Hope Callaghan - Garden Girls 07 - Missing Milt by Hope Callaghan Read Free Book Online Page A

while Gloria grabbed paper plates and napkins.  The girls munched on the pizza and talked about the upcoming holidays and the welcome relief from the summer heat. 
    Gloria was careful to avoid the painful topic of Bill. She lifted a mushroom from the top of her slice of pizza and popped it into her mouth.  “Why don’t we drop the clothes off together in the morning and then have breakfast at Del’s?”
    Lucy picked up her napkin and wiped her mouth.  “Sure.  Sounds good to me.”
    After they finished eating, Gloria took a leftover piece of pizza, sliced it into bite-size snacks and put them on two paper plates – one for Mally and one for Puddles.  She shut the lid on the pizza box.  “The leftovers are yours.”
    She walked Lucy to her jeep.  The sun had set and it was dark out. The croak of bullfrogs filled the night air. 
    Gloria waited for Lucy to climb into her jeep before handing her the pizza box. 
    Lucy pulled the driver’s side door shut and rolled the window down.  “What time you want to leave in the morning?”
    Gloria crossed her arms.  If she remembered correctly, according to Frances’ meticulous notes, Milt and his pals ate in the restaurant early.  “Would 7:30 be too early?”
    Lucy was a morning person.  She nodded.  “Okie Dokie.  I’ll be here at 7:30 with bells on.”
    Gloria watched Lucy’s jeep until the tail lights disappeared in the dark. She stepped back into the kitchen and locked the door behind her.  She looked down at Mally.  “I guess I better head to bed if I’m getting up at the crack of dawn.”

Chapter 6
    Gloria had just finished her first cup of coffee when Lucy arrived bright and early the next morning. 
    She was happy to see that Lucy was a bit more chipper than the day before.  Gloria didn’t dare ask if perhaps she and Bill had talked. 
    Traffic was light and the drive to Green Springs flew by.  On the way, the girls discussed the possibilities of what might have happened to Milt. 
    Del’s Diner was packed and Lucy had to drive around the block a couple times to find an open spot.  The inside was just as busy.  The girls wandered around the maze of packed tables and squeezed into a corner booth.
    Lucy studied the menu while Gloria studied the crowd.  It was mostly men, which made it difficult for Gloria to try to figure out which group was Milt’s buddies.
    “Good morning, gals.  Can I get you a cup of coffee?” A young woman wearing a black uniform and dark blue apron approached their booth.
    Gloria nodded.  Lucy shook her head. “I’ll take a hot chocolate, please.”
    “Coffee for me,” Gloria told the woman.  When she walked away, she turned to Lucy.  “You still on that hot chocolate kick?”
    Lucy nodded.  “Yeah.  I think I’m addicted to it,” she admitted, “chocolate, that is.”
    Gloria smiled.  Had Lucy just figured that out?
    Gloria perused the menu.  She decided to go heavy on the breakfast and skip lunch since Paul was taking her to dinner.  She glanced over the top of the menu at her friend.  She didn’t dare mention the dinner date.
    The waitress returned.  She set a cup of coffee in front of Gloria and an empty mug, packet of hot chocolate and pot of hot water in front of Lucy. 
    “I’ll take the chocolate chip waffle and a side of bacon,” Lucy told her.  She turned to Gloria.  “You should try chocolate and bacon together.  It’s to die for!”
    Gloria scrunched her eyebrows.  Maybe she should follow Lucy’s weight loss plan: eat all the sweets you can stomach and the pounds will melt away!
    The thought of that much sugar made her stomach turn.  “I’ll take a western omelet, wheat toast and a side of sausage.” She handed the menus back to the woman who turned to go.
    “Wait!” 
    The woman spun back around. She lifted a brow.  “Yes?”
    Gloria stuck her elbow on the table.  “Say, you ever wait on a man by the name of Milton Tilton?”
    The woman shoved her order pad in her