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TAKEN
Sheppard & Sons Investigations Book 1
BY EVELINE ROSE

BLURB

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TAKEN
Sheppard & Sons Investigations Book 1
BY EVELINE ROSE

Excerpt

“As I’m sure you’ve noticed, Weatherford is a small town. Everyone here knows everyone else.” She chuckled, “And here at Grannie’s, we’re one big happy family. I know a lot of businesses say that, but here it’s true. My grandmother bought this building when I was a little girl.” Her eyes had that faraway look as she glanced around. “She renovated the beat-up old bar and turned it into a coffee shop. My mom was the owner before passing the torch to me. And Beth,” she tilted her head towards the counter where Beth was stocking cups, “isn’t just my right-hand woman, she’s also my best friend.”

“Did your grandmother name it Grannie’s?”

“No, she called it Rita’s Coffee Saloon. She kept saloon in the name because she wanted to tie into the history of the building, plus she loved the cowboy saloon decor.” She sipped of her coffee. “I changed the name to honor her when I took over ownership.”

“That’s sweet.”

“Thanks.” A soft smile formed on her lips. “Granny wanted the shop to be warm and inviting, so she mixed the saloon decor with soft floral fabrics and pastels.”

I wrinkled my nose as I tried to envision the two different styles together in the shop. I felt bad for making a face, until she laughed.

“Exactly! My mom and I got rid of most of the “granny” decor after she passed. I’ve thought about redesigning it completely, but I can’t bring myself to do it. The cheesy decor is part of the shop’s charm.”

I laughed. This wasn’t quite what I’d expected when I sat down to interview with Mary. I felt a lot less nervous as we talked about the history. “It must have been nice working with your grandmother and mom.” I would’ve loved working with my grandmother and listening to her tell me stories as we prepped the kitchen for the dishes we’d cook together. My favorite memories were of the times I spent with her in the kitchen. Sadly, I didn’t have memories like that of my mother.

“It was, most of the time. Though I was glad to get away for a bit when I went to college.” She laughed. “You’d think I’d be tired of the theme by now. But when I was away, I actually kind of missed it.” She shrugged. “People seem to like it, so I’ll probably never change it. We have a steady flow of locals, and tourists love taking pictures inside.”

“That’s good. Do you think you’ll pass it on to one of your kids someday?”

“Nah, my two oldest sons, Jamie and Jack, work with their dad, John, as private investigators. My youngest son and my only daughter are still active duty in the military.” She sighed, “Maybe I’ll get lucky and one of them will give me a grandkid to pass the shop to.”

I wasn’t sure what to say, so I took a sip of coffee to buy a few seconds. Before I could figure it out, Mary spoke.

“Enough reminiscing.” She picked up my application. “Your application looks good, but I noticed you have an extended stay motel listed as your current address.” Mary sounded inquisitive rather than judgmental, but it didn’t matter. I started fidgeting with my purse strap. I hoped she didn’t think I wasn’t worth hiring. An extended stay address screamed, “I’m not sticking around.”

“It’s temporary. I moved to Weatherford last week, and unfortunately, I need a job before I can sign a lease for an apartment.” My words ran together.

About Author Eveline Rose…

Links to Eveline’s websites, blogs, books, #ad etc.:

Amazon Kindle: https://amzn.to/4lL5kWj

Amazon Paperback: https://mybook.to/TAKEN_SSI1