Peppermint Fudge Killer: A Pumpkin Hollow Mystery, book 13 by Kathleen Suzette (reading list txt) 📕

around the shop. Pumpkin Hollow had a few clothing stores, but none of them were large. There was a wall with accessories, and I headed over to it. They had nice leather belts, scarves, knit hats, and a display of leather wallets. I picked up one of the wallets. It was a deep mahogany brown and was stiff in its newness. “This is nice.”

Christy came to look at it. “That’s nice. Does he need a wallet?”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “I don’t know, but since it’s from his girlfriend, he will love it.”

“If you say so,” she said and picked up one of the knit hats. “I like burgundy.”

“It’s a nice color,” I said absently. I had no idea if Ethan needed a new wallet. Was it personal enough? “If you get him a snowboard, he’ll know you care about his comfort with that hat.” I raised an eyebrow at her.

She chuckled. “Yeah, sure. I guess he needs to know I care about his comfort.”

“It’s what every guy wants to know,” I teased.

We looked through the racks of clothing, but I only became more frustrated. I didn’t know what to get Ethan for Christmas. He worked so many hours it was hard for him to have a lot of free time to do anything fun. I couldn’t remember when the last time was that he went snowboarding. Maybe what he needed was a trip away from town so he wouldn’t be called upon to handle another case right away. It would only be temporary of course, a week or two at most, but it was something to think about.

Christy held up a leather jacket. “Now this is very nice,” she said and then she looked at the price tag. “But apparently my budget can’t afford something nice.” She put the jacket back on the rack.

“What else does Devon like to do?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” she said. “He likes video games, and he likes to read thriller novels. I suppose I could buy him a couple of paperback books and put them in a stocking with some candy, but there needs to be a bigger gift. But then, how big? I don’t want to buy something that says we’re in a committed relationship. Because we just aren’t at that point yet.” She sighed and looked around the room.

“I understand,” I said. “I didn’t think I was ever going to be able to figure out something for Ethan last year. And now this year, I’m in the same place. What do I get for him? Obviously, we are in a committed relationship, but we haven’t taken the step of a permanent commitment.” The more I thought about it, the more I wondered if that was what we needed. We needed to make a decision about our future. I couldn’t imagine a future without Ethan, so why didn’t we get engaged? Of course, Ethan hadn’t asked. But a few weeks earlier Amanda had suggested that I ask him. I wasn’t sure I was comfortable with that, but why not? It was a thought, and I suddenly realized what the ‘why not’ was. What if he says no? What if he’s offended that I asked him? What if it was way too soon for him to talk marriage?

I sighed and picked up another shirt from the rack. I was going to drive myself crazy with all these questions. I knew Ethan loved me, and I loved him. So why shouldn’t we talk about the future?

“Hi Mia,” Sarah James said as she walked out of the store’s backroom. “Hi Christy.”

We both turned and looked at her. “Hi Sarah,” I said. “Are you ready for Christmas?”

“Now, I’m supposed ask you that. You’re the customer,” she said and chuckled.

I laughed. “You’re right. I guess I’m just so used to asking that question from working at the candy store, that it just comes out of my mouth every time I see somebody.” It was the go-to opening line of everyone that worked in retail at Christmas time. It opened up conversations and helped you get a grasp on the customer and their needs.

“And to answer your question,” she said, coming around to the front of the counter. “I’m nowhere near ready. I keep thinking of all the things I need to get done, but when I get home from work, I’m tired and it’s the last thing I want to do.”

“I bet you work weekends, too,” Christy said coming to stand beside me. We had gone to school with Sarah.

She nodded. “You know it,” she said. “I get two days off every week, but they’re usually split up, so it’s hard to get anything done. I usually use my days off to recover from work.” She shook her head. “One of these days I’m going to marry a rich man and I won’t have to work.”

I chuckled. “Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

She nodded. “Hey Mia,” she said. “I heard about Suzanne Wilson. It’s a terrible shame. Is Ethan working on that case?”

I nodded. “He is. He’s hoping to have an arrest soon.” Ethan was always hoping to have an arrest soon. What detective wasn’t?

“Well, I’ll tell you,” she said glancing around at the other customers in the store. None of them were close by and she took a couple of steps toward me and leaned in. “I heard she and the guy that plays Santa, Lawrence Deal, had a terrible argument the night she died. Does Ethan know that?”

I nodded. “Ethan knows about that. What did you hear about it?” It seemed that everybody knew about that argument, and yet Lawrence had lied to me about it. I still needed to have a talk with Santa, and soon.

“My mother was there at the bazaar, but I had to work so I didn’t get to go. But she said the two of them were standing