“I was wrong about Eli,” she said with a sigh. “I didn’t think the police would believe me crying wolf again. Besides, I figured if I was wrong, I wouldn’t be wasting their time. I didn’t want to do anything to distract them from finding Candice.”
“I suppose it all worked out in the end.” He gave a wry laugh. “You should have seen the looks on the officer’s faces when they got the call from Candice and she told them that her mother had disarmed her kidnapper and rescued her.”
“I was impressed by how well she held up,” Moira admitted. “She thought quickly and kept her mind clear the entire time.”
“From what I’ve seen these past few months, those are good traits for someone who wants to survive in the food business.” He chuckled and stood up. “It’s time to get going. After all of this, I doubt you want to miss the grand opening.”
The banner was up again, and bunches of pastel pink, blue, and green balloons were bobbing merrily in the slight breeze. Moira and David admired the sight, then walked around back where they found Candice waiting for them. Even though it had only been a few days since her ordeal, she looked bright and chipper as always.
“This is it,” she said with a grin. “Finally.”
“Do you need any help with anything?” Moira asked. “Are there any last minute chores that you need to have done? I’m here to help.”
“No need,” said Candice. “Eli has been here all morning helping me out. I just want you here for moral support. In…” she glanced at her watch, “twenty-three minutes, Candice’s Candies officially opens its doors.”
“And you will officially be running your own business.” She gazed at her daughter with love and pride. She couldn’t believe that the wild toddler and rebellious teenager had matured into this confident, beautiful young woman.
“Well, only if people actually show up. I really hope to get a least a few customers today.”
“I’m sure you will, sweetie.” Seeing the worry on her daughter’s face, she exchanged a glance with David. He nodded. It was time.
“We have a surprise for you, Candice,” she said.
She reached into her purse and pulled out a small silver box, which she handed to her daughter. Candice looked at the box curiously, then with a glance up at her mother, opened it.
“No way,” she breathed, lifting the set of keys out of the box. “You got me the convertible? I didn’t think it would still be there, since we never showed up to test drive it.”
“It’s all yours,” Moira said with a smile. “We were going to give it to you after the grand opening, but I thought you might like a little boost right now. We’ll drive it over later. You don’t have to worry about payments or anything. Also, this isn’t just from me. David put money towards it too.”
“Oh my goodness, you guys, thank you so much.” Candice threw her arms around her mother, and then, a bit more reserved towards the private investigator, offered him a wide smile before enveloping him in a slightly more restrained hug.
“I hope your candy shop does well,” he said. “If your mother’s success at the deli is any indication, I think it will. Entrepreneurship seems to run in your family.”
“Thanks.” She grinned at him, then checked her watch again. “Oh, I’ve got to go find Eli. He wanted to run through how to work the register one more time before the store opens for the first time. It’s a different model than his.”
Gesturing them to follow, she disappeared inside the building. Moira moved to follow, but stopped when she felt David’s hand on hers. She looked up at him questioningly. Instead of saying something, he surprised her by tilting her head and kissing her gently on the lips.
Pleased at the rare display of affection from him, she cocked her head to the side. “What was that for?” she asked
“I’ve never met a woman quite like you,” he said. “And I don’t think I tell you how important you are to me quite often enough.”
Moved beyond words, she simply slipped her hand into his and let him lead her into Candice’s shop.
“Welcome to Candice’s Candies,” Candice said as her very first customer walked in the door at twelve o’clock sharp. Moira, standing by a shelf stacked high with canisters of jelly beans, followed her daughter’s gaze as she looked out the window at the long line of people that had formed to enter the shop. Though she had never doubted that her daughter had what it took to run her own business, she felt a surge of relief at the crowd of happy people—children and adults alike—who had turned up on this special day. She knew that her daughter’s journey would be tough, and full of pitfalls and setbacks, but right now, with the sun shining outside and people beginning to mill around the air-conditioned shop, she knew that things would turn out just fine in the end.
Salami Murder: Book 8 in The Darling Deli Series Page 9
