The Inn at Holiday Bay: Promise in the Proposal

Book 38: The Inn at Holiday Bay

by Kathi Daley

Genres: Mystery; Animal Cozy Mysteries; Amateur Sleuth; Female Sleuths; Romantic Suspense

Synopsis

Christmas may be packed away, but in Holiday Bay, the chaos is just getting started.

Colt's first case as a newly hired county detective is anything but routine. A shocking murder, a web of buried secrets, and three long-forgotten cold cases left behind by his predecessor collide in ways Colt never saw coming—and solving the present crime may depend on unlocking the past.

While Abby and Lacy pour their energy into a community fundraiser, Abby and Colt juggle blueprints for the home they hope to build together. At the same time, Georgia finds herself struggling with unexpected baby blues, adding one more emotional wrinkle to an already busy season.

And just when Abby thinks life might slow down, Colt and Mackey prepare to ask her a question she won't be able to refuse.

In Holiday Bay, life, love, and murder have a way of arriving all at once. Cozy, twisty, and filled with heart, this post-Christmas mystery proves that while the holidays may end, the surprises never do.

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Release date: January 27, 2026

Publisher: Kathi Daley Books

Sample

Chapter 1

“Lacy Parker and Abby Sullivan,” a woman wearing a bright blue sweater greeted my best
friend, Lacy Parker, and me after she joined us in the back of the high school theater, where
future thespians had been mesmerizing audiences for over forty years. “Just the women I needed
to track down.” She handed me a packet of paperwork and then gave Lacy two packets. “Do you
know if Mylie or Jeremy will be attending the audition?”
The woman referred to Mylie and Jeremy Slater, close friends and full-time employees at the
inn I owned, where we resided.
“No, they won’t be,” I answered. “I’ll be bringing Annabelle home with me,” I referred to
Annabelle Cole, Jeremy’s thirteen-year-old niece who lived with Mylie, Jeremy, and their
nineteen-month-old son, Danny.
The woman handed me a second packet. “If you could give this to either Mylie or Jeremy, I
would appreciate it.”
“I’ll be sure to pass it along,” I said as I accepted the bundle of paperwork.
The woman continued. “The packets include the rehearsal schedule and other relevant
information, as well as permission slips for your daughters to take the bus from the elementary
school to the high school each day rehearsal will be held.” She looked at Lacy. “I will need a
separate permission slip for Meghan and Mary,” she said, referring to Lacy’s ten-year-old twins.
“Will all the rehearsals be here at the high school?” Lacy asked.
“They will be due to the united effort this year,” the woman replied.
This year, the drama departments for the high school, middle school, and elementary school
had decided to collaborate on a joint production for the annual spring musical. The musical was
to serve as the showcase for a mega VIP fundraiser being organized by the school district to raise
money for a new high-tech theater the district hoped to build to replace the current theater, which

