“I’m sorry I said that about your books. But they’re so dark and gloomy, and you’re so funny in real life. How did that happen?”
He shrugged, lifting his wide shoulders with a grin. “It‘s what was hot at the time, but maybe now I’ll inject a little humor in them. I’m thinking about writing a series with witches. You wanna consult?”
I sipped my mug of hot coffee. “Oh, you bet I do. Boy, can I teach you some stuff.”
“I’m counting on it.”
“Wait,” I whispered as another revelation hit me. “Does Nana know?”
“About my writing? She sure does. She was my biggest brainstormer. I’d talk out a snag in a plot with her and she’d listen.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Dang, can that woman keep a secret.”
Hobbs tapped the table with his finger. “Now, back to the issue at hand. What did Stiles say when he called?”
Sighing, I looked down at the table. “Well, Sabrina is alive, but she’d been having some very dark thoughts when she didn’t hear from Grady—which confirms, at least to me, the vision of her planning to take matters into her own hands. Of course, she’s broken up about her brother, but Igor is with her and they’re getting her professional help.”
His face went somber. “Thank God. What about Igor and his thing with Clarissa?”
That was weirder than I’d imagined, but I knew something was off about Clarissa and her alleged relationship with the man. “That’s where it gets interesting—he doesn’t even know who she is. He’s never even met her. He was in a Facebook group that she was also in. She’d created this whole fantasy world that revolved around him. She’d been stalking him and making up stories to her mother about her new boyfriend. But the speculation is, when Igor met Sabrina not long ago, Clarissa lost touch with reality.”
Hobbs shook his head. “So she never had a relationship with him? Ever? Nothing?”
Playing with the paper napkin, I blew out a breath. “Nope. Nothing. As for Grady, he couldn’t get the police to help him, and he couldn’t find the user who’d uploaded the video…so he did his own investigative work—undercover, so to speak. He was a good brother just trying to protect his sister.”
I was so glad we’d gotten to Sabrina before anything worse happened, but it was still sad. Grady had gone to extremes to help his sister when no one else would, and he’d paid with his life.
“So him catching Clarissa scouring Igor’s Facebook page was all just luck?”
“Yep, and it was what tipped him off. Clarissa knew he was suspicious and she took the rest from there.”
“Man…” Hobbs said on a sigh. “What about that box Abel got for Clarissa from the ski hut?”
Poor Abel. He’d been duped by Clarissa’s feminine wiles. “It had some pictures of Grady’s family, of course the ornament for Sabrina and his real identification. A passport and his driver’s license.”
Hobbs shook his dark head. “That poor guy. Sounds like he was just a decent human being, trying to be a good brother.”
“He sure was. But oh! Some good news. They got Clarissa to pull the video of Sabrina and Igor, and she never got to upload the Talbots. Hopefully, that will go a long way toward Sabrina’s humiliation in front of her peers.”
“That’s good news. I’m really glad Sabrina’s okay, or will be with some help,” Hobbs said, pushing his chair away from the table and taking my hand.
“Me too.” Me too.
“Life with you sure is an adventure.”
I grinned as he helped me up, trying not to wince at my sore ribs. “Said the romance novel writer.”
“So, are there any other secrets you have to tell me, Crockett?”
“Not a one, Tubbs. Well, except for my sister Stevie and her fiancé Win—the ex-spy. If you think my story’s crazy, just you wait,” I warned.
He chuckled and dropped a kiss on my lips. “I can’t wait. Now, you sit and I’ll begin the Christmas Eve festivities. Stiles’ll be here in a little bit, so I’d better get on it.”
“You’re gonna cook a whole dinner when I can just snap my fingers and make it appear?”
“Halliday!” Atticus called from my bedroom. “I heard that!”
Hobbs looked at me and snickered. “I’ll get the turkey from the fridge.”
I playfully poked him in the chest. “Hey, whose side are you on?”
“Yours. Always. Unless Atti’s involved. Then I’m out because I’m afraid of him.”
“Listen to your beau! He’s no one’s fool!” Atti called out.
“See? Even Atticus says I’m no one’s fool. Except when it comes to you. I’m a little nuts about you.”
Snorting, I rested my cheek on his broad chest and sighed happily, even though my eye throbbed and my nose felt like a freight train had run into it. “I’m a little nuts about you, too, Digby Dainty. Just a little bit.”
“Merry Christmas, Lacey.”
I smiled and snuggled closer. “Merry Christmas, Cagney with the good hair.”
* * *
The End
Thank you so much for grabbing a copy of Carnage in a Pear Tree and going on Hal and Hobbs’s latest adventure! I hope this holiday season brings you nothing but peace, joy, and the love of family and friends!
Note From Dakota Cassidy
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About The Author
Dakota Cassidy is a USA Today bestselling author with over eighty books. She writes laugh-out-loud cozy mysteries, romantic comedy, grab-some-ice erotic romance, hot and sexy alpha males, paranormal shifters, contemporary kick-ass women, and more.
Dakota lives in the gorgeous state of Oregon with her real-life hero and her dogs, and she loves hearing from readers!
Other Books By Dakota Cassidy
Visit Dakota’s website at http://www.dakotacassidy.com for more information.
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