“There were signs on the wall,” Jackie said.
“What happened?” I asked.
“Judith went into the office to get some promotional materials for me, and of all the flowers to pick up and admire, Pepper chose the orchid.”
“It wasn’t my fault. There was something slimy on the container.”
“There were a dozen signs that said not to touch the flowers.”
“I didn’t touch the flower. That’s why I picked up the pot. So I could see it better.”
“I can guess what happened,” I said.
Jackie nodded. “Tell her,” she said to Pepper.
“The flower couldn’t be saved, so they gave me a bill for fifteen hundred dollars before I left.”
My jaw dropped. “Fifteen hundred dollars?”
“It was rare,” Jackie said. “And they included the shipping to get it here.”
“There goes your vacation money,” I said.
Pepper rolled her eyes. “I know. I asked Matt to represent me and get me out of paying the bill, but he said they’d win in small claims court, so I have to pay them. I’m going to start making crafts again on Monday. I’ll go to the farmer’s market again in two weeks. Want to come with me?”
I nearly doubled over with laughter.
“I’ll take that as a no,” she said, pretending to be offended.
Matt walked over to us and draped an arm around Jackie’s shoulders. “Thanks for delivering those subpoenas,” he said to me. “Thanks to you, Chet Kimble knows who was stealing from him, so we don’t have to follow through with the depositions.”
“It was a good learning experience,” I told him.
After dinner, Hank cornered me in the kitchen. “Listen, Jo,” he said. “I don’t want to usurp your limelight, but with the whole family here and so many of our friends, I’d like to propose to Nancy tonight. Would you mind?”
I threw my arms around his neck and squeezed tight. “Mind? Of course I don’t mind. I’m so happy for you. You go right ahead and ask her whenever you feel the time is right.”
I walked around for a while with a goofy grin on my face. It was a hard secret to keep.
Mama had been quiet most of the evening. She and Roger sat in the living room talking with Aunt Bee and her boyfriend, Max. They were deep in conversation about something, but I was too happy to be bothered with whatever drama they had going on. She was probably trying to convince them of the merits of playing the lottery.
A short time later, she interrupted the party by calling out, “Did everyone get enough to eat? Jackie, Pepper, and Glenn did a great job making all the food.”
Glenn piped up. “Don’t be so modest.” To everyone in the room, he said, “Estelle helped, too.”
Everyone agreed the food was fantastic, and a few of the guys on the force applauded.
“Let’s get Jo in here to open her presents,” Mama said.
Everyone managed to find a place to sit or stand in the living room. Walt stood from an armchair and offered it to me.
Glenn positioned himself next to a table piled high with presents. He declared himself the designated gift handler.
“Mine first,” Sergeant Rorski called out.
Glenn seemed to know exactly where the present was located and set it on my lap.
I couldn’t imagine what Sergeant Rorski would have purchased for me, nor could I fathom why he wanted his present to be given first.
I couldn’t hold back a howl of laughter when I saw it was a Clue game.
“Play the game and get it out of your system,” the sergeant said. “I don’t want to hear references to it ever again.”
I saluted him and said, “You got it, sir.”
Mama shouted to Glenn, “Grab mine next.”
Again, he seemed to know exactly where her present was in the stack. He lifted a large box out of the pile and set it on the floor in front of me.
I tore the paper from the top and pulled the box flaps back. I laughed harder at her present than I had at Sergeant Rorski’s. It was another Clue game. This one was a Family Guy special edition.
Mama laughed so hard at her own gift, she had to run to the bathroom to avoid an accident. She had obviously left her adult diaper at home tonight.
Pepper came over to give me a hug when she asked Glenn to grab her gift. She whispered in my ear, “Happy birthday, Sis.”
I wasn’t surprised, and I didn’t laugh quite as much when I opened a Harry Potter edition of Clue.
Aunt Bee contributed The Office version, and Hank provided The Simpsons edition of the game.
I understood now why Jackie had given Pepper the sharp jab to the ribs when she mentioned the Clue items on the cake. Clue was part of the birthday surprise.
“I have one little brain fart when I call Sergeant Rorski-”
“Two,” he said, interrupting.
“Two little brain farts, and this is what I get for my birthday. Glenn and I are officially commencing a game night, and every one of you who gave me a Clue game has to come over and play your gift.” I smiled at Sergeant Rorski. “Even you, Sergeant.”
Keith looked up from his spot on the floor. He seemed green around the edges, and I assumed he’d eaten far too much pasta and way too many desserts. I was willing to bet money he wouldn’t be able to eat cake.
“Kelly and I get to come play, too.” Find our present,” he said to Glenn.
I added their Scooby Doo version to the growing stack.
Thankfully, theirs was the last of the games. The remaining gifts consisted mostly of gift cards from friends and acquaintances, but there were lovely personal gifts from close family.
I was especially pleased with a leather planner-organizer from Jackie. She knew I hated keeping notes and appointments electronically, even though I was constantly misplacing the notebooks where I had scribbled important information.
After I had opened my presents, Mama herded guests to the cake. A rousing round of Happy Birthday filled the house, and I managed to blow out most of the thirty-three candles in one big huff.
I didn’t have room for cake but managed to eat a sliver. Keith walked away with a plate holding two pieces.
While everyone was eating their cake and things were relatively quiet, Hank chose that moment to gain everyone’s attention.
“I have something to say,” he announced.
Nancy stood next to him, eating from a cake plate she had balanced on top of her glass of punch. I had a feeling they weren’t going to be that way in about a minute. I wanted to rush over and take them from her, but I didn’t want to spoil Hank’s moment.
“My life has never been as wonderful as it’s been these past four months with Nancy.”
She seemed stunned by his words and swallowed hard. A coughing fit followed, and it took all of her punch before her throat was sufficiently cleared.
Glenn walked over to stand next to me. He slipped an arm around my waist and tugged gently to bring me close to him.
Hank continued, “You might think four months isn’t a very long time, but I knew the minute I laid eyes on her that she was the one for me – forever.”
Some people in the room gasped with pleasure when he dropped to one knee and produced a ring. “Nancy Barnaski, will you marry me?”
At first, she appeared embarrassed by his words. She glanced over to her uncle. Arnie smiled and nodded his head.
She put her hands out to hold Hank’s face in her hands, giggled, and said, “Yes.”
Hank jumped to his feet, placed the ring on her finger, and gave her a big kiss. Within minutes, champagne was poured into glasses, and everyone toasted the happy couple.
Mama even shed a few tears that her baby was getting married and said, “Now maybe someone other than Pepper will give me grandchildren.”
I didn’t think there could be any more surprises, but a short time later, Mama pushed an ottoman into the middle of the living room and stood on it.
“I have an announcement,” she
said.
“You ate bean soup and want to give us a warning to leave now while we can still breathe,” Buck yelled from the dining room.
Mama laughed but flipped him the bird. Pepper clapped her hand over Keith’s eyes. He pushed his mother’s hand away. “I’m not a baby. I know what that means,” he said.
Hank yelled out his theory. “You and Roger are getting married.”
“No,” she said. “We’re not getting married. If you all would shut up, I’ll tell you what my announcement is.” She paused for dramatic effect. “I’m starting a business.”
There were groans, laughter, and a smattering of good for you comments in the group.
“What kind of business?” Pepper asked.
Roger stood beside Mama and said, “Estelle’s Emporium of Wonders.”
“It’s a freak museum,” Keith hollered.
Everyone roared with laughter. I couldn’t help laughing myself. It did sound like Mama was going to open a shop with a frightening display of oddities.
She and Roger both smiled. “I bought the old flea market land from Walt,” she said. “I’m going to rebuild it, so Roger has a place for his business again.”
“If you break it, you buy it,” he said with oomph.
Oohs and ahhs filled the room.
I couldn’t resist asking. “How can you afford that?”
She smiled a grand smile and said, “I won the lottery.”
