I thought it would be fun to share a few chapters, maybe more, of Gladwynn Grant Takes Center Stage on the blog on Fridays.
This is the second book in my cozy mystery series and it releases on November 21. We might have time to fit in all the chapters before it releases, but we will see.
If you are interested in reading the first book in the series, you can buy it on Amazon HERE and you can also read it in Kindle Unlimited at the same link.
You don’t have to read the first book in the series to understand the second.
Chapter 1
Sitting on a lounge chair on the back patio with a book in one hand, an iced tea in the other, Gladwynn Grant had an excellent view of the lilacs and roses blooming in her grandmother’s garden.
She also had an excellent view of the two cats her grandmother hadn’t wanted but had let Gladwynn adopt anyhow. The black and white one, named Scout, was sprawled on her back on the end of the lounge chair fast asleep. The all black one, which Gladwynn had named Pixel, was sleeping in a tight ball on the wicker rocking chair that her grandmother usually occupied.
It might not have mattered if Lucinda Grant wanted her granddaughter to adopt two cats or not if Gladwynn hadn’t moved in with the woman eight months earlier. She’d made the move after being laid off from her job as a research librarian at a community college in Upstate New York and then deciding not to wait around to see if she was hired back again.
Gladwynn was on the patio enjoying a lovely, quiet Saturday morning. It was one of two days off she had from her job as a reporter at the Brookstone Beacon, the job that had brought her to live with her grandmother. After two hours of reading, sipping iced tea, and scratching the heads and bellies of the cats, the closing of a car door signaled that her alone-time was coming to an end.
Voices inside the house a few moments later let her know that her grandmother had returned, along with their neighbor and Lucinda’s friend Doris.
“We’ll need a list of all the characters.” Her grandmother’s voice carried from the kitchen. “That will give us a better idea of how much fabric we’re going to need for the costumes we have to make. We should be able to pick up some of the dresses from Second Hand Rose and the Salvation Army store.”
“I think we’re going to have to make the dress Matthew buys Anne, though.” Doris’ voice joined Lucinda’s. “Puffed sleeves are not a thing anymore, even for those who wear vintage clothes for fun.”
Gladwynn heard the opening of cupboard doors. “Let’s try that tea Louise gave us.” Then a little louder. “Gladwynn, hon’. You out there?”
“Yep.”
“Come in and try this tea Louise gave us. It’s from India.”
Gladwynn stood from the lounge chair and yawned, stretching her arms above her head. “India? Whose been in India?”
“Louise’s son and daughter-in-law were missionaries there and brought it back with them.”
Gladwynn’s eyes slowly adjusted from the bright sun to the dimly lit kitchen as she walked inside. For several seconds Doris was simply a small figure sitting at the table. As she came more into focus, though, Gladwynn could see her usually long silver hair had been cut into an attractive bob that brought her hair down to just below her ears.
“Doris! I love your hair! What does Bill think?”
Doris touched a hand to the bottom of her hair, bouncing it against her palm. “Why thank you. He seems to like it. Said it makes me look ten years younger, so I took that as a compliment.”
Doris had a small, round face, and bright brown eyes with a hint of gold in the irises. She was petite, or what Gladwynn would call dainty. When she smiled her entire face lit up, making her look at least a decade younger than she was.
She and Lucinda had been friends for more than 50 years, meeting when Lucinda and her late husband Sydney had moved into the three-story Victorian home built by Gladwynn’s great-great grandfather next to Doris and her husband’s similarly lovely Victorian home. Lucinda and Sydney had moved into the home when Sydney returned from the seminary to become the pastor of Covenant Heart Church. They had lived in the rectory for several years until Sydney’s father passed away and the family home was left to him.
Lucinda set three delicate teacups with red roses on the side on the counter. “At least he put the golf clubs down long enough to notice this time.”
Doris clicked her tongue. “Now, Lucinda. Behave. I told you he’s been better lately.”
Lucinda opened a small box of tea and placed the loose leaves in a small tea ball, which she sat inside her ceramic teapot, a match to the teacups. Sydney had given her the set for their 50th wedding anniversary.
“I know. I know. I’m sorry. You know I struggle with a sarcastic tone. You think at my age I’d have that under control.”
Doris’ smile was warm and full of amusement. “If you didn’t have that sarcastic tone, I’d worry you were sick, Lucinda Grant.” With a laugh, she turned her attention to Gladwynn. “I hear you’ll be at our rehearsal tonight to write an article about the show.”
