Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 57920 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 290(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57920 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 290(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
"You're not wrong, Cupcake." She pulls her shoulder in, leaning toward me like she has a secret to tell me.
"I kind of love that you're all mine."
"I more than love that I'm all yours."
"All right, cowboy, let's not get too mushy. I have a mission over at the inn."
"The one Beckett’s staying in?" Kindred hops down off my desk.
"Yep. I've got to get over there so I can listen in on all her plans." Kindred rubs her hands together. I'm not sure how to tell her I don't see Beckett in her room talking to herself about all her evil plans, but I'll go with it.
When we make it over to the inn, Hollis and Candy are already there, sitting in the parlor room that has been converted to a bar at the front of the house. “What took you so long?” Candy asks.
“I had to sneak in.” By sneak in, she means Betty left the back door cracked open for her. The inn has a handful of bedrooms and sits on the edge of the main road in town. It’s a historical old-style mansion that has been converted into a bed and breakfast.
Kindred starts pulling shit out of her bag, setting up some kind of station on the bar with an iPad and headphones. I swear that purse of hers carries everything, which is confirmed when she pulls out a pink sparkly reindeer, setting it down on the bar too.
“What?” she asks me when she sees me staring at it.
“I didn’t say anything.” I brush her hair off her shoulder and help her out of her coat.
“Your face is saying it.”
“Hey.” Candy elbows her in the side. “Probably because you didn’t turn it on.” She nods to the reindeer.
“Oh, right.” Kindred grabs the reindeer and clicks a small button on it. Its nose starts blinking pink. “You could have just said that and not given me the judgy face.” I didn’t think my face changed, but all right.
“My apologies.”
“You’re forgiven.” She pats the high-top chair next to hers. I don’t want to sit, but I’ll indulge her. She leans over, kissing me on the cheek. Her mouth lingers, and she brushes her nose gently back and forth before returning to whatever plans she has concocted. I know I’m going to be in for a treat no matter what it is. Kindred doesn’t do anything small.
I do my own intel, pulling out my phone to see I do, in fact, have responses back. Hollis makes his way over toward me. I tilt my phone toward him so he can see what I am.
There it is in black and white. Pictures of Beckett in a hardware store twenty miles down south. I was even sent a copy of the credit card receipt. That might not be enough to fully pin her down, but it adds to the pile.
“Eggnog?” Betty asks Kindred as she sets a glass down for her.
“Tis the season.” Kindred picks it up and takes a sip. Betty leans up against the bar, watching what the girls are doing.
“I knew she was strange,” Betty tells them. “She’s got a stick up her ass, and when Tinsley was doing my nails yesterday, she told me she wasn’t into her vibe. Not sure what that means, but if Tinsley said it—” Betty shrugs, taking a sip of her drink, her attention turning to me. "Tinsley came over. It wasn't a professional paid nail appointment or anything." I don’t respond because these girls have a way of giving themselves away without help from me. “Is this an interrogation?"
Tinsley has been doing nails under the counter over at the salon for a few years now. She is not licensed and only accepts cash payments.
"Don't worry about him," Kindred tells Betty, waving me off. "He's obsessed with me. We can break all the rules and laws we want." Kindred gives the worst impression of an evil laugh, like she isn't the one who works at Town Hall and helps with all the licensing and so on. "This stuff is good." She takes another swig of her eggnog, which I'm sure is spiked.
“Whatcha doin’?” Tinsley pops out of nowhere. “Is this the rehearsal dinner I wasn’t invited to?”
“We’re not doing one,” Candy tells her.
“Then what’s up?” She is trying to wiggle her way in between Candy and Kindred. I glance behind me to see her brother along with the Knotty Knitters, who have taken up a table.
“We’re hanging out. Having eggnog.” Kindred lifts her glass before taking another few sips.
“Did you hear anything?” Kindred whispers loudly, sitting up straighter and pushing the headphones more onto her head. Not sure that will help.
“This about that Katie chick?” Tinsley glances around. They both nod.
“I don’t hear anything,” Candy huffs, glancing at Hollis like the man can make Beckett confess to herself in her room.