Grave Holiday (A Maddie Graves Mystery Book 9) Read online

  Grave Holiday

  A Maddie Graves Mystery Book Nine

  Lily Harper Hart

  HarperHart Publications

  Contents

  Copyright

  1. One

  2. Two

  3. Three

  4. Four

  5. Five

  6. Six

  7. Seven

  8. Eight

  9. Nine

  10. Ten

  11. Eleven

  12. Twelve

  13. Thirteen

  14. Fourteen

  15. Fifteen

  16. Sixteen

  17. Seventeen

  18. Eighteen

  19. Nineteen

  20. Twenty

  21. Twenty-One

  22. Twenty-Two

  23. Twenty-Three

  Mail List

  Acknowledgments

  Books by Lily Harper Hart

  Copyright © 2017 by Lily Harper Hart

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  1

  One

  Maddie Graves made a face as she stared out the front window of her store, a knit cap clutched in her hand. Winter was officially here. Her first Christmas with her childhood best friend and love of her life, Nick Winters, was here. She’d been shopping like crazy and wrapping presents on the sly. She’d special ordered cider, tea, and her grandmother’s favorite bourbon. It was all here.

  The one thing not here was snow.

  Maddie sighed as she rested her knit cap on the small table located by the window. The magic shop was located on the main floor of the grandiose Victorian home her mother Olivia left her when she died in the spring. The front of the house served as the storefront while everything else was shut off for family and friends. Recently her grandmother Maude turned the garage into a separate apartment. She said it was because she had trouble getting up and down the stairs – which Maddie believed – but Maddie knew that it also had a little something to do with the fact that Nick moved in and Maude was determined to give the lovebirds some privacy.

  “What are you looking at, Mad?” Nick said, his eyes twinkling as he rested his hands on his knees while he leaned over and stared out the window. He was well aware of Maddie’s yen for snow – and truth be told, he wouldn’t mind seeing a few flakes himself – but the way she jutted out her lower lip made his chest fill with warmth.

  “It’s not snowing yet.”

  “I know that,” Nick said. “I can see that for myself. You need to chill out, sweetie. It’s going to snow.”

  “It’s almost Christmas,” Maddie pointed out, straightening. “We can’t have our first Christmas together without snow. That’s … un-American.”

  Nick’s lips twitched as he regarded her somber features. “Un-American, huh? You know there are entire states that get no snow for Christmas, right?”

  “We don’t live in one of those states. This is Michigan.”

  Nick reached a hand over and tucked a strand of Maddie’s flaxen hair behind her ear. He had infinite patience where she was concerned, but her insistence on getting her way when it came to snow was starting to grate. “I would give you anything in the world. You know that. I can’t make it snow, though.”

  “You need to try.” Maddie was stubborn as she crossed her arms over her chest. She knew she was being petulant, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself. She wasn’t known for being difficult, but she’d been dreaming of spending Christmas with Nick for months. Every one of those dreams included making a snowman and having a snowball fight. She envisioned sitting in the window seat and sipping tea while they watched fat flakes fall. Dead and dormant grass didn’t hold the same appeal. “I really need it to snow, Nicky.”

  Nick didn’t bother hiding his smile as he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek. “It will snow, love. Have some faith. It’s Christmas in Blackstone Bay. When doesn’t it snow for Christmas in Blackstone Bay?”

  Maddie wanted to believe him, but she chewed her lip as she tipped her head to the side. “I want it to snow now. You know, just to be on the safe side.”

  Nick barked out a laugh as he dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose and released her. “You’re a funny girl, Maddie Graves. You know that, right?”

  Maddie shrugged. “I want snow. Make it snow. Your last name is Winters. That has to mean you have special snow powers or something.”

  “I’ll see what I can figure out. That’s the most I can promise.” In the back of his mind Nick was already wondering if he could find a way to rent a snow machine for the day. There was no way he intended to let Maddie’s image of a perfect Christmas slide away without putting up a fight. “There’s no need to fret. I’m sure Santa is going to bring you snow.”

  “He’d better,” Maddie said, reaching for her coat. “I have a list of things I want to do before Christmas hits and a lot of them need snow.”

  Nick narrowed his eyes. “You have a list? That’s so … you.”

  “You love me, so you like it when I’m me. Er, did that make sense?”

  “I do love you … and I love it when you’re you.” Nick made a face as he watched Maddie bundle up. The snow wasn’t here but the cold was. Living in northern Lower Michigan made for long winters. Nick was a fan of skiing and snowmobiling, but even he preferred spring, summer, and fall to winter. He wanted it to snow for Christmas, but then he was ready for warmer weather. “Where are you going?”

  “They’re setting up the big Christmas festival downtown,” Maddie reminded him. “I promised Christy I would go with her. I’m certain I told you.”

  “You probably did,” Nick said, rubbing his chin. “I guess I forgot, though. I was kind of hoping we could snuggle up on the window seat and read a dirty book.”

  Maddie made a face that would’ve been comical under different circumstances. “I don’t read dirty books.”

  “Fine. I want to read another one of those swarthy pirate romances that aren’t dirty but involve a lot of nudity and heaving bosoms,” Nick said. “That one we read the other day was … stimulating.”

