True autumn cold had fallen over Dundurn in the wake of Katie Rollins’s arrest. The whole town was a buzz over what had happened. What had once been hard for people to believe had very quickly become whispers about people’s secret suspicions of Katie’s character. Everyone had something to say about her, and Ellie had to work hard to block out the gossip that was unavoidable in town.
What had once been their false attempt to add flowers to the shop had quickly become Halloween decorations. Ellie and May’s shared favorite holiday was now only two weeks away. With everything that had happened in the last couple weeks, they were only just getting the chance to put up the classic hanging ghosts and fake spiders that were in storage most of the year.
“Ma’May, the ghost would look good over the horror section,” Ellie suggested from behind the counter. She watched as her grandmother planted the short ladder and began to climb, ghost in hand.
Ellie had tried to insist that she would put up the decor, but Ma’May had refused. She told her granddaughter that she’d been putting up the decorations in the shop for nearly forty years and she wasn’t going to stop now.
Despite wanting to help, Ellie had to keep herself planted behind the counter with Beau in his bed by her feet. After word had gotten out that she’d been the one to solve the murders in town, the store was busier than ever. Customers were trying desperately to get her to spill the beans on what had happened, but Ellie just told them she couldn’t comment on an ongoing investigation.
Many asked for her advice on books to read so that they could bone up on their own amateur sleuthing skills, not that they’d need them in Dundurn. Sales of Ellie’s favorite lady detective stories were way up, and after only two days she’d already had to put in a massive reorder for them with their distributors.
Ellie was busy ringing up Clara Matthews’s purchase of a stack of true crime books – very different from her usual beachy romances – when the bell over the door to the shop chimed. Ellie looked up from the register to see Will Murphy walk in and her stomach did a quick flip-flop.
She hadn’t seen Will since the day when she’d had a gun held on her, managed to get away, and been rescued by him. He’d been busy interrogating Katie Rollins when she’d left the station and now she wasn’t sure exactly what to say to him.
“Uh, that’ll be twenty-five dollars and eighteen cents,” she said to Clara, who handed over her credit card for the purchase. A few moments later, her books were in one of the shop’s custom paper bags and she was out the door.
“Hi Ellie,” Will greeted her. He wasn’t dressed in the normal suit and tie he wore for work, but that didn’t necessarily mean he wasn’t on duty.
“Hey,” she said back. “Are you looking for some books? Or...?”
“Actually, I was hoping I could talk to you for a minute,” he said. “Nothing about the case, don’t worry.”
Ellie was about to say the shop was too busy for her to leave the counter alone, but Ma’May appeared behind Will and relieved her of her duty.
“You two go chat,” Ma’May told them. “I can handle things on my own for a little bit.”
Ellie didn’t protest. She moved from behind the counter and said, “Beau, stay,” when her fluffy pooch tried to follow. She wasn’t sure what Will wanted to talk to her about, and since Beau was pretty in tune with her emotions, she didn’t want him barking up a storm in the back room if she ended upset or mad.
“What’s up?” Ellie asked once they were among the haphazard stacks of books in the back room. Reorganizing the space was one of the many tasks she’d set for herself once the store calmed down some. With Christmas just around the corner, she had a sneaking suspicion that task wouldn’t get tackled until January at the earliest.
“I just want to make sure you’re doing okay,” Will said. “After what happened the other day, it would be understandable for you to be a bit shaken up.”
“Actually, I’m okay,” Ellie assured him, and it was the truth.
“You sure?” Will asked with a suspicious glance.
“Definitely,” she said. “I wasn’t really sure if I would be, but I’m okay. I think helping with the investigation was good for me, like a new hobby.”
Will didn’t look exactly impressed at that. “Now hold up there,” he said, but his voice was playful. “Just because I admitted you did help us out with this one doesn’t mean you have my blessing to do it again.”
“Of course not,” Ellie said. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Not that she really meant that. Behind her back, she had the fingers of her left hand crossed. She’d enjoyed doing a bit of sleuthing. Should the opportunity arise again, she had a feeling she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from helping out once more.
