Home for the Holidays Read online

  Home for the Holidays

  Garden Girls

  Cozy Mystery Series Book 10

  Hope Callaghan

  ***

  http://hopecallaghan.com

  Copyright © 2015

  All rights reserved.

  This book is a work of fiction. Although places mentioned may be real, the characters, names and incidents and all other details are products of the author’s imagination and are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events or actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

  No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced in any format, by any means, electronic or otherwise, without prior consent from the copyright owner and publisher of this book. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

  ______________________________

  Visit my website for new releases and special offers: http://hopecallaghan.com

  Thank you, Peggy Hyndman for taking the time to preview Home for the Holidays, for the extra sets of eyes and for catching all my mistakes.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  About The Author

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  FREE Books and More!

  Grandma Louise’s Best Ever Christmas (Sugar) Cookies

  About The Author

  Hope Callaghan is an author who loves to write Christian books, especially Christian Mystery and Cozy Mystery books. Born and raised in a small town in West Michigan, she now lives in Florida with her husband.

  She is the proud mother of one daughter and a stepdaughter and stepson. When she's not doing the thing she loves best - writing books - she enjoys cooking, traveling and reading books.

  Hope loves to connect with her readers!

  Visit hopecallaghan.com for information on special offers and soon-to-be-released books!

  Email: [email protected]

  Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/hopecallaghanauthor

  Other Books by Author, Hope Callaghan:

  DECEPTION CHRISTIAN MYSTERY SERIES:

  Waves of Deception: Samantha Rite Series Book 1 - FREE

  Winds of Deception: Samantha Rite Series Book 2

  Tides of Deception: Samantha Rite Series Book 3

  GARDEN GIRLS CHRISTIAN COZY MYSTERIES SERIES:

  Who Murdered Mr. Malone? Garden Girls Mystery Series Book 1 – FREE!

  Grandkids Gone Wild: Garden Girls Mystery Series Book 2

  Smoky Mountain Mystery: Garden Girls Mystery Series Book 3

  Death by Dumplings: Garden Girls Mystery Series Book 4

  Eye Spy: Garden Girls Mystery Series Book 5

  Magnolia Mansion Mysteries: Garden Girls Mystery Series Book 6

  Missing Milt: Garden Girls Mystery Series Book 7

  Bully in the ‘Burbs: Garden Girls Mystery Series Book 8

  Fall Girl: Garden Girls Mystery Series Book 9

  CRUISE SHIP CHRISTIAN COZY MYSTERIES SERIES:

  Starboard Secrets: Cruise Ship Cozy Mysteries Book 1

  Portside Peril: Cruise Ship Cozy Mysteries Book 2

  Lethal Lobster: Cruise Ship Cozy Mysteries Book 3

  Deadly Deception: Cruise Ship Cozy Mysteries Book 4

  Vanishing Vacationers: Cruise Ship Cozy Mysteries Book 5 – COMING JANUARY, 2016!

  SWEET SOUTHERN SLEUTHS (Short Stories):

  Teepees and Trailer Parks – FREE!

  Bag of Bones

  Southern Stalker

  Two Settle the Score

  Sweet Southern Sleuths Box Set: Books 1-4

  Chapter 1

  “Oh, this isn’t going to work.” Gloria Rutherford stared into the floor mirror and squinted at her reflection. The dress was…well, not Gloria. It was too fluffy, too puffy and to be perfectly honest, it made her look too young.

  Gloria did not want to appear “matronly.” After all, this was to be her wedding dress. She wanted something that screamed “classy and elegant.”

  Dot, one of Gloria’s close friends, tugged on a “poofy” sleeve and wrinkled her nose. “Yeah. I can see your point. I think I spotted one on the rack that might be more your style.”

  Dot didn’t wait for a reply as she darted back inside the main showroom floor of the boutique store in search of the dress she deemed a better choice.

  Lucy flopped into a cushioned chair situated next to the mirrors and leaned back. “This dress makes you look like a…”

  “Cake topper,” Ruth quipped.

  Margaret clamped her hand over her mouth to hide her grin and nodded.

  Gloria stepped off the raised platform and followed Dot. At this point, she was sick of trying on dresses. The dress she envisioned in her mind was akin to finding a needle in a haystack.

  Dot met her halfway across the showroom floor. “I have three and will bet money you’ll fall in love with at least one of these.” She thrust the dresses into Gloria’s outstretched arms, placed her hand on Gloria’s back and guided her to the oversized dressing rooms in the rear of the shop.

  “But…”

  Dot shook her head firmly. “No buts. Now get in there and try them on!”

  Gloria obediently tromped into the dressing room and closed the door. No wonder she dreaded dress shopping. The last time she had worn a wedding dress she had been eighteen years old.

  Maybe she would be better off wearing a pantsuit instead. She reached for the door handle and paused. That wouldn’t be fair to Paul. She could envision him waiting for her at the altar and the look on his face when she showed up wearing slacks.

  Gloria tugged the dress up, reached over her shoulder and unzipped the back of the cake topper she was wearing. She studied all three dresses Dot had given her in an attempt to figure out which dress would work best.

