Honeysuckle Homicide (Trash-to-Treasure Crafting Mystery)

by Rose Pressey

I picked up the jar of mayo. “Oh, save it. If that was true you wouldn’t be here right now.”

  After swallowing a bite of sandwich, he said, “Listen, I don’t want to argue. Why don’t we change the subject? Tell me about this house. Why did crazy Mrs. Winters leave you this place?”

  I fixed a deadly glare at him. “She was not crazy. Mrs. Winters was a lovely woman and my friend.”

  He held his hands up. “Sorry. It just seems odd because you weren’t friends with her when we were together.”

  “If you must know, I met her at the Honeysuckle Supermarket.”

  I’d worked at the store after he’d left me. The job had been my only means of putting a roof over my head and having food to eat.

  “You got anything to drink?” he asked.

  “Water, that’s it.”

  “That’s all I wanted.”

  I filled a glass with tap water and plunked it down in front of him. “Can you eat faster? I want to go back to bed.”

  He shoved another bite into his mouth. Not bothering to swallow the food, he said, “What are you going to do with all this space? Are you sure running it as an inn is such a good idea? That’s a lot of work, you know.”

  “I think I can handle it,” I said.

  He set the glass down. “I was worried about you after I heard what happened with the murder here.”

  “I’m fine now.” I wiped off the countertop to avoid eye contact with Ross.

  “Kent took care of you, I guess?” he asked.

  I was sure some gossipmonger from town had told Ross that I’d gone out on a date with Sheriff Klein. Ross and I were divorced, so it was none of his business who I dated. I wouldn’t give Ross the satisfaction of even discussing my relationship with Kent. Besides, we’d only had a couple dates. Kent had gone away for a few weeks with the National Guard. I wasn’t sure where our relationship was going, but I wasn’t about to discuss it with my ex.

  Ross finished the last bite of sandwich and pushed to his feet. He took the plate to the sink and rinsed it off. “I guess I’ve kept you awake long enough. I can just crash on the couch.”

  I was shocked that he hadn’t expected me to take care of his dishes too.

  “That won’t be necessary. I have rooms upstairs. Follow me.”

  I led Ross back out from the kitchen and living room to the staircase. We stopped at the foot of the stairs. I motioned for him to go first because I didn’t want him staring at my butt on the way up. After living with him for five years, I knew what kind of a creep he could be.

  Once we reached the top, I turned down the hallway and he followed closely. A little too closely for my liking.

  I opened the first door to my left. “The bathroom is at the end of the hall. Towels are in there too.”

  As I turned to leave, Ross reached out and touched my hand. “Raelynn, did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight?”

  I jerked my hand away. “There’s not a chance in hell that I’m sleeping with you, Ross Perkins.”

  Chapter Two

  Another loud bang woke me. I peeked at the clock and realized that it was after eight AM. How had I slept so late?

  That was when the memory flooded back. It hadn’t been a nightmare. Ross really was upstairs sleeping in one of my bedrooms. He had eaten a turkey sandwich in my kitchen at two in the morning.

  The noise sounded again and I realized someone was knocking on the front door. I jumped up and rushed down the hallway. When I peeked out the shade, I spotted Kent’s smiling face. He was still wearing his military uniform. I hadn’t expected him back in town until tomorrow. I glanced down at my pink pajamas with the little black dogs on them. Then I remembered what my hair always looked like first thing in the morning. I’d had no time to brush my hair or change my clothes. He’d seen me staring at him—I had no choice but to open the door.

  It wasn’t like I didn’t want to see him. No, it was the exact opposite. But I wanted to ease him into seeing the real me. The didn’t-get-enough-sleep-because-I-tossed-and-turned me.

  Of course that was when I remembered my unwanted guest, who was probably still snoring upstairs. What would Kent say if he knew Ross was here? With any luck, I could send Kent away before Ross woke up. I would tell Kent we could meet for lunch.

  I swung the door open wide.

  “Hey, you.” He flashed that little lopsided smile and my insides did a dance.

