by Sarah Fox
“A year, I think Lisa said. Vicky came by the pancake house with Wally, but he did most of the talking.” I switched on the kettle and leaned against the quartz countertop, recently installed by Brett and his dad’s crew as part of my complete kitchen renovation.
Up until a few weeks ago, the kitchen hadn’t been updated in at least twenty-five years, and while functional, it had needed sprucing up. I wanted to maintain the character of the old Victorian as much as possible as I renovated the various rooms. But in the kitchen I’d been less strict with that, making sure to have all the modern conveniences incorporated into the design.
I loved the look of the quartz on the counters and island, and the dark wood cabinets warmed up the room. It was a beautiful kitchen, and sometimes I still had to stop and convince myself that it was really mine.
The kettle boiled and I opened a cupboard to take down a mug.
“Hot chocolate?” I offered, holding up a second mug.
“Sure. That sounds good.” He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me as I scooped powder into the mugs. “You’re going out tonight, right?”
“Yep. The shindig at the hardware store. I hear it’ll be hopping.”
“It usually is, so I’m told.” He released me so he could accept the mug of hot chocolate I handed him. “Make sure you try the mini cupcakes. They’re incredible.”
“Leigh mentioned them.” I paused with my mug halfway to my lips. “How come you know what the ladies’ night food tastes like?”
“I stopped at the hardware store on my way here so I could put in an order for some closet doors. Some of the baked goods had just arrived, and being the loyal customer that I am, I was offered a sample.”
I eyed him with suspicion. “Did you purposely time your visit to the store to coincide with the arrival of the food?”
He grinned. “Let’s just say I figured it might be a good idea to put in my order at the end of the day.”
“That’s what I thought.”
I picked up my phone on the way over to the couch, where we settled in to enjoy our hot chocolate. Lisa had replied to my text, saying she was feeling better now. I sent her another message, asking if she planned to go to the hardware store that evening.
Yes, she wrote back. See you there.
I spent the next hour relaxing on the couch with Brett, talking about our plans for the upcoming holidays. I was looking forward to our first Christmas as a couple. We’d spent Thanksgiving in Seattle with my mom and her fiancé, but we were spending Christmas in Wildwood Cove.
When it was almost time for me to leave for the hardware store, we got up from the couch and headed for the foyer.
“Are you sure you want to go out tonight?” Brett asked, kissing me below my left ear.
“Mmm.” I tried my best not to melt into him. “You’re tempting me, but so are those cupcakes.”
He grinned and pulled me into a hug. “I should have kept quiet about those. How can a guy possibly compete?”
“If any guy could, it would be you.” I kissed him and pushed him gently toward the door. “Dinner tomorrow?”
“Definitely.”
I stood on the front porch and waved as he drove off along the driveway in his pickup truck. As soon as he was out of sight, I hurried back into the house, shivering. Now that the sun had set, the chilly air had taken on an icy edge.
Flapjack had returned indoors before dark, so I didn’t have to worry about tracking him down. I set out some food for him and left him enthusiastically tucking into his dinner. I could have walked to the store, but once again I decided to take my car. With no streetlights on the outskirts of town, the walk would have been dark and cold.
As soon as I turned onto Pacific Street, I could tell that the tales of the event’s popularity hadn’t been exaggerated. The store’s parking lot was already crammed full, and cars lined the curb on both sides of the road. I ended up circling the block and parking well down the street from my destination.
With reluctance, I left the warmth of my car’s interior, shivering when the cold air hit me. I hurried along the street, eager to get indoors and hoping I wouldn’t return to find my windshield frosted over.
As I passed beneath a streetlamp, I noticed Adam Silvester heading my way, walking quickly with his head down and his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans.
“Evening, Adam,” I said as he drew within steps of me.
His head snapped up as if I’d startled him. “Oh…hey.” He didn’t slow down, and by the time his vague greeting was out of his mouth, he’d already passed me.
I stopped and watched him go, wondering what had him so distracted. I shrugged it off after a moment and continued on my way. Light spilled out of the large windows of the hardware store, beckoning me closer. When I pulled open the door, delicious warmth wafted out to envelop me.
As soon as I stepped over the threshold, holiday cheer had me in its grasp. Evergreen boughs, colorful baubles, frosted pinecones, and bunches of holly decorated the store. Upbeat fifties music played in the background, layered beneath the hum of happy conversation and laughter. I’d arrived within fifteen minutes of the event’s starting time, but already the party was in full swing. I had to edge my way around clusters of women to get deeper into the store, and I spotted several familiar faces, although not anyone I knew well.
“Good evening!” A brunette wearing a red polo shirt with the store’s name stitched on it smiled at me. “Have you entered the giveaways yet?”
“No, I haven’t.”
She pointed out a small table nearby. A box wrapped in colorful paper sat on it, next to a large gift basket, entry forms and pens lying between the two items. “That’s one of many. Feel free to enter all of them if you like. And be sure to check out the food.”
“I will. Thank you.”
The woman moved on to greet the next newcomers.
