Toxic Attack: Spirit of the Soul Wine Shop Mystery (A Rysen Morris Mystery Book 2)

COPYRIGHT

First published in Australia by South Coast Publishing, April 2015.
Copyright K.J. Emrick (2015)

This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and locations portrayed in this book and the names herein are fictitious.  Any similarity to or identification with the locations, names, characters or history of any person, product or entity is entirely coincidental and unintentional.

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Rysen Morris hated to admit it, but she enjoyed being back home.  Her little town of Cambria in California's wine country had grown quite a bit since she was a little girl.  It might not be the big city of San Francisco, by any means, but it was beginning to feel like home again.

Ironically, it had taken her running away to San Francisco's sprawling cityscape to appreciate what she had here.  It had taken being fired from her job and her bastard of an ex-boyfriend dumping her before she had come back to Cambria with her tail between her legs to live with her sister and start her life over.  Again.

Of course, things weren't perfect.  Just close enough to make her happy.

Laying in her bed upstairs in her sister's house, staring at the ceiling, she let her thoughts wander.  There was something else making her happy here, too.  Someone, actually.

Josh Keats.  It had been such a surprise to see him back in town, too.  They'd dated in high school for a very short time.  Just like the rest of this town and everyone in it, Rysen had believed Josh was part of her past.  She'd forgotten all about him.  Or at least that's what she'd told herself.  Seeing him again had brought all of her old feelings blossoming back to the surface.

For him too, as it turned out.  They'd been dating for the last three weeks.

She kicked her feet under her blankets, like a giddy little school girl.  Things were going really well with her and Josh.  Every day was just a little bit better.  Tonight, at dinner, he'd told her that he was falling for her.

It wasn't quite those three little words every girl waits to here, but it was pretty close.

She supposed Josh could be forgiven for not diving head first into romance.  He'd just broken up with Rysen's best friend from childhood, Beatrice Leary.  Breakups could do that to a guy.  Bea's mother used to babysit for Rysen and her sister, the three girls playing away long afternoons in the flower shop the Leary's owned.  She had been one of the first people that Rysen reconnected with when she came back to Cambria.

Rysen and Beatrice were still friends, but dating Josh had made things…a little awkward.  Bea had jokingly given her permission when Rysen had asked if it was okay.  She had laughed it off and said things were finally over for her and Josh, so why shouldn't Rysen rekindle that old flame?  In spite of that, Rysen still had to wonder if Bea could really get over Josh just like that.

So that was life for her now.  Dating a wonderful man, reconnecting with friends and even slowly working to smooth things over with her father.  Not that her dad was making that easy.  He never had.  Between all of that and working her shifts at her sister's wine shop, life was full.

She was feeling sleepy, even though her thoughts wouldn't stop turning.  Her lids drooped heavily over her eyes and she heard her breathing even out and become deeper.  Dreams slid in to push worries and hopes and all of that aside.  She was floating, and she let herself drift.

A man's arms held her, his embrace strong and sensual.  In the dream she felt his skin against hers, smelled his cologne, breathed in his warmth.  He whispered things she couldn't remember that made her flush with expectation.

When he leaned in to kiss her, her dream self floated toward him, expecting to see Josh's face.  It wouldn't be the first time she'd dreamt of the moment they, uh, took their relationship to the next level.

It wasn't Josh's face she saw.

With a start she pushed herself awake, fighting to get untangled from the blankets, wondering when the sun had come up to peek into her window.  Rysen propped herself up on her elbows and collected her scattered thoughts.  When the dream replayed itself in vivid color in her mind, she wrapped her pillow around her head and groaned loudly.

The handsome—and barely clothed—Brandon Dennicort had invaded her dreams several times since he'd left town.  It was hard to say what prompted her to think of him that way.  Maybe her new goal of becoming a private investigator was prompting her subconscious to conjure visions of Brandon Dennicort.  Maybe it was the kiss they had shared on his last day here.

Right now, she could use a cold shower.  Or a real man in her bed.  Like Brandon.

