Sunny Side Up (Lake Erie Mysteries Book 1) Read Free Page A

took cover in the doorway. Puffs of wind billowed out from the collapsing purple- and green-striped parachute while the daredevil it had carried thrashed around, struggling to get free. From beneath the folds of the tangled sail, a familiar voice sounded out.
    “Hi, Doc! How’s it crackin’ Egg?”
    June had arrived.
    From the relative safety of the doorway, I stared at my windblown friend as she extricated herself from the silky fabric. Considering she had just fallen from the sky, she was remarkably calm and collected. She looked like a superhero just stopping by, and I easily imagined her leaping back up into the blue and flying off to save the world from mayhem. Hamm was more likely imagining her disappearing as he completed his “Woe is me. What did I ever do to deserve this?” eye roll and sigh.
    It was pretty obvious that June’s juvenile greeting was not appreciated by my husband. Hammond Egge, Esquire is most definitely not an egg. His paternal ancestors hailed from Norway, by way of Bird Island, Minnesota. His family name, Egge, rhymes with ledge, but much to the chagrin of his entire family, most everyone finds it exceedingly amusing to make clever references to omelets, shells, and Mother Goose nursery rhyme characters when talking to him. June’s silly nicknames never bothered me, though, especially since I hung on to my maiden name. Dr. Francesca Orsini gets respect. Francie Egge, not so much.
    “Looks like I’m just in time for cocktails! Are there snacks? I’m starving!” After flashing my husband her model-worthy smile, June strolled right past us into the kitchen, poured herself a generous glass of my Ménage à Trois, and began rummaging through the cupboards and fridge in search of snacks.
    “I guess some sort of cheese plate will do.”
    Hamm was looking at me in absolute disbelief. “Francie, I’m assuming I dozed off while waiting for you to unpack because I know it can’t be true that your nutty friend just landed her parachute in our backyard and then strolled into our kitchen to prepare snacks. Wake me up when the planet begins spinning the right way.”
    “I’m confident the Earth is still rotating on its axis, honey. I guess June just didn’t have cab fare. Don’t be upset. At least she’s pitching in and preparing some food.”
    “Seriously, Francesca? Well, there is that.”
    When June reappeared on the deck, she was carrying a five-star presentation of hors d’ oeuvres: gouda and Swiss wedges alongside sesame and whole grain crackers artfully arranged on a beautiful artisan platter I didn’t even realize I owned. This was one of the reasons I loved June. She had a flair for the dramatic and a talent for improvisation that rivals even the best stage actress. She does especially well with other people’s belongings.
    “So, June, that was quite the arrival. What’s up with the parachute? Was there road construction or something?” I was dying to hear this story.
    Hamm chose to stare at his plate and munch his snacks in silence while June explained.
    “I called a cab right after I talked to you last night. Traffic was light and we made really good time. After I unpacked my stuff at the houseboat, I decided to take a ride on the free shuttle boat across the bay to Sandusky and get a bite to eat at Famous Dave’s. I met the nicest guy while I was waiting for a table.”
    “Well now, there’s a surprise.” I couldn’t help it.
    “He has a new parasail business and offered to take me for ride. It was so cool I decided to go back today and practice some moves. Marley agreed to take me across the bay so I could surprise you guys. Did it work?”
    “I would say so. I thought Wonder Woman was stopping by for tea. Would you like a refill on your drink?”
    “Do you need to ask?” She reached across the table so I could top off her glass.
    Hamm’s eyes were now closed as he listened to his favorite James Taylor album streaming on the music app of his smart phone. As I