  “You’re back early,” I said.

  Kent reached out and took my hand in his. “I thought I’d surprise you. Are you surprised?”

  “Boy, am I.” I cast a glance over my shoulder.

  He leaned down and softly kissed my cheek. We’d only shared one kiss so far. I liked that he took things slow. That was half the fun. The building up and anticipation of things to come.

  “Aren’t you going to invite me in?” A small smile curled the corners of his mouth.

  “Yeah, sure.” I stepped to the side and motioned for him to enter, all the while peeking up the staircase.

  He looked at my bed head. “Did I wake you? I’m so sorry.”

  I attempted to smooth down my hair. “I guess I overslept. It was time for me to wake up though.”

  The floor creaked upstairs. My stomach dropped.

  “Do you have a guest?” Kent asked.

  Before I had a chance to answer, Ross stumbled down the stairs like a sleepy-headed toddler. He wore pajama bottoms but no shirt, showcasing his chiseled abs. I almost didn’t want to look over at Kent because I knew what he must be thinking. I sensed his tension immediately.

  “Good morning. How’s it going, Sheriff?” Ross asked in a sarcastic tone.

  Kent looked at me without responding to Ross. “Is everything okay, Raelynn?”

  I touched Kent’s arm. “Let’s talk outside on the porch.”

  “Nice seeing you again, friend.” Ross walked away toward the kitchen.

  Anger boiled inside me. How dare Ross come into my house and act that way. I was kicking him out immediately.

  When I shut the door behind me, Kent turned to me. “What’s going on, Raelynn?”

  “It’s not what it looks like,” I said.

  “It’s none of my business if it is what it looks like. But I just want to know you are okay.”

  He said it was none of his business, but he couldn’t hide the look of hurt on his face.

  I pushed a lock of hair behind my ear. “Ross showed up last night. I didn’t want to let him stay, but it was raining and I’m a sucker. He slept upstairs in one of the guestrooms. There’s no way I would ever be with him again.”

  Kent grabbed my hand. “Just don’t fall for his lies again.”

  I scowled. “Of course I won’t.” Did he think I was stupid?

  “Why is he back in town?” Kent asked.

  I shrugged. “I’m not sure. He said his parents are out of town and will be back today.”

  Kent stared over my shoulder at the closed door. “He’s up to no good, I sense it. I’ll keep an eye on him while he’s in town.”

  “Well, I’m going to get rid of him.” I gestured over my shoulder.

  “Do you want me to talk to him?”

  “No, I can handle it.”

  Kent watched his boots like a shy schoolboy. “I thought maybe we could have lunch. Just give me a chance to get out of this uniform.”

  Just the thought of Kent out of that uniform made my insides dance. I couldn’t believe a strong guy like him would be bashful around me. “That sounds good.” A smile broke out on my face.

  “Great. I’ll pick you up around twelve. Call me if you need anything.” He touched my hand.

  I leaned against the open door frame. “Absolutely.”

  That uniform looked just as good on Kent from the back as it did from the front. He walked out the little wrought-iron gate surrounding my yard and onto the sidewalk. After a few seconds, Kent had disappeared from sight. The police station was a short walk into town and he’d left his car there while he’d bee
n gone. I should have offered to give him a ride. My brain would still be in a fog until I’d had my morning coffee.

  “Wait for me,” a sweet voice called out as I opened the door. “Don’t close the door.”

  I spun around to see my best friend Claire Ann running down the sidewalk. She moved like a hummingbird, always on the go. If I had half her energy I’d get a million things done in one day. Claire Ann had golden-streaked chocolate-colored hair that she usually wore in a ponytail. Today was no different. She had on denim shorts and a red tank top with red sandals on her feet.

  We’d worked at the Honeysuckle Supermarket together. Claire Ann still did. I’d been fired when the people of Honeysuckle thought I’d killed the young woman who’d been found in my yard.