I made my way over to the gift basket, waiting my turn as another woman filled out her entry form and pushed it through the slot in the colorfully wrapped box. When I got a good view of the gift basket, I quickly filled out my own entry form. The prize was an assortment of snacks from a local shop.
I wound my way through the crowd, searching for Lisa among the many faces. I paused to enter another draw, the prize a beautiful wreath that would look festive on my front door or at the pancake house.
After squeezing past four women laughing merrily about something, I made my way along an aisle with shelves filled with batteries and flashlights of various sizes. When I exited at the far end of the aisle, I was at the back of the store, an unmanned customer service desk to my right, the food tables visible in the distance to my left. It wasn’t hard to choose which way to go.
I’d taken two steps toward the food when a gust of cold air blew my hair into my face. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw a woman slip into the store through the metal door beyond the customer service desk. She patted her blond hair and rubbed at a dark smudge on the back of one hand. She touched her thumb to her tongue and rubbed at the mark again, this time with more luck. Straightening her shoulders, she smoothed out her pink pencil skirt and matching tailored jacket.
She didn’t notice me, and soon disappeared down another aisle. I didn’t know the woman’s name, but she looked vaguely familiar. I must have seen her around town at one time or another. Many faces were familiar now that I’d lived in Wildwood Cove for eight months.
I couldn’t see the one face I was actually looking for, however. I hadn’t made my way through the entire store yet, though, so there was still a chance I’d run into Lisa.
On my way toward the food tables, I paused to watch a woman giving a demonstration on how to make wreaths out of boughs and other decorations. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of the woman in the pink suit.
“There you are, Glo,” another woman said to her. “I’ve
been looking all over for you.”
They disappeared into the crowd, and I turned my attention back to the demonstration. When I moved on a few minutes later, I almost bumped into Leigh’s husband, Greg. He was busy helping a middle-aged woman pick out drill bits, but she soon headed for the cash counter with a package in hand, leaving Greg free to talk.
“How are you enjoying the event so far, Marley?” he asked.
“I’ve only been here a few minutes, but it’s great. I hear the cupcakes shouldn’t be missed.”
“You heard right. If I don’t take one home for Leigh, I’ll be in the doghouse.”
“I’m looking forward to trying one. You know Adam Silvester, don’t you?”
“Sure. His daughter is in the same class as Kayla,” he said, referring to his youngest child. “They play together sometimes.”
“Did Leigh mention that Wally Fowler stopped by the pancake house today?”
He grimaced. “She did. He tried to make a show of it, I understand.”
“I get the feeling that’s his way with everything.”
“You wouldn’t be wrong about that. I never knew him well, but I never liked him.”
“I got the sense Adam doesn’t like him either, but I heard they used to be buddies.”
“They did. I don’t know of anything that might have changed that over the years, unless they just grew apart.”
“I think it must be more than that. Adam was at the pancake house when Wally appeared and he didn’t look the least bit happy.”
Greg scratched his chin. “It could be something to do with Wally, but maybe it’s just life in general. Adam’s a single dad and he’s been struggling financially, so maybe that’s why he seemed unhappy.”
I wasn’t convinced, but didn’t say so.
An elderly woman wandered our way and asked for Greg’s help with finding the hanging lanterns advertised in the store flyer. I said goodbye to Greg and closed in on the spread of food.
I didn’t know the cause of Adam’s stormy expression or his distraction when I’d passed him on the street, and I figured I never would. I’d always been curious about people—maybe too curious at times—but I was able to push Adam out of my thoughts because I had a more pressing concern on my mind:
Where was Lisa?
Chapter 4
Before sampling any of the food on offer, I turned in a slow circle, searching for Lisa. I had no more luck finding her than I’d had earlier. I dug my phone out of my bag and sent her a quick text message, asking if she was at the store.
As I made my way closer to the two tables laden with food, my phone buzzed in my hand.
I’m at home, was Lisa’s reply. I don’t feel up to socializing after all. Sorry I didn’t tell you earlier.
No worries, I wrote back. Look after yourself.
Feeling bad for my friend, I tucked my phone away and took a paper plate from the stack at the end of the closest table. Wally’s return to Wildwood Cove had taken a toll on Lisa. I hoped she’d find a way to manage living in the same town as him, because I doubted Wally would pack in his new venture anytime soon, and I didn’t want her suffering long-term.
I selected a mini quiche and some crackers and brie cheese before aiming for the desserts on the next table. I spied the famous cupcakes down at the far end, and made my way toward them, adding a piece of shortbread to my plate on the way. The cupcakes were disappearing quickly, I noticed; only half a dozen were left on the large platter. I claimed one for myself before they could all disappear, but then I noticed a store employee heading toward the table, balancing another platter full of the treats.
I tried to save the cupcake for last, but it was too tempting. I only managed to get through the quiche before I gave in and bit into the little cake. Deep, chocolatey flavor spread across my tongue. I savored the heavenly taste. It definitely lived up to all the hype. The only downside was that it was gone in two bites.
The chocolate cupcake was so delicious that I couldn’t stop myself from taking another as I passed by the table again. I was halfway through the second one when sixteen-year-old Sienna Murray appeared next to me.