  She studied the first dress with a critical eye. Too plain. She set the dress aside and lifted the second one. She immediately dismissed it. The dress weighed at least ten pounds.

  When she held up dress number three, she paused. It was elegant. The outer layer consisted of sheer material. The upper part of the dress was scalloped lace. The lace ended near the waistline. From the middle down, it was a layer of antique white lace covered by the same sheer, tulle material.

  Strips of satin circled the middle. Small jewels decorated the neckline and quarter sleeves.

  Gloria sucked in a breath and held the dress up. It was perfect. She unzipped the back and slipped it over her head. It fit like a glove, as if the dress had been made for her.

  She reached behind and zipped the back halfway, as far as she could reach and then studied her reflection. The hem fell just below her knee.

  Gloria smoothed a hand over the material. This was the dress!

  Gloria opened the dressing room door and peeked around the corner. Six sets of expectant eyes stared back: Lucy, Ruth, Margaret, Dot, Andrea and Alice.

  “Well?” Lucy asked.

  Gloria pushed the door wide open and stepped into the room.

  The girls gasped.

  “It’s perfect!” Lucy exclaimed.

  “You look like a million bucks,” Ruth said.

  Alice clapped her hands. “Mr. Paul is a lucky man.”

  Andrea nodded her approval. “It fits you perfectly.”

  Dot circled Gloria and stopped in the back to fi
nish zipping the dress. “See? I told you!”

  Gloria beamed. “I love it.”

  “So will Paul,” Lucy predicted.

  The sales clerk rounded the corner and studied the dress critically. “It is a perfect fit. You won’t need alterations.”

  “Great!” Gloria said. “I’ll take it with me.”

  The sales clerk carefully arranged the dress on a silk hangar and then slipped a clear, plastic bag over the top. Gloria stopped near the shoe rack on her way to the cash register where she found a matching pair of shoes and slip that would work perfect.

  Gloria paid for her purchases and grabbed her goodies. “One stop shopping. Just my style.”

  The girls all piled into Ruth’s van. Ruth glanced in the rearview mirror. “Now where?”

  “Lunch,” Gloria said. “I picked out the perfect place.” Today was a special day and Gloria planned to treat her best friends to a special lunch. It was a rare occasion when they all got together for a shopping trip, especially Andrea and Alice, and Gloria wanted to make it a day they wouldn’t soon forget.

  Their destination was a brand new seafood restaurant in Grand Rapids, situated on the banks of the Grand River. So far, the upscale restaurant had gotten rave reviews.

  Gloria had passed by the place not long ago. She directed Ruth to the restaurant. Ruth pulled into the drive and parked in an empty spot. She shut the engine off and peered out the front window. “This place looks swanky.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Gloria told her friend. “Lunch is on me.”

  Gloria had called ahead and the staff assured her they would reserve a private table with a view of the river. The girls crowded into the lobby and the hostess led them to the table.

  When they reached the table, Gloria nodded her approval. It was perfect and the view of the river breathtaking.

  After they ordered drinks, all eyes turned to Alice. “How is the At Your Service Dog Services coming along?” Lucy asked.

  Alice grinned. “Oh. It is going good. You should come visit. It will be next year before any of the dogs are ready for new homes but we have started training.”

  Gloria lifted her water glass and sipped from the straw. “What about the kennel?” In addition to training the dogs as service dogs, they were adding a boarding kennel, designed to keep money flowing in.

  Alice reached for her napkin, unfolded the silverware and placed the napkin in her lap. “Yes. We have several bookings for the holidays and more calls are coming in every day. Plus, we have found homes for many of the dogs who are older or cannot be trained.”

  The food arrived and the conversation paused. Gloria had ordered the coconut macadamia shrimp. The server shifted the plate from the tray and placed it in front of her. He positioned the plate so the shrimp was front and center.

  The pieces of shrimp were large and arranged over a heaping bed of rice and vegetables. Her mouth watered as she sliced off a large piece of shrimp, dipped it in the sauce and popped it in her mouth.

  Gloria had chosen a creamy lemon cocktail sauce. The tart from the lemon and the mixture of cream cheese and sour cream was the perfect combination. It was melt in your mouth with a hint of pucker. She savored the flavors and reached for a scoop of rice.

  The other girls ranted and raved over their dishes and Gloria was glad she had chosen the restaurant for the special occasion.

  After they finished a long, leisurely meal, they decided to stop at Enchanting Petals, a floral shop in Green Springs, on their way home.

  Picking out flowers was one of the last items on Gloria’s to-do list. She already had a mental image of what she wanted – a winter-themed ensemble.

  The girls crowded inside the small store. Gloria scanned the various arrangements on display and easily decided on a bouquet of winter white roses with sprigs of cranberry and holly tucked in. A layer of twigs formed the base of the bouquet. A shimmering silver ribbon tied around the lower section held the arrangement together.

  For the dinner tables, the girls decided on classy, yet simple and stumbled upon round pillar candles with sprigs of eucalyptus circling the outside. A silky, cream-colored ribbon held the eucalyptus in place.

