Waffling in Murder (The Diner of the Dead Series Book 20) Read online

  Lowering her purse onto the counter, she looked at Frank with a smile. “Alright, shoot. You have five minutes.”

  Stepping into the room, Frank held the door open for a beautiful blonde-haired woman. Despite wearing a forest ranger uniform, Sonja could easily tell that the woman had a stereotypical beauty. Her eyes glowed like the sky on a clear, vibrant day and her hair was braided evenly and painstakingly down her back.

  “Sonja, this is Bethany Bordo. She’s the director at Rock Burrow State Park.”

  Sonja’s mind wandered briefly back to Belinda. Rock Burrow State Park. Was that where Belinda was, where Sonja needed to be?

  Already, she had horrifying imaginings of this beauteous forest ranger telling a grisly story of how they had found a young woman’s body, Belinda’s.

  Sonja shook the thought away. It didn’t make any sense. After all, she’d just spoken to Belinda on the phone a moment earlier. There was no way this ranger could have found her dead body and come to report on it that fast. She was only here to discuss catering. Additionally, why would they bother even coming to tell Sonja if Belinda had been found dead? They’d inform any extended family, or at least the staff at the manor, before anyone else.

  “Bethany, was it?”

  “That’s right. And you must be Sonja.”

  “The very one.”

  “I’ve heard a lot about you already.” She glanced up at Frank standing next to her with an all too friendly smirk. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” Bethany smiled widely, showing off her perfectly straight, exquisitely white teeth. Holding out a hand, she waited for the diner owner to shake.

  Sonja hated to admit it, but she felt intimidated. This woman seemed awfully young to be a full-on park director, which meant she must be highly successful. Still, that didn’t stop her from politely gripping Bethany’s hand. “The pleasure’s all mine. Frank tells me you may be interested in catering services?” Better to get straight to the point, she decided.

  “Yes, actually. We’re holding our annual award ceremony, to honor the men and women in our service who went above and beyond this year.”

  “And you would like me to cater?”

  Bethany nodded. “Yes. That’s right, and you would be doing me and the whole crew over at Rock Burrow State Park a huge favor. You see, we had another service lined up, but they fell through at the last second.”

  “Ah, I see,” Sonja gave a knowing nod.

  “When I heard what happened, I told Bethany that you would be a perfect replacement,” Frank noted.

  “How soon is this event?”

  “Tomorrow evening is the big meal and ceremony, but official arrival time is tonight,” Bethany said.

  Sonja’s shoulders slumped. A last-minute catering event was hardly her idea of a good time. Getting things ready would be a huge rush, and planning a meal would be overwhelming. “I don’t know.”

  “Sonja, please. Bethany is an old friend, and you’re the best caterer around,” Frank begged.

  An old friend? Sonja didn’t like the sound of that. “I think you’re a little biased about my cooking,” she informed her boyfriend.

  “Not at all,” Alison chimed in.

  Sonja turned and gave her a look that said, what are you doing?

  “Everyone knows you’re the best. Heck, you beat out all the other restaurants in town in quarterly sales,” Ally continued, ignoring Sonja’s silent protest.

  It was true. The Waffle Diner and Eatery was the number one place to eat for tourists coming through the small mountain community.

  “And we’re willing to pay any extra fees you might incur from having to do this last minute,” Bethany added.

  “Are you saying I should take this gig?” she asked Ally, only half-whispering.

  “I can hold down the fort here for a few days while you go off on a camping trip.” She waved a hand indicating it would be a piece of cake.

  “Please. I would be eternally grateful.” Bethany clasped her hands in a pleading gesture.

  While Sonja wasn’t thrilled with the situation, and was even less happy about the close relationship Frank seemed to have with this blonde-haired goddess, this was probably a perfect excuse for her to go out searching for Belinda in Rock Burrow.

  “All right. I’ll do it.”

  “Fantastic. If you have a moment now, we can go over the details,” Bethany offered.

  “This way,” Sonja gestured toward the small office.