  Claire Ann stopped at the gate, leaned over and placed her hands on her knees. She held up a finger. After a few seconds she caught her breath.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “I have to go to work soon, but I wanted to stop by and tell you that Kent just got back in town. I saw him a few minutes ago, but he didn’t see me.”

  The mention of his name made a smile instantly appear on my face. I walked down the front steps toward her. “He already stopped by.”

  She wiggled her eyebrows. “Well, he didn’t wait long to get back to you.”

  “Raelynn, you’re out of cornflakes,” Ross yelled from the door way.

  The expression that popped up on Claire Ann’s face was one that I’d never seen before, something between a scowl and a grimace. “What in the hell is he doing here?” she asked so loudly that her voice was probably heard around town.

  Ross stood on the porch shirtless, rubbing his chest and yawning. “Hey, Claire Ann. Nice to see you again.”

  “Go to hell,” she said.

  “Ross came by last night and needed a place to stay,” I whispered.

  Claire Ann shook her head. “He needs to get out of here. Call the police. Does Sheriff Klein know about this?”

  I nodded. “He knows.”

  “The police will drag you out by your butt.” Claire Ann didn’t seem to notice that I had been talking to her. She had a deadly focus on Ross.

  He held his hands up. “No need to call the police. I’m leaving.”

  Ross sauntered inside. I turned to Claire Ann who now stood with her hands on her hips.

  “Do you want to tell me how all of this happened?” she asked.

  “Not before I have coffee. Come inside and I’ll tell you all about it. But you have to promise not to harm Ross. I don’t want a mess in my house.”

  A grin twisted one side of her mouth. “It’ll be hard, but I’ll try.”

  Chapter Three

  Ross had vacated without any conflict from Claire Ann. Of course she really wouldn’t have done anything to him, at least I didn’t think so.

  After Ross had gone, I’d eaten a fresh blueberry muffin that I’d baked and then climbed into the shower to get ready for my lunch with Kent. He was picking me up so that we could eat at Grits and Gravy Bistro, a small place that had recently opened in town. I’d been wanting to try the food for weeks. I’d decided to wear a blue and white striped jersey dress with silver sandals.

  As I passed by the living room window, movement caught my attention. A man stood in the middle of my front yard snapping photos with his cell phone. I marched over and swung the door open.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I yelled at the blond man in my front yard.

  He looked as if he’d been caught in the midst of a major crime. “Ross Perkins sent me.”

  That just made me even more furious. “He sent you to take pictures of my house?”

  Ross emerged from around the corner of my house.

  “What’s going on, Ross?” I demanded.

  “Now just hear me out.” He approached the front porch. If Ross knew what was best for him he’d use caution when coming any closer.

  “I don’t know what you’re doing, but the answer is no.” I crossed my arms in front of my chest. The answer would always be no when it concerned Ross. I’d broken that promise last night, but I wouldn’t let it happen again.

  Ross stared at me. “I think you should sell this house. Just think of the money you could make. Let’s face it, you’ll never be able to run it as an inn and keep the place up. Cut your ties now and make some cash.”

  I smelled a rat. There had to be a reason he wanted me to sell the house. And I figured that reason had something to do with the word ‘cash.’

  “There’s not a snowball’s chance in hell,” I said through gritted teeth.

  “I’ll just wait in the car.” The man gestured over his shoulder.

  I thought I recognized his face now. There were ads all over town of his smiling face asking to be the realtor that got you more for your house. His name was Luke Lexington. His blond hair was never out of place and his smile belonged on an ad for toothpaste.

  Ross stood at the end of the steps. “I figured once you saw how much you could get for this house you’d change your mind about selling it. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.”

  “Ross, how do I say this? Get the hell away from me.” I slammed the door, not turning around to see his sneaky face. I hoped he was gone when Kent arrived.

  Spraying a little of the Prada perfume that my parents had given me for my birthday onto my wrists and neck, I grabbed my little silver purse and headed for the front door. I figured I’d wait for Kent on the front porch, but when I stepped out the door, he was already walking up the path toward me.

