Doubting Thomas (Tarnished Saints Series) Read Online Free PDF Page B

of boxes of cereal. “I was thinking maybe your little girl would want some cereal this morning. I’ve got all kinds she can choose from.”
    Angel watched in astonishment as Agnes put down the armload of boxes on the tiled island counter that sat in the center of the huge room. She was a short, stout woman who looked like she ate more of her bakery than she should.
    “I’ve got sugared flakes, sugared pops, frosted shredded wheat, crispy waffle cinnamon cereal, and chocolate cookie cereal.”
    “Really, that’s not necessary. Gabby’s not much of a breakfast eater.” Angel almost gagged at the half-dozen boxes of cereal that all contained more sugar than morally decent to still be considered part of a balanced breakfast.
    “Or if she doesn’t like these, I’ve got more in the storage room. Let me get them.”
    “Oh, no. Please.” Angel grabbed the box of shredded wheat, the only cereal with fiber in it, and held it up. “This will be fine. She’ll be sleeping for a while and I was wondering if you’d keep an eye on her while I went out for a morning jog?”
    “Why I’d be delighted,” said Agnes with a large smile.
    “Morning jog?” she heard Clarence from behind his paper. “Don’t go past the blue-gill pond out back. And take a long stick with you, or maybe I’ll give you a rake or hoe. We’ve been having trouble with stray dogs around here. I throw rocks at them every time I see them, but it doesn’t faze them. I think I’ll have to go up the hill and borrow that bee-bee gun from Smitty’s son. That’ll get those dang animals thinking twice about wandering on our property.”
    Just the mention of the gun made Angel want to ask about what she heard last night. And whom she saw.
    “How about some breakfast, sweetie?” asked Agnes.
    Angel didn’t normally eat breakfast, but felt this would be a good time to gather information from the couple about Thomas Taylor and his kids.
    “Well, just a little.” She sat down next to Clarence and before she knew it, Agnes was placing a plate down in front of her filled with a heaping pile of bacon, scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, and a huge English Muffin.
    “Have some coffee.” Clarence held out the pot ready to pour it into the empty cup that almost magically appeared in front of her. They were a very efficient couple.
    “Oh, thank you, but I don’t normally drink coffee.”
    “Tea then?” asked Agnes, pulling a tin from the cabinet and flipping it open in front of her. “I have oolong, earl grey, lemon lift, herbal - chamomile, peppermint, jasmine . . .”
    Angel felt exasperated. If she didn’t stop Agnes soon, the woman would go on forever. “Just a glass of water will be fine.”
    “What kind?” asked Agnes.
    That caught Angel by surprise. She almost laughed aloud. Water was water. How many different kinds could there be?
    “Pardon me?” she asked, thinking she’d heard Agnes wrong.
    “What kind?” repeated Agnes, holding up a plastic jug. “I have spring water, distilled water, mountain water, tap water - but it’s well water and I know you won’t like it - or I have - ”
    “Tap is fine. Really.”
    “With or without ice?”
    Angel started calculating in her head how many types of ice Agnes would come up with, and decided to play it safe.
    “Without, thank you. Just straight from the tap, whatever the temperature may be.”
    “Well, some people really do like the taste of this stuff, but I don’t.”
    “She said tap water, dear,” Clarence interrupted his wife. “No ice. Now get her a drink so she can eat her eggs before they get cold.”
    Angel took a bite of the food, reveling in the delicious taste. She made small talk while she ate, surprised when her plate was empty and Agnes was ready to fill it again.
    “That was delicious, but I need to go on that jog now.”
    “Just stay on the main road,” said Clarence. “You don’t want to wander over to that crazy man Taylor’s road. Our guests do that now and