Everyone cheered, but I didn’t believe her. Jackie saw my doubtful look and came over to stand beside me.
“She did, Jo. I promised to keep it a secret until she told everyone, but I have an article ready to run tomorrow about her win and how she intends to return the flea market to its old glory.”
“Did you actually see the ticket?” I asked.
She laughed. “I did. She hit for five hundred thousand dollars. After taxes, she’ll have enough to get the ball rolling. Max is helping her with a business plan, and I think she’ll do great.”
I was astounded and happy for Mama at the same time. It would be good for her to have a purpose in her life other than playing the lottery.
Glenn grabbed my hand and said, “Come with me.”
He led me upstairs to the bedroom, shut the door, and had me sit down on the bed beside him.
“I can’t wait any longer. I have to have a few minutes alone with you.” He gathered me into his arms and kissed me deeply while pushing me back onto the bed. It felt incredibly naughty to be making out while the house was full of guests, and I enjoyed his kisses and roaming hands immensely.
He pulled back and gazed deep into my eyes. “I love you, Jo. I don’t want to talk about marriage in six months. He slid his hand into his pocket and pulled out a diamond ring. “I want to know now if you’ll marry me. We don’t have to set a date yet, but I want you to be my wife.” He brushed a strand of hair from my face. “Will you marry me?” he asked softly.
I closed my eyes and made a mental memory for all time. It wasn’t the most traditional of proposals, but he was incredibly sweet and the moment was full of passion.
I opened my eyes and said, “Yes.”
Our robust kissing resumed. He slid his hand up the side of my dress to land on my behind when the door opened.
“Hey! You two can get your nookie later,” Mama said. “We’ve got these games of Clue opened and you’re wanted for one of them.” She spun around and left.
Glenn and I looked at each other and burst into laughter. I couldn’t be mad at her. I was too happy. I looked at the ring, now sparkling on my finger.
“It was my grandmother’s,” he said. “She was a no-nonsense kind of woman, and I know she would have loved you.”
We straightened ourselves and made our way downstairs. Our seats were with Arnie and Sergeant Rorski at the original Clue game.
For a few moments during the game, I found myself observing my surroundings and seeing Glenn’s house in an entirely different light. It was a home with a history. There were loving memories here. His grandmother taught him to cook here, and it was a great place for entertaining.
My house, on the other hand, was cold and impersonal with memories of my life with Alan. It had a murder room.
The games were interrupted for several minutes when Pepper spotted my ring and made a scene. The last of the champagne was consumed with more rounds of toasting, and Mama shed a few more tears of happiness for even more grandchildren to come. Ha! I’d be leaving it to Hank and Nancy to fulfill that department.
Everyone was having a grand time, and I knew this party would last late into the night.
“Your turn,” Glenn said and reached under the table to give my thigh a squeeze. I had never seen him look happier. He would be happier still when I told him I wanted to live in the home of his beloved grandparents.
I rolled the die, moved my marker, and proclaimed while opening the envelope, “Miss Scarlet, in the study, with the candlestick.”
###
Easy-breezy reading from Breezy Books!
Murder Under Construction, Two Sisters and a Journalist #1 – Jo Ravens is thirty-two, divorced, and stuck in a rut. She wants two things in life - a new career as a private investigator and to lose the sixty pounds she packed on after her divorce. When she crashes her nephew's bike in a construction site, she lands on a girl with a large knife in her chest. Jo enlists her sister, Pepper, and her journalist friend, Jackie, to help solve the girl's murder. Things become creepy for Jo when the girl appears to her in dreams and offers unusual clues to her death. Murder Under Construction is a humorous mystery with Jo's family adding to the antics of the three women. Mama caterwauls, Jackie's two children offer sleuthing assistance, and her brother, Hank, laughs at all of them from the sidelines.
