Grave Homecoming (A Maddie Graves Mystery Book 1) by Lily Harper Hart

“You’re too skittish to ever do anything on your own.”
    “I am not skittish.”
    “Girl, you’re as skittish as a stray colt with wolves on its tail,” Maude replied. She patted Maddie’s arm. “You’re going to be fine. If he gets fresh, just sock him in the mouth.”
    Maddie looked unsure, but all further protests died on her lips when the sound of a car horn caught everyone’s attention.
    “Your date is here,” Maude said, grabbing Maddie’s hand and dragging her down the stairs.
    It took some effort, but Christy and Maude managed to push Maddie through the door – and then proceeded to watch her until they were sure she was safely in the passenger seat of Todd’s Dodge Charger. Once the car disappeared from the driveway, Christy turned to Maude with a dubious look.
    “You know Todd Winthrop is all hands and a snakelike tongue, right?”
    “I’ve heard,” Maude said, wrinkling her nose.
    “Why did you push Maddie to go out with him? He’s not her type.”
    “He’s a jackass,” Maude said. “Maddie still needs some socialization. Plus, a couple of dates with a lowlife like Todd will make her realize that Nick is worth fighting for.”
    “Oh, are you really worried those two won’t find their way to each other?” Christy asked. “I had lunch with them yesterday, and let me tell you something, they’re one hot-and-steamy run-in away from stripping naked and mounting each other in the middle of town.”
    “Hey, fresh mouth,” Maude said, slapping Christy’s hand. “I don’t want them to just have sex. I want them to be … happy.”
    “Trust me, Maude, they’re not going to be able to stay away from each other,” Christy said. “The only obstacle in their way is Cassidy. I feel a little bad for her.”
    “Why do you say that?”
    “She was watching them yesterday,” Christy said. “They didn’t see her. In fact, Nick wasn’t even aware she was on the same planet because he was too busy trying to take care of Maddie after she discovered that body.”
    Maude was intrigued. “Did she say something?”
    “No,” Christy said. “You could just tell by the look on her face. She knows she’s already lost him.”
    “Then she should let him go,” Maude said.
    “She’s not going to do that,” Christy said. “She’s still trying to convince herself that she has a shot.”
    “Well, it’s just going to hurt more over the long haul,” Maude said. “I’ve always known that Nick and Maddie were destined to be together. Now we just have to wait for the two of them to pull their heads out of their own behinds and give into their feelings.”
    “Oh, they’ll get there,” Christy said, smiling. “Once word gets out that Todd and Maddie went on a date, Nick is going to go nuclear.”
    “Well, that will be fun to watch,” Maude said. “Do you want some lemonade?”
    “Sure,” Christy said. “I want to hang out here long enough to make sure Maddie doesn’t just circle around and sneak back into the house.”
    “That is an unfortunate possibility,” Maude agreed. “We really need to work on that girl’s self-esteem.”
    “Don’t worry,” Christy said. “I think once Nick falls into place, other things are going to fall into place, too. She’s still finding herself.”
    “I like how optimistic you are.”
    “I’m just a sucker for a happy ending,” Christy said.

Nine
    Maddie was so nervous she thought she was going to climb out of her own skin. The ride to the restaurant had been long – and uncomfortable. Todd had insisted on taking her down the coast to a cozy little seafood restaurant she’d never heard of before.
    Maddie would’ve been more comfortable with a burger and some fries.
    Thankfully for her, Todd managed to handle almost all of the conversation over the duration of their drive. Maddie occasionally nodded, or interjected a single word, but Todd was more than happy talking about himself for a half hour straight.
    Maddie was already bored.
    When