The Perils of Peaches (Scents of Murder Book 3) by Lynette Sowell Page B
Authors: Lynette Sowell
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us behind. We’ve been trying to make up time finishing that new housing development east of town.” Terrance shifted on the front seat. “Green Acres.”
“Who came up with that title?” My laugh came out more like a snort.
Terrance quirked a smile. “I dunno. All I do is build ’em.”
“And it’s all I can do to get this man to slow down.” Mia shut the passenger door for her husband. “He does his best to take care of us, and now I’m tryin’ to take care of him for a change. I never get to drive this truck, so put the date on the calendar!”
“You two are so cute together. I hope you feel better soon, Terrance.”
He gave me a nod.
“Well, gotta go,” Mia said. “I’ll see you Wednesday.”
“See you then.” I felt Hannah’s arms go around my neck. Now to find her daddy. We entered the restaurant and my eyes fought to adjust to the change in lighting. Hannah nearly catapulted herself from my side when she saw Ben in the dining room. He excused himself from the diners he was speaking with and approached us.
As he did, his face crinkled into a smile. “My two favorite ladies in the world.”
“We were just visiting Jerry at the station.” We exchanged a quick kiss. “I had to talk to him about one of Dr. Bradley’s dictation recordings from the night of the break-in.”
“What?” Ben took Hannah into his arms. “Why talk to Jerry about dictation?”
I pulled Ben closer to the glass case where Honey’s Place pies were on display. At the moment, no one crowded the counter by the register.
“I think someone might have tried to kill Dr. Bradley and then covered it up as a robbery.”
“What did Jerry think?”
“He agreed that it’s a possibility. I gave him the recording, and he said he’d look into it.”
“What else is going on?”
“I’m not sure. I’m trying to figure out who’d have a motive to kill him.” My voice came out louder than I’d intended. No one seemed to notice my words.
Ben sighed despite our little pixie reaching for his chin. “You don’t have to. Just let Jerry and Greenburg’s finest do their jobs.”
“You’re right. I don’t have to search for a murderer. But I still can’t push what I heard on that dictation recording out of my mind.” I shivered and rubbed my arms, and the chill wasn’t from the restaurant air conditioning. A crash from the kitchen made us both jump, and Hannah’s lower lip puckered.
“You’ll be fine.” Ben handed Hannah back to me. “I really need to check on that.”
Esther, Ben’s assistant manager, zoomed from the kitchen. “Jonas cut his finger. Bad.”
“Go on.” I squeezed Ben’s hand with my free one. “I’ll wait up for you, and so will Hannah Banana if I can’t get her to go to sleep.”
He flashed me a dimpled grin before he hurried to the kitchen.
And Ben was right. I knew I should listen to him. Honestly, it all came down to time, which I didn’t have much of. Tennessee River Soaps functioned well now without me there every day since I’d found a manager and someone to help create my soaps. Yet the idea of someone thinking he’d literally gotten away with murder wouldn’t leave me alone either.
Chapter Five
The next morning, Momma came to take Hannah for the day. I checked and double-checked Hannah’s giant bag of gear. I reminded Momma about Hannah’s routine, and that she had her favorite stuffed duck. Plus to make sure the chewy bunny stayed in the fridge where it would stay cool until she needed her gums soothed while she went through this teething phase.
“I know how to take care of babies. Wasn’t so long ago your nephews were in diapers. So I just need to stay in practice,” she said.
“Okay, I’ll try my best not to be gone too long. I’m going to the shop this morning, and then spend the afternoon canning what I have left of the peaches before they rot. Shouldn’t be any later than four, I don’t think.”
Hannah’s smile told me another tooth
“Who came up with that title?” My laugh came out more like a snort.
Terrance quirked a smile. “I dunno. All I do is build ’em.”
“And it’s all I can do to get this man to slow down.” Mia shut the passenger door for her husband. “He does his best to take care of us, and now I’m tryin’ to take care of him for a change. I never get to drive this truck, so put the date on the calendar!”
“You two are so cute together. I hope you feel better soon, Terrance.”
He gave me a nod.
“Well, gotta go,” Mia said. “I’ll see you Wednesday.”
“See you then.” I felt Hannah’s arms go around my neck. Now to find her daddy. We entered the restaurant and my eyes fought to adjust to the change in lighting. Hannah nearly catapulted herself from my side when she saw Ben in the dining room. He excused himself from the diners he was speaking with and approached us.
As he did, his face crinkled into a smile. “My two favorite ladies in the world.”
“We were just visiting Jerry at the station.” We exchanged a quick kiss. “I had to talk to him about one of Dr. Bradley’s dictation recordings from the night of the break-in.”
“What?” Ben took Hannah into his arms. “Why talk to Jerry about dictation?”
I pulled Ben closer to the glass case where Honey’s Place pies were on display. At the moment, no one crowded the counter by the register.
“I think someone might have tried to kill Dr. Bradley and then covered it up as a robbery.”
“What did Jerry think?”
“He agreed that it’s a possibility. I gave him the recording, and he said he’d look into it.”
“What else is going on?”
“I’m not sure. I’m trying to figure out who’d have a motive to kill him.” My voice came out louder than I’d intended. No one seemed to notice my words.
Ben sighed despite our little pixie reaching for his chin. “You don’t have to. Just let Jerry and Greenburg’s finest do their jobs.”
“You’re right. I don’t have to search for a murderer. But I still can’t push what I heard on that dictation recording out of my mind.” I shivered and rubbed my arms, and the chill wasn’t from the restaurant air conditioning. A crash from the kitchen made us both jump, and Hannah’s lower lip puckered.
“You’ll be fine.” Ben handed Hannah back to me. “I really need to check on that.”
Esther, Ben’s assistant manager, zoomed from the kitchen. “Jonas cut his finger. Bad.”
“Go on.” I squeezed Ben’s hand with my free one. “I’ll wait up for you, and so will Hannah Banana if I can’t get her to go to sleep.”
He flashed me a dimpled grin before he hurried to the kitchen.
And Ben was right. I knew I should listen to him. Honestly, it all came down to time, which I didn’t have much of. Tennessee River Soaps functioned well now without me there every day since I’d found a manager and someone to help create my soaps. Yet the idea of someone thinking he’d literally gotten away with murder wouldn’t leave me alone either.
Chapter Five
The next morning, Momma came to take Hannah for the day. I checked and double-checked Hannah’s giant bag of gear. I reminded Momma about Hannah’s routine, and that she had her favorite stuffed duck. Plus to make sure the chewy bunny stayed in the fridge where it would stay cool until she needed her gums soothed while she went through this teething phase.
“I know how to take care of babies. Wasn’t so long ago your nephews were in diapers. So I just need to stay in practice,” she said.
“Okay, I’ll try my best not to be gone too long. I’m going to the shop this morning, and then spend the afternoon canning what I have left of the peaches before they rot. Shouldn’t be any later than four, I don’t think.”
Hannah’s smile told me another tooth
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