  “I think you’re just saying that because you have wandering hands and get a kick out of reading the sex passages.”

  “They give me ideas,” Nick said, his grin impish as he dropped a kiss on Maddie’s cheek. “Come on. Live a little. Stay in and be a hermit like me.”

  Maddie looked caught as she glanced through the front window and then back at him. “I promised Christy.”

  In addition to owning the local hair salon, Christy Ford was a former classmate. She graduated with Nick and Maddie, and when Maddie returned to town in the spring after being away for a decade, the two women struck up a fast friendship. Christy was the one who helped Maddie come to terms with her feelings for Nick. She’d been the couple’s biggest champion – other than Nick and Maddie themselves, of course. Despite that, Nick wasn’t quite ready to let go of his afternoon fantasy.

  “Can’t it wait?”

  “Nicky, I promised,” Maddie said. “I also have to pick up Granny’s Christmas gift. It’s ready. She’s out with her Pink Ladies. I’ll be able to get it and then find a place to hide it this afternoon.”

  Nick knew she was being pragmatic. That didn’t stop him from adopting a whiny tone. “I can’t believe you’re abandoning me.”

  “I promise not to be gone too long,” Maddie said, patting his cheek. “We’ll
read dirty books later. Granny is supposed to be gone most of the night.”

  “At least you’re admitting they’re dirty,” Nick grumbled as he grabbed the discarded knit cap and tugged it over her head. “I don’t want you getting sick. Just because the snow is hanging back, that doesn’t mean the cold is.”

  Maddie smiled. “I love you, Nicky. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  “I love you, too, Mad.” Nick pressed a soft kiss to her mouth. “It’s going to be a great Christmas no matter what. I promise.”

  Maddie kept her smile in place until she was on the other side of the door and was sure Nick wasn’t watching. Then she let it slip. She was determined to have the best Christmas ever. That didn’t mean her stomach wasn’t churning, that a sense of dread wasn’t stalking her. That was one of the drawbacks to being psychic. Every niggling worry that other people could shake off with a wave of a hand had her up at night.

  Something very big was about to happen. She could feel it.

  NICK GRABBED a book from the shelf beside the window seat before rolling in and getting comfortable. He grabbed the fuzzy Christmas blanket Maddie had placed there so they could snuggle at will and rested his head on the pillow as he stared at the ceiling.

  He was worried.

  He wasn’t worried about Maddie going to the Christmas festival, although part of him wondered if he should’ve volunteered to go with her. He wasn’t even worried about the snow. He had faith it would show up – even if he had to manufacture it himself. No, he was worried about something bigger … and it was starting to gnaw at him. He had plans of his own this Christmas. They involved a ring he painstakingly picked out and a proposal he’d been practicing for weeks. He wanted to make Maddie his wife and he could think of no better time to make things official.

  He didn’t doubt she would say yes. Er, well, mostly. He knew she loved him. They’d already pledged forever to one another. This would simply make it official. He didn’t just want to make it official, though. He wanted to make it perfect. He wanted to give Maddie the memory of a lifetime – because that’s what they would be spending together – and he would settle for nothing less than the best.

  Even though he planned to wait for Maddie to return, Nick felt his eyes drooping. Before he realized what was happening he’d slipped off to sleep. That was probably why he didn’t notice the dark figure move up the driveway.

  THE MAN, a stranger really, stared at the house. The cold infiltrated his bones as indecision washed over him. He had no idea why he was so reticent. This was the reason he was here, after all. Maddie Graves was the reason.

  The stranger had just about made up his mind to knock on the front door when he saw the strong and muscular younger man in the circular window seat. His eyes were closed and it was clear he was sleeping. The stranger watched him for a moment, conflicted. Then he turned on his heel and scurried away.

  He wasn’t expecting someone else to be at the house. He certainly wasn’t expecting a man.

  He would come back, he reasoned. He would come back when Maddie was alone. It would be safer to approach her then. It certainly wasn’t safe now. He would find a way to Maddie Graves no matter what. Nothing could stop him from getting close … not this time, at least.

  “WAKE UP, Buttercup!”

  Nick groaned as he rolled, glaring at his mother as she patted his head and dragged him from a pleasant dream. It took Nick a moment to gather his bearings – for one wild second he thought he was back in his childhood room and his mother was rousing him because he was late for school – and when he finally focused on her features all he could muster was a scowl. “Why are you here?”

  Sharon Winters made a face as she regarded her youngest child. “Is that any way to greet your mother?”

  Nick tilted his head to the side as he considered the question. “I don’t know. Come back tomorrow and I’ll have an answer for you.”

  “I’m here now so that’s really not going to work for me,” Sharon said dryly. “Why are you sleeping in the window seat? Where is Maddie? Why aren’t you napping with her?” Sharon loved Maddie as much as her own children. She’d been tight with Olivia Graves, Maddie’s mother, in life. She knew the secret Maddie kept for years and felt protective of the gifted girl because she witnessed the family struggle for decades. She was beyond thrilled when Maddie returned to Blackstone Bay and forged a relationship with her son, and it wasn’t just because Nick forced himself into a holding pattern for a decade as he pined for his missing friend. Maddie and Nick were adorably tight as children. They were a force to be reckoned with as adults, though.

