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Putting Down Roots in Kinsey Falls (Book Two in the Kinsey Falls Series): Joanne Faraday is looking for her biological family. She was adopted at birth and has discovered that her mother died a couple of years after she was born. No father was listed on Joanne’s birth certificate. Her mother’s last known residence was Kinsey Falls, Virginia. Determined to find her biological father, she takes a job in the pharmacy within the Kinsey Falls Living and Retail Community Center and moves into one of the young professional micro-apartments to conduct her search.
Seeing Joanne “messing where she shouldn’t be” in the business center, golden oldie resident Greta Parks is certain that girl is up to something. Is she a terrorist? A spy? After following her around like Jessica Fletcher until Greta annoys her to no end, Joanne confesses what she’s doing so Greta will leave her alone. But Greta is like a dog with a brand new bone. She’ll be happy to help Joanne track down her biological father. When Greta realizes her late son dated Joanne’s mother, her hopes soar. Could Joanne be her granddaughter? Or was Joanne’s father the late husband of another of the LRCC residents? The truth could tear them all apart.
(Unedited) Sneak Peek!
“That one right there is up to something.” Greta placed a hand on her best friend Millie’a arm to halt their approach to Nothin’ But Knit.
“Ever since you started reading those cozy mysteries, you’ve thought everyone was up to something,” Millie said.
“Well, she really is. She might look all sweet and charming with that long blonde hair and that girl-next-door smile, but she doesn’t have me fooled.” Greta nodded. “She’s hiding something. I’m sure of it.”
Nothin’ But Knit was the knitting shop owned by Millie’s granddaughter Jade and Jade’s friend Terri. The young woman who was “up to something” was standing at the counter with her back to the women.
“What makes you so certain?” Millie asked.
“I went into the business center the other day, and she immediately opened a new tab on the computer she was at. She was looking at something, and she didn’t want me to know what it was.”
“Maybe—and this is a long shot—it wasn’t any of your business.”
“It was too my business! What if she’s a spy or a terrorist? You just never know these days.” Greta shook her head. “But whatever it is, rest assured that Greta Parker is on the case, and I will not rest until I find out what that girl is hiding.”
* * *
Joanne Faraday stood at the counter at Nothin’ But Knit waiting for the yarn winder to finish spinning the skein of yarn she’d purchased into a ball. She watched Jade’s face as the young red-haired woman frowned past Joanne’s right shoulder.
“She’s behind me, isn’t she?” Joanne asked.
“Who?” Jade asked, directing her gaze back at Joanne.
“The crazy woman with the plum-colored hair who’s been stalking me for the past two days.”
Jade smiled. “That’s Greta, and she’s heading this way with my grandmother Millie. Greta can be a little eccentric, but I think you’ll like her when you get to know her.”
Joanne wasn’t so sure.
The two women entered the shop.
“Hi,” Jade said, brightly. “I’d like you guys to meet Joanne Faraday. Joanne, this is my grandmother Millie and her friend Greta.”
“Nice to meet you.” Joanne could certainly see the resemblance between Jade and Millie. Although Millie’s hair was a silvery white, the two shared the same beautiful bone structure. Joanne felt a pang. She’d been adopted as a baby and had no idea who she might look like.
“What brings you guys to the shop?” Jade asked. Millie wasn’t a knitter, but she came to check on Jade and Terri often. Greta was a knitter, so the two of them seldom came into the shop together.
“Greta was heading this way, and I thought I’d join her and ask if you and Caleb would like to join me for dinner and a movie tonight—my treat.”
“I’d planned to go with Millie, but something came up.” Greta ventured a glance toward Terri, who was restocking the yarn bins. Terri was poking yarn into the cubbies.
“That sounds great, Grandma,” Jade said. “I’ll check with Caleb to make sure that works for him.” Jade turned to Joanne. “It’s actually because of Grandma that my boyfriend and I met.” She laughed. “Sometimes, I think he likes her as much as he does me.”
“Pish posh,” Millie said.
“That’s tellin’ ‘em,” Greta said.
Joanne’s yarn finished winding, and Jade took the ball off the spool. She handed the yarn to Joanne, who thanked her, and said, “Back to the knitting room.”
“I have a lightweight shawl I’d like to work on,” Greta said.
Joanne wished she hadn’t mentioned the knitting room. She supposed she could simply put away her things and leave, but she didn’t want to. She wanted to work on her scarf.
“I can get that for you,” Terri told Greta. She went into the knitting room, where there were sixteen cabinets. Most of the cabinets were labeled with the names of regular customers who liked to keep projects in the cabinets when they weren’t working on them. For residents of the Kinsey Falls Living and Retail Community Center, it helped keep their micro-apartments from getting cluttered with works in progress.
“I believe I’ll sit here with you.” Greta smiled at Joanne.
There was no one else seated at the table, so she could have sat somewhere other than right next to Joanne, but why would Joanne have expected Greta to sit anywhere else?
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