“I’ll never understand how something so little could have so much energy,” he said.
“She's all energy, until about ten at night, then she passes out,” Autumn said. “She’ll be curled up and snoozing by the time we get back.”
“I'd like a dog, but I think I work too much for one,” Nick said. “Maybe I could bring it to the nursing home with me, but it would have to be an old dog that was happy to lay around all day.”
“You could get a cat,” she suggested. “It could live in your office and go home with you at night.”
“That's a good idea,” Nick said. “A cat. I'll have to think about that.”
They chatted about work during the drive. They had made a rule that they couldn't talk about work while they were actually eating dinner, but they were free to talk about it during other parts of their date, and there was always a lot to talk about.
“I think people are finally starting to let Westley settle in,” Nick said. “At least, I haven't heard anyone ask for his autograph for the past day or two.”
“That's probably just because everyone has one by now,” Autumn said, chuckling. “It must be fun to meet an author you like. I've managed to get through a couple of his novels since he came to the nursing home. They are a bit dark for my taste, but they’re good. He must have quite the mind, to be able to think of so many ways to kill a person.”
“He's a nice guy. I hope he's happy here. I'm glad that his grandson is spending a lot of time with him.”
“Me too,” Autumn said.
A lot of the residents had family that rarely, if ever, visited. She always felt so bad for the people who didn't have anyone to come see them on the holidays or on their birthdays. She knew that it was probably hard for their family members to see their loved one gradually lose their facilities as they aged, but it still wasn't fair to just put them somewhere and forget about them. She was thankful every day that she was able to see her aunt and uncle so much.
They waited until they were seated at the restaurant and had ordered their drinks before moving on to more serious subjects. Their rule about not talking about work during dinner didn’t mean they couldn’t talk about everything else that was happening in their lives.
“So, do you have any updates on what happened to Jessie?”
“A bump on the head,” she said. “That's what the police said, anyway. It was in the news yesterday. I don't think they’ve officially determined that his death was accidental yet, but that’s what it looks like. It just seems like such a cruel twist of fate. He was a nice guy, he didn't deserve this.”
“I’m not so sure the police think it was an accidental death. They seem to be looking for people who might have had a reason to hurt him,” Nick said. “That's what they were talking to me about on Friday.”
“They were?” Autumn asked, surprised. “Were they asking about me? I did tell them that I had gone out with him once. I have no reason to want to hurt him, though.”
“They weren't interested in you,” Nick said. “They were interested in me.”
Autumn raised her eyebrows. “You? Why? You never even met him.”
“It's a small town. People know we’re dating. I suppose they thought I might have gotten jealous and done something to him. I told them your coffee date happened before you and I were exclusive, and I had no hard feelings about it. I offered my condolences and told them I would answer any questions they had. I think by the time they left they realized that I didn't have anything to do with his death. At least, I hope so. I haven't heard from them since.”
“I'm so sorry,” Autumn said. “I had no idea that this would affect you.”
“It's not your fault,” Nick said. “I'm sorry I was short with you. I was just insulted that they thought I would have anything to do with it. I had never been questioned by the police before, and I was a bit shaken. I should've told you right away what had happened.”
“No, it's fine,” Autumn said. “I get it. Like you said, I'm sure they realized that you had nothing to do with his death. It’s very interesting, though, isn’t it? They really must think that his death wasn't accidental, if they're looking for suspects. Did they tell you anything about the case?”
“Not at all,” he said. “They were very professional about the whole thing. I'm sorry. I didn't want to talk about this tonight. I know that you're still upset about it. I don't want to wreck our date.”
“No, I'm glad that you brought it up. It's given me a lot to think about.” She took a sip of her wine, contemplating the new information. Who had killed Jessie?
CHAPTER TEN
* * *
With dinner, a movie, then an hour long drive back home, they got back well past midnight. Autumn had fallen asleep in the car and jolted awake when Nick pulled to a stop in the driveway.
“We’re here?” she asked sleepily.
“We are here,” he said. “Come on, get your purse. I'll walk you to the door. Do you have your keys?
She fumbled with her purse, feeling around for her keys. The food, wine, and two hours spent sitting in a dark movie theater had made her feel exhausted.
“Okay, I've got them,” she said.
He got out and opened the passenger side door for her, then walked with her up the steps to her front door, where he kissed her goodnight. “I had a wonderful time tonight,” he said.
“Me too,” she said. “Thank you, Nick. It was an amazing night.”
Tired and happy, she went inside and locked the door behind her, then made her way to the bedroom where she took off her shoes and changed into her pajamas. True to her prediction earlier that evening, Frankie was snoozing on the bed, waking up just enough to wag her tail as Autumn slid between the sheets.
