Free Cold Hollow (Cold Hollow Mysteries Book 1) by Emilie J. Howard

Before leaving, she slipped Amanda the twenty dollars the manager of the grocery store had given her so she could buy more milk and the basic staples. As she pulled out of the driveway, she vowed to herself that she would continue to bring any excess food from her gardens to them. She lived alone now, and a lot of it would just go bad anyway, so if she could help them out, she would. When she returned home, she felt so good about herself that she had the most peaceful night’s sleep she’d had in a decade.
     
    ***
     
    The family piled into Angus’s roomy SUV, and he was astonished to see the amount of food the women had crammed into two picnic baskets. As he loaded the back of the vehicle, he commented, “Are we inviting more company? You gals packed enough to feed the entire town.”
    Myrna answered, “Swimming and fresh air make people hungry. I figured if we ran into someone we know, then we could invite them to join us. It’s good advertising for the bakery.”
    Angus’s head popped up from the back hatch and he looked at Sophia. “We have another marketing genius among us?”
    Sophia nodded and watched Myrna slide in the backseat and snuggle up next to Liam. He nuzzled against her and asked her to tell him another story about the friendly mountain lions. Myrna obliged and entertained the entire vehicle as Angus drove them to the town beach. He had shown Sophia some pictures of the place the night before, and she could hardly wait to see it with her own eyes. It had looked so beautiful. It seemed to be the most picturesque location in the entire town.
    Layla commented on Myrna’s storytelling and asked if she ever thought of writing children’s books. Myrna blushed and shook her head. Layla kept it up and urged her to do it, suggesting she try her hand at it during the long winter. Layla then handed her some rubber bands for her hair, and Myrna winked at her.
    When Sophia arrived at the beach, her mouth hung open. The view was majestic, and she doubted she had ever seen anything so beautiful as what she was currently witnessing. The mountain peaks could be seen in the distance, and a large, glistening lake stood before them. To the right of the lake was the waterfall, which the melting snow kept running. It wasn’t a forceful waterfall right now, but Sophia imagined it would be a raging torrent in the springtime. Encompassing the lake were full-bodied pine trees. The expansive beach area was free of trees, except for the borders. It was an ideal location, and the sand felt soft beneath her bare feet. She had kicked off her sandals the moment she saw the sand and wiggled her toes deep inside of it. The air was crisp and clean, and she inhaled it deep into her lungs. The scent of suntanning lotion filled the air. Angus poked her and pointed to a spot he thought would be ideal for their blanket. She followed him and found he had picked a spot that was half in the strong sun and half in the shade.
    As soon as they spread a huge blanket out on the sand of the beach, Myrna braided Layla’s long hair for her. Sophia had tried several times to do it, but it always came out lopsided or too loose. She was glad that the children had taken to Myrna so easily. She was quickly becoming like an aunt to them, and Sophia could not have been happier about it. She and Angus had been only children, and their parents were long ago deceased. She always felt bad for the children. They would never know what aunts and uncles were like. Worse, they would never meet their grandparents.
    They stripped their clothes off, revealing their bathing suits, and took to the water. Before long, more town inhabitants showed up and water sports began. The sound of bold laughter and splashing filled the area. A net of sorts was erected and beach balls went into action.
    Myrna did not remember having so much fun in her entire life and eagerly joined in the games. She stopped when she heard Sophia clear her throat and stare at the beach. Doctor Tom