  CHAPTER 3

  * * *

  Sonja spent the rest of the day running back and forth like a crazy person to gather up all the essential ingredients and items she’d need for the catering gig. Luckily, she only had to cater the one meal at the ceremony and not the whole camping trip. The rangers were all expected to provide their own food besides that.

  The best part of accepting the catering gig was that Sonja almost instantly had a spark of inspiration. She knew what she was going to be serving to the rangers, and it was also the perfect specialty waffle to end summer and welcome fall.

  Allison helped to pack everything up into boxes, and they were just closing the doors on the back of the van when Frank pulled up in his police cruiser. One of the deputies was in the passenger seat. Stepping out of the car, he grabbed an overnight bag out of the backseat.

  The deputy slid over into the driver seat.

  Sonja instantly realized Frank was wearing a park ranger uniform. “What the heck?” she whispered to Ally.

  “Sonja,” he shouted from across the lot, waving at her.

  “Frank, what are you wearing?”

  “I’m so glad I caught you. I need a ride up to the campground.”

  Sonja defiantly folded her arms, giving him the up and down. “I think you better start explaining first,” she indicated the odd change of clothes with a point of her finger.

  Sighing, he barely held back a smile, his cheeks flushing a slight pink tone. He was embarrassed to be seen dressed like this, Sonja realized.

  “I have to agree with Sonja on this one, Frank. What the heck are you wearing?”

  “Come on. Out with it,” Sonja ordered.

  He held up his hands defensively. “Alright, alright. I’ve been invited back as a guest for the award ceremony this weekend.”

  “Back?”

  “After police academy and before I started working for the department here in Haunted Falls, I volunteered for a year with the parks service.”

  “And that’s how you know Bethany?” Sonja pressed, still wary of the beautiful woman.

  “That’s right. She was my trainer. She only became the director of Rock Burrow Park this last year. She wanted me to come to the first award ceremony as a special guest, talk about my volunteer experience and how it prepared me to eventually become the sheriff of Haunted Falls.”

  “And now, at the last minute, you need a ride?” she teased him, finding the whole situation awkward yet humorous.

  “My car’s been in the shop the last few days, and it turns out it will be another few. I thought I’d have it out in time to drive up tonight.” He shrugged.

  “Guess you were wrong,” Sonja sighed, shaking her head and smiling.

  “So, you’ll help me out?”

  “Sure, on one condition.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You tell me the whole story behind this,” she motioned to him again, “on the way up there.”

  Frank hesitated but then gave a firm nod. “Deal.”

  * * *

  “So, why didn’t you tell me about all of this until just now?” Sonja asked as they drove out of Haunted Falls toward the state park.

  “I didn’t think it mattered, I guess.”

  “Didn’t think it mattered? You come into my kitchen this morning with a random woman I don’t know and ask me to cater a last-minute event because she’s an old friend. Then, on top of that, you don’t bother telling me that you’re going to be there at the campout as well. Seems suspicious to me.”

 
; “I see what you mean.”

  “It’s not like I wouldn’t have found out. I would have seen you there at the awards ceremony.”

  Frank shifted in his seat, not speaking.

  Sonja took her eyes off the road for a second and looked at the handsome man sitting next to her. She could read him like an open book. “Is there something you’re hiding?” she asked, a hint of cautiousness in the back of her throat.

  A heavy sigh escaped his lips and he sat up straight. “Okay, truth time.”

  “That’s what I want to know. The truth.” She knew she shouldn’t be worried about what he might say next, but she was. Bethany was a beautiful woman, gorgeous even. What if he’d decided that he wanted to date her? What if he was planning on dumping Sonja?

  Stop it, Sonja ordered herself. Frank had said I love you too many times to count. There was no way he would suddenly up and leave for another, more attractive woman. Right?

  Maybe the fact that she could see ghosts was too much for him.

  Gripping the steering wheel with a white knuckled fist, she waited for his answer.

  “Honestly, Sonj’, I was embarrassed.”

