I’d planned on a quick in and out, but instead had spent over twenty minutes in the store. My cold items from the grocery were stuck in a cooler in the back of the Jeep with ice packs for the drive home. I hadn’t purchased ice cream, so I quickly calculated my success at stopping at Wheeler’s before I left town. My growling stomach made the final decision, so I just hoped I had packed enough ice to keep my half gallon of milk and the sea bass I’d bought chilled. On tonight’s dinner menu? A mushroom and Swiss burger on their homemade buns with an order of steak fries and a large vanilla milk shake. With the amount of calories, fat grams, and sugar, I could survive being locked in a cave for a week before I’d start losing weight.
Arriving home, my stomach filled and my hunger sated, I still had half of my milk shake left. After unloading and unpacking the groceries, I threw the sheets into the wash and took the shake and a new book out onto the porch with Emma. We watched the light dim as the sun sank over the ocean.
The next morning, I awoke with the sun, dressed in running clothes, and sipped a cup of coffee before I took Emma for a run. She sat at the back door, a small whine coming out of the back of her throat every three minutes. Finally, I set my cup in the sink and picked up her leash.
The morning was glorious. The sun bright but not hot. The beach sand clean from the last high tide but with just enough uncovered treasures that Emma was intrigued. Since we were alone, I let her off the leash and she ran to the shoreline, walking in the waves that lapped the edge of the world. When I reached the place where Kacey’s body had been found, I stopped. Now around the entire section, still barricaded with yellow tape, was a ring of flower arrangements and candles. And on each of the glass candle holders was a picture of Kacey, smiling at the camera.
This must be the place where the geo club was holding their memorial tomorrow. Ginny really could have been here setting up this shrine to Kacey. I hadn’t even put the two things together until now, sure Ginny was making up excuses for her lateness. Of course, it still could have been an excuse—just because the shrine existed didn’t mean Ginny had set it up herself, or even helped.
Emma plopped down into a sitting position at my side, her wet nose finding my hand. I absently rubbed her head as I thought of the woman who had died. “She’d been loved,” I said to her, even though Emma was the only person—well, dog—around. Some ideas were just too big to keep in your head.
Emma pushed her nose into my hand again. Which either meant, Whoa, dude, too deep, or Aren’t we supposed to be running? I decided it was the latter and we carefully moved away from Kacey’s memorial and headed farther up the beach.
This time the sound of the waves and the feel of my feet hitting the sand didn’t block out the unanswered question circling in my mind. Who killed Kacey?
The rest of the day was filled with chores right up to the time I left for the shop to cover Aunt Jackie’s shift. Sasha was manning the counter when I arrived. She waved and poured me a large hazelnut black, just the way I liked my coffee. “Hey, you didn’t have to come in early. I don’t have to leave until five to pick up Olivia.”
“I thought Toby was working the midday shift?” I sat at the counter and slid the book Sasha had been reading closer. The YA dystopian series had been selling like hotcakes after the movie released last month. “Is this what the book club is reading next month?”
Sasha handled our tween book club as well as the older teen group. Since I’d hired her on, book sales in the YA category had doubled, and even Aunt Jackie had realized it was an uncharted market for us. “We’re having a movie night. They can read anything that’s been turned into a movie in the last five years.”
“That should be interesting. How are you going to talk about the books?” I read the back cover and thought I’d put this one on my own reading list for next week.
“We’ll divide up in groups. From the books they purchased through us, I’m pretty sure we’ll have four groups with a few outliers. There are some rebels in the bunch.” She smiled at the thought of her book club members.
I pushed the book toward her. “Whatever you’re doing, it’s working. I got a call from the high school principal thanking us for the increase in students reading during study hall. I guess she’s even seeing them parked on the hallway floor during lunch with their books.”
Sasha blushed. “The kids just needed a reason to read. Now that we get to talk about the books they want to read, instead of the ones they have to read for English class, they’re all about it.”
I thought about my own high school years. “You know, I don’t think we’ve ever done a service project with the school library. Why don’t you visit the librarian next week and see if we can do some type of event for them? Maybe there’s an author they’d like us to bring in for a talk?”
Sasha’s eyes widened. “We could do that?”
“We have a promotion budget for a reason. Besides, the book club is making us some money now that you’re running it.” I nodded as I considered the idea more. “We’ll have to get Aunt Jackie on board, but after tonight, she owes me at least one favor.”