Free The Ties That Bind (Sarah Woods Mystery Book 11) by Jennifer L. Jennings

a massage, by the way.”
    His touch sent a wave of warmth up my body. It would be so easy to take his hand and pull him on top of me. We could linger in bed for another hour or two and have a little fun but the timing wasn’t right. I could sense that he felt the same way. I shook those thoughts from my mind and tried to focus on business. “So what are we gonna do about Jason?”
    Removing his hand from my leg, he stood up and headed to the other side of the room. He slid the curtains open to let in the sunlight. “We’ll have to assume that Jason knows more than we think he does, which means he probably knows we’re staying here.”
    “You think we should leave and check into a different place?”
    “No. We’ll just be more careful, that’s all.”
    “So we’re not giving up?”
    He raised an eyebrow. “You know me better than that but if you’d rather bow out, I understand.”
    “I’m not bowing out,” I said. “Jason has basically confirmed that someone else is behind Nina’s murder. But is it Perry?”
    “So far he’s the only one with motive. If Perry and Jason know each other, Perry could have warned him about us or vice versa so, from now on, we need to assume that Perry is on to us.”
    “What do you mean? Are you saying we should just level with him? Tell him why we’re here?”
    Carter shook his head. “Not yet. We’ll see how it plays out.”
    I glanced at the clock on the nightstand. “Shit, we were supposed to go down for our complimentary meet and greet breakfast.”
    “How long will it take you to get ready?”
    “Give me five minutes,” I said, heading to the bathroom. “I’ll just brush my teeth, wash my face and run a brush through my hair.”
     
    Ten minutes later we were downstairs in the dining room where a buffet table had been prepared. The smell of bacon and eggs, freshly baked muffins and coffee filled the air. A few quests still lingered, but their plates were nearly empty.
    “Good morning.” Mary Garcia greeted us as we entered. “You made it just in time. Please help yourselves to the buffet.”
    “Thank you,” I said. “Sorry we’re running late. We overslept.”
    Mary gave us a knowing smile and a wink, as if she understood that a little morning nookie was expected. “We’re pleased you could make it. Our guests are like family and we want to take the opportunity to meet each and every one.” She gestured to a large round table where three people sat with coffee mugs in front of them. Everyone except Perry. “My husband Glenn, my son Graham and his wife Zoe. My other son Perry seems to be running late this morning.”
    “We’ve already met Perry,” Carter said. “And he makes a helluva martini.”
    “Wonderful.” She glanced at her watch in consternation. “I’m sure he’ll be along shortly.”
    Her last comment was laced with sarcasm and I got the impression she was not pleased that her son had skipped out on the meet and greet. Her deftly disguised irritation made me wonder if this was something he did often, a small display of rebellion.
    “Everything smells divine,” I said. “I assume your husband is responsible for this amazing spread?”
    Mary smiled with pride. “Yes. I sincerely hope you will enjoy what he’s prepared this morning. After you’ve made a plate for yourself, I invite you to join us at the community table.”
    “Great,” Carter said. “Thank you so much.”
    As I surveyed the buffet table, it was hard to imagine that only one person was responsible for such an extensive menu. Eggs Benedict, scrambled eggs with cheese, crispy bacon, plump sausages, home fries, grits, hash browns, fresh fruit, oatmeal, yogurt, and an endless arrangement of muffins, croissants, cinnamon rolls, bagels and sweet breads. For an Inn that only had five rooms to let, I wondered how much food was ultimately wasted every day?
    My mother’s words repeated in my ear from when I was younger; there are children starving in Africa. Which