“We all have moments like that. I’ve never been able to work out how to dictate into my phone.”
“That’s not a bad thing. At least you won’t trip over your feet.”
Jackie grinned. “That happens even when I’m fully aware of what I’m doing.”
With a smile, he glanced at her tracksuit pants. “Did you change your mind and decide to go for a run?”
Jackie laughed. “Nice try, but unfortunately not. I’m heading into The Starlight Café. Andrea and I have hot chocolate and muffins each Saturday before the café gets too busy. It’s our time to decompress and laugh about what’s been happening.”
Andrea knocked on the café’s window, then came outside to see them. “Hey, you two. Was it a twist of fate that brought you here at the same time or was it planned?”
Aidan smiled. “It was fate. I nearly bumped into Andrea when I was running past the café.”
“It’s just as well you saw each other in time. How’s your run so far, Aidan?”
“Better than I thought. I’ll keep moving and leave you to catch up.”
Andrea held the door wider. “Why don’t you have a hot chocolate with us before the breakfast crowd arrives?”
He glanced at Jackie. “I’d like to, but I don’t want Jackie to think I’m stalking her. We’ve seen each other nearly every day since I called into The Fairy Forest.”
Jackie smiled. “It’s easy to keep seeing the same people in a small town. You should join us. Andrea’s hot chocolate’s too good to miss.”
“If you’re sure it’s okay, I’d love to join you.”
Andrea beckoned them forward. “While you’re waiting for me to make our drinks, ask Jackie to show you Natalie’s paintings. They’re wonderful.”
On their way across the café, Jackie pointed out the paintings. “Andrea hosts mini exhibitions at the café. Usually, Natalie’s paintings are in galleries around the world. But, fortunately, she’s been working on some canvases between her commission pieces. We’re lucky she’ll let us have a sneak peek at her latest work.”
Aidan stood in front of a large canvas. The sparkling lake surrounded by tall, pine-covered mountains, could only be Flathead Lake. He stepped closer, focusing on the stones Natalie had captured at the bottom of the painting.
“This is incredible. The closer I get, the more realistic the painting becomes. I feel as if I could reach out and touch the lake.”
Jackie studied the painting. “It really is stunning. This series is part of her photo-realism collection. Natalie’s done a lot more experimental work since she moved back to Sapphire Bay.”
Andrea placed a plate of muffins on a table close to where they were standing. “It’s probably because she married a crime writer. I’m surprised she hasn’t added splashes of red to her canvases.”
Jackie laughed. “Her husband, Gabe, keeps telling her he’s creating a female detective who paints in her spare time. Natalie isn’t impressed.”
Aidan’s eyebrows rose. “Most people would jump at the chance of being a character in a book.”
“Natalie values her privacy.” Andrea pointed to the table where she’d left the plate. “Enjoy your muffins while Jackie tells you about Gabe and Natalie’s terrible ordeal. I’ll bring our mugs of hot chocolate across to the table soon.”
Aidan was intrigued. “I didn’t think anything terrible happened in Sapphire Bay.”
“You’d be surprised,” Jackie said. “When Natalie came back to Sapphire Bay, she met Gabe. Her mom had let him rent half of the house they owned. Unfortunately, one of Gabe’s superfans was recreating the murders in his books. Somehow, he heard about Natalie and decided she should be his next target. I don’t know much more about what happened, but it sounded terrifying.”
Andrea placed two mugs of hot chocolate on the table. “It happened before I arrived, too. I don’t know how anyone could get over something like that.”
Neither did Aidan. “Has anything else happened in Sapphire Bay that I should know about?”
“You’re probably safer not knowing,” Andrea said in a lowered voice. “Sapphire Bay’s home to more former military, police, and IT specialists than anywhere else I’ve lived. If you wanted to become a writer like Gabe, you’d never be short of ideas.”
Jackie looked at the two mugs and frowned. “Where’s your hot chocolate, Andrea?”
“I just got a call from a book group who meet here each Wednesday. They’ve decided to have another meeting and they’ll be here soon.”
Jackie frowned. “Do you need any help getting everything ready?”