  “Embarrassed?”

  “Not many people know I volunteered with the rangers.”

  Letting out a slight sigh of relief and loosening her grip on the wheel, she felt silly for being so worried. So that was it. For some odd reason, he’s been hiding his past work with the forest service.

  “What could possibly be embarrassing about that?” Sonja argued.

  “You should know. You and Ally both laughed at my outfit when you saw it.” He motioned to the green suit.

  Sonja couldn’t help herself, and giggled again.

  “See?” he snapped, his face turning red.

  “I-I’m really sorry, Frank, but that’s why you didn’t tell me? You think you look silly in the outfit?” She laughed again, but poor Frank didn’t understand that she wasn’t making fun. She honestly was just relieved that her wild notions about Bethany had been wrong.

  “What’s so hard to understand about that? Sometimes men worry about how they look, too, you know,” he argued.

  “I don’t doubt that.”

  “So, you do think I look goofy, don’t you?” he looked down at the wrinkled green uniform.

  “The outfit is a little frumpy, yes, but you don’t look goofy,” she said seriously, rearing back her laughter.

  “I was slightly . . . bigger that year,” he admitted.

  Sonja looked at him and tried to imagine it. It wasn’t impossible of course. When she’d first moved back to Haunted Falls, he’d had a slight belly but had since worked it off. He was so buff now from lifting weights every morning, it was hard to imagine that at one time he might have been a little chubby. However, it did explain the loose fit of the uniform.

  He sighed. “Anyway, I guess I’m still pretty embarrassed about the way I looked back then.”

  Reaching over, she put a hand on his knee and squeezed it. “Frank, I’m your girlfriend. I love you. You shouldn’t be afraid of being embarrassed in front of me. Even if I laugh sometimes, the way I feel about you doesn’t change.”

  Placing his own hand over hers, he gave it a squeeze. “Are you sure?”

  “Of course. If I wore an old, frumpy, sweat suit, would you think any less of me?”

  “Maybe,” he joked.

  “Hey!”

  “Just kidding, just kidding. It wouldn’t change a thing. You’re the most beautiful woman on the planet to me, and you always will be.”

  Sonja thought of Bethany again. “The most beautiful woman on the planet, huh?”

  “That’s right.”

  She squeezed his hand back. “Thanks.” His words made her feel more confident in herself.

  “You know, you’re right. I shouldn’t be worried about how I looked back then.”

  “Absolutely.”

  “In fact, Bethany even commented on how good I look now after the past few years.” Frank smiled from ear to ear.

  Sonja instantly felt the small boost of confidence deflate. She wondered if Frank had a crush on Bethany.

  Turning off the main road, they spotted a wooden sign labeled Rock Burrow State Park pointing into the trees.

  CHAPTER 4

  * * *

  The large Welcome Hall, something that appeared more like a large cabin than a normal building, sat in the center of a dirt clearing at the end of the long drive into the park. Flanking the main building and spread out among the trees all around were smaller cabins—most likely sleep quarters for park rangers on duty or tourists who wanted to pay a little extra.

  Rolling down the window, Sonja let in some fresh air. It smelled slightly like rain and Sonja wanted to find a spot and get her tent set up as soon as possible.

  “If I remember correctly, Bethany has you staying in the cabin right behind the Welcome Hall.”

  “I brought my tent for nothing then? Isn’t really camping, is it?”

  “Well, I’d say it is,” he admitted.

  “How does staying in a cabin count as camping? You should know, Mr. Volunteer Ranger.”

  “Hey, these cabins are bare bones. It’s just wood, stove, and a cot. No electricity. No lights. No indoor bathrooms.”

  “Ah, I see. Those kind of cabins.” Sonja had never really camped like this, but she supposed it was fine.

  “The only building with electricity and a bathroom is the hall.”

  “Good, because I don’t know how I would cook waffles without electricity.”

  “In a cast iron waffle maker over a fire?” Frank offered.

  “Not for a group of twenty-four people.”