  After Gloria finished picking out the arrangements and scheduling the delivery, the girls headed back to the van.

  The day had been a huge success and Gloria was thrilled she could mark one more chore off her wedding list.

  Ruth pulled into her drive and the girls hopped out of the van. She made her way ‘round back, opened the van’s rear cargo door and reached for Gloria’s dress. “Hang it up right away so it doesn’t wrinkle,” she said.

  Gloria took the bag and scrunched her nose. “I hope it’s not too late,” she fretted.

  Dot grabbed the shopping bag that held the shoes and slip. “Don’t forget the other goodies.”

  Gloria reached for the bag. “Thanks.” She had been forgetful lately. There seemed to be so much to do and she was running out of time. She had made a list and faithfully checked off things as she went along. Despite that, she was still feeling overwhelmed.

  In addition to the wedding, Gloria’s two sons and their families would be arriving soon and she would have a house full of people. There were family get-togethers planned, rehearsal dinner, decorating Andrea’s beautiful home for the wedding. The list went on and on.

  On top off all that, Paul was retiring. His last day as a sheriff at Montbay County Sheriff Department was next week and a large retirement party had been planned. Gloria was nervous. Paul was nervous. Heck, even Gloria’s dog, Mally, was nervous. At least she had been acting that way.

  She placed her precious treasures in the trunk of the car before she made her rounds, hugging each of her dear friends and thanking them for making the day a memorable one.

  Gloria followed Lucy out of Ruth’s drive and headed home. When she pulled into her own drive, she was surprised to see Paul’s truck parked next to the garage. He had told her the day before they had switched shifts on him and asked him to work the next few days instead of the night shift.

  Gloria parked Annabelle in front of the drive, climbed out of the driver’s seat and opened the trunk. She grabbed the hook of the hangar, carefully balancing it in one hand as she reached for the shoes and the slip.

  Gloria folded the clear, plastic cover in half and hoped Paul wouldn’t get even a glimpse of the dress she had picked out.

  She climbed the porch steps and shifted her treasures as she reached for the doorknob.

  Paul pulled the door open as she reached for the knob. He leaned forward in an attempt to take something from his bride-to-be’s overflowing arms. “Let me help!”

  Gloria handed him the shoes and slip but held firmly to the dress. “No can do. I’ll keep this.”

  She didn’t stop in the kitchen, but rather headed straight to the bedroom in the back. She closed the bedroom door, stepped over to the closet and turned on the closet light as she peered at her dress.

  A smile lit her face as she turned the dress around. She loved the dress even more than she remembered. It was perfect!

  The boutique clerk had included a deluxe padded hanger and Gloria slipped the ends under the shoulders. She opened her closet door and hung the dress in the special spot she had cleared out in anticipation of the dress.

  Gloria closed the door and made her way back into the kitchen.

  Paul was sitting at the table, staring out the window. Gloria could tell from the look on his face he was a million miles away. She stepped over to the kitchen sink, squirted a glob of soap in her hands and turned the knobs on. “I thought you had to work today.”

  “Huh?” Paul turned with a blank expression covering his face.

  Gloria scrubbed her hands, turned the water off and reached for the hand towel to dry them.

  Gloria hung the towel on the oven handle before turning to give Paul her full attention. Something was wrong…

  “I thought you were at work,” she said.

  Paul dropped
his hands into his lap and clasped them together. “Captain Davies called me into his office first thing this morning.”

  Paul shifted in his chair and gazed at Gloria. “It seems while cleaning out my locker, some items were found…” His voice trailed off.

  Gloria held her breath. Whatever was coming next was not going to be good.

  “I’m under investigation for extortion.”

  Chapter 2

  “How…” Gloria’s thoughts went in a million different directions. “Extortion? Like in blackmailing someone?”

  Paul nodded. “It seems someone tipped the captain off that I had bundles of cash stashed inside my locker. When he investigated yesterday, they found a duffel bag loaded with money.”

  He went on. “On top of the cash was an envelope and inside the envelope were two notes. The first note was addressed to Mitzi Verona and the other to City Commissioner Cal Evergreen.”

  Gloria’s eyes widened. Cal Evergreen’s face and name was all over the local news recently. He had been involved with a well-known “lady of the night,” Pandora Gillette.

  Mitzi Verona was a local celebrity. She came from a family of wealthy developers. Her father had helped build many of the downtown Grand Rapids office buildings. Mitzi’s sons had recently taken over the day-to-day operations of the business.

  There had been recent rumors of a division amongst the family members and Mitzi, the matriarch of the family, had been drawn into the family feud when an unknown source leaked to the press that some members of the family were involved in illegal online gambling.

  “They think you were blackmailing these people and that’s where the piles of cash came from?”

  Paul ran a ragged hand across his crew cut. “I can’t go into detail other than to say someone is trying to hang me with this.”

  Paul tilted his head and looked squarely into Gloria’s eyes. “Can you believe it? Less than two weeks from retiring and now, I’m under investigation.”

  He shook his head. “If they decide to press charges, not only will I lose all of my benefits and my pension, I could end up in prison.”