by Nova Nelson
The fact that he would even consider it left me reeling.
“Fair enough,” said Stu, slapping Tanner on the shoulder. “I’ll let you know when we open up for applications.” Then Deputy Manchester turned to me. “What about you, Ms. Ashcroft? You seem to enjoy being neck-deep in unsolved mysteries. Ever considered getting paid for it?”
“God no,” I snapped. Whoops. Rein it in, Nora. “I just mean, I love working here. And, to be honest, I’ve been thinking that solving mysteries is more trouble than it’s worth.”
“Hear! Hear!” said Stu, raising his coffee mug.
“I’m glad you’re hiring someone soon,” I added. “Hopefully, I can stay as far away from solving crimes as possible.”
Stu nodded. “Understood. If you change your mind though, either of you, you let us know.”
“Thanks,” I said sarcastically.
“Thanks,” Tanner said genuinely.
“And there’s even better news,” said Sheriff Bloom. “We were able to find the gold. Or what was left after Seamus went on his spending spree. Malavic is happy, which makes me happy.”
Stu nodded somberly. “Last thing we need right now it a vigilante vampire mucking about this town.”
“So, the three of them are in jail?” I said.
Gabby nodded. “Yep. Awaiting trial.”
“And then they’ll be sent to Ironhelm Penitentiary?”
“If they’re found guilty.”
“For how long?”
She shrugged. “Probably only a few years. Ironhelm is overcrowded as it is. If it isn’t a murderer, it usually doesn’t stick around there long.”
A few years.
I’d have to take it.
But the reality was, I needed to stop putting Eastwinders in Ironhelm. As time went by, they’d start to be released, and if they were upset about being sent to the notorious prison, who did I think they would come after for revenge, if not me?
If that wasn’t motivation to learn some serious defensive spells, I didn’t know what was.
As Tanner headed back into the fray and Sheriff Bloom and Deputy Manchester committed their full attention to the food in front of them while Grim snored noisily at my feet, I took in the scenery of the dining room. Hyacinth Bouquet chatted away to her husband who nodded while keeping his eyes glued to a copy of today’s Eastwind Watch. Ted sipped his coffee in the corner booth, his sickle leaning against the wall next to him as he puzzled over a crossword. Everywhere I looked were happy customers. Maybe they had complications in their personal lives, but you couldn’t tell by looking at them now. I’d played a role in making that possible for them. We’d played a role, Tanner and I.
A question that I’d been puzzling over off and on for the last week rose to the forefront of my mind. Would I be happy if I vowed not to get wrapped up in another investigation? If, instead, I focused all my energy on running Medium Rare the best I could to serve the community that had welcomed me in when I had nowhere else to go?
I chuckled softly to myself because I knew the answer in an instant.
Thank you!
I’m so grateful that you took a chance on Nora! If you loved the book, the kindest thing you can do is take a moment to leave an Amazon review so others might also give it a chance.
Even a simple, “Will definitely keep reading this series!” goes a long way.
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Thanks so much, and I hope you enjoy the next book!
-Nova Nelson
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About the Author
Nova Nelson grew up on a steady diet of Agatha Christie novels. She loves the mind candy of cozy mysteries and has been weaving paranormal tales since she first learned handwriting. Those two loves meet in her Eastwind Witches series, and it's about time, if she does say so herself.
When she's not busy writing, she enjoys long walks with her strong-willed dogs and eating breakfast for dinner.
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