Second Chance at Love

by Joanna Campbell Slan

  “Thank you,” I said as I felt my face grow hot. Two days ago, MJ and Skye had insisted that we knock off early and go shopping. At their urging, I bought the dress I was now wearing, a rose sateen shirtwaist dress with a black patent leather belt. Around my neck was a strand of fake pearls. Matching earrings framed my face, and my hair was pulled up into a chignon. A pair of black patent leather pumps completed my ensemble. My total transformation would have pleased my mother greatly.

  Even Tommy had given me two thumbs-up of approval. He had been holding the dog under his arm when I stepped out of the bedroom in my new dress. “Hey Jack, look at Mom! She's rocking it!”

  “And you, my darling son, look very handsome yourself,” I told him as we walked downstairs together. Jack's head bobbed this way and that, taking in the whole scene.

  Now my son and my dog were busy socializing with our guests.

  “Go! Mingle! Enjoy your moment in the sun,” said Philomena, giving me a little push. Since that awful first meeting in her office, she'd proved herself to be a fantastic ally.

  Detective Murray was talking with someone about the use of computers in corralling criminals. I smiled at the detective. He lifted his plastic cup of punch to me in a salute.

  We were both relieved that Bobby Gander was in custody.

  The Chief of Police had sent me a nice note:

  Dear Ms. Delgatto,

  Maybe we need to arm our department with frying pans.

  They seem to work pretty well for you!

  Best wishes on your new venture—

  Police Chief Aaron Reiss.

  I scanned the crowd for Skye. She was working the cash register, happily ringing up one purchase after another. As onlookers paid close attention, MJ showed off our gallery of recently recovered Highwayman paintings. Their proud owner, Irving Feldman, maneuvered his wife, Evelyn, in her wheelchair. This was the first time in years that she was able to see all the landscapes her late mother-in-law had laboriously curated. After consulting an expert, I had doubled the price on every last painting. Since the story of their disappearance and recovery hit the local news, buyers had been calling like crazy. The Feldmans would be able to afford that experimental treatment for Evelyn and live a comfortable life.

  The community service gang was in full force. Officer Dooley supervised the young men in their roles as attentive waiters, carrying trays with glasses of champagne, sparkling water, and wine. They'd walked into the store with chests puffed out in pride at their contribution to the fabulous décor.

  Over the past week, MJ, Skye, and I had worked like fiends. I had painted and stenciled two more pieces of furniture. MJ had found a wonderful Florida side chair and had it re-upholstered. Skye continued to amaze both of us by coming up with unique displays of items she'd repurposed, upcycled, and recycled. The tin cans from Pumpernickel's had been transformed into luminaries that brightened our display window.

  We had a hit on our hands. The minute our doors opened and people poured in, flashes went off on cell phones all around the sales floor. Folks took picture after picture of our wares. Although I wasn't thrilled about people photographing our great ideas, I'd decided generosity of spirit should prevail. I knew how much work had gone into each project. If people wanted to try to copy us, more power to them.

  Poppy was chatting to a group of admiring females of a certain age. He acted happier than I could remember. The color in his face was good, and he looked sharp in his gray trousers and light blue knit shirt. We needed to have a long talk about Jodi, because so far, he'd managed to evade all my questions. I figured that after the Art Fair, when my attentions weren't divided, I'd pin him down for some much needed answers.

  Everything was perfect until Cooper walked in with my sister on his arm.

  ~The End~

  Cara Mia’s Story continues in

  SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE

  Here’s a BONUS Excerpt

  CHAPTER 1

  Last week in January

  7:45 a.m. on Thursday

  The Treasure Chest in Downtown Stuart, Florida

  From the press packet —

  The Treasure Chest Philosophy: Even the humblest items (aka “trash”), despite their origins or their prior usage, have value.

  ~Cara~

  “We’ve got a problem,” said Detective Lou Murray, of the Stuart Police Department. His bulk filled the threshold of the back door. He was standing there sideways. The morning sun flooded in through the window behind him, rendering his large presence a silhouette. I couldn’t make out Lou’s expression, but the tone of his voice was ominous.

  “What’s up?” I asked.

  The big cop has a habit of dropping by most mornings, before he goes to work. He claims this is part of an initiative to make police presence more obvious in our picturesque downtown.

  I know better.

  Lou is head over heels in love with Skye Blue, my friend and part-time employee. She’s also my tenant, renting one of the two apartments upstairs, while I live in the other, its mirror-image twin.

  Skye had been busy when I walked in. She had her hands in the sink with the water running as she rinsed out a couple of mugs and the water carafe for the coffee maker.

  “Morning,” I told her.

  Drying her hands, she hugged me. “How’d you sleep?”

  I did a so-so motion with my fingers.

  She frowned.

  “Cara? I need ten minutes of your time,” said Lou, more urgently this time. As he spoke, he barely glanced at me. Instead, he kept looking out the window of my back door.

  “Does it have to be right now? My dog needs to go outside, and I haven’t had my morning jolt of caffeine. I am not fully human until I have my coffee.”