Murder Is Where the Heart Is, Two Sisters and a Journalist #2 – Amateur private investigator, Jo Ravens, is the only common link in the murder of three people and the abduction of a cab driver. While police are busy building a case against her, Jo races to prove her innocence. Her sister, Pepper, and journalist friend, Jackie, are on hand to assist in catching the real killer. The antics of her ex-husband and eccentric Mama add to this humorous mystery.
Murder Welcomes You to Buxley, Two Sisters and a Journalist #3 – Jo is busy trying to locate a stolen car, find a missing teen, and catch a philandering husband in the act. She already has more work than she can handle when she finds a murdered girl leaning against a dumpster. Has the girl really been strangled for stealing a cell phone? Jo also meets Susan Hunter when Susan comes to town to assist in the opening of a Slimmer’s Weight Loss center. Their interaction, as well the continued antics of Jo’s madcap family, adds to the humor in Murder Welcomes You to Buxley.
Murder Wins the Game - Two Sisters and a Journalist #4
Coming Soon! Murder Between the Covers
~ ~ ~
Be sure to check out the Susan Hunter series from Maddie Cochere:
The Susan Hunter books are not your typical mysteries, and Susan is not your typical sleuth. Often, she is simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, and things go downhill quickly. All of the books cross genres of chick lit, mystery, romance, humor, and action, bringing you a fast-paced, easy-breezy read.
Sunshine Hunter, A Susan Hunter Mystery #1 – Working in a weight-loss center by day and a racquetball club by night, Susan Hunter enjoys her life, the sport, and her friends. … When she finds out her new boyfriend of three months is married, she bolts with her best friend to Florida for a week. But someone has followed them, and they are now being stalked. To make matters worse, a murder has been committed back home in Carbide City, and Susan is wanted for questioning. … Humorous, sometimes ominous, Sunshine Hunter is entertaining and perfect for easy, breezy reading!
Big Apple Hunter, A Susan Hunter Mystery #2 – Susan has life-changing decisions to make. Should she accept the new position with Slimmers Weight Loss? Should she give in and move the relationship with Mick to the next level? . . . When Darby has business i
n New York City, Susan jumps at the chance to tag along intending to indulge in a weekend of shopping. It doesn’t take her long to realize she’s being hunted in The Big Apple. And what does the stalker have to do with Darby’s new client? It becomes a matter of life-and-death when the stalker shows up in Carbide City demanding something that Susan lost in New York.
Sin City Hunter, A Susan Hunter Mystery #3 – Susan is in Las Vegas for ten days of work and play. Her parents come in from Dallas to spend some time with her and have their own fun. But fun turns to terror for Susan when a magic act goes wrong. … When a man is murdered, Susan knows who did it. Unfortunately for her, the killer knows that she knows. Her actions in Sin City ultimately put not only her own life on the line but that of Mick’s as well.
Big Easy Hunter, A Susan Hunter Mystery #4 – When Susan is accused of being a cat burglar, and a serial rapist is on the loose over by the mall, she takes off for New Orleans to attend a wedding and finds even more trouble in The Big Easy. … Humorous, sometimes ominous, Big Easy Hunter is entertaining and perfect for easy, breezy reading.
Windy City Hunter, A Susan Hunter Mystery #5 - It’s two weeks before Christmas. Susan and her best friend, Darby, travel to Chicago to compete in a national cooking competition. They aren’t even in Chicago an hour when they stumble upon a murder crime scene. The lead detective on the case is egged on by an eager insurance investigator, and Susan and Darby quickly become suspects. To make the weekend even more complicated, one of Darby’s cooking ingredients is sabotaged during the contest, and unbeknownst to them, they befriend a local art forger. With Mick away in England, things become desperate for them in The Windy City.
Maple Leaf Hunter, A Susan Hunter Mystery #6 - Susan and Mick have a romantic weekend planned in Niagara Falls and Toronto before her big meeting with a children’s book publisher. When they decide to spend the following week at a fishing lodge on the Ottawa River, Darby, Nate, and Alex decide to come along, too. A Sasquatch, gold hunters, a kidnapping, and dangerous men all make for another unforgettable vacation for Susan.
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