It felt wonderful to collapse into bed and pull the covers up, letting the soft pillow cradle her head. There was something bothering her, something that she wanted to think about, but her brain was too foggy to focus on it.
“Good night, Frankie,” she said, then switched off the bedside lamp.
Autumn woke up late Sunday morning, feeling groggy from the late night. She was so comfortable, that it took some serious effort to make herself get out of bed. What ended up luring her out of the comfortable nest of blankets was the promise of coffee. She needed caffeine, then she would feel like a person again.
A few minutes later, coffee in hand, she stood just outside the back door and watched while Frankie sniffed around the grassy yard. It was chilly out, and she had on a light sweater. She was looking forward to having the day completely off. She was free to do whatever she wanted, with no commitments to anyone besides her dog.
“What do you say, Frankie, do you want to go on an adventure today?”
The dog ignored her, trotting inside and making a beeline for the kitchen, where she sat eagerly by her food bowl, her stubby tail wriggling. Autumn chuckled. “You're right, we shouldn't forget the essentials. I'll get you your food, then I'll start on some bacon and eggs for myself.”
She hummed as she made breakfast, feeling truly happy for the first time since Jessie's death. She liked Nick… a lot. In fact, she didn't think that she had ever felt this way about a man before. She had no idea where their relationship was heading, but she knew that she wanted it to last for a very long time.
The two of them were just so perfect together. Part of it might be because they worked in the same place, she supposed. They could share the funny and sad stories about the things that the residents at the nursing home did and could commiserate on frustrations and disappointments. At the same time, she thought that even if they didn't work together, they would still have a lot in common. Nick was easy to talk to, and he was willing to try new things. It was something that she found very attractive about him. She loved having someone like him, who was willing to embrace all of the wonderful things the world offered, beside her.
She was just sitting down to her breakfast of bacon, eggs, and toasted English muffins when her cell phone rang. She checked t
he caller ID and when she saw Alicia’s name, she answered it right away. “Good morning,” she said, her voice chipper. “Are you feeling better?”
“Marginally,” her friend said. “Are you free today? I think we should head over to Bonnie's house. She's okay – she's been going into work – but I think she's taking it pretty hard. It might be good if we can get her out of the house, or at least get her talking. I don't know if she's ever lost someone before. All four of her grandparents are still alive. For all I know, this is the first person that she's known who’s died.”
“Yeah, we can go over,” Autumn said. “I promised Frankie that we'd go on an adventure today, but fortunately she doesn't speak English, so she won't be disappointed. Should I bring anything?”
“Just yourself,” Alicia said. “Can you meet me there in two hours? I've got to spend some quality time with my husband first. He's got softball game plans with some friends later today, so I’ll be off the hook this afternoon.”
They said their goodbyes, and Autumn hung up. So, maybe she wouldn't have the day entirely to herself, but that was all right. She wanted to make sure that Bonnie was okay. The thought of the other woman reminded her of what had been bugging her before bed last night. Jessie's death… and the fact that it might have been murder.
She figured that the police wouldn't have questioned Nick unless they had a reason to believe that the injury on Jessie’s head wasn't from a fall. If Jessie had, indeed, been killed, then that meant that his killer was still out there somewhere. In retrospect, maybe it was good that she was going to be spending the day with her friends instead of venturing out alone with Frankie. While the little dog was tough, she wouldn't really be able to do much if someone attacked the two of them out on the trails.
She spent the next two hours reading, finishing one more of Westley Phillips books, and starting on another. She probably wouldn't read everything that he had published, but she was determined to get through the small collection that Alicia had lent her. If she was going to be seeing the man every day, she wanted to have something to talk to him about.
Half an hour before she was supposed to meet Alicia, she put a bookmark in the book, slipped it in her purse, and got ready to go. She gave Frankie an extra treat before leaving, feeling bad about going back on her plans with the dog even though she knew the dog didn't understand that she had made plans in the first place.
As she drove to Bonnie's house, she couldn't help but wonder what she would find there. Maybe it was all thanks to her mother, but she had never been great about dealing with other people’s emotions. She always felt awkward when she tried to comfort someone and would rather spend the entire day scrubbing dishes than watch someone else cry.
Alicia was waiting for her when she pulled into the driveway. The little house looked dark, with all of the curtains drawn tightly shut. Alicia had to knock a couple of times before they heard the deadbolt turn and the door was pulled open. Bonnie looked like a mess; she was wearing sweatpants and an old T-shirt, her hair was unbrushed, and her makeup was smeared. Did she just wake up? Autumn wondered.
“Hi,” Alicia said cheerfully. “We thought you might need a rescue. Why don't you go throw something else on, and come get coffee with us? Autumn here has been reading some of Westley Phillips’ books, so I'm sure the two of you will have a lot to talk about.”
