For a moment, she just stared at me. Then she burst out laughing and had to grip the counter for support. I waited, arms crossed, while she got it out of her system.
She shook her head, still laughing. “This is gorgeous.” She examined the knife again. “You should take it to a jeweler; they’d be able to tell you if it’s real.” She handed it back carefully. “You should keep it.”
“We’ll see.” I tucked the knife back into my purse. “Where’s a good place to get breakfast around here?”
Her face lit up. “You have to go to Stacks. Best pancakes and coffee you’ll ever have. They also have a small selection of books.”
I couldn’t help but smile.
After thanking the woman, I left the store, put my spray in the car, and headed across the street.
Chapter 4
Liz
Inearly choked on my coffee as I looked at the prices for local rentals. I’d spent fifteen minutes scrolling through options on my phone while waiting for breakfast, and either the entire town of Ashford was expecting the Queen of England to visit, or I’d stumbled into some kind of luxury vacation hotspot.
I stared at a photo that showed what appeared to be a glorified shed with fairy lights. Eight hundred dollars a night for a cabin with ‘authentic rustic charm’? Did ‘authentic rustic charm’ mean there was an outhouse?
Another listing caught my eye that touted ‘cozy mountain retreat with panoramic views.’ The photos showed a living room with antlers on every available surface. The daily rate was enough to make my credit card spontaneously combust.
I scrolled further. Every decent option was booked solid or priced for people whose idea of roughing it meant going without a personal chef. The only place with availability was the Ashford Motel on the edge of town, and their website hadn’t been updated since dial-up internet was cutting-edge technology.
My stomach growled, and I set my phone down, rubbing my temples where a headache was forming. The motel was probably fine. Probably. Or I could head back to Reno.
The thought made me scrunch my nose. The last thing I needed was to run into Scott. He’d be all fake concern and “I told you so” smugness, as if I’d been the one with the gambling problem that bankrupted our business.
“Pancakes, eggs over medium, a side of bacon, and a coffee refill.”
I looked up as the server, Darlene, set a plate in front of me that could have fed a small army. The pancakes were the size of my face, golden brown and steaming.
“Anything else I can get for you, honey?” Darlene asked, topping off my coffee.
“Do you know anything about the Ashford Motel? It seems to be the only place with vacancies.”
Darlene’s face did something complicated, like she was trying not to insult a distant relative she secretly hated. “It’s...” She cringed. “They clean the sheets.”
“That bad?”
“Let’s just say they don’t exactly pay for the exterminator upfront. They wait until the roaches start demanding rent.”
I groaned. “Great. And there’s nothing else affordable around here?”
“Lot of tourists this time of year,” Darlene sighed. “Makes everything go up.”
My fork hovered over my pancakes. I really liked the area, but I didn’t want to share a room with insects or max out my credit card on a rental for two nights. Because that’s really all I could afford with the pricing of nicer places.
How could I have been so blind to what had been going on right in front of my face? Oh, that’s right. I was focused on a business that someone else clearly didn’t care enough about.
“I have an RV that you could rent.”
The voice came from two seats down the counter. I turned to see a woman about my age with brown hair sipping coffee. She set down her mug and smiled.
“Sorry, I couldn’t help overhearing. I’m Reese.” She slid over to the empty stool next to me, bringing her mug with her.
“Liz.”
“I have a travel trailer at Wings End that I’ve been getting ready to rent out.”
