Toxic Attack: Spirit of the Soul Wine Shop Mystery (A Rysen Morris Mystery Book 2) by K.J. Emrick
Authors: K.J. Emrick
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Chapter 1
Rysen Morris hated to admit it, but she enjoyed being back home. Her little town of Cambria in California's wine country had grown quite a bit since she was a little girl. It might not be the big city of San Francisco, by any means, but it was beginning to feel like home again.
Ironically, it had taken her running away to San Francisco's sprawling cityscape to appreciate what she had here. It had taken being fired from her job and her bastard of an ex-boyfriend dumping her before she had come back to Cambria with her tail between her legs to live with her sister and start her life over. Again.
Of course, things weren't perfect. Just close enough to make her happy.
Laying in her bed upstairs in her sister's house, staring at the ceiling, she let her thoughts wander. There was something else making her happy here, too. Someone, actually.
Josh Keats. It had been such a surprise to see him back in town, too. They'd dated in high school for a very short time. Just like the rest of this town and everyone in it, Rysen had believed Josh was part of her past. She'd forgotten all about him. Or at least that's what she'd told herself. Seeing him again had brought all of her old feelings blossoming back to the surface.
For him too, as it turned out. They'd been dating for the last three weeks.
She kicked her feet under her blankets, like a giddy little school girl. Things were going really well with her and Josh. Every day was just a little bit better. Tonight, at dinner, he'd told her that he was falling for her.
It wasn't quite those three little words every girl waits to here, but it was pretty close.
She supposed Josh could be forgiven for not diving head first into romance. He'd just broken up with Rysen's best friend from childhood, Beatrice Leary. Breakups could do that to a guy. Bea's mother used to babysit for Rysen and her sister, the three girls playing away long afternoons in the flower shop the Leary's owned. She had been one of the first people that Rysen reconnected with when she came back to Cambria.
Rysen and Beatrice were still friends, but dating Josh had made things…a little awkward. Bea had jokingly given her permission when Rysen had asked if it was okay. She had laughed it off and said things were finally over for her and Josh, so why shouldn't Rysen rekindle that old flame? In spite of that, Rysen still had to wonder if Bea could really get over Josh just like that.
So that was life for her now. Dating a wonderful man, reconnecting with friends and even slowly working to smooth things over with her father. Not that her dad was making that easy. He never had. Between all of that and working her shifts at her sister's wine shop, life was full.
She was feeling sleepy, even though her thoughts wouldn't stop turning. Her lids drooped heavily over her eyes and she heard her breathing even out and become deeper. Dreams slid in to push worries and hopes and all of that aside. She was floating, and she let herself drift.
A man's arms held her, his embrace strong and sensual. In the dream she felt his skin against hers, smelled his cologne, breathed in his warmth. He whispered things she couldn't remember that made her flush with expectation.
When he leaned in to kiss her, her dream self floated toward him, expecting to see Josh's face. It wouldn't be the first time she'd dreamt of the moment they, uh, took their relationship to the next level.
It wasn't Josh's face she saw.
With a start she pushed herself awake, fighting to get untangled from the blankets, wondering when the sun had come up to peek into her window. Rysen propped herself up on her elbows and collected her scattered thoughts. When the dream replayed itself in vivid color in her mind, she wrapped her pillow around her head and groaned loudly.
The handsome—and barely clothed—Brandon Dennicort had invaded her dreams several times since he'd left town.
Rysen Morris hated to admit it, but she enjoyed being back home. Her little town of Cambria in California's wine country had grown quite a bit since she was a little girl. It might not be the big city of San Francisco, by any means, but it was beginning to feel like home again.
Ironically, it had taken her running away to San Francisco's sprawling cityscape to appreciate what she had here. It had taken being fired from her job and her bastard of an ex-boyfriend dumping her before she had come back to Cambria with her tail between her legs to live with her sister and start her life over. Again.
Of course, things weren't perfect. Just close enough to make her happy.
Laying in her bed upstairs in her sister's house, staring at the ceiling, she let her thoughts wander. There was something else making her happy here, too. Someone, actually.
Josh Keats. It had been such a surprise to see him back in town, too. They'd dated in high school for a very short time. Just like the rest of this town and everyone in it, Rysen had believed Josh was part of her past. She'd forgotten all about him. Or at least that's what she'd told herself. Seeing him again had brought all of her old feelings blossoming back to the surface.
For him too, as it turned out. They'd been dating for the last three weeks.
She kicked her feet under her blankets, like a giddy little school girl. Things were going really well with her and Josh. Every day was just a little bit better. Tonight, at dinner, he'd told her that he was falling for her.
It wasn't quite those three little words every girl waits to here, but it was pretty close.
She supposed Josh could be forgiven for not diving head first into romance. He'd just broken up with Rysen's best friend from childhood, Beatrice Leary. Breakups could do that to a guy. Bea's mother used to babysit for Rysen and her sister, the three girls playing away long afternoons in the flower shop the Leary's owned. She had been one of the first people that Rysen reconnected with when she came back to Cambria.
Rysen and Beatrice were still friends, but dating Josh had made things…a little awkward. Bea had jokingly given her permission when Rysen had asked if it was okay. She had laughed it off and said things were finally over for her and Josh, so why shouldn't Rysen rekindle that old flame? In spite of that, Rysen still had to wonder if Bea could really get over Josh just like that.
So that was life for her now. Dating a wonderful man, reconnecting with friends and even slowly working to smooth things over with her father. Not that her dad was making that easy. He never had. Between all of that and working her shifts at her sister's wine shop, life was full.
She was feeling sleepy, even though her thoughts wouldn't stop turning. Her lids drooped heavily over her eyes and she heard her breathing even out and become deeper. Dreams slid in to push worries and hopes and all of that aside. She was floating, and she let herself drift.
A man's arms held her, his embrace strong and sensual. In the dream she felt his skin against hers, smelled his cologne, breathed in his warmth. He whispered things she couldn't remember that made her flush with expectation.
When he leaned in to kiss her, her dream self floated toward him, expecting to see Josh's face. It wouldn't be the first time she'd dreamt of the moment they, uh, took their relationship to the next level.
It wasn't Josh's face she saw.
With a start she pushed herself awake, fighting to get untangled from the blankets, wondering when the sun had come up to peek into her window. Rysen propped herself up on her elbows and collected her scattered thoughts. When the dream replayed itself in vivid color in her mind, she wrapped her pillow around her head and groaned loudly.
The handsome—and barely clothed—Brandon Dennicort had invaded her dreams several times since he'd left town.
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