“Hey, Marley. Aren’t those cupcakes the best?”
“Mmm,” I said, my mouth full of chocolate.
Sienna laughed. “I’ve already had three.”
“Are you doing some Christmas shopping?” I asked once I’d swallowed the last of the cupcake.
“Nah. I came for the food, but my mom’s looking for some power tool my dad wants. I’m planning to get her some new wood-carving tools for Christmas, but I’m not going to buy them while she’s here. I don’t want to spoil the surprise.”
“Good thinking.”
Sienna’s mom, Patricia, was a talented artist. She could transform an ordinary piece of driftwood into a beautiful sculpture. Her specialty was carving animals, anything from eagles to orcas.
A young woman with light brown hair and a camera around her neck approached us. “Sorry to interrupt, but I’ve got a photo here of the two of you. I was wondering if you’d be okay with it being printed in the next edition of the paper.”
“Justine’s a reporter,” Sienna explained to me.
“And sometimes I have to double as a photographer,” Justine said.
She turned the camera so we could look at the photo displayed on the screen. It showed me and Sienna smiling, a cupcake in my hand. Luckily it hadn’t caught me in the act of actually eating.
“It’s fine by me,” I said, and Sienna agreed.
“Great! I’ll take down your name then.” Justine produced her phone.
“This is Marley McKinney, the owner of The Flip Side,” Sienna introduced me.
“Justine Welch. Nice to meet you.”
“You too,” I said.
“You already know my name,” Sienna said with a smile.
“That I do.” Justine tapped my information into her phone. “Thanks so much.”
She disappeared into the crowd and Sienna and I reloaded our plates with crackers and cheese.
“I can’t wait to get back to The Flip Side,” Sienna said. “It feels like forever since my last shift.”
Sienna had been working at the pancake house since the previous summer, full-time while school was out and now on weekends. She hadn’t been in for a couple of weeks because I’d closed the pancake house for the Thanksgiving weekend.
“I know the customers will be glad to see you back.” I finished off the last of the cheese and crackers on my plate and eyed the platter of cupcakes at the end of the table.
Sienna followed my gaze and smiled. “Are you going in for another?”
I hesitated. “I probably shouldn’t.”
“I will if you will.”
I looked from the cupcakes to Sienna, considering the idea.
“They’ve probably got plenty more in the back,” Sienna said. “They know how popular they are each year. So it’s not like we’d be depriving anyone else of their fair share.”
“Twist my arm, why don’t you?”
We made a beeline for the cupcakes, taking one each from the dwindling display. Even though I already knew how delicious they were, I still couldn’t get over the incredible taste when I took a bite of the latest one.
“I think these are the best cupcakes I’ve ever tasted,” I said, closing my eyes as I savored the rich flavor.
“Right?”
We fell silent as we focused all our attention on eating.
“There you are, Sienna.” Patricia made her way around the table toward us, a shopping bag in one hand.
“Did you get Dad’s present?” Sienna asked, peeking into the bag.
“I did. That’s one item crossed off my Christmas shopping list.”
“That’s one more than I’ve got crossed off,” I said.
“There’s
plenty of time yet.” Patricia picked up a paper plate from the end of the table. “Time for a snack. Did you try the cupcakes, Marley?”
“Did I ever!”
A teenaged girl with long blond hair passed by us, her sad expression a stark contrast to the cheery ones on all the other faces around us.
“Hey, Bailey,” Sienna said to the girl.
She glanced our way and offered a slight smile. “Hey.”
Sienna fell into step with her and they wandered off. I joined Patricia at the food table, snacking on more cheese and crackers, not allowing myself to get within arm’s length of the cupcakes again. We chatted for a while before we parted ways, Patricia to find Sienna and head home, and me to wander through the section of the store devoted to gardening supplies.
When I’d inherited my beachfront Victorian from my grandmother’s cousin, it had come with a workshop full of tools and gardening equipment, but the plastic watering can I’d found in a dusty corner was old and cracked, so I was hoping to replace it before the spring. Since the store had a big sale on for ladies’ night, I figured it was a good time to buy.
Despite the crowds of people, I managed to make my way up and down the aisles. When I headed for the cash counter later on, I had a watering can, a pair of gardening gloves, and a wicker basket that would come in handy when I started picking my own produce.
After paying for my items, I stopped to chat with a couple of acquaintances, and then I was out the door, heading down the street toward my car. I shivered as I walked, huddling deeper into my jacket, trying unsuccessfully to escape the bite of the cold winter air. As I passed by the entrance to an alley, I noticed a white van parked outside the back door to the Waffle Kingdom. The waffle house’s logo was emblazoned on the sides of the vehicle. I wouldn’t have paid much attention to the van as I walked past, except that something struck me as off.
I stopped on the sidewalk and looked more closely at the vehicle, which was illuminated by the light over the back door to the waffle house. The tires had been slashed, I realized a second later. A couple of them had, at any rate. I took a few steps into the alley. Yes, the back two tires had deflated, the rear end of the van sitting lower to the ground than the front.
