Dropping Like Pies, page 14
Before Rita could say anything, Rachel burst through the door again. “Just realized that there are two more letters,” she said. “One is addressed to Billy, and the other to Zach. Here you go.” She handed Billy a white envelope. “You can give Zach his letter, Rhonda.”
Rhonda took the other white envelope from Rachel. “Thanks, Rachel. Be careful out in the rain and come back later for some coffee, okay?”
“Will do,” Rachel promised, vanishing out into the rain again.
“Say, this letter is from Lila, too,” Billy said, looking curiously at Rita. “Say, you don’t think…”
“Open the letter and see,” Rita urged.
“Reckon I better.” Billy opened the envelope, unfolded the letter, and extracted a check. “This here check is made out for one million dollars, and the letter says…let’s see.” He rubbed his eyes with one hand. “‘Dear Billy, my hero, please accept this check with my undying love. Words will never be enough. You are so very special. Forever in my heart, Lila.’”
Rhonda glanced down at Zach’s letter and decided to open it. She also found a letter and a check made out for one million dollars. “‘Dear Zach,’” she read, “‘please accept this check for showing a faithful courage that is rare to see. You showed me that good men still exist. With love, Lila.’”
For a moment, all anyone could hear was the heavy rainfall outside. Rita, Rhonda, and Billy could only stare at each other. “Four million dollars. I guess Lila found the gold,” Rhonda finally whispered.
“Reckon so,” Billy agreed, nodding.
Rita placed Lila’s letter against her heart. “I guess there are people in this world who still have hearts of gold.”
“Reckon so,” Billy repeated. He smiled and handed Rita his check. “Guess you better get this money to the bank.”
“Mr. Northfield, both our names are on the account,” Rita teased. “You can very well walk down to the bank yourself and deposit these checks. But first, let me sign the back of mine.”
“In the rain?” Billy asked, making a pouty face. “But the diner…the fried green tomatoes…and afterward, I was going to stop by Zach’s pizza shop and get a pizza before going back to the farm. My shipment of hay is due to arrive in a few hours, and I want to have a full belly.”
Rita walked over to the front counter, picked up a pen, signed the back of her check, and then marched back to Billy. “To the bank, Mr. Northfield, and tell Maye that Mrs. Northfield has her cake ready whenever she’s ready to pick it up.”
“But the fried green tomatoes…the pizza,” Billy fussed.
Rita pushed Billy toward the door. “Don’t get the checks wet.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Billy grumbled. He shoved the checks in his front pocket and walked out into the rain like a sad three-year-old who had been denied a donut.
“There he goes,” Rita laughed, watching Billy walking away.
Rhonda giggled when she saw Billy stop walking and kick at a puddle of water. “Billy is one of a kind.”
“Yes, he is,” Rita agreed, beaming with love for her husband. “Zach isn’t so bad, either. He handled himself pretty good in Alaska.”
“I wish he could handle himself pretty good in a kitchen,” Rhonda groaned, pointing at her blouse again. “This is new, for crying out loud.”
Rita smiled at her sister and turned around to look at the bakery. “Rhonda, remember when we first arrived in Clovedale Falls and opened our bakery? We were so scared, and you put that silly smiley-face sticker on the side of the cash register.”
“The sticker is still there,” Rhonda said proudly.
“I know,” Rita said, still smiling. “We were worried about money, worried if we were going to sink or swim, worried if our bakery was going to survive or not. And now look at us.”
“I know,” Rhonda said, smiling. “God has really blessed us. We have two loving husbands, Tori, and who can forget old Chester?” Rhonda giggled as she thought of Billy’s dog. “Notice that Chester wasn’t with Billy earlier.”
“Chester was very grumpy this morning,” Rita explained. “He flapped both his ears at Billy when Billy asked him to ride into town with him.”
Rhonda giggled again. “I bet Chester was grumpy. He never was a fan of the rain.”
Rita looked into her sister’s happy eyes. “So is this it, sis? Is this the happy ending we read about in books as little girls? Is this our happy ending?”
