Secret of Her Own - A Whispering Pines Short Mystery (EBOOK)

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Chapter 1
I CONSIDERED PEEKING ONE EYE open to make sure nothing had changed overnight. To verify that my Sheriff Jayne persona really could stay in hibernation and not worry about solving crimes. Nothing minor, like a dispute between quarreling neighbors. Nothing major, such as yet another dead body showing up. Our village had a bit of a problem with that last option.
Fear that I wasn’t really on vacation, or perhaps my sense of responsibility, won out, so I looked and instantly relaxed. There were still palm trees swaying outside the window. A second later, a soft breeze blew across my face. That little puff of wind was the single biggest sign that we were no longer in frozen-over Whispering Pines, Wisconsin. We wouldn’t be opening windows there for another few months. I inhaled, and the aroma of tropical flowers and a hint of seawater filled my senses. Heavenly.
At that moment, a small furry paw tapped my nose. I ignored it.
Maybe I should get up and experience my very first Hawaiian sunrise. No. The sun would rise again tomorrow. I had time for that. This was our first of ten glorious days on Maui. Ten days of balmy breezes instead of frigid polar gusts. Ten days to walk along the beach and hike through the jungle in shorts and sandals rather than trudge through piles of slush in parkas and snow boots.
The paw appeared again, and this time the tap was more of an insistent press. I ignored it again.
Nope, not getting up. Tripp and I could sleep in as long as we wanted because neither of us had to go to work. We could spend every waking moment together, just the two of us. Except for when we were hanging out with his Aunt Addie and Uncle Jim, of course. I smiled, hugged my pillow tighter, and snuggled deeper into bedsheets so soft I now knew exactly what the term “sleeping on a cloud” meant. No, for the next week and a half, I could be Regular Jayne whose only worry was which pair of flip-flops to wear.
A furry white face appeared a few inches from my face. A little pink tongue hung out, expanding and contracting the tiniest bit in time with its owner’s panting. Dog breath replaced the sweet, exotic scent of hibiscus, plumeria, and whatever all those other beautiful flowers were.
“Gross, Meeka,” I whispered so as not to wake up Tripp, who looked more peaceful than I’d ever seen him.
I’d considered leaving my pup at home. Tripp insisted she’d have a blast playing in the ocean waves, which was true. Besides, I’d miss her too much. That meant I couldn’t sleep as long as I wanted. Not when she needed to go out to do her duty.
“Hang loose, furry one. We’re supposed to be operating on island time.”