Deep Fried Homicide (The Donut Shop Mysteries) Read Online Free

said.
She nodded.  “Okay, but keep the door open.  I want to hear his reaction.”
I smiled at her.  “You know that I’m going to have a little fun with him first, don’t you?”
Momma smiled.  “Of course I know it.  Just don’t give him too hard a time.”
“We’ll see how it goes,” I said.
I opened the porch door to see the police chief standing close by gripping a box that held bath towels, a light enough load that he could hold it forever if he had to.
“Hey,” I said in as neutral a voice as I could manage.
“Hi there,” he replied, trying to act nonchalant, though I knew that the suspense had to be killing him.
“So listen,” I said, adding a touch of iron to my voice, “I’ve just finished talking to my mother about your proposal.”
“Let me explain,” he said before I could tell him that I approved.  “Suzanne, it should come as a surprise to no one that I’m in love with your mother.  I admit that I’m shocked she feels the same way about me, but what she told you is the straight up truth.  If you have a real problem with this, we’ll call the whole thing off.”  Before I could break in, he added, “Not that I’m going to stop seeing her, no matter what your decision might be.  It took me most of my life to convince her that we belong together, and I’m not about to throw that all away now.”
“Nobody doubts that you love her, Chief,” I said.  “I just have one question for you.”
“Go ahead and ask it, then,” the chief said in a steady voice.
“Are you going to do your best to make her happy for the rest of her life?”
He nodded.  “With every breath I have left in me.”
“Then I approve,” I said, and to both our surprises, I hugged him.  “Welcome to the family.”
Momma came out just then, and as Chief Martin pulled away, I could swear that he was crying, ever so slightly.  Taking out a bandana handkerchief, he dabbed at his eyes as he said, “The pollen count must be sky high today.”
“I’m sure that it is,” I said, and then I noticed that Momma was crying, too.
When did I start crying, though?
For such a happy occasion, there were certainly an awful lot of tears going around.
     
After unpacking all of Momma’s things at her new place, a house that I’d admired for years for its Craftsman style architecture, I said my good-byes and left the newly engaged couple to their own devices.  Momma had taken a great many of her personal items with her, but fortunately, she’d left most of her furniture behind at the cottage.  The new place was already outfitted with everything that she needed, so I didn’t have to go shopping for anything more than groceries anytime soon. 
Driving my Jeep across town, I thought about ducking back into the donut shop and taking care of some inventory issues that I’d been putting off for weeks, but then I decided not to do it at the moment.  After all, it was clearly just an excuse not to go back home now that I was alone and on my own.  I hadn’t lived by myself ever in my life, going from Momma’s to the place that I’d shared with Max, and then back to Momma’s again.  In all of that time, I was willing to bet that I hadn’t spent a handful of nights on my own, all by myself.
Jake wasn’t due to arrive until the next day, and things would be crazy enough then, but for now, I was alone.  I probably should have savored the moment, but when I walked back into the cottage that I had so recently shared with Momma, all I could feel was sad.  Her absence was conspicuous, and not just because of all of the things that she’d taken with her.  More important than her things was her presence, the spirit that had always made this a home and not a house.
I plopped down on the couch, wondering what I was going to do with myself, when there was a knock at my door.
Who could be visiting me now?
I was delighted to find Grace there when I opened it, a bottle of wine in her hand.  “Hey, I saw you come back