Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 97032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
“I won’t. I intend to be in top shape for tomorrow night,” she said with a smile.
I could see my dad panic, silently asking himself—what’s tomorrow night?
I felt bad for him, so I helped him out. “Are you looking forward to the talk at the college, Dad?”
He sent me a bless-you-daughter smile, then with a look of concern at my mom said, “You need to rest after what you have been through lately, Sally. Maybe we should skip the lecture.”
“I know you don’t want to go, Warren, so I won’t force you,” my mom said to my surprise and Amy’s as well since she poked me in the side with her elbow.
My dad looked relieved, not so much my mom.
“Maybe Professor Pierce Anderson will be there, and you can speak to him about the book,” I suggested, hoping to lift her spirits and was surprised when my mom looked like she was about to cringe.
“I’ll go with you,” my dad snapped and walked away mumbling to himself.
“What’s that all about, Mom?” I asked.
“Oh, your dad has it in his head that Pierce is interested in me,” my mom said as if it was unimportant.
“What makes him think that?” Amy asked as curiously as I was to find out why.
“A little misunderstanding.”
“What misunderstanding,” I all but demanded since I could tell my mom didn’t want to say anymore, but I wanted to hear what caused my dad to get annoyed and change his mind so suddenly.
My mom capitulated. “Your dad caught Pierce trying to kiss me.”
CHAPTER 10
Ian nearly toppled off the couch, rolling in laughter later that evening, when I recounted how my mom had shoved Professor Anderson into the college fountain. Her reasoning? To stop him from planting an unwelcome smooch, to cool his jets, and to save my dad from committing an unscheduled felony assault while running for sheriff. Classic multitasking.
What really sent Ian into hysterics, though, was when I reiterated my mom’s colorful description of what followed and doing a good imitation of her.
“Poor Professor Anderson flailed around in the fountain like a disoriented walrus on ice. It was so embarrassing for him that I didn’t think twice about reaching out to help him—and, naturally, or unfortunately, physics got involved. The professor slipped, yanked me in after him, and splash! Enter your dad, ever the gallant hero, lunging to my rescue from a watery fate. One misstep later, he was in the fountain, too, completing the most dignified cannonball trio in local history.”
“I can just picture the three of them now, a crowd gathering and laughing,” Ian said unable to contain his laughter. “And your dad still won the sheriff’s race after that comedy of errors?”
I couldn’t hold back my own laughter. “My mom insists the incident won him the race. He was hailed a hero for coming to his wife’s rescue.”
“You know, Pep, you not only have some of your dad’s good qualities, but you also have some of your mom’s unique character. Life will never be dull with you. Oh, and you should know now that my parents aren’t as nearly entertaining as yours.”
“My parents are definitely a unique couple,” I said with pride.
“I do hope we follow in their footsteps,” Ian said and kissed me. “Now how about we go over all we have so far on the Willow family mystery?”
I grabbed my computer off the coffee table eager to discuss it with him. “I was hoping you would say that.” I snuggled next to him, his arm going around my shoulder and we settled in to investigate. I pulled up the file. “Amy and I had a productive afternoon once we left the diner. We combed over the Willow Lake Historical Society’s files we got and combined what they had on the Willow family with what you and I learned from the church files. But let’s start from the beginning and see what we can piece together so far.”
“The looting, though barely, at the mausoleum and finding the body,” Ian said. “Why loot the place? We now have a possibility—treasure. But what was the body doing there? Was he one of the looters?”
“Then there is the sudden appearance of Stone and his gang and him claiming to be a descendant of the Willow family but not having an ounce of proof.”
“Which makes one wonder what he’s after,” Ian said.
“Follow that with the vanishing guy showing up at the garden center appearing dead again only to vanish again.” I shook my head. “The only reasonable explanation for him being there was to meet someone, but who and why?”
“Then comes your mom’s unfortunate assault,” Ian said.
“Which takes the mystery to the Willow Mansion and the distinct possibility that my mom was assaulted to get her keys.”
“But why not just break into the place. Why try to rob the keys and why from your mom and not the other people who work there, especially with your dad being the sheriff?”