Gladwynn dropped a piece of homemade bread in the toaster. “Yes, ma’am. I care so much about you ladies I am even coming in on my day off.”
Lucinda patted her on the shoulder. “And we appreciate it, honey.”
“Just keep in mind we are only in the planning stages right now,” Doris said. “We still have to figure out costumes and set design and no one even knows their lines yet.”
Gladwynn knew the Willowbrook Retirement Community had chosen to perform Anne of Green Gables for their summer play. What she didn’t know yet was who was playing the parts and who was directing it.
Most of her grandmother’s friends, others than Doris, lived at Willowbrook Retirement Community, which was a collection of approximately 40 mini-condos that all looked the same, inside and out. Willowbrook provided independent living for local seniors, while also giving them a community of neighbors. A recreational center on the condo property provided them with a place for swimming, aerobic classes, as well as musical concerts and dramatic performances put on by the residents.
Lucinda set the kettle on the stove. “We’ve got plenty of time for all of that. The show isn’t until August.” She glanced over her shoulder and winked. “Plenty of time for us all to have a mental breakdown.”
Lucinda’s long white hair still featured flecks of the golden it had been when she was younger. It was pulled into the usual bun tight on top of her head. Two signature dimples popped up on each of her cheeks.
The toast popped up and Gladwynn began to butter it. The smell of homemade bread filled the air. She and Lucinda had cooked it together a couple of days earlier.
“Who all is in the play? Do either of you ladies have a role in it?” She looked at Lucinda with a mischievous smile. “I could totally see you as Marilla, Grandma.”
Lucinda’s eyes narrowed as she set the teacups on the table. “I’m not sure if that is a compliment or not considering how grumpy and uptight that woman is in the beginning.”
Reaching around Lucinda for the shaker with cinnamon and sugar, Gladwynn kissed her grandmother’s cheek. “But later she becomes a sweet, doting mother-figure for Anne so I think that fits you just perfectly.”
Lucinda pinched Gladwynn’s upper arm. “Nice save, young one, but, no, Louise MacIntosh is going to play Marilla. Doris and I are simply on costume duty this year and I am totally fine with that. Floyd Simson is going to play Matthew, Summer Bloomfield is playing Anne and Ashley Donnely is playing Diana. The part of Rachel Lynde will be played by Beatrice Farley, which is completely fitting for her.”
The chirping birds outside reminded Gladwynn she’d left the cats on the patio where they were probably awake from their naps now, ready to pounce on a Blue Jay or Cardinal feasting at her grandmother’s bird feeder. She opened the patio door to let both cats inside. Scout darted inside while Pixel took her time, rubbing against the doorframe several times, walking in a circle, and then finally returning to walk through the door.
Gladwynn rolled her eyes at the cat and sighed, then reached down and scratched Pixel’s head. “Who is the director of the play?”
Steam rose from the kettle as Lucinda dropped the tea ball into the teapot. “Samantha Mors. She’s the community centers new recreational director. I say new, but she’s been there for about a year and a half. She’s magnificent.” She poured hot water into the teapot and sat it in the center of the table. “She’s brought so much life to Willowbrook.”
Doris placed a cube of sugar in her teacup. “I agree. She’s brought so much to our community at large, not just Willowbrook. We now have craft fairs and talent nights at the retirement community hall, in addition to the activities she’s added for the residents. There are nights for crafts, a book club, art classes, aerobics and Pilates classes, shuffleboard competitions, and once a month there is a dance.”
Gladwynn was impressed with the list of activities. The woman sounded like a true gift to Willowbrook.
“She sounds wonderful. I can’t wait to meet her. For now, though, I’m going to finish this toast and tea and then head out to meet Abbie and the kids for a picnic at the lake.
Lucinda lifted the teapot lid, steam rising up in front of her face as she looked inside. “Oh my. Doesn’t this smell wonderful?” The smell of tea wafted from the teapot. She began to tip tea into each of their cups. “Before you head out, I thought I should let you know that your father called this afternoon.”
Gladwynn’s shoulder muscles tensed. She kept her gaze on the tea leaves swirling in her cup, waiting for Lucinda to continue, but not wanting her to at the same time. It was rarely good news when William Grant called.