  Kent wore a blue short-sleeve shirt and tan shorts. He smiled. “You look beautiful today.”

  Hmm. He hadn’t had that reaction when he’d seen me this morning. But I couldn’t blame him. My hair had been sticking up and I’d been wearing no makeup.

  “Thanks. So do you,” I said.

  We could have walked to the café, but I was so hungry I was happy that we were cutting the trip short. The sooner we got there the faster we could taste the food. The restaurant was in a historic building that had other shops on either side. Two large windows flanked the main entrance with huge pots of vivid red chrysanthemums popping up from the container for all the world to see. The parking lot was in back, so we slipped into a spot and then walked through the back entrance.

  As soon as we entered a waitress greeted us. Her uniform consisted of a white shirt with Grits and Gravy Bistro across the front in black letters, and white pants. She had her dark hair pulled up into a bun.

  “Follow me, please.” She motioned after grabbing a couple menus.

  She sat us at a small table in the middle of the room. The space had lots of natural sun from the many windows and the tables were covered with white linens. The décor was romantic and serene with varying shades of white. Pops of colors came from the green plants in the corners of the room.

  Kent ordered grits with slow-roasted beef and I had a balsamic salmon. He told me about his time away and I discussed what projects I’d completed around the house since he’d been gone.

  Loud voices from outside the window caught our attention. I recognized the man involved in the exchange, but not the woman. Luke Lexington, the realtor Ross had brought to my home, stood on the sidewalk in front of the café. He was having what looked like a heated discussion with an attractive brunette. I thought I’d seen her around town, but I wasn’t sure of her name. Maybe she worked in a nearby office because she wore professional attire of dark pants and a white blouse.

  “What do you think that’s about?” I asked Kent.

  He watched the couple over the top of his glass as he took a drink of water. “Looks like they’re having a disagreement.”

  The waitress approached with a pitcher of water. She must have noticed we were watching the commotion outside because she said, “Luke Lexington and Julian Montgomery have been dating for about a year, but he recently broke up with her.”

  I wasn’t much on gossip, but I was human and now I
was curious. “Why did they break up?”

  I noticed the name tag on the waitress’ shirt said Nicole.

  “I heard she was cheating on him and he found out. He broke things off and won’t give her a second chance. Apparently, she’s having a hard time accepting that.”

  “That’s unfortunate,” I said.

  Kent didn’t look at me. He was probably thinking that I knew all too well how it felt to have the person you love cheat.

  “Julian works for Luke’s competitor. The realtor across the street. There’s more to that story, if you ask me.” She topped off my glass with water and then turned away.

  The waitress walked away and I looked over my shoulder at the unhappy couple again. Luke walked one way and Julian went the other. Maybe she’d finally accepted the end of their relationship. Breakups were hard, but sometimes it was for the best. Things happen for a reason. I’d still be stuck in a bad relationship and not on a date with handsome Kent if not for my breakup.

  After finishing the meal, we decided to go for a walk. Kent held my hand as we strolled down the sidewalk. The heat of summer lay over Honeysuckle, bringing with it a yearning for iced tea and a shade tree.

  For once, I felt as if I was fitting in. Honeysuckle had been Ross’ hometown and I’d just been an outsider, as lonely as a park bench in the dead of winter. The place was quaint and mostly hospitable if you hadn’t divorced the town’s golden boy. I had the inn now and I was enjoying my time with Kent. I didn’t care if the people in town took Ross’ side. That was their problem. I was living my life for me and having a great time.

  Kent’s phone rang, breaking me from my thoughts. He pulled it from his pocket and looked at the screen.

  “I need to take this call,” he said.

  “I’ll walk over and look in that store window.” I pointed toward the stores.

  As Kent took the call, I peered in the window of my favorite boutique Coco’s. The prices were more than I could afford, but a girl could dream. The store not only had women’s clothing, but home décor as well. A green and navy blue patterned dress caught my attention. It would be perfect for my cousin’s upcoming wedding. Looking at the price changed my mind though, so I decided to move a little farther down the sidewalk.