really did need to be modernized. “You can look over most of the material at your leisure, but I’ll
need the permission slips filled out before you leave today.” She handed each of us a pen.
“I’m not actually Mackenzie Hudson’s guardian,” I said, referring to my live-in boyfriend,
Colt Wilder’s, niece, who likewise lived with me. “Colt is.”
“I’m aware of that, but Colt stopped in and signed paperwork authorizing you to act as
guardian for Mackey in his absence. You are authorized to do almost anything a parent can do.
At least in relation to Mackey’s activities at school.”
I remembered Colt mentioning that he was going to add me to the list of individuals, along
with him, and his parents, Hank and Ruth Wilder, who could take Mackey out of school or sign
her up to participate in activities.
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll get this filled out.”
After the woman walked away, I turned to Lacy. “There are a lot of rehearsals on this list.”
“The next few months will be intense. Getting the kids to remember their lines is always a
challenge, but attempting a joint production between the high school, middle school, and
elementary school for the fundraiser is likely going to lead to its own set of headaches.”
I supposed that had been my experience with the community plays Lacy and I had directed in
the past. And I didn’t mind coming into town to pick Mackey up a bit later on rehearsal days.
Living at the inn meant that there was no bus service since the property was a twenty-minute
drive from town, so I usually dropped her off and picked her up every day anyway. Of course,
Annabelle was in the eighth grade and attended the middle school, so Jeremy and I were often
able to coordinate their rides.
“Maybe Colt can help with the rides now that he’s been cleared by his doctor to drive,” Lacy
added as if having read my mind about the ride-share issue.
Colt had been shot in the line of duty the previous spring, and his leg had been injured so
severely that he’d required months of intensive physical therapy. After a lot of hard work, he’d
finally managed to recover most of his independence and mobility.
“If he’s around, he will, but I’m not sure how things are going to work out with the new job.”
Colt hadn’t been able to requalify for his position as Holiday Bay’s Police Chief, which
mandated an annual fitness test that included running. He had, however, qualified for a position
as a county detective with the help of his trusty canine partner, Cody.
“What’s going on with that anyway?” Lacy asked. “Has he officially started?”
“He has been officially hired and has completed all the paperwork, although Detective
Monohan, the man he’s replacing, hasn’t actually left yet. Colt mentioned that his last day was
going to be Friday of this week, so I imagine that Colt’s first day of active duty in the role will
begin on Saturday.”
“How is he feeling about things?”
“Excited, I think. Colt is experiencing some conflicting emotions about having to step away
from his position as the town’s Police Chief. And I think he’s worried about the fact that he’s
leaving before the county sends a replacement. I know he’s feeling guilty about leaving Alex and
Brax in the lurch.” I referred to Officer Alex Weston, the town’s temporary Police Chief while

Colt was out on medical leave, and Officer Braxton Baker, who was the newest officer assigned
to the Holiday Bay Police Department.
“It seems as if Colt has been unofficially helping them,” Lacy pointed out.
“He has been. And I’m sure he’ll continue to do so as long as they need him. Beck has been
pitching in as well, so they’re accomplishing what needs to be done.”
Beck Cage was an ex-homicide detective who moved to Holiday Bay and opened a private
detective agency after he retired from the Boston PD.
“Oh, look, Mary’s up for her reading,” Lacy said, turning her full attention to the stage.
Lacy’s twins, Mary and Meghan, were auditioning for bit parts without many lines, while
Mackey and Annabelle were auditioning for roles that included both lines and musical solos.
Everyone knew that high school students would be selected for the most significant roles, but the
script that had been chosen demanded a huge cast, so there were minor roles for the younger
kids. Mackey hoped to earn the role of Gabriella, the little sister to one of the main characters,
and Annabelle was looking to make her mark as Liz, one of the street kids who befriended the
male lead.
“Mary sounds pretty self-assured,” I said.
“She’s been practicing those lines like crazy. I’m not sure why she wanted the specific role
she’s auditioning for since there are a lot of supporting roles in the play, but she was adamant
that the role of Stacy was the one she had to have.”
I held up my hand and crossed my fingers. “Then let’s hope that Mary gets it.”
“Meghan was less particular. She’s reading for the role of Sally, but she didn’t seem to care
which role she ended up with as long as it was a girl role and not a boy role.”
It seemed like there were a lot more girls trying out than boys, so I imagined a few girls
would end up filling the boy roles in the supporting cast.
Lacy held up her arm and waved. I turned and looked toward the door to the theater to find
my other best friend, Georgia Carter-Peyton, walking toward us with her two-and-a-half-week-
old daughter, Charlee, strapped to her chest.
“I didn’t know you were coming into town today,” I said to Georgia, who was on maternity
leave from her position as the inn’s manager.
“I took Charlee to the doctor to have that rash looked at. When we were finished, I called the
inn to talk with Jeremy about the electrician we scheduled to come out tomorrow to replace the
circuits in the inn’s kitchen. He mentioned that you were here. Since I’m bored sitting home by
myself all day, I decided to stop by.”
“I’m glad you did.” Lacy gently pulled the blanket covering Charlee’s head to the side to get
a better look. “So what’s going on with the rash?”
“The pediatrician wasn’t sure what caused it, but she assured me that it wasn’t serious. She
gave me some cream to put on it. We go back in two weeks for a regular well baby visit, and she
said she’d take another look at it then.” Georgia looked toward the stage. “So what’s going on?
Have the girls already auditioned?”

“Mary has,” Lacy answered. “Meghan should be up in a few minutes. They’re doing tryouts
for the bigger roles at the end, so Mackey and Annabelle might not be up for a while.”
Georgia settled back in her seat and wrapped her arms around her baby, who was snuggled
into her front pack and sleeping soundly against her mother’s chest. “I can’t wait until Charlee is
old enough to go to school and participate in things like plays.”
“Don’t wish away the infant years,” Lacy warned. “You’re going to miss them more than you
ever imagined you would once they’re gone.”
Lacy’s youngest child, Maddie, had just turned seven, and it seemed as if Lacy was in
mourning over the fact that she no longer had any little ones at home.
“Oh, look, here comes Meghan now,” Lacy said.
Meghan did an excellent job, as did her sister. Now I only had Mackey and Annabelle, who
had to recite lines and sing, to worry about. Wondering if they’d be nervous and forget their lines
was going to be the end of me. If they actually got the parts they were auditioning for, I’d be a
nervous wreck by opening night.
“Are you heading home after the rehearsals?” Georgia asked me once Meghan had finished
her audition, and the next girl was called to the front.
“No, I’m meeting Colt at Lonnie and Lacy’s. Lonnie received the drawings for the new house
from the architect, so we’re going to go over things again now that we have a visual.”
Colt and I were planning to build a large house on the property where the inn was located.
We’d just started working on the idea, but things were moving quickly. Lonnie wasn’t committed
to any other large jobs over the summer, so he’d assured us he could start work on the house
once the snow melted if the plans and permits were in place. His hope was to get the house
framed and buttoned up before the first snow fell. He would work on the interior over the winter
and finish it the following summer. It would be a long process, but Colt and I both agreed that
Lonnie was the best and that waiting for a “Lonnie Parker original” would be worth the wait.
“I want to come and see the plans,” Georgia said. She looked at Lacy. “If that’s okay with
you.”
“Of course, it’s okay with me,” Lacy said. “In fact, I’ll hold Charlee while you have a look
with Colt and Abby.”
Georgia smiled. “I’m sure Charlee would love to have Auntie Lacy hold her while she has
her five o’clock bottle.”
I could see that Lacy was looking forward to some one-on-one time with Charlee. She really
was a cute baby, and so far, she seemed to be about as even-tempered as any baby I’d been
around.
“Good afternoon, ladies.”
I looked up when the interim elementary school principal, Sully Sullivan, sat down next to
Lacy with his cat, Poe. Sully used to be a principal at a large school in a different state before
moving to Holiday Bay, but he’d quit his job to become an author. He was currently filling in for
the regular elementary school principal, Principal Jeffries, while he cared for his ill brother in
California.

“I was hoping you’d be here today,” Sully said to Lacy after settling Poe on his lap.
Lacy gave the man her full attention. “What can I do for you, Principal Sullivan?”
“I need help.”
I wasn’t surprised to hear that. Sully was a great guy who I was sure had been an excellent
principal when he had his own school, but he’d been dropped into his current role without any
preparation, and often turned to Lacy for help when he needed a volunteer.
Sully continued. “In addition to agreeing to collaborate on the spring production, apparently,
the principals of all three schools agreed to take on specific roles related to the VIP dinner and
silent auction that is to kick off two months of fundraising for the theater. Principal Jeffries
agreed to organize the silent auction. The VIP dinner and silent auction are scheduled for January
twenty-fourth, which is less than two weeks away. Unfortunately, no one explained that I was not
only supposed to organize the silent auction but also solicit donations for it. As far as I can tell,
Jeffries hadn’t even started working on the project before taking his leave.”
“So you need someone to go around to all the businesses in town and ask for donations that
can be auctioned off,” Lacy said.
“Exactly. I just found out about the silent auction this past Friday, and when I told Piper
about it, she agreed to help me. But she received a call yesterday informing her that her
grandmother had fallen and broken her hip, so Piper and Penelope flew home to help her until
she’s able to get around on her own.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Lacy said. “I hope Piper’s grandmother will be okay.”
Sully replied. “When we spoke this morning, Piper indicated that her grandmother would be
fine, but since she was going to need a lot of help, Piper indicated that she would be away for at
least a month. Her next big event isn’t until April, so Piper wasn’t too worried about taking the
time off she needed to be with her grandmother, but she did say that she’d be unable to help me
with the silent auction.”
Piper Fairchild was a local event planner, and Sully’s friend or maybe girlfriend. I really
wasn’t clear on their current relationship status, but they did seem to be close. Penelope was
Piper’s dog.
“I’m happy to take over the task of organizing the silent auction,” Lacy said. “The timeline is
tight, so I’ll need to get started right away, but luckily, you caught me at a good time since I don’t
currently have any other volunteer duties competing for my attention.”
“I’ll help,” I offered. “The inn is closed for two weeks for our regularly scheduled
maintenance and updating, so we don’t have guests to worry about.”
“Charlee and I are in as well,” Georgia added. “We could use a project to keep us occupied.”
Sully blew out a long breath of relief. “Thank you. All of you. If you hadn’t been able to
help, I’m not sure what I would have done.”
“You would have figured something out,” Lacy said. “But we’re happy to help.” She glanced
toward the stage. “Mackey is up next, so how about I call you tomorrow, and we can work out a
timeline. If we need to get together, we can meet after school.”

“That sounds perfect.” He stood up, setting Poe on the floor at his feet. “I need to meet with
the high school and middle school principals in thirty minutes. I’m going to tell them the silent
auction is handled and that they don’t need to worry about it.”
I watched Sully walk away with Poe on his leash. They really did make the cutest pair.
Mackey’s audition started with a song. I knew Mackey had a good voice, but until this
moment, I guess I hadn’t known how good a voice she actually had. Annabelle came up shortly
after and performed her own jaunty rendition of the theme song. There were other girls with
exceptional voices, but I really thought that our girls had done the best job. The producer and
casting staff must have agreed, since, when the roles were announced, we found out that all four
of our girls had been chosen for the roles they’d tried out for. The three of us sitting at the back
of the room applauded. I was both excited and nervous for Mackey. She’d taken on a substantial
role, but she seemed sure of her ability to do it, so I decided to be confident in her as well.
Georgia and Charlee followed Mackey, Annabelle, and me to the Parker’s house. By the time
we arrived, Colt and Lonnie were already discussing the architect’s rendering and the blueprints
that they’d laid out on the table.
“The house is really great,” Georgia said after handing Lacy the baby, the diaper bag, and a
bottle of breast milk she’d prepared ahead of time.
I glanced at Lonnie, who was staring at his wife as she happily rocked Charlee and gave her
the bottle. The couple had six children, and they’d both agreed that six was enough, but I knew
that Lacy had been having a hard time leaving the baby and toddler years behind.
“So about the house,” I said, diverting everyone’s attention back to the drawing and
blueprints.
Lonnie walked us through the rendering the architect had come up with. He explained why
the architect had made the choices he had and what sort of options were available to us. There
were lots of decisions to be made before we could apply for the permits. At this point in the
process, we needed to settle on a footprint and the approximate square footage. Once we had
that, we could move forward even if we decided to change the layout of the interior rooms at a
later time.
“We currently have five bedrooms upstairs,” Lonnie informed us. “To the left of the staircase
is the master suite at the end of the hallway. The suite features a large sleeping area, a room with
a balcony overlooking the sea that can be used as a lounge or office, and, of course, the fully
outfitted bathroom you requested. Next to that is a flex room, which at this point has been
designated as a guest room, but you can use it as an office if you decide to use the sitting area in
the suite as a lounge. It doesn’t have its own bathroom, and the closest bathroom, other than the
bathroom in your suite, will be the Jack and Jill bathroom down the hallway, but we can
reconfigure things to add a small bathroom to this room if you decide to use it as a bedroom.”
“I think we should add a bathroom,” I said. “I’ve been imagining the room as more of a
nursery and playroom, which is why I wanted it to be close to the master suite.”
Lonnie and Colt both just looked at me.
“For the babies, when I sit with them,” I clarified. “I sometimes keep Hazel overnight when
Bailey is busy, and I imagine that I’ll likewise sit with Charlee from time to time when Georgia

and Tanner need a night out.” Bailey Sullivan was one of my two daughters by choice, a single
mom, and an employee at the inn.
“You can count on that,” Georgia confirmed with a smile.
“And I often have both Hazel and Danny in the cottage for nap time during the day when
both their mommies are occupied,” I added. “I thought a room designated for the babies and
toddlers with cribs and toddler beds would be the best way to go.”
“That makes sense,” Georgia said.
Lonnie seemed satisfied with my explanation, although I still noticed something guarded in
Colt’s expression.
“The bathroom doesn’t have to be huge, just functional,” I elaborated.
Lonnie jotted down a note and then continued. “To the right of the stairs, there are two
additional guest rooms joined by a Jack and Jill bathroom. Additionally, there is another suite on
the far end, which you indicated would be Mackey’s room.”
“I’m not sure about the Jack and Jill bathroom,” Colt said. “Even though Tyler seems happy
with his current situation, and I have no reason to suspect that he’ll decide to move home at any
point, I’d like him to have his own space should he come for an extended visit. Ideally, I’d like
him to have his own suite.” Colt referred to his nephew, Tyler Hudson, who was attending school
and living with relatives in California.
Lonnie responded. “If we rework the walls, we could convert the shared bath with one of the
bedrooms to create a third suite, but that would leave the guest room without a bath. I suppose
we could extend the footprint and square footage a bit and add a bathroom, or you can remove
the second guest room and go without.”
“How about leaving the current setup the way it exists while adding a third suite in addition
to the other rooms?” I asked.
“That would work, but you would need to increase the square footage by quite a bit,” Lonnie
replied.
“What would extending the footprint look like?” Colt asked.
“Let me rework things, and I’ll send you an updated plan for your consideration. Keep in
mind that the more square feet we add to the project, the more the finished product will cost.”
“Can you provide an estimate of all three ways we’ve discussed?” I asked.
“I can,” Lonnie agreed.
Lonnie made a few more notes and then continued with his presentation. In addition to the
large common area downstairs that included a huge kitchen, an open dining area large enough for
a table for twenty, and an even larger seating area, we’d also requested a game and TV room for
those times Mackey had friends over and needed her own space or Colt and I had friends over
and wanted to send the kids to another room. There was a laundry room off the kitchen and an
office for Colt all the way to the left, with exterior access in case he needed to meet with people
while executing the duties of his job.
The house was going to be huge, given the fact that Colt, Mackey, and I were going to be the
only full-time residents; however, we had a large family by choice, and I knew from experience

that there were often times when someone needed a place to stay while they worked through
whatever it was they needed to work through. Besides, as I kept telling myself, it was important
to me to have a space for entertainment that would accommodate everyone I loved.
Colt and Lonnie discussed several options for the upstairs space, and Lonnie agreed to
rework the plans so that each option could be explored. Then Colt, Mackey, Annabelle, Georgia,
Charlee, and I headed home. The roads were icy, so Colt, Mackey, and Annabelle followed us in
his truck, and I drove with Georgia and Charlee.
“I wasn’t sure Lacy was going to hand Charlee back to you when we announced it was time
to leave,” I said to Georgia as I drove her Jeep back toward Peyton Academy, Tanner’s training
facility for search and rescue and service dogs.
“It does seem as if Lacy is working through some things. I imagine that’s natural now that
Maddie is getting older. But honestly, I’m exhausted, and in this moment, I can’t wait until
Charlee is a bit more independent and I don’t have to spend every single moment of my life
worrying about her needs. In fact, at this point, my opinion is that Charlee’s first day of school
can’t come soon enough.”
“The first couple of months can be intense,” I said, remembering back to my first month with
Johnathan, and the feeling of total exhaustion that seemed to affect every aspect of my life. “But
it will get better.”
“I hope so. I love my daughter, but I miss my life. I miss the inn, I miss the staff, I miss my
cooking show. Staying home by myself all the time is getting really old.”
“So don’t stay home. Come to the inn and hang out. You can come by the cottage any time
you feel the need to chat.”
“I have been thinking that I should stop by and look in on the work that we’re having done
this week and next during the closure.”
“Jeremy went over the list you left for him, and I’m sure he’s on top of things, but why don’t
we have a staff meeting tomorrow, so you can go over everything again.”
She settled back in the seat. “I think I’ll do that. I’ll call Jeremy and set up a time for us all to
meet.”
After I dropped Georgia, Charlee, and the Jeep off, I rode with Colt, Mackey, and Annabelle
to the inn. My SUV was still at Lonnie and Lacy’s, but Colt assured me that he’d have time to
run me over to get it after we dropped Mackey and Annabelle off at school the following
morning. I supposed that Georgia might have been fine driving herself home this evening, but
she really did look to be sleep-deprived, and given the recent snow and icy roads, I wanted to
make sure that she and Charlee got home safely. Besides, I sensed that the talk we’d had on the
way home had been the real reason for my offer to play escort for these very important people in
my life.

Chapter 2

Georgia and Jeremy had arranged for everyone to be available for a staff meeting at eleven
o’clock the following morning. Most of the staff had taken the opportunity to sleep in, but after
Colt and I returned from dropping the girls off at school and picking up my SUV from Lacy’s, I
found Jeremy in the kitchen. We didn’t currently have any guests staying with us, so Jeremy
planned to use the day to ensure that everything we had scheduled for the two weeks was being
seen to. Since he wanted to make sure he was on top of things, he’d headed to the inn early to get
started.
“I thought everyone agreed to use these two weeks to take a breather before the Valentine’s
Day rush,” I said after pouring myself a cup of coffee and sitting down at the kitchen table across
from Jeremy.
“We did agree to that, but I felt antsy, so I decided to just come over here and get ready for
the meeting Georgia wanted to have.”
“I’m not sure the meeting is something you needed to get ready for. I actually think the
meeting has more to do with Georgia being bored than anything else.”
“I guess I get that. Mylie couldn’t wait to get back to work after Danny was born.”
“Georgia is used to being busy, and while I’m sure having a new baby is keeping her busy, I
think it’s the social interaction she misses. But not to worry, Lacy and I have a new project, and
Georgia has volunteered to help, so she won’t be here getting in the way while you and the staff
handle the projects you’ve identified for these two weeks.”
Jeremy tossed his pencil onto his notepad, got up from the table, and topped off his coffee.
“What sort of project are the three of you involved in?”
“It’s a project Sully asked Lacy for help with, and Georgia and I latched onto.”

I took a moment to explain the school district’s fundraising effort and the silent auction they
hoped would help them get off to a strong start.
“I heard a bit about the VIP fundraiser,” Jeremy said. “The tickets are five hundred dollars
apiece, and that’s before any money is spent on auction items. Mylie and I want to support that
fundraising effort, but I’m afraid this event is way out of our price range.”
“It’s out of my price range as well, but I’m still happy to help Lacy help Sully. I really like
the old theater despite the ancient seats and terrible lighting, but a new updated theater with
comfy seats and state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems is going to be really nice.”
“The new theater does sound nice, but it also sounds expensive. Even with three months of
fundraising by the school district, I don’t see how they are going to raise enough to cover even a
portion of the new theater.”
“I don’t have all the details, or even any of the details. But I heard that the school district
received a grant for the cost of the building itself, and then an anonymous donor pledged fifty
percent of the cost to outfit the building with seats, screen, curtains, and sound and lighting
systems if the school district could come up with the other half.”
“A grant to build the building will help a lot,” Jeremy admitted. “That does seem to be the
major expense. But even with the cost of the building being covered and the generous donation,
it seems as if the school district is going to need to sell a whole lot of VIP tickets to come up
with their half.”
“I don’t disagree with you.”
Jeremy and I chatted about the project for a while longer, and then he went back to his note-
making, and I returned to the cottage, where I found Colt on his cell phone.
“Cody and I will be there as soon as we can,” Colt assured the person on the other end before
ending the call.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“It’s Gil Monohan.”
Gil Monohan was the detective whose place Colt was taking after he retired at the end of the
week.
“Did something happen?”
“He’s dead.” Colt seemed to be in shock since he didn’t offer any further explanation.
“Dead. Dead, how?” I finally asked.
“He was murdered. Shot in the back.” Colt shook his head as if trying to shake loose an
unpleasant thought. “The guy works his whole life to get a pension, and then he’s shot dead in
his own home just days before he officially retires and can collect that pension.”
“His own home?” I knew I was repeating everything Colt was telling me, but I couldn’t seem
to help it. “Do they know what happened? Who shot him?”
Colt stood up. “No one has a clue. I need to go. I’m not sure how long I’ll be. Probably all
day. I’m meeting with Sheriff Wilson as soon as I can get to the county office. He requested that

I start my new position a few days early and take the lead on the case.” He looked at Cody, who
had been sitting at his feet. “I’ll take Cody with me.”
“Okay. Be safe and text me once you have something more to report.”
“I will.” Colt headed into the bedroom. I tried to offer him words of encouragement as he
changed his clothes, grabbed his gun and vest, and headed out to his truck.
I felt so bad for Colt as I watched him drive away. I knew he wasn’t well acquainted with
Detective Monohan, although their paths had crossed occasionally in the past. If asked, I
suspected Colt would define the man as a colleague rather than a friend; still, Monohan was one
of the team members, and I felt sure this particular assignment was going to affect him more than
most.
“Colt peeled out of here faster than usual,” Haven said to me after she stopped by the cottage
to pick up a book Mackey had borrowed but she needed for her class that afternoon, just as Colt
was leaving. Haven Hanson was one of my two daughters by choice and an employee at the inn.
“The detective whose job he’d been planning to take over at the end of the week was
murdered.”
Haven looked as shocked as I’d felt when I’d first heard.
“Murdered. By whom?” Haven asked.
“I don’t know,” I answered. “Colt doesn’t know. He’s been assigned to head up the
investigation. When you noticed him pull out less cautiously than is his custom, he was on his
way to meet his boss at the county office.”
“Wow, that’s really awful. I feel so bad for Detective Monohan’s family, and I feel so bad for
Colt. Being asked to investigate the murder of the man whose position you are planning to fill is
no way to start a new job.”
I had to agree with that.
While I was concerned for Colt and cared about the case he’d been assigned, I had a lot to do
this morning, so I decided to focus on the things I had control over as opposed to the things I had
no control over. The top priority on my agenda was the staff meeting requested by Georgia,
followed by a session with Lacy to devise a strategy to secure the donations needed to pull off a
successful silent auction. I’d spoken to Lacy on the phone earlier, and she indicated that she’d
come up with a list of businesses to solicit for auction items, so all we’d need to do during the
course of the next week or two was visit the merchants and turn on the charm.
By the time I arrived, Georgia and the entire staff were gathered in the kitchen. Jeremy was
offering sippy cups to Danny and Hazel, who were playing in the portable playpen that had been
stashed out of the way in a corner. Georgia was sitting at the table in the kitchen nook, and
Charlee was sleeping in her car seat, which Georgia had placed next to her. Bailey and Mylie
were chatting from stools at the bar, and Haven, who had a class later that afternoon, was sitting
at the table, highlighting sections in her history book.
“Before we get started on the meeting I called us all here to have, I need to discuss something
else that came up just this morning,” Georgia jumped in.
“Okay,” I said. “What came up that you’d like to discuss?”