Lucinda cleared her throat as she sat at the table and began to tip some cream into her tea. “He asked how you were.”
Good for him, Gladwynn wanted to retort, but didn’t. “Mmm. That’s nice.” Gladwynn blew on the tea. “And what did you tell him?”
“That you were doing well, but that he had your phone number so he could call and ask as well.”
Gladwynn snorted out a laugh. “And what did he say to that?”
Lucinda dropped her voice into a deeper range. “Well – well, mother. I know that, but – well, you see, I just figured it was easier to call you and – you know I’m late for a meeting so I – uh.”
Gladwynn burst into laughter at the impression of her father. “That was way too accurate.”
Lucinda reached for a homemade sugar cookie on a plate she’d sat next to the teapot. She broke the cookie in two. “Teasing aside, I know he’s not the easiest to get along with, but he does love you. He’s just not very good at showing it.”
That was an understatement in Gladwynn’s opinion.
“I also know you won’t want to hear this.” Lucinda dipped half of the cookie in the tea. “But he says he will be visiting in a couple of weeks. He has a law conference in Philadelphia and would like to stop in to visit on his way back.”
Gladwynn wondered what the deal was with everyone she knew from her old life stopping by on their way to conferences. Two months ago, her ex-boyfriend Bennett had done the same thing. That hadn’t ended well but he seemed to have got the message after their talk and hadn’t tried to reach her again since then.
“That’s fine. I hope you two have a nice visit. I’ll probably be at work most of the time.”
Other than reading a lot, she and her father seemed to have very little in common. He was all about work, making connections for work, reading about work, and then going to work as a high-end corporate lawyer in Manhattan during the week.
On the weekends he was home in Upstate New York. When she had still lived across town from him in a rented apartment, which had only been a short six months ago, he’d spoken to her briefly a handful of times. Those times were usually to let her know that he and her mother didn’t feel she was living up to her potential. That speech had intensified when she’d been laid off from her job as a research librarian and the local college, as if the lay off had been her fault.
She drank the last of the tea in the cup. “That was amazing tea. Thank Louise for sending some home with you.” She stood and kissed Lucinda’s cheek. “I’ll see you two tonight at the theater.”
“Have fun and don’t forget your sunscreen,” Lucinda called after her. “And say hello to Luke if you see him there. I heard he was camping out there this weekend.”
Gladwynn paused in the doorway of the kitchen. What were the chances that she was going to the same place today that her grandmother’s pastor— the man her grandmother had been not so subtly trying to set her up with for the last few months —was camping?
Was it possible that Abbie and her grandmother had combined forces? She briefly glanced over her shoulder at Lucinda, who seemed to be innocently sipping her tea as Doris started to talk about a problem she was having with a flower in her garden.
Shaking her head, she continued toward the stairs, refusing to believe that her friend and grandmother were conspiring against her.
Lake Henrietta was about a half hour drive from Brookstone and took Gladwynn through fields that stretched out to the bottom of tree covered hillsides and then faded into forests of tall Eastern pine trees, maples, oak and dying ash trees. The ash trees had been attacked by the ash boar years ago and the bug had finally succeeded in eating through them all. The ash boar had been brought in by the state to chase away the Japanese Beetles which had been brough in to chase out an infestation of – well, Gladwynn couldn’t remember. All she could remember was that the government always seemed to be offering solutions that made the original problem ten times worse.
Taking a deep breath through her nose she reveled in the smell of pine and blooming wildflowers. A deer stepped out into a meadow between groves of trees, followed by a fawn. She smiled, a sudden rush of gratefulness rushing through her at being able to live in an area where such scenes were commonplace. So many who’d lived here for years took it for granted, while here she was driving to a state park and wondering like an awe-struck child what wildlife she might see today.
Moving to this more rural area from an urban area had been an adjustment for sure, but it was an adjustment she had been enjoying so far, despite the fact there had been two attempted murders within a couple of months of her living here. She’d ended up helping to investigate both cases because of her reporting job. Her book obsession had led her to getting to know the guilty party, Landon Braken, which led to him confessing that he had tried to kill a man who had led a jewelry theft years earlier. Landon had worked at the bookshop she visited at least twice a week.
The theft had left Landon’s father a shell of a man as he dealt with the guilt of having helped rob the jewelry store, which had been owned by his cousin. Landon’s father had been the curator at an art museum and had lent an expensive necklace to Brick and Melody Braken to display in their store. Daryl Stabler had been behind the plot to steal the necklace and years later he’d blackmailed Landon’s father into staying quiet.
