We made it to Cate and Lucas’s just as the soup was coming off the stove. It smelled heavenly, like comfort had been made into vapor and spread throughout the room. “Oh, Lucas, I may pass out from delight,” I said as I slung my scarf and coat over the nearest chair and fell into it.
“Now, that’s a response to my cooking that I could get used to,” he said with a small laugh. “I left the bacon out because I wasn’t sure if any of you were vegetarian.”
“Bring on the bacon,” Mart and Daniel said at the same time before both cracking up. We were all a little on edge with all the busyness in the shop and the fair tomorrow and, well, the murders. It felt good to just be silly and indulgent.
“Help yourselves,” Lucas said as he gestured to a spread on their kitchen island. Normally, I was the kin
