Page 59 of Promise Me This Christmas
“You should be completely ashamed of yourself,” Ethel continued.“Instead of trying to tear down your competition, you should put your energy into making your sister’s bed and breakfast a special place.”
“Soyouwere responsible for the pot brownies,” Marjorie exclaimed.“It would have been easy for you to add them to the trays when you were refreshing the baked goods and sandwiches.”
“Come on,” Shelley said.“That one was harmless enough.”
“It wouldn’t have been if Robin had eaten one of those brownies.Marijuana is highly toxic for children.”Amy shook her head.“I don’t get you, Shelley.It’s like you didn’t consider the consequences of any of the awful things you did here.”
“You’re right.I’m a horrible person.”Shelley whipped her apron off her neck and threw it to the floor.“I’ll go home, and you’ll never have to see me again.You don’t even need to pay me.”
Larkin shook her head.“It’s not that simple, Shelley.There are legal consequences to what you did.Amy and Chet have every right to report you to the sheriff.”
“Yeah, but you’re not going to do that, right?”Shelley looked from Amy to Chet.
“We’re going to have to think on that,” Chet said.
Amy’s heart felt heavy.“I liked you, Shelley.I thought you were a good worker and fun to have around.I can’t tell you how disappointed I am.”
Shelley’s tears really began to fall then.She pushed by Carson and made her way to the back door, where she’d left her coat and boots.Ten seconds later they heard the door open and slam shut.
*
“Wow.”Amy turnedto Larkin.“Thank you for figuring out what was going on.I was beginning to think I was going crazy.”
“You weren’t crazy, but Shelley sure is one messed-up young woman.”
“I don’t know the Whitehalls personally,” Jo said.“But I remember the parents being killed in a car crash about ten years ago.”
“Shelley would have been nine,” Larkin said.“A hard age to lose your mother.”
Any age was hard, Amy thought.She’d been in her twenties when her mom died, and she’d been devastated.Still, she took Larkin’s point.The loss of her parents at an early age didn’t excuse Shelley’s behavior, but it might help explain it.
She glanced around the table at her guests.“It’s been a crazy week.I’m sure this wasn’t what you were expecting when you signed up for a fun-filled, traditional holiday vacation at Bramble House.”
“Are you kidding?”Ethel said.“It’s like a murder mystery weekend at a country house.Only without the murder of course.”
“Gran, you’ve been reading too much Stephen King.”
“Sweetie, you can never read too much Stephen King.But I do admit all the excitement has me feeling tired.I’m going back to my room for a rest.”
“I’ll come with you.”Larkin started toward her grandmother but was waved away.
“I’m getting really slick with this walker.I’ll be fine.But I’d love to go back to my house for lunch if you don’t mind taking me.”
“I’d be happy to,” Larkin said, feeling a little guilty.This trip had been supposed to be all about Gran.Instead she’d messed around with Carson, solved a little mystery, and written an article for the local paper.
Speaking of which, she turned to Amy.“Have you read my article yet?”
Chapter Seventeen
“Oh my gosh,”Amy said.“That’s why I went out on the porch this morning.To fetch the newspaper.In all the subsequent drama, I totally forgot about your article.The paper’s probably still out in the snow where I dropped it.”
“I rescued it,” Carson said.“Hang on, I’ll go get it.”Before leaving the room, he glanced at Larkin.She’d been the morning hero—figuring out the culprit who’d been behind all the bad stuff at Bramble House.And he’d been so damn impressed by her.
But how was everyone going to feel after reading her article?How wouldhefeel?
He fished the rolled-up newspaper out of the slipper basket and pulled off the elastic.Larkin’s story hadn’t made the front page.He wasn’t sure if that would turn out to be a bad thing or a good thing.
“Here you go.”He passed the paper to Chet, who spread it open on the table in front of Amy and turned to the third page.