“Good,” Will said, but by the smile tugging at the corners of his lips, Ellie had a feeling he noticed her crossed fingers. He wasn’t giving her permission, but didn’t think he’d be that upset if she wound up helping again.
“How is the investigation going now?” Ellie asked. Now that they had their woman, and what she assumed was a fair bit of evidence, Ellie really didn’t have much else to do to help.
“Pretty well,” Will said. “We got the court order to exhume Floyd Rollins’s body for testing, whatever is left of it. Mrs. Rollins is being rather difficult, but the evidence is mounting pretty quickly. She was careful, but with an eyewitness, we should be okay.”
“Eyewitness?” Ellie asked.
Will chuckled. “You.”
“Oh!” Ellie laughed with him. She considered herself more an investigator than a witness, but if it helped with the case, she’d take any title he’d give her.
“There was something else I wanted to talk to you about,” Will said, and something about the way he shifted his weight on his feet and ran his fingers through his hair sent Ellie’s belly on another flip-flop. He looked slightly nervous, which wasn’t something she was used to seeing from him.
“Okay shoot,” Ellie said when she wasn’t sure how else to reply to him. Not the best choice of words, but his nerves were contagious and she had a sudden realization that he might be angling to ask her out on a date. A part of her was excited about the idea, but another, louder part was terrified. She wanted to get to know him better, but the idea of dating wasn’t something she thought she was ready for. If he asked her out, she had no idea what she’d say, but if he didn’t, she wasn’t sure if she’d be disappointed or relieved.
There was no winning and she suddenly wished she’d brought Beau back there with them. A random fit of his barking might be just what she needed to break the mounting tension that was growing between them.
“I was wondering if you wanted to get coffee with me some time?” Will asked.
Ellie had a feeling it was coming, but now that it had, she had no idea how to react. Her cheeks flushed hot and her hands got cold. She was excited and scared all at once. She wasn’t ready for this, not to date, but she didn’t want to let Will slip through her fingers, either.
“Completely as friends,” Will added before Ellie could spend too much time trying to figure out her own head. “Honestly, I know it’s been a few years, but I don’t think I’m ready to actually date anyone.”
Relief washed over Ellie and the cotton that had built up in her mouth was suddenly cleared away. Friends, he wanted to see her as a friend. It was exactly what Ellie needed right now.
“I’d like that,” Ellie said. “I really don’t think I’m ready to date, either. I would like to be friends, though.”
“Good,” Will agreed, and his own relief was obvious. For such a large, intimidating man, it was almost funny to Ellie to see him acting like a nervous fifteen year old. Not that she’d ever laugh at him for it. “I don’t want to close the door for dating, but I just think this is better right now.”
“It definitely is,” Ellie agreed. “How about we meet up at the Grey Dove on Saturday?”
“It’s a da –” Will began, but stopped himself and smiled. “Sounds like a good idea.”
“Great,” Ellie agreed. “But how about we get out of here before my grandmother starts some rumors of her own.”
Will chuckled and followed her lead. Ma’May gave them a suspicious look as they left the back room, but Ellie gave her one back that she hoped would assure her grandmother that she would be happy to explain everything in a bit.
“Saturday?” Will confirmed as he got to the front door.
“Saturday it is,” Ellie agreed.
The bell above the door chimed once more as Will left the shop. With a smile on her face, Ellie returned to the counter and bent down to fluff Beau’s fur.
“I assume that went well?” Ma’May asked.
“Quite,” Ellie said. “We’re going to be friends.”
Ma’May’s eyes narrowed in disappointment. “Friends?” she asked.
A knowing smile crossed Ellie’s lips and she said, “For now. Who knows what might happen in the future.”
That answer appeared to satisfy Ma’May, and it satisfied Ellie as well. Things in Dundurn were really looking up and Ellie couldn’t wait to see what the future might bring.