  “Maddie is checking out the festival preparations with Christy,” Nick replied. “I am sleeping in the window seat because I grabbed a book and was planning on reading it while I waited and I accidentally fell asleep.”

  Sharon grabbed the book and read the title out loud. “Pirate’s Booty? I’m guessing we’re not talking about buried treasure here, huh? That’s probably why this woman on the cover isn’t wearing any clothes.” Sharon’s eyes twinkled as Nick’s cheeks flushed with color. “I didn’t know you liked romance books.”

  Nick snatched back the book and scorched his mother with a murderous look. “It’s something Maddie and I are reading together.”

  “You get your pervert tendencies from your father,” Sharon said, affectionately cuffing her son. “I didn’t mean to wake you, but I saw you sleeping and let myself in. I thought about leaving a note, but then I figured you would just pretend you didn’t see it.”

  “Did you just explain something?” Nick was still slow from sleep so he couldn’t quite grasp what his mother was saying.

  “Cute,” Sharon said, shaking her head. “I’m here to make sure you know that the family Christmas party is mandatory this year. We’re having a huge party and you and Maddie are expected to come.”

  Nick opened his mouth to answer and then snapped it shut. He’d been meaning to talk to his mother about Christmas.

  “I can see your mind working from here,” Sharon said, her tone taking on a chilly edge. “You’re coming to the Christmas party. If you try to get out of it … .”

  “It’s not that, Mom,” Nick said, waving off her potential threat. “It’s just Maddie. She’s so excited for Christmas and we were kind of planning on hanging out here alone that day.”

  “What about Maude?”

  “We’re opening gifts with her in the morning and then she’s getting drunk with her Pink Ladies at the senior center. They’re having a euchre tournament and Maude is beyond excited.”

  “So that makes it easy,” Sharon said. “You and Maddie have no reason not to join us.”

  Just one. Nick didn’t say what he was thinking out loud. He had no intention of admitting that he planned to propose. Sharon would be excited – and maybe even understand – but she would inadvertently let it slip. She wouldn’t be able to help herself. Nick refused to let this proposal get ruined, especially since he was so close to delivering it.

  “We’ll figure something out, Mom,” Nick said finally, rolling his neck. “Does that make you happy?”

  Sharon shrugged. “It’s a start.” She climbed to her feet and glanced around the shop. Maddie had gone all out decorating. She recognized Olivia’s decorations and smiled. “Maddie has always loved Christmas, hasn’t she?”

  Nick followed his mother’s gaze and nodded. “She’s upset because it hasn’t snowed yet. She thinks we’re going to have a brown Christmas and she’s all worked up.”

  Sharon chuckled. “It will snow. Even if it’s just for her, it will snow.”

  Nick pursed his lips. “How do you know that?”

  “Because she deserves it,” Sharon said, smiling brightly as she headed toward the door. “I’ll email you the specifics on the party. You can get back to your smutty book.”

  “I know you think you’re embarrassing me, but you’re not.”

  Sharon chuckled. “You get that from your daddy, too.”

 
“And you love him so it must be working for me.”

  “You’ve got that right,” Sharon said. “I’ll be in touch. Tell Maddie … tell her she’s going to get the best Christmas ever. I have faith, so she should, too.”

  2

  Two

  “I need to find a place to hide Granny’s gift.”

  Maddie wrinkled her nose as she glanced around the kitchen. Christy, a mug of hot cocoa clutched in her hands as she tried to warm up after their chilly afternoon outing, sat at the table and watched her friend bounce from one cupboard to the other.

  “Why are you hiding it in the kitchen?”

  “Because Granny will never think to look here,” Maddie replied honestly. “She doesn’t cook so there’s no reason to go through the cupboards. She keeps her bourbon in her nightstand so she won’t be in here looking for that.”

  Christy wasn’t convinced. “Why not hide it in your bedroom? She wouldn’t dare go in there because you and Nick get naked so often.”

  Maddie made a face. She wasn’t a prude by nature – okay, she mostly wasn’t a prude – but she was uncomfortable with Christy’s free manner when it came to talking about her sex life. “She’ll just wait until she’s sure we’re both out of the house. She enjoys searching for her Christmas gifts. She can’t help herself.”

  “Where did Olivia hide her gifts?”

  That was a good question. Maddie tilted her head to the side as she racked her brain. “I can’t remember one Christmas where Granny didn’t find her gift,” she admitted after a beat. “Mom always thought she was being ingenious, but Granny is a nosy little thing. You wouldn’t think a woman her age would be so adamant about sniffing out gifts.”

  Christy snorted. “I don’t think it’s the gifts. Maude simply doesn’t like it when people manage to keep a secret from her. Maybe you should just tell her. Then she’d have no reason to tear apart the house looking for what you’ve hidden.”

  “That would ruin Christmas. I don’t want to ruin Christmas. Half the fun is catching Granny when she’s up to no good. She enjoys it as much as I do.”