Murder Loves a Fair
Page 9
“So do I,” said Alice, feeling a giggle starting to bubble up in her throat.
She and Owen both spoke at once.
“I’m married!” said Owen.
“I’m pregnant!” said Alice.
“You’re what?” said Owen.
“You’re what?” said Alice.
They looked at each other, then at Franny. There was a split second of silence, before they all began to laugh—and cry a little in Alice’s case—joyfully. When the others came rushing back inside to see what was going one, the three friends were knotted together in a hug.
“I’m so happy,” said Alice, wiping tears from her cheeks.
“So am I,” said Owen.
“Me, too,” said Franny.
“What’s going on here?” asked Luke.
Alice exited the group hug and walked over to Luke, taking his hands and smiling into his eyes. “We’re going to have a baby.”
“What?” Luke dropped his sin-amon roll and didn’t even seem to notice.
Alice looked down at the floor. “We can probably still eat that, right?”
“You said you’re—”
“I’m pregnant,” said Alice, forgetting about the roll and beaming at Luke.
“That’s why you haven’t been feeling well?”
“Yep.”
“And that’s why you’ve been tearing up a lot lately?”
“Yep.”
Finn, who was sitting faithfully at Alice’s feet wagged his tail.
“Wait,” said Luke. “Is that why our pets have been refusing to leave your side? Did they sense it?”
“I have heard that animals know about things like this. And apparently Granny suspected, too. She told Franny, who brought over a pregnancy test. It was positive. It’s really true, Luke.”
Luke swept Alice into his arms and must have kissed her a hundred times.
“But wait—there’s more,” said Alice, smiling at Owen, then at Michael. “Owen and Michael got married last night!”
“You did?” asked Luke and Ben at once.
“We did,” said Owen, opening his denim jacket to reveal that his t-shirt read I Do Too.
“Welcome to the family, Michael,” said Ben, slapping Michael on the back.
“I hope you know Owen’s a package deal,” said Alice. “He comes with all of us.”
Michael smiled. “I’m so glad to finally have my own big family here in Blue Valley.”
“But we missed your wedding,” said Alice, taking Michael’s arm and frowning over at Owen. “I can’t believe we weren’t there to celebrate with you.”
“Oh, don’t worry. We’re planning a big celebration,” said Michael. “We’re inviting the whole town.”
“And I’m making the cake!” said Owen.
“Get in here!” said Luke, and the whole group hugged, then congratulated, then went outside for celebratory sin-amon rolls and to hear all the details of the night before.
As Alice sat there, one hand tucked into Luke’s, the other resting on her belly, she looked over her group of friends. She let her mind wander out to the lake, where they would all be spending many long and lazy days and nights this summer. There would be barbecues and festivals. There would be swimming and campfires and toasted marshmallows. There would be sitting out on one dock or another every evening, and reading for hours in the rocking chairs on the porch. These friends of hers—her family—would surround her.
She took a deep breath of summer air and looked over Main Street, to her wider world and the town that would always be home. Somewhere down there, her parents were probably filling the birdfeeders in their backyard. Granny and Chester were probably enjoying their usual Sunday brunch. Shop owners were probably enjoying a calm day now that the fair was over. Tourists were headed home, and the sweet quiet of small town life was settling over Blue Valley once again. Alice Maguire’s heart was full enough to burst. And life—with all its adventures and mysteries, its ups and downs, its blessings and surprises—was good.
Also by Thea Cambert
Check out all the books in Thea Cambert’s catalog!
Thea Cambert Book Catalog
Author’s Note
I’d love to hear your thoughts on my books, the storylines, and anything else that you’d like to comment on—reader feedback is very important to me. My contact information, along with some other helpful links, is listed on the next page. If you’d like to be on my list of “folks to contact” with updates, release and sales notifications, etc.… just shoot me an email and let me know. Thanks for reading!
Also…
… if you’re looking for more great reads, Summer Prescott Books publishes several popular series by outstanding Cozy Mystery authors.
Contact Summer Prescott Books Publishing
Twitter: @summerprescott1
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/summer-prescott
Blog and Book Catalog: http://summerprescottbooks.com
Email: summer.prescott.cozies@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCngKNUkDdWuQ5k7-Vkfrp6A
* * *
And…be sure to check out the Summer Prescott Cozy Mysteries fan page and Summer Prescott Books Publishing Page on Facebook – let’s be friends!
* * *
To download a free book, and sign up for our fun and exciting newsletter, which will give you opportunities to win prizes and swag, enter contests, and be the first to know about New Releases, click here: http://summerprescottbooks.com