  “Yes, right now,” said Lou, firmly. “I need you to look at a car parked behind your grandfather’s gas station.”

  “Let me guess. Today’s the day they start jackhammering that old pavement around the Gas E Bait, right? And the car is in the way? Just tow it,” I said. “That’ll teach the owner a lesson.”

  “Not that simple.” Lou frowned as he ran a hand through his cropped hair.

  CHAPTER 2

  The three of us stepped outside.

  “I’ll take Jack,” said Skye, reaching for my rescue pup. She had just tucked the white Chihuahua under her arm when MJ Austin pulled up in her pink Cadillac.

  “Morning, girls,” said MJ. She’s a full-time employee at The Treasure Chest. While Skye is a crafter who can turn any old piece of junk into something marvelous, MJ is a real expert on antiques and collectibles.

  “We’ll be right back, MJ,” I said, as I caught a whiff of her gardenia perfume. “Lou wants me to take a look at a car parked behind Poppy’s gas station.”

  “Shouldn’t be there,” said MJ.

  “Right,” Lou muttered.

  A truck pulled up as we were crossing the alley that separates the park-ing spaces behind my store from the parking spaces behind the gas station. A tall man in an orange tee shirt stepped out of the Ford F150. Sunlight glinted gold on his hair, a long surfer cut that brushed his collar. His eyes were a mystery behind his Wayfarer sunglasses. He glanced toward us and then noted the parked Toyota.

  “And you are?” Lou asked the newcomer.

  “Jason Robbins. Project manager for Fill Up and Go corporate.” His voice was deep and masculine.

  “I’m Detective Lou Murray, and this is Cara Mia Delgatto,” said Lou, flashing his badge. Skye and MJ hung back a few paces.

  “You’re exactly as your grandfather described you,” Jason smiled down at me. The pleasing fragrance of sandalwood clung to him. When we shook hands, I realized that the scent transferred to my fingers.

  “Cara, have you ever seen this car before?” Lou asked. He used his hand to shade his eyes against the morning sun. “Take your time looking it over. But don’t touch it.”

  I stared at a rusty Toyota with balding tires.

  “Why don’t you just run the plates?” I wonde
red.

  “Answer my question, please,” said Lou.

  The vehicle looked familiar. I took two steps to the left, blinked in the glare of the sunlight, and looked closer. The giveaway was a dogeared paper sign sitting in the back window. It said SHORELINE NEWS.

  “I’m pretty sure that car belongs to Kathy Simmons. She’s a reporter for the Shoreline News. Her roommate has been calling the store for the past two days. She says Kathy’s been missing. Is that true?”

  Lou didn’t answer my question. Instead, he frowned. “Anything else that helps you identify the owner?”

  I moved even with the rear passenger door. A rotten breeze came from the direction of the ocean. Dead fish must have rolled up with the tide. Cupping my hands around my face, I stared inside the car. A plastic food storage container rested on the back passenger seat. Next to it was a white shopping bag.

  “That’s definitely one of my new shopping bags,” I called over my shoulder to Lou. Skye and MJ stood a few feet away from him. MJ had her hands resting on her hips. Skye was holding Jack and frowning. There was something in the air, a sense that trouble was about to erupt.

  I continued, “Kathy bought a picture from me the night of our media event. I put her purchase inside a bag like that one. MJ packed up leftovers for Kathy to take home. The container looked like the one on the seat. It was dark and raining when I walked Kathy outside, so I didn’t get a really good look at her car, but I’m almost positive this is it.”

  “Let me make sure I’ve got this straight,” said Lou, and his frown deepened. “Three days ago, Kathy Simmons attended your media event.”

  “Right. We invited the local media to preview our Old Florida Photo Gallery exhibit. Served them food. Gave them press packets. Let them wander around the store. Answered their questions. Kathy Simmons came on behalf of the Shoreline News. Her editor came too, but he left early.”

  “Had you ever met her before?”

  “No.”

  “Tell me about the event,” said Lou.

  “It started at seven in the evening and ended at eight. A dozen reporters came. I gave a little spiel about our mission to recycle things and be creative with found objects. I showed them the old black and white photos we’d framed. The three of us—MJ, Skye, and I—played hostess.”

  “What was Kathy Simmons wearing?”

  “A weird raincoat. It was printed to look like newspapers. Oh, and a headscarf. Right before we went outside, she pulled it out of her pocket.”

  “What happened immediately before you two walked to her car?”

  “What do you mean?” I couldn’t hide my surprise.

  “Is it true there was an altercation?”

  “W-w-what? How do you know that?” My mouth went dry.

