Death Checks Inn (Aspen Valley Inn 1) by Sara Robbins Read Free Book Online Page B

Moore standing there.
    “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you .” Tricia said, “I just came by to see if I can help. Charlotte stopped by the café and invited us to come over tonight. My shift is over and I thought you could use some help,” she finished.
    Lacey was happy to take her up on that offer and led her over to the work island in the kitchen.
    With Tricia busily peeling potatoes for a large batch of potato salad, she got to work putting together a dessert to finish off their dinner of grilled teriyaki salmon and chicken breast.
    They would also have f resh vegetables brushed with olive oil and grilled with fresh garlic and herbs.
    She baked a pan of fudgy brownies. Then layered brownie pieces in a trifle dish with alternating layers of chocolate pudding and whipped cream. She added a few shavings of chocolate to the top of the elaborate looking dish and set the concoction in the large refrigerator to chill.
    She really enjoyed making people happy with food, and had the waistline to prove it.
    Tricia had finished mixing up the potato salad with a lovely dressing of mustard, fresh thyme and mayonnaise. The bowl was placed in the fridge.
    Lacey suggested they pull up a couple of stools at the large work island an d have a glass of iced tea.
    Tricia seemed happy to take a break and drank thirstily from her glass. She had many questions about the murder and her missing guest.
    Apparently, the local gossip mill had passed on the fact that Heather had been found dead. Lacey was not about to share whatever inside knowledge Wyatt had given her.
    She asked Tricia if she had always lived in Elkville.
    “Oh no.” answered Tricia, “Very few people are actually from here. I moved here from Denver a few months ago.”
    According to her story, she had tired of big city life and big city crime and a friend had told her about Elkville. She liked the small town atmosphere but still being close to a big city if she wanted.
      Lacey couldn’t help it, she asked her about the Wyatt. Hoping not to be too obvious, she asked if the town was happy with their choice of sheriff.
    Tricia replied , “Well, Sheriff Graves has only been here a year, but people seemed happy that they got “big city” experience right here in Elkville.”
    Tricia was interesting to visit with and before she knew it, an hour had passed.
    Charlotte came in lugging several cloth grocery bags. Lacey rushed to take a couple from her as Tricia did the same.
    Lacey unpacked the wild caught salmon fillets and free range chicken breasts from the bags that Charlotte brought in. She felt very strongly that she should provide the best and least processed food to her guests that she could afford. Someday she hoped to have a fruitful garden that also supplied some home grown organics to her table.
    Of course, that was very iffy considering the altitude of the Inn location.
    As she whisked together a pungent teriyaki sauce to marinate the fish and chicken she enjoyed listening to the two women get to know each other.
    Lacey announced that since everything was done except grilling the meat they should enjoy a happy hour drink before the first guests arrived.
    This announcement was greeted by a cheer from Charlotte and Tricia. Lacey proceeded to make a pitcher of margaritas.
    As the sun quickly slipped behind the still snow dusted peak the women laughed and compared lives around the granite topped work island in the kitchen.
    Charlotte was delighted that the first guest to ring the old-fashioned dinner bell located on the front deck of the Inn was Cody Westerfield. Charlotte ran to let him in.
    Charlotte was very petite, which was accentuated by the six foot two height of Cody. She was an attractive woman, definitely the prettiest of the three sisters. She was so tiny and delicate that men automatically wanted to protect her. They would be making a huge mistake to underestimate Charlotte’s strength. She was the strongest soul Lacey knew. Wide blue eyes, heart shaped