Spicy Lasagna Murder: Book 13 in The Darling Deli Series Read Online Free PDF Page A

you two,” she said to the dogs. “Let’s go on a walk. I hate feeling cooped up, but I don’t think I should drive anywhere in the state that I’m in.”
    The doctor had cautioned her not to drive until she knew how she would react to the pain medication, and she was taking his warning seriously. The last thing that she wanted was to get into another car wreck—she had just bought the SUV for goodness sakes—and she dreaded the thought of hurting someone accidentally.
    After managing to pull a light jacket on—it barely fit over her cast—Moira shoved her feet into a pair of slip-ons and called the dogs over to the front door. Realizing that they were about to go somewhere more fun than just the back yard, the two of them perked up and sat eagerly at her feet, tongues lolling.
    “Stick around, all right?” she said sternly. “I don’t want to have to go stumbling through the woods looking for you.”
    The dogs were normally pretty good off leash, but occasionally pretended to be deaf when she called them back. Despite that, she enjoyed walking the wooded trails with them, and it felt good to make use of the five acres of property that surrounded her little stone house.
    Jus stepping outside made her feel better. The day was overcast, but it hadn’t rained yet. The breeze smelled fresh and thankfully kept the persistent smell of smoke in her hair away from her nostrils. She’d already thrown away the clothes that she had worn to the corn maze; she couldn’t have saved them no matter what she did, and she knew that if she’d kept them they would only have served as reminders of that horrible day.
    The dogs ran in front of her, chasing and wrestling with each other. When they reached the mouth of the wooded path, they began sniffing eagerly at the fallen leaves, following the scent trails of the forest animals for a few feet before getting bored and finding another interesting smell to snuffle. Moira smiled to herself as they walked, feeling at peace in the quiet forest, the only sounds birdsong and the gurgling of the little brook.
    When they reached the stream, she let the dogs wade through while she took the bridge. Both Maverick and Keeva loved the water, and didn’t seem at all put off by the chilly spray. At least Keeva isn’t rolling in the water like she did last time , she thought. She didn’t fancy trying to give the humongous dog a bath with the use of only one hand.
    As they neared the end of the trail, she saw David’s car parked in the driveway. Hoping that he hadn’t been waiting long, she hurried the last few feet and waved at him. Maverick’s ears went up and he let off one intimidating bark before recognizing the vehicle. He and Keeva raced across the yard, the Irish wolfhound pulling ahead thanks to her long legs, and greeted David as he got out of his car.
    “Sorry, I thought we’d make it back before you got here,” she told him when she got closer. “I decided to take a quick walk with the dogs since they seemed down.”
    “I just pulled in,” he assured her. “I hadn’t even gotten out of my car yet. Look what I brought.”
    She grinned at the sight of the Chinese takeout bag. Just what she needed to feel better; a giant helping of honey chicken, fried rice, and an egg roll.
    “You’re a lifesaver,” she said. “Let’s go in, and I’ll put some plates down.”
    David ended up setting the table, insisting on the job once he saw Moira struggling to do it one-handed. Annoyed at her own feebleness, but knowing that she really did need his help, she gave the dogs both fresh water instead. At last they sat down and pulled open the boxes full of steaming food. Moira sighed as she inhaled the delicious scent of her favorite takeout meal.
    “Thanks for coming over,” she said.
    “It’s my pleasure,” he replied. “Besides, I wanted to update you about the barn fire.”
    She put down her fork, her hunger suddenly fading with the need to hear whatever information he