CHAPTER ONE
It was a strangely warm day for how late it was in the year. The trees had pretty much lost all their leaves, only a few still had some clinging to their branches. The yellow and red foliage made for a beautiful sight as a light breeze rustled through the trees. So much about the weather that morning felt as though it would be cold and dreary, but surprisingly, it hadn’t happened.
Della finished up in her office and shut the door behind her. There had been a few last things for her to look over before she would officially start her vacation. Even now, with it right under her nose, it didn’t seem like it was really happening. She headed for the front of the store and lowered herself into her favorite chair behind the counter of Fox’s Finds, the used and vintage goods store she owned.
“Thank you so much for taking care of Moose while I’m gone,” Della told Molly as she leaned back in her chair and crossed her ankles on the small footrest in front of her. Her stomach still wobbled at the thought of leaving her big St. Bernard dog behind for so long. Would he think she’d abandoned him?
“Trust me, my kids are looking forward to it. They’ve been arguing over who would be the first to take Moose for a walk,” Molly chuckled. “I’m just afraid having him around is going to make them think we need to get a dog. And while short term it will be fun, I don’t think it would be right for us at this time.”
“Dogs are big responsibilities, for sure. I’m just so happy he’s gotten to know your family from their visits to the store. It makes me feel better about leaving him behind,” Della admitted. “I hope he doesn’t even notice that I’m gone.”
“We’ll take good care of him while you’re on vacation,” Molly assured her from where she was seated behind the register. She was wearing a thick plaid shirt hanging loose over a cream-colored turtleneck and fitted dark jeans. “I’m just glad you’re finally taking some time off for yourself. You deserve it after everything that’s happened.”
Della’s eyes dropped to her hands as she thought about the unusual path that had led her to where she found herself now. Her recent history was full of twists and turns when she looked back on everything that had happened.
She still missed Bryce, the FBI agent who had helped solve the murder of her husband as well as protect her, and she hoped he was okay. With him being an undercover agent on a special investigation assignment, she couldn’t even talk to him to find out how things were going. It made her worry for multiple reasons. What if the bad guys he was investigating discovered who he was? Would she even be told if somehow he got hurt? Killed? The thought made her shiver.
Bryce had helped her through so much during the difficult days after Seth’s death and when her life had been threatened. She hadn’t realized how much she’d come to rely on him until he was gone. While she was living life and determined to carry on like normal, it was a huge loss all the same. Especially with Sheriff Metcalf gone too. She might have been moving on with her life, but that particular wound had a habit of hurting her the most when it came out of the blue.
“I wouldn’t be going on a vacation if it wasn’t for my sister,” she finally said after her short bout of inner conflict and reflection. “And I’m still not sure about going to Las Vegas.” Della picked at a thread on her shirt so that she wouldn’t have to meet Molly’s eyes.
“Why? You’re going to have so much fun! There’s so much to do there,” Molly gushed. “Literally, there is something for everyone there. If you like food, there’s lots of food to choose from. There are museums, attractions, you name it, they’ve got it.”
“I’m just not a gambler,” Della confessed. “I actually find the concept kind of ridiculous. Putting your money in a machine and hope more comes out seems downright silly.”
She’d thought about taking a little money for gambling, but she just couldn’t bring herself to do it, so she allocated a few extra dollars to her shopping budget instead.
Molly shrugged. “So don’t gamble then. You’ll have a great time even if you don’t. The first time I went, I didn’t. And then when my husband and I went there on our honeymoon, I think I only gambled with fifty dollars.”
“Did you win anything?” Della asked, curious. There was no way she could get herself to risk a large amount of money, but she could see trying something around fifty dollars if it might give her a slim chance of a win. Anymore, even a night out runs at least fifty dollars.
“I think I did,” Molly replied as she tilted her head thoughtfully. She brushed her long dark hair over her shoulder. “I think I turned it into two hundred, and we ended up going to a show with it.”
That sounded tempting, but Della still wasn’t sure if she could bring herself to do it. “I’m trying to keep an open mind,” she said. “But when my sister told me she was going to pick a place for us to go on vacation, I never thought it would be Vegas.” She’d had her mind on sandy beaches and oceanfront balconies, not slot machines and celebrities.