“I don't think I'm ready,” Bonnie said. Her eyes were bloodshot. “I’ve barely been able to make it to work. I just can't stop thinking about Jessie.”
“Come on, this will be good for you,” Alicia said. “The coffee is my treat. All you have to do is put some clothes on, wash that old makeup off, put your hair in a ponytail, and I'll handle the rest. I won't take no for an answer.”
Alicia was like a force of nature. It only took about fifteen minutes for her to get Bonnie looking suitable. The three of them piled into Alicia's car and pulled onto the road, heading for the little coffee shop in the middle of town. The car ride was filled with awkward silence, but luckily it didn't last long. The three of them ordered their coffees, then retreated to a quiet table in the back corner. Bonnie wrapped her hands around the cardboard cup, staring into the steamy depths. Autumn sat her own cup down, knowing that it would be far too hot to drink for a while yet.
“So, what do you think of the mystery series I gave you?” Alicia asked, keeping her voice cheerful.
“It's definitely interesting,” Autumn said. “I just started the one where they find the body in the water. He's a good writer. I almost never guess who the villain is until the end. It definitely makes me look at him in a new light when I'm at work. I still haven't asked for his autograph, though.”
“I'm sure he's had enough of that,” Alicia said. She grinned. “Though if I ever get to meet him, I'll probably ask for one anyway. It's a bummer that he stopped writing a few years ago. I bet he made a ton of money off of the books, though. Is he nice, or is he super arrogant?”
“He's nice, but I don't think he's particularly rich. He can afford to stay at Asheville Meadows, which is something I suppose, but I don't think he's a millionaire or anything. He seems to have a good sense of humor, and I've never seen him lose patience with anyone, even when they bother him. He and my uncle seem to talk a lot. They eat dinner together almost every night. He talks to my Aunt Lucy too, even though she doesn't talk back. That's probably my favorite thing about him.”
“Wouldn't you love to meet him, Bonnie?” Alicia asked. She waited while Bonnie dragged herself out of her private thoughts. For the first time, Autumn saw some light in the other woman's eyes.
“I would,” she said at last. “It would be amazing. I've never met any of my favorite authors. Remember when Susan got to go to New York for the book signing? I was so jealous. She brought me back a signed copy, though, which made up for it a little bit.”
“What do you think, Autumn? Could we come to the nursing home for dinner soon? I promise not to be too horrible about meeting him, but I really would like to say hi and to get one of his books autographed. I'm sure Bonnie would love it too. It would probably cheer her up quite a bit.”
Alicia's eyes bored into Autumn's, and she knew that she didn't have a choice. “Well, I guess you two could come to dinner one of the nights I'm working there. You’ll probably sit with my aunt and uncle, and he usually sits with them anyway, like I said, so that should work out just fine.”
“Are you working there tomorrow night? As long as Bonnie's free, that would work for me.”
Bonnie nodded, still withdrawn, but seeming more and more interested in the conversation.
“Tomorrow night works,” Autumn said. “Just let me call Uncle Al and make sure that he doesn't have any other plans. I don't want to surprise him with you two.”
“Wonderful,” Alicia said. “It’s settled, then. What do you think, Bonnie?”
“I'm excited,” the other woman admitted. “I suppose it will be good to get out of the house and do something fun. Thanks, both of you. I know I've been a mess these past few days. I don't know what I would do without such supportive friends.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
* * *
Brisket was one of Autumn’s favorite foods. Tender and flavorful, as far as she was concerned, there wasn’t a better way to eat beef. She had been looking forward to making Monday night's dinner for a long time, ever since she and Stephanie had figured out the month’s menu.
She put the beef in at breakfast that morning, making sure that it would have all day to cook. She checked it at lunch, and it was already looking mouthwatering.
She was glad that her friends were coming to visit on a day that she was making such a wonderful meal. She didn't like to think of herself as a person that wanted to show off, but she would be lying if she didn't take any pride in what she did. Yes, her tuna salad was good, and she could make a wonderful chicken Parmesan, but brisket was her specialty, and she would be happy to show it off just a little.
“Thanks for agreeing to entertain
my friends during dinner,” she said to her Uncle Al that evening just before going into the kitchen to start on the meal. “They’ll be here soon. Feel free to come and get me when they arrive. They're just going to stay for dinner, then go home.”
“It will be nice to have dinner guests,” Uncle Al said. “We haven't had anyone over for a while, besides you. And you work here, so that hardly counts.”
“Thanks,” she said jokingly, wrinkling her nose. “It's nice to know how much I mean to you.”
“Oh, you know what I meant,” he said. “Your aunt and I love you, and you know that we appreciate everything that you've done for us. But it will be nice to have someone new to talk to.”
“True,” she said. “They're both looking forward to meeting Westley. Do you think he’ll eat with you tonight?”
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