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

home.  Since we had to cancel our plans tonight, would you care to share this with me?”
“Your timing couldn’t be better,” I said.  “Boy, do I have news for you.”
Grace looked delighted by the prospect.  “Grab two glasses, and we can get started,” she said.
I was happy that my best friend had sensed that I’d need her and she’d acted upon it. I wasn’t going to be all alone tonight after all.
     
     

 
Chapter 5
     
“She’s getting married?” Grace asked with delight when I told her the news about Momma and the chief.  “What do you think about it?”
“Honestly, I’m happy for them,” I said, pleased that I could say it without stretching the truth in the least.  “It’s hard finding someone you want to spend the rest of your life with.”
“Tell me about it,” Grace said.
“Don’t give me that.  You’ve finally got a decent boyfriend of your own, which has to be a nice change of pace for you.”  Grace had recently started dating a police officer on the local force who happened to be a friend and customer of mine named Stephen Grant.  Officer Grant had always been of help to me, even when his boss hadn’t been nearly as supportive, and he was clearly smitten with Grace.  I knew from watching her look at him that she was just as intrigued as he was.
“He’s really quite nice, even if he is kind of young for me,” Grace admitted, “but we’re a long way from doing anything as drastic as getting married.”
“Do you think Momma’s rushing things with the police chief?” I asked with a frown.
“No, of course not,” Grace said quickly.  “After all, they’ve known each other forever.  This has been brewing for years.  Nobody’s rushing into anything!”
“I agree,” I said.
“So, when’s Jake getting here?” Grace asked me.
“I’m picking him up from the hospital tomorrow,” I replied.
“Do you need a hand?”
I had to laugh.  “I appreciate the offer, but I believe I can handle him.”
“That’s what you think now,” Grace said, “but let me remind you that living together is something very different from dating.”
“It’s not like that, Grace,” I said.  “I’m going to be upstairs, and Jake is going to be in the master bedroom downstairs.  He’s here to recover, and that’s all.  There’s not going to be any hanky-panky.”
“Not even a little?” Grace asked me, clearly looking a little disappointed.
I laughed at her again.  “From what the doctor told me, he’s going to need all of his energy just recovering from his gunshot wound,” I said.  As I looked around the living room, I knew that Grace was right about one thing.  It would be odd having someone besides Momma here with me, no matter how short the duration.  I hoped that we didn’t kill each other with kindness, tiptoeing around the place.  Then again, I couldn’t imagine Jake tiptoeing anywhere.
We’d be fine.
A little voice in my head added, “Keep telling yourself that and maybe it will come true.”
I chose to ignore it.
After all, tomorrow would be there soon enough, and I still had a ton of work to do.
     
Grace and I ordered a pizza, and while we waited for it to be delivered, she helped me clean.  By the time the food came, we were both ready for a break. 
Sitting on the sofa eating, Grace asked me, “Suzanne, how is this new arrangement going to work with the donut shop?”
“I’m taking two weeks off, and then we’re going to see how it goes from there,” I said, trying to be as nonchalant as I could.
Grace stopped the slice of pizza headed for her mouth.  “You’re not shutting the place down for two solid weeks.  I don’t believe it.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not about to do that.  Emma and her mother are going to run Donut Hearts for me while I stay here and take care of Jake.”
“You won’t last two days,” Grace said flippantly.
“Hey, that donut shop isn’t my entire life,” I protested.
“Can you honestly tell me that you really