A Deadly Pair O'Docks Read online

  “San Francisco? Did Becca take that tenure-track position?”

  “She did.” Desi smiled. “She told Bill about it, and after they got the news about Jared while on their honeymoon, they decided it was time for a fresh start.”

  “That’s fantastic. I’m happy for her. For them both.” We stopped at a spot next to the beach. I closed my eyes and let the salty air enter my lungs. A soft breeze blew my hair back, but the warmth of the late August sun kept it from being chilly.

  “Me too.”

  We turned around for the walk back toward the Boathouse and café. Soon, the days would get shorter and the rain would come, but for now, I was going to soak up all the sun that I could. At the Boathouse, I waved goodbye to Desi and brought Ella into my office. The new babysitter, Rachel, was scheduled to meet me there for a trial run. I’d introduced her to the kids last week, and she and Mikey had become fast friends.

  Rachel got to the Boathouse at one o’clock on the dot and took Ella out for another walk. I didn’t get much work done though, because Adam showed up soon after that.

  “Have you had a chance to eat yet?” He had an odd smile on his face, but I couldn’t tell what it meant.

  “No, not really.” I’d eaten some string cheese and crackers, but my lunch break had been used to go walking with Desi.

  “Let’s get takeout from Elmer’s.”

  We walked over to Elmer’s to get fish and chips and ate them at one of the picnic tables outside. When we finished, Adam grabbed our paper baskets and threw them in the trash, then held out his hand to me. “I want to show you something.”

  I took his hand and gazed into his eyes. He was up to something. “What is it?”

  “You’ll see,” he said mysteriously. He led me up a block from the water and a few streets over, stopping in front of a two-story brick building next to an ophthalmologist’s office.

  “Ok. Why are we here?” Although it was well-kept, I didn’t see anything special about the building.

  He walked to the flowerbeds near the door and reached behind a large bush, pulling out a rectangular object about a foot long and six inches wide.

  “Ta-da!” he said, presenting it to me with a flourish.

  I turned it over. “Adam Andrews, Attorney at Law.”

  He beamed at me.

  I stared up at him and pointed at the door. “This is yours? You signed a lease?” Hope zinged through me. Was this really happening?

  He nodded. “Tomorrow is my last day at the firm. Brenda really came through with this one. I think she may have been working overtime on finding me something because she mentioned how grateful she was for your support when she needed it.”

  I started to cry and threw my arms around him. His muscles tensed up, and he patted me on the back.

  “Honey, it’s ok. Everything will work out.” He seemed to think I was worried about money or something.

  “No, no. I’m happy.” I pulled back from him, wiping my eyes, and my mouth spread into a huge smile. “These are happy tears.”

  “Well, good. I know this has been a long time coming.”

  I rubbed my fingers over the raised letters on the sign. Maybe it wasn’t completely a fresh start, but this was a new chapter in our lives, and I was excited to start reading it.

  Thank you for reading A Deadly Pair O’Docks! I hope you enjoyed spending more time with Jill Andrews and her family. If you did, I’d really appreciate it if you left a review.

  For information about my new releases and other exciting news, please visit my website, nicoleellisauthor.com and sign up for my e-mail newsletter.

  If you missed out on any of the other books in the Jill Andrews Cozy Mystery series, they are all available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited.

  Brownie Points for Murder - Book #1

  Death to the Highest Bidder - Book #2

  Other Books by Nicole Ellis — Available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited

  Candle Beach Sweet Romances

  Sweet Beginnings

  Sweet Success

  Sweet Promises

  Sweet Memories

  Fortune’s Bay

  A Map to Destiny

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