Josh!  Oh, hell.  She meant Josh.  That was what she meant.  Josh.  Yes.  Brandon was just the security expert that her sister had hired to help her stop the thefts from her store.  That was all.  He was gone now, too, so that should be the end of it. 

Except she could still feel her lips tingle when she remembered their one and only kiss.

Growling, she punched her pillow and tried to be mad at Brandon.  He'd promised to call her.  Now it was three weeks later, and still no word from him.  It wasn't fair for him to just show up in her dreams like that.  Lying next to her.  Holding her.  Caressing all the right spots on her back, her neck, her chest…

Right.  A cold shower was just what she needed.

When she made it downstairs Christina was already there, hovering over the toaster, still in her pink fleecy pajamas with the flamingos all over them.  She stifled a yawn as she saw Rysen.  "Good morning, sis," she said.  "I know I usually cook eggs or whatever but I'm just really tired.  Hope you're okay with toaster waffles."

"The blueberry ones?" Rysen asked hopefully.

"Of course.  Nothing but the best in my house."

Rysen laughed and sat down at the small kitchen table.  Blueberry waffles had been a favorite of the sisters when they were little.  Having a father that was rarely home meant having quick, easy things for breakfast like toaster waffles or cold cereal.  When dad had remembered to stock the freezer, they always went for the waffles.

Christina's short brown hair was mussed from sleep and her hazel eyes were bleary.  It was obvious she'd been staying up late to balance the books for her store. Again.  Rysen was still amazed at how much she resembled her older sister.  Little differences like how Rysen's hair was long and dark while Christina's short pixie cut was a lighter shade couldn't hide the fact that they were related.  They both had their mother's looks.  Dad had told them so many times.  Not that they had many chances to prove it.  Their mother had left when Rysen was still really young.  They had only seen her a handful of times since.

"How about I make the coffee?" Rysen offered.  The single-cup machine had been a little extravagance for both of them, especially considering Rysen had only managed to save about two thousand dollars into her new bank account, but it was so worth it.  She made a chocolate hazelnut blend for Christina, and then a caramel swirl one for herself.

They took their time with breakfast, knowing there was still nearly an hour before Christina's Spirit of the Soul wine shop had to open.  Good thing too, Rysen thought to herself, because Christina looked like she could crawl back into bed and sleep for another week.

"What's up with you, sis?"  Rysen cleared the breakfast plates away and brought them to the sink.  "You look like death warmed over."

Christina snorted.  "Thanks a lot."

"You know what I mean.  Usually you're downright perky in the morning.  It's a little annoying, to tell you the truth."

Her sister stuck out her tongue.  "See if I ever make you blueberry waffles again."

Then she slumped to the table, pillowing her head in the crook of her arm and closing her eyes.

Rysen leaned back against the counter.  "Are you sick?  Do you need me to take care of the shop today?"

"No," Christina answered without opening her eyes.  "I need to be at the store today.  Have to check on something."

"If it's just paperwork I can do it, you know.  You taught me everything about it."

"Just the computer stuff.  You don't know how to write things into the ledger yet."

"That's because you won't let me touch it!"  She laughed at how strict Christina was about the whole ledger book thing.  "I can do everything, I promise."

One eye opened just a crack.  "Is that why I have twenty cases of Pinot Noir sitting in the basement?"

Rysen cringed.  "That was a typo.  I meant to put in two, and the zero…kind of…jumped in the way."

That at least got a chuckle out of her sister.  "You've been a big help to me, Ry.  I couldn't ask for a better employee.  It's just…you know that whole mess last month with the shipments being stolen from my shop?"

How could Rysen forget?  Everyone in town had heard the story of her and Brandon catching the thief in the act.  One of the people involved had gotten away, and the police were still trying to track down leads, but it looked like they might never know who was really behind the thefts.

"Well."  Christina paused, then twirled her hand in the air as she sat up.  "Something's been bugging me.  The shop is still losing money.  I mean, we're back in the black, don't get me wrong, but there's still small amounts of money missing.  A couple of hundred here, fifty bucks there.  Things like that.  Over and over, and I can't figure out where the money is going."

