Jamie Quinn Cozy Mysteries Collection

Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

"I've never been so glad to get home in my life!" Aunt Peg said, throwing her purse on the dining room table and kicking off her shoes. "I'm exhausted."

"You and me both, sister," I said, collapsing into a comfy recliner in the corner.

No sooner had I sat down than two exuberant puppies jumped in my lap and started licking my face non-stop.

"And who do we have here, Adam?" I smiled at my cousin, who was sitting on the floor next to my chair, petting the dogs.

"The black one is Angus Young, he's a Scottish terrier and he's six months old. The reddish one is Bono and he's an Irish setter. He's only three months old."

"I'm sensing a theme here…" I laughed as I watched Adam roll around on the floor with the puppies. He looked like an overgrown puppy himself. I couldn't think of a dog breed with blond curly hair like Adam's, but if it existed, that's what he'd be.

Aunt Peg brought me a glass of iced tea and an orange juice for Adam. Then she sat down on the sofa and propped her feet up on the coffee table.

"You know, Adam, I don't think I told you this before," she said, "but I took Jamie to a U2 concert when she was sixteen."

Adam's mouth dropped open, his brown eyes wide. "Wow! I wish I could've gone."

"I tell you what," I said. "If AC/DC or U2 perform in south Florida again, I'll take you."

"That's awesome, Jamie! I can't wait! Can I show you the music stuff in my room now?" he asked, trying to pull me out of the chair. He was hard to resist since he outweighed me by at least fifty pounds. Nobody would ever guess we were cousins because he was tall and fair and I was short and olive-skinned. I'm told I take after my father's side, but I wouldn't know.

"Sure, Adam, but I need to talk to your mom first, okay?"

"Why don't you take the dogs for a walk, sweetheart? They haven't been out all day," Aunt Peg said.

After Adam bounded out the door, I sat down next to Aunt Peg and gulped my iced tea like a person who had just crossed the Sahara. I didn't even give the ice a chance to melt. My aunt jumped up to refill my glass.

"I can't remember the last time I was here," I said, making conversation while she fussed in the kitchen.

To my surprise, Aunt Peg burst into tears. I rushed over to comfort her.

"It's been a rough day, I know," I said, patting her shoulder.

She pulled me into a tight hug.

"Oh, Jamie, I'm so sorry, I haven't been there for you at all. Since Sue died, I've been such a mess, I could barely function. It's all I could do to make myself go to work and take care of Adam. Sue wasn't just my big sister, she was my best friend…and I can't believe she's gone."

Then we were both crying. Me, because I hadn't thought about anyone else's grief except my own. I had to be the most selfish, self-absorbed person on the planet.

"I wasn't there for you either, Aunt Peg, and I'm sorry." I grabbed a tissue out of my purse and blew my nose. "What would my mom say if she saw the two of us crying like this, with mascara running down our faces?"

My aunt smiled through her tears. "She'd say 'guilt is a stupid waste of time. If you feel bad, get off your butt and do something about it.'"

"Exactly. So, you and I are officially giving up on the guilt trips, okay? Personally, I'd rather take a trip to just about anywhere else." We walked back to the living room together and sat down on the sofa.

"Deal," she said. "And thank-you so much for today, I don't know how you convinced them to let Adam go. You're amazing!"

"And I don't know how you got Adam out of his meltdown! It was like magic."

She laughed. "I have years of experience! Actually, all I had to do was tell him we were going home and the dogs were waiting for him. But I did set up an emergency appointment with his therapist for tomorrow, he definitely needs that. And I should probably make an appointment for myself, too. I'm so glad this nightmare is over."

I couldn't tell her the truth, but she'd find out soon enough. It wasn't over. It was just getting started…