That had been a few months ago. Daryl and his wife Gloria and Landon were now awaiting trials. Daryl was awaiting trials for both the jewelry theft and for stealing catalytic convertors around the country to sell them for their expensive metals. His wife was awaiting trial for the attempted murder of the wife of the man who had helped Daryl steal the jewels.
Hopefully life in Marson County would be a little calmer now. Gladwynn was back to covering elementary school field days, mundane municipal meetings, and library fundraising events again and she was fine with that.
Abbie Mendoza stood outside a blue minivan in the parking lot of the beach entrance of the park. The mother of three was wearing a pair of light blue shorts, flip flops, a white tank top with blue stripes and her dirty blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Canvas bags, beach toys, a cooler, and an enormous inflated pink swan sat around her on the ground. A small boy jumped up and down next to her and older child, who was a younger version of Abbie, was leaning against the side of the car, reading a book. Hannah, Abbie’s middle child, was walking along a log laying in the woods near the parking lot, her arms out to her side for balance.
Gladwynn smiled as she pulled into the space next to Abbie, remembering the first time she’d met her and her children.
Abbie was the part time barista at Gladwynn’s favorite coffee and bookshop, Brewed Awakening. The coffee shop featured a used bookstore in the back and had become a frequent place of peaceful respite for Gladwynn. She and Abbie had become fast friends after meeting, even though it seemed in some ways that they didn’t have a lot in common. Gladwynn was single and Abbie was married with three children she homeschooled.
“Need some help?” Gladwynn asked as she stepped out of her car. She reached for the bag Abbie had picked up and hooked it over her shoulder, then held her hand out to Logan, Abbie’s 3-year-old son.
Logan grinned, stuck a finger in his mouth and took her hand.
Gladwynn looked down at him and smiled. “Ready to see the lake?”
He nodded and gigged, bouncing up and down. “Ake! Ake!”
Abbie sighed and rolled her head from side to side as if working out the kinks. “He’s been driving me crazy all morning, running around and chanting “Ake! Ake!” She looked over her shoulder. “Isabella, grab the other bags, honey. We need all the help we can get.”
Isabella didn’t respond, her head still bent over the book.
“Isabella!” Abbie’s voice was sharp. “I’m asking you to help us carry this all down to the beach. I’m glad you’re reading but we could use your help.”
Isabella looked up quickly, her expression a mix of surprise and indifference. “Oh. Sorry.” She shoved the book in the bag over her shoulder and picked up a folded beach chair and cooler. Looking up she managed to give a half smile to Gladwynn, who thought about how she was so glad she wasn’t a teenager anymore. That had been a confusing and awkward time and had to be even worse in the day and age of the internet.
Hannah skipped along behind them as they made their way to the beach, a man-made space covered in sand that had been hauled in from somewhere else but provided a soft space to walk and sit next to the 245-acre lake.
Lake Henrietta stretched out toward a hillside of green pine trees, the blue sky with a few clouds reflecting in its surface. Gladwynn had visited the lake one other time before this with Abbie’s family and planned to visit again soon by herself. She was looking forward to setting herself up under the weeping willow along the far shore, away from the beach, with a book and a tall glass of lemonade.
Today the beach was full of children building sandcastles and running into the water and families picnicking at tables in grassy areas next to the sand.
Abbie and Gladwynn spread a blanket out on the warm sand. They set the bags up around it, then propped a large umbrella up to protect them from the blazing sun.
Abbie slid a small white bottle from a canvas bag and shook it. “Let’s get some sunblock on before you all run away.”
Gladwynn lent a hand and once the kids were slathered to Abbie’s specifications, they took off for the water, Logan doing his best to drag the inflated swan across the sand.
Sitting on the blanket, Gladwynn reached inside her bag for her own bottle of sunblock and began to rub it onto her bare arms, shoulders and legs. She’d chosen a sleeveless shirt that hooked behind her neck with two strings and left the top of her back exposed, a pair of vintage-style blue shorts with white stripes, and brown sandals with blue flowers tacked to the top straps.
“Need any help with your back?”
The deep voice startled her, and she looked up quickly to see the mischievous smile of a very attractive man she’d been doing her best to avoid for the last couple of months.
