Sneak Peek: Death is in the Deal – (A Darcy Sweet Cozy Mystery Book 31)
She stared at him in disbelief. “You said the word.”
The Muzak played on in the background as Jon tilted his head. “What word?”
“Mystery. You said ‘figure this mystery out’ as if this is going to be the start of another adventure for us.”
He made a scoffing sound at the back of his throat. “Don’t be silly, snowflake,” he said, using her nickname. “I only meant we don’t know what he wants with us, and I’d like to find out. You know, a—”
“Well, don’t say it again!”
“Darcy, it’s just a word.”
“Uh-uh. You jinxed us. Just you watch.”
“I think you’re being overdramatic.”
“For Pete’s sake, Jon, have you met us?”
“Well, sure, but—”
“Jon.”
“Darcy.”
To the tune of the Muzak rendition of Elvis Presley’s Love Me Tender, she began listing off their past ‘mysteries.’ “Do you remember the time the Santa suit in the town’s pageant was possessed, and someone tried to kill you?”
“Sure I do, but—”
“Or how about the time we first met Izzy and Lilly, when they were in hiding, and we had to step in to save them at the risk of our own lives?”
“Well, as I recall she didn’t ask for our help we just kind of—”
“Or the time we went on vacation up at Bear Ridge when we first met Ellen Gless? Remember the shallow grave?”
“Yeah, we have bad luck with vacations, but Darcy—”
“And let’s not forget,” she added, talking over his objection, “there’s the time you actually, honestly, hand-to-God died on us, Jon.”
“All right, all right,” he said, knowing he wasn’t going to win this one. “Yes, there’s been a lot of times that you and I have gotten involved in crazy mysteries that have been…let’s just say interesting and leave it at that.”
“I think the phrase you’re looking for is ‘mortally dangerous.’ Mystery is a four-letter word, Mister.”
“No, it’s got…” He counted the letters on his fingers. “Seven. It’s got seven letters.”
“Hmph. It’s a four-letter word in my book.”
He dropped his eyelids half-closed and folded his arms over his chest. Darcy knew he was going for a look of smoldering annoyance, but in those blue-and-white striped pajamas he just looked so gosh darn cute. She couldn’t help thinking what a fox he was, even at their age and after raising two kids. She really was a lucky woman…
“Are you done?” he asked her.
Sitting up, she put on a straight face, trying to keep the direction of her thoughts from showing on her face. “Yup. I mean, yes. I’m all done.”
“Good. Now…” He looked down at the phone, where the music had changed from Elvis to an elevator music version of Lady Gaga.
***
So much to talk about. So much to do. Darcy was just making a mental list of where to begin when they heard the thump-thump-thump of little feet drumming down the stairs in the living room.
A tired little boy with unruly blonde curls wandered into the kitchen, rubbing at his eyes and yawning with his mouth hanging wide open. Their son had finally woken up. At his heels, a tan floppy-eared dog padded low to the floor. Bassador hounds were loyal and loving and smart. They might not be much bigger than a full-grown cat, but the size of their hearts made up for it.
“Mommy? Daddy?” Zane asked, his voice still thick with sleep. “What’s goin’ on?”
Darcy held out her arms for him to come over and give her a morning hug. “Hey, sweetheart. Looks like we’re going to be spending a few days at the Hideaway Inn. You remember the place we went to for Christmas?”
He snuggled into her arms, leaning against her knee, and rubbed his eyes again. “The Hide’way Inn? Wasn’t that the creepy old house with all the ghosts and the little plants all over the walls?”
She laughed softly. “Yup. That’s the place. What do you think about that?”
“Is there gonna be more ghosts?”
“No, no. We let all the ghosts move on last time. They’re gone.”
Hearing that, Zane shrugged. “Then I guess it’s good. But can I have pancakes first? I’s hungry.”
“A man after my own heart,” Jon said jokingly. “First breakfast, then ghosts.”
Darcy gave him what she hoped was a scathing look. “Jon, there won’t be any—”
But she stopped herself before finishing that particular sentence.
That’s exactly what she said last time.
Death is in the Deal releases on Sept. 7th, 2021. To read more about it and reserve your copy on pre-order please click the link below:
