Lilacs and Liability

The newlyweds are back from Hawaii! Lacey and James are learning to navigate their new life as a married couple, but that hasn’t slowed down the intrigue and murder in Port Danby. When a man’s body is discovered inside the Hawksworth Manor, a question arises. Was it an accident or murder? Lacey is sure she know the answer. It’s time to take off the sunglasses and swimsuits and dive back into a murder investigation. Lacey has a hard time concentrating on this one because her parents are in town and people close (very close) to her have some big news to toss her way. Will Lacey be able to find a killer amongst all the chaos in her personal life?

“Feeling any different?" Briggs asked.

"Well, I can breathe now that the plane is in the air. I'm mostly nervous during takeoff."

Briggs' smile was especially white with the golden tan he'd gotten in Hawaii. "Actually, I meant does it feel any different flying as a married woman." He squeezed my hand. My glittering diamond ring looked much more sparkly on my tanned hand.

"Oh that." I leaned over and kissed him. "I suppose I'm feeling a little different, but I guess it'll really hit me once we get home and you have to hoist me over the threshold." I patted my belly. "I shouldn't have eaten so much good food. That should really be in the newlywed handbook, mostly as a cautionary tale to the bride, though it affects the groom as well since he has to do the heavy lifting, so to speak."

Briggs laughed. "I think I'll manage."

I rested my head back against the seat and turned my face toward him. "What about you, James? Are you feeling any different?"

"Well, I feel relaxed, that's for darn sure, and I'm kind of into this tan. Noticed I was turning a few heads back in the airport—"

I elbowed him. "You know what I mean."

He leaned over and kissed me lightly on the lips. "I'm always happy with you. Now, I'm even happier, and I didn't know that was possible."

The plane creaked and wobbled. I grabbed his hand. "I also hate turbulence. When are they going to come up with a plane that isn't affected by turbulence?"

"I suppose they'll have to figure out how to control the atmosphere first."

The flight attendant stopped at our seats and handed us each a comically small bag of pretzels. Briggs lifted his package. "I wonder if they're handing these out in first class."
"Actually, I know what they get in first class."

Briggs lifted a brow. "Do you have a secret life as a very rich woman that I don't know about because, if that's the case, then I'm even happier than how happy being married has made me."

I patted his hand. "Sorry to disappoint you but what you see is what you get. My parents got lucky one time on their way back from Hawaii. They'd overbooked the economy class and had two seats empty in first, so they gave them to my parents. They'd gone on a ten day tour of all the islands, but the only things my mom talked about were the warm cookies and heated towels in first class. She even took pictures of the cookies. It's a whole different world up there past the gray curtains. That's why they don't like you to wander that way. They don't want us people in the cargo hold on the Titanic to know how well the rich have it."

I shifted in my seat trying to get comfortable, but the lack of leg and elbow room made it feel as if I was sitting in a casket. At least, for the flight home, there was no one else sitting in our row. On the way to our elopement slash honeymoon, an extra tall young man with a nervous habit of shaking his big leg sat next to us. He had no room for his legs, and he practically had to sit hunched over to fit. That was probably the reason for the leg twitching. All I knew was every time he moved, the entire plane shifted. And every time the plane shifted, I grabbed Briggs' hand as if that could keep us from falling out of the sky.

Briggs covered a long yawn. "Who knew a honeymoon could wear you out? Though, I suppose if you return too rested, then the whole thing was a flop." He grinned at me.

I elbowed him again. "That tan has made you cocky." I'd caught his yawn and covered a long one. It also helped relieve the stuffiness in my ears. "I just want to get home, take a long shower and fall into bed."

"Sounds good to me." Another sly grin. "What do you think Kingston will do when he sees you?" It was true, I'd hardly ever left the animals and never for eight days.

"I know exactly what he'll do. The precise opposite of Bear. Bear will lope around happily, jumping on us and nearly pushing us over with affection and enthusiasm. Nevermore will be slightly excited, but he won't show it and he'll be giving Bear the kitty cat eye roll to let him know he's a clown and that cats are, as always, far superior. And Kingston will pretend as if he doesn't see me. He won't even look me in the eye, and that won't just be because our arrival means that Lola, the love of his life, will be leaving the house but because he'll be showing me how insulted he is about me thinking I could just pack up and leave him."