Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 72059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
“What’s this?”
“Dinner,” he told her. “We had a special left over, and I saw you eyeing it earlier.”
She had, indeed, eyed the spaghetti and meatball special. It wasn’t until she was living on her own had she realized how much she missed a home-cooked meal. Not that her father cooked well, but he tried, and it was something she’d taken for granted.
Galvin popped the lid and inhaled the marinara sauce, rich with a robust blend of ripe tomatoes, garlic, basil, and oregano. She would’ve never thought to find something so appetizing at a diner, but she guessed this was why Carter’s stood out from others. The minute you walked in, you automatically assumed this was nothing more than a burger, fries, and milkshake joint. During the day, that was exactly what you got. But during dinner, it was classier while still keeping the diner vibe.
“Thank you.” Even though Carter’s allowed their employees a free meal during their shift, they’d been so busy she didn’t have enough time to take a full break. She hadn’t minded because she was being paid, and Penny didn’t care if the staff snuck in back for a quick snack.
Galvin carried her dinner down the hall. She pushed open the door and inhaled the cool night air. It had rained earlier, and everything was still damp, despite the sun coming out shortly after the burst of showers rolled through town. The bright rainbow shined through the windows directly after, casting the patrons near the windows in gold, pink, and blue hues. Everyone quieted and stopped eating to take in the majestic moment. Even the staff paused.
At the top of the stairs, she unlocked her door and went inside. For a moment, she lingered there and took everything in. This studio was home. In the week she’d been in Seaport, she was more than comfortable. Most importantly, it was affordable thanks to her father’s relationship with Jack Carter. Now, all she had to do was get out and experience the town. She would, once she had a day off, and wasn’t exhausted. Galvin was going to have to overcome this new level of tiredness if she was going to go to law school and work. With the amount of loans needed to take out, she had no choice but to work.
She set her dinner down on the counter and stripped out of her workwear on her way to the shower. The one drawback to where she lived was it was a studio and small, but she didn’t mind. As soon as her first paycheck hit her bank account, she was buying bookshelves to use as a wall, to give herself some type of bedroom. She figured building them would be a good fall project.
After her shower, she towel dried her hair and used the necessary products she found on various advertisements that would undoubtedly give her voluminous hair. Then she braided it to give it a natural-looking wave. Her clothing of choice was her favorite shorts and T-shirt pajama set, something she loved wearing. They made her feel feminine and put together, even though no one would see them but her. Of course, she had sweats on standby when she desired more warmth.
With her place being so small, it didn’t take long for the aroma of her dinner to make its way to her. She padded to the kitchen, bare-footed, and opened the container. Galvin took a deep, satisfying inhale and laughed when her stomach growled.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll feed you,” she said as she pulled the pile of pasta toward her. She blindly reached for a fork after pulling the drawer open, stabbed and twisted the pasta, and froze when her hand was halfway to her mouth. Her stomach protested.
Outside, on the picnic bench, lay a body. From where she stood in her kitchen, she couldn’t tell if it belonged to a man or woman. Their torso lay on the table, while their legs bent at their knees and dangled toward the ground, swaying back and forth. Galvin tilted her head, trying to see the person's head, but couldn’t.
Were they dead?
Was Carter’s Diner the site of a murder?
What had her father gotten her into?
Her stomach made a loud, obscene noise, demanding some sort of sustenance. She put the fork in her mouth and hummed in satisfaction. The sweet, ripened tomatoes used for the sauce tasted heavenly, and the garlic wasn’t overpowering. It was easy to see why everyone in town loved the diner and no one on the island treated it like a tourist trap. The food, ambiance, and general feeling of Carter’s Diner was what brought everyone back. Even after her short time here, she already knew a couple of the regulars.
She took another bite while she studied the body on the picnic table, contemplating what she should do. Obviously, calling the police needed to happen, but should she call Jack or Penny? Or both? Or should she go out there and poke the person with the end of her broom? Maybe he or she was drunk and sleeping it off.