’re afraid if you go away, you’ll miss something. Don’t try to deny it, I know you too well.”
“I
He wrapped me in his arms, and I breathed him in deeply. Not only did I feel safe and warm in his arms, I felt needed, wanted, and loved. It was almost as though we drew energy off each other in moments like this, and I was so glad he’d found his way into my life, and had allowed me to come into his.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, after giving me one final good night kiss.
“Bright and early?” I asked.
“For me, not you. I should be by the donut shop around noon.”
“Coward.” I laughed at him.
“I like to think of myself as wise. Even if you’re not on vacation, I am. If I don’t take these days, I’ll lose them. I’m going to sleep in, and then try my best not to do anything productive for the next few days.”
“That sounds like a fine plan to me,” I said.
“Trust me, I get enough excitement on my day job. Vacation is a time for me to recharge, and I’m in bad need of it at the moment.”
“I just wish I could join you. I honestly do.”
“That makes two of us. Don’t worry, there will be other times for us, Suzanne. See you tomorrow.”
I waved to him, and stood on the porch until he was gone.
At least Jake hadn’t volunteered to help me find Lester’s killer during his time off. I had no desire to drag him into this. He got enough murder and mayhem in his job, and I didn’t want it to ruin one of his rare vacation days.
When I walked back inside, Momma was still up. “How nice to have company. Jake looked delighted to see you,” she said as she glanced up from the crossword puzzle she was doing.
“Believe me, it was mutual,” I said.
“Of course it was. Will he be able to stay long this time?”
“He’s taking a few days off,” I admitted.
“You should, too,” Momma said.
“That’s what he said, but you know my schedule. I just can’t.”
She pointed her pencil at me. “You deserve a vacation. If you can’t get anyone else to help out at the donut shop, close it for a few days. Folks can live without your confections for that long.”
“I can’t afford to,” I said as I started up the stairs.
“Then I’ll work there.”
I smiled at her. “I never knew you made donuts,” I said.
“There are a great many things you don’t know about me.”
“I appreciate the offer, but I need to be there.”
She frowned at me. “Suzanne, if you are worried about the money, then I’ll cover your losses. There’s more to life than working all of the time.”
I knew my mother was serious if she was willing to spend that much. “I couldn’t take your money. Besides, I can’t leave for more reasons than that.”
“What’s stopping you?”
I left the stairs and walked back to her. “Why is this suddenly so important to you? I don’t get it.”
“I want you to be happy.”
“Funny, I want the exact same thing for you,” I said. “Tell you what. You go out on a real date, and I’ll take you up on your vacation offer.”
She shook her head. “My proposal to you isn’t contingent on anything else, and yours shouldn’t be, either. Take it or don’t take it; I won’t allow you to manipulate me like that.”
“I meant what I said,” I replied as I softened my voice. “I honestly do want you to find some happiness again.”
“You sound a great deal like Phillip Martin.”
It was all I could do not to roll my eyes. “He’s not my first choice of suitors, that shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, but if you want to see him, or anyone else, you know you have my blessing.”
She put her puzzle down on the couch. “Suddenly I’ve completely lost interest in this conversation.”
“And just when it was getting interesting,” I said with a smile.
“You’re not fooling anyone, Suzanne. The real reason you won’t take time off is that you’re investigating Lester Moorefield’s murder on your own, and you’re afraid if you go away, you’ll miss something. Don’t try to deny it, I know you too well.”
“I
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