“A group reservation for the middle of March.”
“March?” Jeremy said. “We blacked out the schedule for the middle of March so we could
have the inn repainted.”
“I know,” Georgia said. “And I would have just told Brad no when he called me, but he’s
desperate.”
Brad Kingman was the owner of the television station where Cooking with Georgia was
filmed. He was a nice guy who had done a lot to promote Georgia’s career, and I knew she felt
that she owed him, which was likely why she was making an appeal to the staff rather than just
telling Brad that the inn was closed for maintenance.
Georgia continued. “The reservations currently on the books for the end of February into
mid-March are sparse and can be moved around a bit if needed to reschedule the painting project
to accommodate Brad.”
“I guess reworking the maintenance schedule is doable, but I am curious about the
reservation,” I said.
“Please tell me Brad isn’t asking us to host contestants for another reality show,” Jeremy
said. “The Real Detectives group was almost the end of me.”
Georgia almost visibly flinched. “Brad does want us to host the final round for a similar
reality show. Mind Games specifically. When Brad called me this morning, he told me that the
venue he’d booked to host the final four episodes of Mind Games had to cancel on him at the last
minute due to water damage sustained during that last big storm. The poor guy sounded
desperate. I know this is a huge inconvenience, but Brad has been so flexible during my
pregnancy, and I guess I feel like I owe him. I know The Real Detectives’ experience was a
nightmare, but this is a smaller group, and I feel like the overall atmosphere of the competition
will be different with this group. There seems to be less of a focus on the behind-the-scenes
drama and more focus on the actual competition.”
“I’ve seen the show and would agree with that,” Bailey said.
“So what do you all think?” Georgia asked.
“I watch the show, and it is pretty entertaining,” Haven offered. “But the last time we had a
group here where around-the-clock filming was taking place, I found myself paranoid about
ending up in the background of one of the scenes that were aired. If we decide to do this, I think
we need to establish some parameters of where and when filming can occur.”
“I’m happy to bring a list of boundaries and parameters to Brad,” Georgia assured her.
“It sounds like you want to do this,” I said to Georgia.
“It’s not that I want to, but I feel I should.”
I looked at the group. “So, as Georgia just asked, what do you all think?”
Technically, Georgia was part-owner of the inn, as well as the inn’s manager, and if she
wanted to accommodate this group, she didn’t really need to ask permission from the rest of the
team. I, however, was glad she had.

“I’m fine with altering our maintenance schedule to accommodate the group, but I absolutely
don’t want Hazel caught on film,” Bailey said. “In fact, I think the entire staff and their children
should be off limits unless someone wants to be on film.”
Everyone agreed that they preferred to stay out of the spotlight.
The group discussed the pros and cons of helping Brad with his problem, and eventually, we
came up with a list of conditions that Georgia planned to present to Brad. Filming at the inn
certainly wasn’t unheard of. Georgia filmed her cooking specials here all the time, and both the
staff and guests had participated as extras. I think the problem the staff was having with this
request had more to do with the reality show aspect than anything else.
Once everything was discussed, the group voted to support Georgia’s request. While I knew
from the beginning that was what they would end up doing, it was nice that everyone had the
opportunity to voice their concerns.
Once we’d wrapped things up, Georgia excused herself to call Brad; Jeremy, Mylie, Haven,
and Bailey looked over the maintenance list; and I headed to Lacy’s to meet with her about the silent auction. ...