Black Bottom Murder: A Frosted Love Cozy Mystery Book 6 (Frosted Love Mysteries) Read Free Page A

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    Putting
a small diamond stud earring in, Missy’s heart leaped when she heard the
doorbell announcing Chas’s arrival. Toffee whimpered at the door until she
opened it, then launched herself joyfully into the handsome detectives arms.
Laughing at the dog’s enthusiastic greeting, he ruffled the soft tufts of fur
behind her ears thoroughly before turning his attention to Missy.
    “You
look beautiful,” he observed, kissing her cheek. She had dressed in a swirly
black floral skirt, topped by a fitted black cami and white cardigan.
    “Thanks,
you’re not so bad yourself,” she sounded like she was teasing, but her
heartbeat would indicate otherwise. She was still a bit miffed that he had not
responded as she’d hoped to Echo’s situation, but it was so good to see him
that she put those feelings aside and kissed him softly.
    “Ready
to go?” the handsome detective asked, after delighting in her kiss.
    “Yes,
I’m starving,” Missy admitted, her stomach growling. He offered his arm and
escorted her to his car, opening the door for her.
    They
went to a local steakhouse that had booths suitable for private conversation
and started the evening by selecting a Merlot that would complement their
steaks. After they had ordered and were enjoying their salads with the wine,
Missy broached the subject of Sid Hixon’s murder. She explained again what she
knew of Echo’s pacifistic nature, and described Sid’s less-than-pleasant
personality in enough detail to have the detective wondering about suspects
other than her friend.
    “So,
how rough was this Sid character?” Chas asked.
    “He
had a reputation of a man with no friends and many potential enemies,” Missy
answered truthfully. She hated speaking ill of the dead, but the bad taste that
this man left in the mouths of most of the population could be an important
factor in finding his killer.
    “I’ll
see what I can find out, but I’ll have to tread lightly. Dellville PD is
handling this case, so they’re not going to appreciate a detective from
LaChance poking into their affairs,” he warned.
    “Thank
you, Chas, you’re the best,” Missy smiled at him, relieved.
    “I
was beginning to wonder if you still thought that way after our ‘chilly’
conversation this morning,” he looked at her pointedly, taking a slow sip of
wine.
    “I’m
sorry about that,” she said, stroking his bicep and enjoying the feel of thick
muscle flexing beneath her touch as he lowered his glass. “I’m just trying to
grow business at both stores and grooming Ben and Cheryl to take on more
responsibility, and sometimes it makes me a little crazy,” she admitted. “I
know we haven’t had much time together lately, and that bothers me.”
    “Me
too,” he agreed, gazing into her eyes.
    Shy,
as usual, Missy looked back for as long as she could, then dropped her glance
to fiddle with her silverware. Chas wasn’t going to let her get away with
avoidance this time, however, and putting his fingers under her chin, gently
tipped her head up so that she’d look at him.
    “This
is new territory for me too,” he said softly. “Missing someone, caring about
them and being scared of it…but we have to communicate if we want this thing to
work out, okay?”
    She
nodded and bit her lower lip. “Thanks for putting up with me,” she
half-whispered.
    “I
wouldn’t have it any other way,” he replied easily, lowering his lips to hers.
The subtle sound of a clearing throat ended their kiss all too soon as the
server stood patiently waiting to put their dinners in front of them. Missy
blushed, and Chas busied himself with placing his napkin in his lap as they
both avoided eye contact with the amused waiter. The rest of dinner was spent
in catching up and just having everyday pleasant conversation. They both felt
much better by the time Chas dropped Missy off, kissing her soundly on the
front porch.
    “See
you tomorrow?” she asked, a bit breathless.
    “I
certainly hope so,”