  “I suppose not.”

  “I’d say just pull around back of the building and park there for the moment, at least until we get fully situated.”

  “Alright.” Driving around the hall, Sonja spotted a small amphitheater with stone seating carved into the rock and a circular fire pit in the center.

  “That’s where we’ll probably have the actual award ceremony.”

  “Dinner inside first and then awards outside?”

  “Yep, that’s right. If it doesn’t rain on us at least.”

  “And you’ll give your speech there?”

  “I wouldn’t call it a speech. They often ask old recruits and volunteers to come back for these events and talk about their experiences. I was only picked because I’m close friends with Bethany.”

  “How close?” Sonja asked, the words tumbling out of her mouth before she thought about what she was saying.

  Frank raised a suspicious eyebrow at his girlfriend, but didn’t get a chance to answer. Someone was calling to them, waving as she came out of the back door of the hall and crossing the amphitheater. It was Bethany.

  Stopping the car, Sonja climbed out before Frank could call her out on her slip-up. The last thing she wanted was an argument over her own foolish notions and jealousies about one of Frank’s old friends.

  “Sonja, Frank, I’m so glad both of you are here,” Bethany greeted, walking up and shaking Sonja’s hand again with a firm grip. “I sure am grateful to you for helping at the last minute like this.”

  “It’s no problem at all, really. For a friend of Frank’s, I’m happy to do it.”

  “Thank you,” she said, letting go of Sonja’s hand which slightly hurt now.

  “Frank says you have me in one of these cabins?”

  She motioned toward the nearest cabin, a little tiny building just nestled in the woods about thirty feet from the amphitheater. “Yes, I thought it would be easier on you as the caterer to be close to the hall.” She started walking toward the cabin, leading the way.

  “It is, thank you.”

  “It’s nothing fancy, of course, but it wouldn’t be camping otherwise.”

  “I couldn’t agree more,” Frank echoed.

  “There are two cots in here, so if you guys want to push them together so you can be closer, feel free.”

 
; “Hold on,” Sonja interjected.

  Bethany paused, turning to face her. “Is something wrong?”

  “You said we could push our cots together? Do you have Frank and me in the same cabin?”

  “Of course, I assumed you would want to bunk together.”

  Frank laughed awkwardly. “Uhm, I guess you could say we’re a little old-fashioned, Bethany.”

  Bethany looked from one of them to the other, and then she finally understood, he eyes widening with recognition. “Oh, wait. You two aren’t married.”

  Sonja and Frank glanced at each other, both of their faces burning hot with embarrassment. “No, we’re just dating.”

  “Oh, my goodness, I’m so sorry. I misunderstood,” she confessed. “How foolish of me.”

  “It’s fine, really,” Sonja jumped in, wanting the conversation to be over. She and Frank had never really discussed marriage and she wasn’t so sure she was ready for that conversation quite yet.

  “Well, I can certainly change some of the cabins around.” She snapped her fingers. “I know. Frank, why don’t you stay in my cabin and I’ll bunk with Sonja.”

  “Sounds good to me,” he replied without a second thought.

  Meanwhile, Sonja felt her own heartbeat speeding up. She wasn’t so sure she wanted to stay in a cabin with this woman. After all, she still wasn’t sure if there was any kind of romantic history there. Even worse, she felt awkward about Frank sleeping in Bethany’s bed.

  “How about you, Sonja? Is that an okay arrangement?”

  Swallowing hard, she nodded. “Sounds great,” she lied.

  “Fantastic. Let me show you the inside of the cabin, and then I’ll go and grab the things I need.” She began walking again.

  “I’ll stick with you,” Frank offered, stepping up to keep stride with the forest ranger.

  Sonja felt her face grow flush again, this time with jealousy. What is wrong with me, she groaned silently, stop acting so jealous over nothing.

  “How have things been going up here? You never got around to telling me over coffee this morning,” Frank asked.

  That morning? For coffee? The situation was just getting more stressful by the minute.