Curried Lobster Murder: Book 14 in The Darling Deli Series by Patti Benning Page B

onto a pair of reclining chairs. “I don’t think I’ve ever even seen a pool with fountains anywhere other than on TV.”
    “Thanks again for inviting me to go on this cruise,” Candice said. “Though of course it would have been fine if you had invited David. I have to admit, I kind of wonder why you didn’t invite him.”
    “I thought about it,” Moira admitted. “But I figured that as long as things keep going well between us, we have years ahead of us to spend time together. But you… you’re going to have more and more things to keep you busy as time goes on. Who knows, in a few years you could be married, you could even have kids. You might move to another city, or another state, or even another country if that’s what you want. I wanted to take this time together while we can, because I know that it won’t be as easy once you have a family of your own.”
    “Aww, Mom, that’s so sweet. Don’t worry, though, I don’t plan on moving to another country any time soon. Or having kids. I’ve got a career to build first, after all.”
    “From what you’ve told me, you’re doing a great job of that.” The deli owner smiled over at her daughter, then glanced at the pool. “I think I’m going to take a dip to cool off, then catch some sun for a while. Martha and Denise are going to be jealous when I come back home with a tan in the middle of fall.”
    Just as Candice had promised, the water was perfect; cool enough to help wash away the heat of the sun, but not so cold that she was reluctant to go in. She realized that being disqualified from the competition might not be so bad after all—the people who got disqualified early on would have the entire rest of the cruise to do whatever they wanted, something that was probably a rare occurrence for all of them. She knew firsthand how much work it took to run a restaurant. Of course, I’m still going to try my hardest to win , she thought, resting her elbows on the side of the pool and gazing out through the ship’s railing at the endless sea beyond. That cooking segment would be amazing, not to mention how nice the $10,000 would be. Think of everything I could buy for the deli!
    She sighed and closed her eyes, feeling truly peaceful for the first time since boarding the cruise ship. Whether she won or lost, she was going to have fun and enjoy herself. I hope Antonio doesn’t feel too bad about being disqualified, she thought idly. He looked pretty upset. I hope he ends up enjoying the rest of the cruise.
    It was well into the evening by the time she and Candice decided they’d had enough of the pool. All the free drinks in the world couldn’t curb the hunger that had begun gnawing at her. She had skipped lunch, being too excited about her good score in the competition to even think about it, and now that it was almost dinner, she was ravenous.
    The cruise ship had countless places to eat, from buffet halls, to formal dining experiences, to chain restaurants with tropical themes. They decided to try out the dining hall that they had been assigned to when they first came on board. After a quick stop at their rooms to change, they found their way to the right room and were seated by a friendly maître d’ who left them with menus that presented their options for the four course meal. A few moments later they were joined by Daphne, her boyfriend, and the other contestant, a man named Hector.
    “What did you think of the first challenge?” Hector asked once introductions had been made all around. “Breakfast isn’t really my strong suit. The pub that I work at doesn’t open until two.”
    “I enjoyed it,” Daphne said. “I work best under pressure. The time limit and ingredient limitations really forced me to think, and it let me forget about the cameras and the high stakes.”
    “It wasn’t as bad as I was expecting,” Moira told them. “Maybe I watch too many cooking shows, but I was thinking it would be a lot more intense. The judges are