  To be continued…

  Cara Mia’s story continues in

  Second Chance at Love:

  Book #2 in the Second Chance Series https://amzn.to/2C2es3I

  You’ll want to read all the Second Chance books in order:

  The Second Chance Series Books

  Second Chance at Love − https://amzn.to/2SAmG9Q

  Second Chance at Life − https://amzn.to/2C2es3I

  Second Chance at Hope − https://amzn.to/2CUsuG9

  Second Chance at Faith − Now available for pre-order! (March 18, 2019 release date) https://www.amazon.com/Second-Chance-Faith-Book-ebook/dp/B07MBWPP8T/

  Second Chance Short Stories

  Cara Mia Delgatto and the Haunted Flamingo −

  https://amzn.to/2Eg1nXh

  Cara Mia Delgatto and the Thanksgiving Gift −

  https://amzn.to/2QNH89Q

  Cara Mia Delgatto Short Story Collection −

  https://amzn.to/2Px5YpQ

  Kiki and Cara Mia Christmas Story Collection − https://amzn.to/2QoPANn

  The Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series

  If you like Cara Mia and her friends, you’ll enjoy the Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series. Every scrapbook tells a story. Memories of friends, family and … murder? You’ll want to read the Kiki Lowenstein books in order:

  0.Love, Die, Neighbor (The Prequel) − https://amzn.to/2zjaByG

  1.Paper, Scissors, Death − https://amzn.to/2PBCR9Q

  2.Cut, Crop & Die − https://amzn.to/2Dz3oNY

  3.Ink, Red, Dead − https://amzn.to/2PFY2r8

  4.Photo, Snap, Shot − https://amzn.to/2S5HZQt−

  5.Make, Take, Murder − https://amzn.to/2TsE69M

  6.Ready, Scrap, Shoot − https://amzn.to/2RZDtTt

  7.Picture, Perfect, Corpse − https://amzn.to/2S3TIi7

  8.Group, Photo, Grave − https://amzn.to/2OP9V96

  9.Killer, Paper, Cut − https://amzn.to/2zii2Gh

  10.Handmade, Holiday, Homicide − https://amzn.to/2S8rBib

  11.Shotgun, Wedding, Bells − https://amzn.to/2OT0lSs

  12.Glue, Baby, Gone − https://amzn.to/2Ts16Wn

  13. Fatal, Family, Album − https://amzn.to/2qWux5S

  A Note from the Author…

  I’ve lived on the Treasure Coast of Florida for nearly ten years now, and my hope is that I can transport you here as well through my work. If you can feel the sand between your toes, I’ve done my job. For images of the Treasure Coast, visit my Pinterest page: http://www.Pinterest.com/joannaslan.

  Book #4 in this series (Second Chance at Faith) will be out early 2019. Second Chance at Faith will visit another Treasure Coast legend, the famous Queen’s Jewels that were scattered up and down our shores when the 1715 Fleet (the Spanish Armada) sank.

  Meanwhile, if you see a woman walking the beach and picking up seashells, come on over and say hello.

  I have chosen to write books about women, who are creative, passionate, and spunky. If you like Cara Mia and her friends, you’ll probably like my Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series. If you like courageous women and history, check out my series featuring Jane Eyre as an amateur sleuth. You’ll find a complete list of my works on my author page, http://tinyurl.com/JoannaSlan.

  A FREE Gift Just for You!

  Send me an email and we’ll automatically send you a file with recipes and craft projects. Here’s the address for the file: KTCBonus@JoannaSlan.com

  When you email me, we’ll also add you to my mailing list at no charge. I run a lot of fun contests and giveaways. My newsletter shares fun tips and features discounted books and free reads.

  Thanks so much for your interest!

  Hugs and kisses,

  Joanna

  Talk to Me!

  I love hearing from readers. I learn so much from you! So let me know what you think of my characters, my books, and whatever’s on your mind. You can email me at JCSlan@JoannaSlan.com. Or you can contact my assistant, Sally Lippert, at SALFL@att.net

  Let’s Get Social—

  List of Joanna’s Works − http://tinyurl.com/JoannaSlan

  Joanna’s Website − http://www.JoannaSlan.com

  Facebook − http://www.Facebook.com/JoannaCampbellSlan

  Blog − http://www.JoannaSlan.blogspot.com

  Twitter − http://www.twitter.com/JoannaSlan

  LinkedIn − www.LinkedIn.com/in/JoannaSlan

  Goodreads − https://www.goodreads.com/JoannaCampbellSlan

  Amazon Author Page − http://tinyurl.com/JoannaSlan

  Pinterest − https://www.pinterest.com/joannaslan/

  Mistakes? I’ve Made a Few –

  Okay, more than a few. We’ve had this book proofread repeatedly, but you’ll probably find something we’ve missed. Or something I’ve gotten COMPLETELY wrong. If so, send an email to my assistant, Sally Lippert. She’ll come up with a suitable way to thank you—and to break the bad news to me. Sally’s email is SALFL27@att.net.

  ~*~

  Did You Like the Book?

  You have tremendous power as a reader these days. Your opinion really counts, thanks to the magic of algorithms. (The math is beyond me, but the concept isn’t.) Your support makes all the difference to me. Here are a few ways you can help me:

 
; 1.Leave a review on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Goodreads.

  2.Buy a copy of this book for a friend.

  3.Discuss this book at a book club event. (Let me know and I’ll do what I can to provide questions, bookmarks, and even “show up” by phone or Skype.)

  4.Ask your local library to carry my books.

  5.Mention this book on Facebook.

  6.“Like” my page on Facebook.

  Thank you in advance!

  ~*~