Thai Coconut Murder: Book 6 in The Darling Deli Series by Patti Benning Page A

and they haven’t been acting any different at all at the deli.” Then again, I’ve been so busy lately—would I have even noticed two of my employees falling in love?
    She glanced over at the table again and saw Meg lean forward towards Dante. Her mouth moved in a whisper, and Dante twisted in his seat, his eyes finding Moira and David quickly. Even from this distance, she could see his blush.
    Embarrassed at having been caught watching, Moira gave the pair a quick wave. Meg, her bobbed hair bouncing, stood up, grabbed Dante’s hand, and half-led, half-dragged him over to their table.
    “Hi, Ms. Darling,” she said brightly. “And Mr. Morris.”
    “I’ve told you before, Meg, please call me David. I feel like my dad when you call me Mr. Morris.”
    “Okay, David it is then.” She glanced over to the deli owner. “It’s such a coincidence to see you two here. How is your evening going?”
    “Very well, thank you,” Moira replied, trying not to look too amused. Dante was looking at the floor avoiding her gaze. She knew that the encounter must be painfully embarrassing for the shy young man. She hoped he knew that she wasn’t mad—she had no problem with her employees dating each other, though it had never come up before.
    “Well, I don’t want to take up too much of your time,” the young woman said. “I just thought we should say hi. It looks like our food is on its way. See you tomorrow, Ms. Darling.” Meg flashed them another quick smile, then led the uncomfortable Dante away. Moira and David met each other’s gazes and chuckled. The two young adults were a strange pair, but they both seemed happy. Moira decided that she would talk to Dante the next time they shared a shift at the deli and assure him that she was fine with the relationship—as long as they kept their minds on work while they were there.

CHAPTER EIGHT
    Even though their trip up to Henry’s cabin was far from a vacation, Moira couldn’t help but feel a tingle of excitement as she helped David load up his car. She had always loved road trips but rarely got to go on any. Plus, she was looking forward to spending six hours in the car with the handsome detective. The weather was pleasant, they had snacks and drinks packed away in a cooler, and David had told her about a great little diner on the way up that sold pasties.
    Her goodbyes to Candice, Maverick, and her employees were already said, so once the car was packed up, there was nothing left to do but review a quick mental checklist to make sure she wasn’t forgetting anything. She double-checked to make sure her own car was locked and finally got into the passenger seat of David’s car and buckled up.
    “Ready?” he asked. “Do you want to stop by the deli one last time?”
    “No,” she told him. “I stopped in this morning to go over the schedule again and to leave Darrin your number, in case they can’t reach me for any reason. He assured me that between the four of them, they’ll be able to handle the deli for two days.”
    She had left a pair of detailed recipes for the soup of the day; the creamy chicken and dumpling stew and beef minestrone soup were both simple recipes and old favorites sure to be popular with her customers. She had told her employees that the sandwich and salad specials were up to them, and was eager to hear what they had come up with when she got back.
    “It sounds like we’re ready to go, then,” he said with a grin. The engine roared to life with a turn of the key, and they were off.
    They talked for a while, but a comfortable silence soon fell. The radio played on low, and Moira gazed out the window contentedly. They were taking the coastal route, with the glimmering blue expanse of Lake Michigan to their left. To their right were rolling hills, sandy forests filled with birch trees, and the occasional farm or orchard. In her opinion, there was no more beautiful scenery anywhere in the world.
    Soon enough she was drifting in and out of