Rysen was shocked.  "So you're still getting ripped off?  How?"

Christina shrugged.  "I don't know.  I've been staying up late trying to figure it out, poring over that damned ledger.  That's why I'm so tired.  It's like someone is stealing from the shop and they're all invisible and I can't see them."

Now that her sister had opened up about what was going on Rysen could see how upset she was.  Before she'd just chalked it up to the California lifestyle.  Up late, up early, have fun in between.  "Have you had someone audit the books?"

"Well…I actually had someone in mind to help me with this."

"Who—?"  The answer dawned on her as soon as she opened her mouth.  "Christina!  Are you serious?"

"Of course I am.  Brandon was amazing the last time he was here."  Her voice became very subtle as she added, "Don't you agree?"

Rysen felt her face flushing and turned away, washing off dishes that had already been rinsed just to give her a reason to hide her reaction.  "Well, I mean, sure he was.  I just think we can handle things by ourselves.  You know?"

She bit her lip before she could say anything else.  Why was she so anxious about seeing Brandon again?  Her emotions were still tied into knots whenever she heard his name.  There had definitely been something between them while he was here.  Some spark that might have ignited into a flame.  If he hadn't left.

But he did leave, and now she had Josh.  That was it, she decided.  She didn't want to ruin what she had with Josh pining after a guy with amazing good looks and a smooth Australian accent who could make her feel special with just a look.

Apparently, Christina heard her sigh.

"Are you all right, sis?" she asked, turning Rysen's question around.  "Listen, if me bringing Brandon back here is going to make you uncomfortable I'll find some other way to figure things out."

"No," Rysen said quickly.  "I can be mature about this.  He really did help us out when we needed it.  Call him."

"Are you sure?"

Rysen affected an uncaring attitude that she didn't really feel.  "Sure.  You need help.  That's all that matters."

Christina came over and gave her a sleepy hug to thank her.  Then she went upstairs to get dressed.  While she waited, Rysen felt her belly flutter and twist up.  She was with Josh.  Things were going good.  Did she really want tall, dark, and handsome Brandon Dennicort to come back into her life?

She was saved from having to answer that by her sister coming down the stairs.  Dressed and ready in black slacks and a crisp white shirt, she kind of made Rysen feel like a slouch.  She'd started wearing blouses to work with her sister, now that she could afford it, but she couldn't quite give up her dark jeans.  When she'd worked at the interior design company in the city, she'd had to wear dress clothes every day.  Not anymore.

They both got into Christina's purple VW Beetle to drive the few streets from the house over to the wine shop.  It was a gorgeous July morning.  Rysen could smell the ocean in the air and the nearby vineyards full of grapes.  This part of Main Street was still quiet, with only a few cars and people out on the streets.  Rush hour in Cambria.  Not exactly what she had gotten used to up in San Francisco.  She didn't miss the rat race at all.  Except for when she had to drive an hour away to get a decent cheeseburger.

Christina parked them around back of the shop where the employee's entrance was.  Rysen was just about to follow her sister to the back door when her phone buzzed in her pocket.  She saw Beatrice's number on the display.

"Hey, Bea.  What's up?"

Her friend's voice was as near to panic as she could ever remember it being.  She babbled something about Josh and the shop and…the police?

"Slow down, Bea.  Slow down."  Christina had turned to look at her oddly now, one foot just inside the doorway.  She mouthed a question and all Rysen could do was shrug. "Tell me again.  What happened?  Why was Josh there?"

"I…I asked him to help me with inventory," Beatrice explained, tears in her voice.  "He still knows that part of our store better than anyone."

Rysen didn't miss how Beatrice had called it "our" store, hers and Josh's.  Josh used to work with Beatrice in the flower shop, on his days off from his regular job as a Physician's Assistant at the nearby hospital.  That was back when he and Beatrice were together, of course.  Before she'd broken up with him and kicked him out.  Before he'd started dating Rysen.  After that, it had been too awkward for him to stay on as Beatrice's employee no matter how much he loved working with his hands.