Chapter 19
Nineteen
J ane grabbed a table at the Harvest Moon midmorning. The cozy diner buzzed with the familiar sounds of clinking dishes and muted conversations. The scent of freshly brewed coffee and apple pie caused her stomach to growl. Had she eaten breakfast this morning? No.
Clarence needed Bucky’s help at the house today, which was perfect timing. She couldn’t believe her luck when Victor passed her on the street the other day and asked her out for a cup of coffee. She was excited to see him again. Jane wasn’t sure he remembered her since they only met that once at the Feed & Grow.
Leah finished her shift and stopped by to say hello on her way out.
Flo set down a steaming cup of coffee in front of her. The aroma was rich and inviting.
“By yourself today, sweetie?” she asked with a warm smile.
Jane shook her head. “No, I’m waiting for a friend. If you see a tall, handsome man come in, send him over.”
“I’m assuming you’re not referring to the sheriff,” teased Flo with a twinkle in her eye.
Jane could feel the heat starting at her forehead and creeping down to her cheeks. Oh goodness, did everyone in town know that she and the sheriff were knocking heads? That wasn’t embarrassing—no sirree.
If only Ethan wasn’t such a stick in the mud, she might consider going out with him. Since he was unlikely to ever change, that wasn’t going to happen. Although he was dedicated, family-oriented, well-liked by the community, smart and kind of good-looking if you were into the tall, dark and handsome kind—which she was.
“Ha ha.” Jane rolled her eyes.
Flo chuckled, patted her on the shoulder, and went off to help other customers.
Jane took a sip of the rich brew and reflected on how shocked Ethan was when he saw her at Vanessa’s house. Did he honestly assume she would let his accusations slide without defending herself? She was a mystery writer, after all, and knew a few things ordinary people didn’t know about investigations and crime.
For instance, if Ethan had any solid proof she killed Thornton, she’d most likely be in jail right now.
Sure, she might be a suspect, but so were Vanessa, Annabelle and Jim Jenkins. And whoever else wanted Thornton gone. By all accounts, he was an unpleasant man. She wondered what drew Vanessa and Annabelle to him. Maybe he was different around them.
Love! It made no sense. Bah. Who cared? Thornton was dead.
Jane was just happy she’d found her soulmate in Mike and that he had been an honest, decent man who made her laugh.
A pang of sadness hit her. She missed Mike so much. However, Jane knew he wouldn’t want her to wallow in self-pity. He’d want for her to continue on and enjoy life.
“Hey there, why so pensive?” Victor’s smooth voice interrupted her thoughts as he slid into the booth across from her.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” she replied.
“Can’t be. You looked so sad.” He leaned in. “Tell me, please.”
She shook her head. “Just remembering my husband. He died a year ago.”
“It must be hard, loving someone and then having them pass away.”
Jane sighed. “Yes, but the memories are bittersweet. We had a wonderful marriage, but as they say, life goes on.”
He reached over and took her hand in his warm ones. “He was lucky if you miss him that much.”
“Well, enough of that. How are you?” she asked.
Victor removed his leather jacket, which actually made him look like a biker bad boy. His dark hair was accentuated by the black casual button-up shirt he had on—he looked yummy.
Victor caught her ogling him and winked. Jane blushed for the second time today.
“So, tell me what you’ve been up to?” he asked. “Any trouble with the chain saw?”
“No, it was perfect. My handyman had no trouble cutting the branches.”
Victor smiled. “How many employees do you have?”
“Right now, I have one all-around helper and a man who is renovating my house.”
“I’m sure having someone help around the farm doing the heavy work eases your mind, especially if you’re alone.”
Jane thought about that for a moment. “Yes, it does. I’ve never had any experience with farming or animals, so everything is a learning curve.”
“Where did you live before you moved here?” he asked.
“Boston. We were downtown, in the middle of everything. I was a mystery writer. Now I keep bees and garden.”
He cocked his head. “Mystery writer, uh? Who inspired you to do that?”
Who indeed? Jane grew up reading mysteries: Nancy Drew, Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes mysteries, Louise Penny, James Lee Burke—oh, the list could go on and on.
“I love solving crimes and puzzles,” she replied. “It’s fascinating to delve into the criminal mind.”
Victor smiled. “Remind me never to commit a crime on your watch.”
Jane laughed. Conversations in the background grew a little louder. She looked around. The diner was filling up.
“Any new stories on the horizon?” he asked.
“No.” She shook her head sadly. “I’m not writing right now. Maybe I will again someday.”
Victor leaned closer, propping his elbows on the table. “Do you ever use real-life inspiration, or is it all in your mind?”
“A little of both,” she replied. “I’ll base a story on a real-life incident that maybe happened to me or other people, perhaps an interesting crime that occurred.”
As she thought about it, wasn’t that what the police alluded to regarding Mike’s death so many months ago? She had called to follow up and learned Mike’s car accident was just an unfortunate event and that the rookie was reprimanded for saying what he said to Jane.
“Well, if you ever do write again, I hope I never read about myself in one of your novels.”
“Oh, I can’t believe you’d commit a crime.” She chuckled.
He raised his brows. “You never know. Everyone is capable of crime.”
Flo placed a cup of coffee in front of him, and he smiled at Jane.
“Do you want something else? I was thinking of having a piece of pie,” he said.
“Hmmm.” Jane looked at Flo. “I’d like a slice of apple pie, please.”
“Make that two.”
Flo left them. Their conversation flowed smoothly, and Jane was thoroughly enjoying Victor’s company.
The hour flew by. They’d consumed the pie and coffee and touched on a variety of subjects. Victor was by far the most interesting man she’d met here so far. Victor looked at his watch. “I have an appointment to get to. Will you go out to dinner with me sometime this week?”
“I’d love to.”
Victor followed Jane out of the diner, gently placing his hand on her back as he opened the door. She stood awkwardly on the sidewalk. Their eyes met, and Victor smiled. He leaned in for a kiss on her cheek. “I’ll call you.”
Jane walked away feeling like a new chapter in her life was just beginning.
Arriving home, she noticed that Clarence’s truck was gone. Bucky’s car was parked by the barn. She thought about checking in with him, but she was anxious to see the finished third bedroom.
Jane went inside, placing her purse on a chair in the living room. She walked upstairs to change, eager to look at the renovated room.
As she climbed the stairs, she heard rustling coming from the small dormer bedroom. Her heart started pounding. Who or what could be in there?
Tiptoeing over, she peered in and saw Bucky going through boxes that contained things of Mike’s she’d saved to look through when she wouldn’t cry.
“What the hell are you doing?”