The Search The Secrets of Crittenden Cou - By Shelley Shepard Gray Page 0,3
neck and a drool spot on the papers she was reading—and a fresh wave of embarrassment, too. No one wanted to be seen passed out in public with one’s mouth open wide.
Other times Frannie would fall asleep on the couch when she was working on her mending. Right in plain sight of all her guests!
She’d wake up besieged by feelings of guilt warring with the delicious sensation of finally feeling refreshed.
All in all, her insomnia was becoming a difficult secret to keep.
Especially from her best friend, Beth.
“Frannie, maybe you should go to a chiropractor,” she said as they pressed dough into tiny pastry molds for the mini quiches that Frannie liked to serve with fruit and muffins at breakfast.
“A chiropractor?” Frannie turned to her in surprise. She’d never thought of her friend as one who would be needing a chiropractor. To one and all, Beth was always happy and healthy. A joy to be around. “My back is just fine.”
“I’ve heard chiropractors can do wonders with other parts of your body, too. And Dr. Collins is a gut doktah, for sure.” As she smoothed more dough in her hands, she added, “You know, he helped Katie and Mary John with their stomach ailments. Cleansed their colons, it did.”
Frannie privately thought a better diet would have helped Katie and Mary’s stomach problems years ago. She almost blurted her thoughts, but held her tongue. Detective Reynolds’s criticisms about her tendency to stick her nose into places it didn’t belong still stung.
Beth seemed to take her silence as an invitation to talk some more. “If Dr. Collins can help Katie and Mary John, he could surely help you, too. Maybe even help your sleeping problems.”
She knew what her problem was, and it wasn’t likely to be solved by a doctor’s visit. But of course, she couldn’t tell Beth that. So she kept the conversation easy. “You think I have a sleeping problem?”
“Sure you do. No one should be as tired as you are, Frannie. You’ve got circles under your eyes like a raccoon.”
Almost against her will, Frannie touched the tender skin under her eyes with some dismay. “I have circles?”
Never one to temper bad news, Beth nodded. “Dark ones.”
Frannie cleared her throat. “If things don’t get back to normal soon, maybe I’ll talk to the doktah. But for now, I’ll keep trying to rest when I can. I’m a busy innkeeper, you know.”
“If things don’t change, something bad’s going to happen.”
“Something bad has already happened. Perry’s body was discovered in a well.” Sheriff Kramer had called in Luke Reynolds, a city detective from Cincinnati, to investigate, and now the whole county was up in arms. He’d been staying at her B&B until he’d discovered she’d kept her relationship with Perry from him. He felt he could no longer stay there, as it was a conflict of interest.
Looking more and more distraught, Beth added, “I mean, something bad is going to happen to you.” Beth made a show of looking Frannie up and down. “I know you’ve lost weight. And you seem far more tense than usual. If you’re not careful, you’re going to fall apart soon.”
“I don’t have a choice. This is my business and I have guests to take care of.”
“But someone needs to take care of you.” She snapped her fingers. “Maybe your daed could help out some?”
“You know my father wasn’t happy with me taking this inn over from my aunt. I promised him I wouldn’t bother him with the business. That is one promise I intend to keep.”
“He is a good and kind man, Frannie. I bet he will change his mind once he knows what a time you’re having.”
“I don’t intend for him to find out.”
“He won’t like that you’re keeping secrets, Frannie.”
Frannie loved her father very much. For all her life, she’d enjoyed a good and peaceful relationship with him. They’d gotten closer when her mother passed away after battling pancreatic cancer. After her sister got married and moved to Michigan, they’d become a little family of two, doing things together and helping each other with chores. Never had he openly disagreed with her.
Until she defied him by accepting her great aunt’s gift. And though she felt bad for not abiding by her father’s wishes, she felt the pull to step forward into her new venture even more. It felt like God had put the bed-and-breakfast opportunity in her hands, and that she needed to listen and follow His will.