“Just go there with an open mind. I think you’ll be surprised,” Molly assured her as she glanced up at the clock. “When did you have to leave again?”
Della turned her head so she could check the clock. It didn’t matter that all morning her eyes had kept flicking to it in anticipation. “In just a few minutes, I should probably head home and finish getting ready.”
She stood up and felt her stomach flip flop as she did. She hadn’t told anyone this, but she was nervous. She’d never flown before, although her sister had plenty of times. When she and Seth had gone on their honeymoon, they’d driven and made the drive part of the experience. Now, the idea filled her with a certain amount of fear. What if she freaked out?
She went over to Moose and knelt beside him. “I love you, big guy, and I’m sorry I can’t bring you with me.” She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in the fur at the back of his head. She inhaled deeply as she squeezed him. “I’m going to miss you so much.”
Tears pricked her eyes as she thought about not having him by her side. He’d been her constant companion and had brought her so much love since she’d adopted him, and that didn’t include the times he’d protected her and even saved her life.
“Don’t worry. We’ll go by your house and check on the chickens, too,” Molly assured her.
“Thank you so much. I’m really grateful to you, and I hope I’m not putting you out too much,” Della told her as she stood up and pulled Molly into a hug.
“Don’t worry about a thing here. Enjoy yourself and I’ll be ready to hear all about it when you come home,” Molly said as she squeezed her back.
Just as she turned around to head toward the back of the store, the front door opened, and the little bell attached to the door rang out. Della looked over her shoulder to see Moose go to his bed as Molly greeted their customers.
She’s got this, Della mentally reminded herself. Everything would be fine while she was gone. She was sure of that. So why was she so worried?
She pushed open the back door and stepped outside. “Fear and excitement feel the same,” she reminded herself. If she told herself enough times that, maybe she’d stop thinking it was fear and start leaning into the excitement.
The door to Ryan’s repair shop next door opened as she walked to her truck. “Are you heading out?” Ryan called as he peeked from the back of his shop.
“I am,” Della said with a nod. She hoped her nervousness hadn’t been too obvious as her voice shook slightly.
“Good luck! Win lots of money!” Ryan said with a wave.
Della returned it with one of her own. “Thank you!” As he slipped back inside, Della opened her truck door and climbed inside.
It felt strange knowing that as she pulled away, she’d be gone for a whole week. Thinking back, she was almost certain she’d never left the store for that long during the entire time it had been open. It was a little like leaving your child for the first time, so she felt pretty conflicted as she headed home.
When she spotted her house, Della made a decision. “I might as well embrace this whole Las Vegas vacation thing,” she told herself. “I’m going to have fun. I’m not going to worry about what’s going on here at home. I will trust that everyone will take good care of things while I’m gone.”
She gave herself a firm nod as she put the truck in park and then went inside to finish packing and wait for her sister to arrive and drive them to the airport.
Her key slid into the lock, and she twisted the knob before she decided to double check her spare key location. After making sure it was still under the flowerpot, she went inside.
Her bags were on the chair where she’d left them and she went over and unzipped them so she could visually go over everything she’d packed. Just as she’d made sure she’d gotten everything, she heard Sophia pull in the driveway. She zipped up the bags and forced her nerves to settle down as she headed for the door.
“Are you ready?” Sophia called out as she approached the house. She’d been walking up the front steps as Della pulled open the door and stood in the entrance. Sophia was beaming, her smile spread from ear to ear and her eyes sparkled with excitement.
“I was just making sure everything was ready for me to leave,” Della admitted as she let her sister in the house.
“You’re such a worrywart,” Sophia chuckled. “Tell me what you still need to do so I can help you and then we can head out.” She pouted playfully.
“Nothing, I’ve got it all done now. “Let’s go,” Della said firmly. “I’m ready.”
“You’re ready?” Sophia began to grin again. She looked a little worried about Della, as if she were waiting for her sister to change her mind.
“Let’s get this party started,” Della responded as she took a deep breath and lifted her bags. ...
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