Rhonda made a curious face. She walked to a shelf holding freshly baked cupcakes, grabbed a cookie and cream cupcake, and smiled. “Remember when I used to eat those bran muffins? Look at this.” She quickly gobbled the cupcake down. “How is that for a happy ending?”
Rita laughed. “Remember when I used to make things so difficult by insisting on being so practical? Well, look at this.” She rushed to a shelf holding a freshly baked pumpkin pie, picked it up, and took a large bite.
“Rita!” Rhonda laughed, covering her mouth. “Why, you really are living on the edge now, aren’t you?”
Rita smiled and took another bite out of the pie. As she did, the phone rang.
“I’ll get it,” Rhonda said, still laughing. “Hello, Twin Cherries Bakery. Oh, it’s you, Brad. What?! Hey, no way, we’re retired, married, and pregnant. No way…oh, okay, give us ten minutes.” She hung up and looked at Rita with a scowl. “Guess what?”
“No, absolutely not,” Rita said, shaking her head firmly.
“Mr. Howard Dalton was found dead at the Clovedale Falls Retirement Home. Someone strangled him to death.”
“But we already handled a murder case connected to the Clovedale Falls Retirement Home. We’re retired and married and pregnant and happy, remember? This is our happy ending.” Rita put down the pumpkin pie and wiped her mouth. “Rhonda—”
“I’m all ready to go!” Tori burst out of the kitchen. She was wearing a blue rain jacket and holding a pad of paper and a pencil. “Detective Tori is ready for the case.”
Rita and Rhonda let out a groan. “I don’t think we’re going to be able to stop Nancy Drew,” Rhonda told her sister. “We better get up to the Clovedale Falls Retirement Home and see what’s going on.”
“You better stop by the bank first and deposit the checks,” Rita told Rhonda with resignation. She retrieved her raincoat and sighed. “A murder on a rainy morning. All that is needed is a cup of coffee.”
“Well,” Rhonda said, putting her arm around Rita, “it could be worse. I mean, we could still be trapped at that lodge in Alaska.”
“That’s true,” Rita agreed, but frowned. “I still wish I knew who killed Matthew Bincade. Oh well, some things will always remain a mystery. Let’s go.”
Rhonda looked back at the cozy bakery. “You know, sis, even with murder, life is still good.”
Rita smiled. “Our lives are certainly two cherries on top of a strange cake. But it’s our cake, and I’m grateful.”
Rhonda smiled. “Yes, it’s our cake.” She looked at Tori. “Okay, here’s the deal. You will stand quiet and listen, and no wandering off, Nancy Drew. The last thing in the world we need is for you to get lost in all those confusing hallways in the retirement home.”
“Oh, those hallways! I nearly forgot about them,” Rita moaned. “Okay, girls, let’s get the show on the road. We have a killer to catch.”
“And a new sidekick,” Tori added, beaming in excitement. “Isn’t it great that I decided not to become a cop and opened my own private investigator business instead?” She clapped her hands together and hurried out into the morning rain.
“Just dandy,” Rita and Rhonda said at the same time, then laughed. “This is our happy ending,” Rita said to Rhonda with a smile, then walked out into the rain.
“With two twin cherries on top,” Rhonda added, following her sister.
Yes, for Rita and Rhonda Knight, life in Clovedale Falls, Georgia, was truly a happy ending, even if murder was always nearby. But as Billy’s daddy once said, “Life without a few weeds can make a garden mighty lazy.” Of course, Rita and Rhonda had no idea exactly what that meant, but they just assumed that whatever Billy’s dad said probably made sense. Just like life.
More from Wendy
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Maple Hills Cozy Series
Sweet Shop Cozy Series
Twin Berry Bakery Series
Travel Writer Cozy Mystery Series
Snow Falls, Alaska Cozy Mystery Series
About Wendy Meadows
Wendy Meadows is a USA Today bestselling author whose stories showcase women sleuths. To date, she has published dozens of books, which include her popular Sweetfern Harbor series, Sweet Peach Bakery series, and Alaska Cozy series, to name a few. She lives in the “Granite State” with her husband, two sons, two mini pigs and a lovable Labradoodle.
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Wendy Meadows, Dropping Like Pies
