Reindeer Roundup (A Zoe Donovan Cozy Mystery Book 27)

  Reindeer Roundup

  by

  Kathi Daley

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2017 by Katherine Daley

  Version 1.0

  All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

  I want to thank the very talented Jessica Fischer for the cover art.

  I so appreciate Bruce Curran, who is always ready and willing to answer my cyber questions, and Peggy Hyndman, for helping sleuth out those pesky typos.

  A special thank you to Vivian Shane, Darla Taylor, Marie Rice, and Pam Curran for submitting recipes.

  And, of course, thanks to the readers and bloggers in my life, who make doing what I do possible.

  Thank you to Randy Ladenheim-Gil for the editing.

  And finally I want to thank my sister Christy for always lending an ear and my husband Ken for allowing me time to write by taking care of everything else.

  Table of Contents

  Books by Kathi Daley

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Next From Kathi Daley Books

  Recipes

  Candied Cherry Slices

  Cherry Coffee Cake

  Marie’s Minty Chocolate Chip Cookies

  Magic Cookie Bars

  Books by Kathi Daley

  Books by Kathi Daley

  Come for the murder, stay for the romance.

  Zoe Donovan Cozy Mystery:

  Halloween Hijinks

  The Trouble With Turkeys

  Christmas Crazy

  Cupid’s Curse

  Big Bunny Bump-off

  Beach Blanket Barbie

  Maui Madness

  Derby Divas

  Haunted Hamlet

  Turkeys, Tuxes, and Tabbies

  Christmas Cozy

  Alaskan Alliance

  Matrimony Meltdown

  Soul Surrender

  Heavenly Honeymoon

  Hopscotch Homicide

  Ghostly Graveyard

  Santa Sleuth

  Shamrock Shenanigans

  Kitten Kaboodle

  Costume Catastrophe

  Candy Cane Caper

  Holiday Hangover

  Easter Escapade

  Camp Carter

  Trick or Treason

  Reindeer Roundup

  Zimmerman Academy The New Normal

  Ashton Falls Cozy Cookbook

  Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Mysteries by Henery Press:

  Pumpkins in Paradise

  Snowmen in Paradise

  Bikinis in Paradise

  Christmas in Paradise

  Puppies in Paradise

  Halloween in Paradise

  Treasure in Paradise

  Fireworks in Paradise

  Beaches in Paradise – June 2018

  Whales and Tails Cozy Mystery:

  Romeow and Juliet

  The Mad Catter

  Grimm’s Furry Tail

  Much Ado About Felines

  Legend of Tabby Hollow

  Cat of Christmas Past

  A Tale of Two Tabbies

  The Great Catsby

  Count Catula

  The Cat of Christmas Present

  A Winter’s Tail

  The Taming of the Tabby

  Frankencat

  The Cat of Christmas Future

  The Cat of New Orleans – February 2018

  Seacliff High Mystery:

  The Secret

  The Curse

  The Relic

  The Conspiracy

  The Grudge

  The Shadow

  The Haunting

  Sand and Sea Hawaiian Mystery:

  Murder at Dolphin Bay

  Murder at Sunrise Beach

  Murder at the Witching Hour

  Murder at Christmas

  Murder at Turtle Cove

  Murder at Water’s Edge

  Murder at Midnight

  Writers’ Retreat Southern Seashore Mystery:

  First Case

  Second Look

  Third Strike

  Fourth Victim

  Fifth Night – January 2018

  Rescue Alaska Paranormal Mystery:

  Finding Justice

  A Tess and Tilly Mystery:

  The Christmas Letter

  Road to Christmas Romance:

  Road to Christmas Past

  Chapter 1

  Friday, December 15

  I wasn’t sure exactly when the fog had rolled in, but I was having the darnedest time trying to figure out where I was and what it was I was supposed to be doing. Even though the fog was so thick I couldn’t clearly define the images surrounding me, I could see red and green blinking lights overhead. I closed my eyes as nausea gripped me. I tried to focus and figure out what was going on, but the sound of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” blaring through loudspeakers was so jolting it caused my head to pulsate in time to the music. I had pretty much convinced myself I was trapped in some sort of Christmas nightmare when I heard the voice of my best friend, Ellie Denton.

  “Zoe, are you okay?”

  I tried to focus on her voice, but it seemed so far away.

  “Come on, sweetie. Wake up. The ambulance is on the way.”

  Ambulance? Maybe I really was trapped in a nightmare.

  “I think she’s coming to,” Ellie assured someone as the fog began to lift. I realized I was lying on my back on a hard object. Maybe the floor. I didn’t have a clear sense of where I was or how I’d come to be there, but I could feel Ellie’s hands stroking my hair as I made my way through the murky landscape toward the voice that was pleading with me to open my eyes.

  “She’s opening her eyes,” Ellie screeched.

  I cringed. My head felt like I’d partied way too hard and Ellie’s happy chirps of relief weren’t helping.

  “Are you okay?” Ellie’s brown eyes looked directly into my blue ones. “Do you feel any pain?”

  “I’m fine. What happened?”

  “You tripped over the elf with the candy canes and fell face first into Santa’s lap. You have a huge bump on your head, but I think the baby is okay.”

  Baby? I reached down and touched my swollen stomach. Oh God, Catherine. “Are you sure Catherine’s okay?” I croaked, barely able to find my voice.

  “I think so. You tripped and fell to your knees. When you fell forward your face hit Santa’s chair, but he caught you by the shoulders. You didn’t hit your stomach. There’s an ambulance on the way. Just lie still until it gets here.”

  As it turned out, lying still was all I felt up to, so I happily complied. I could hear people moving around, but it seemed like too much of an effort to open my eyes, so I simply allowed myself to drift into the space that exists between sleep and wakefulness. As I waited for whatever would come next, I let my mind wander wherever it chose in an attempt to block out the chaos around me.

  I’d been Christmas shopping with Ellie and baby Eli. We’d been marveling at the lavish holiday decorations the department store had set out this year when Ellie noticed a Santa sitting in a big red chair listening to the wishes of the boys and girls who’d been waiting in line. Ellie wanted to get a photo of Eli wi
th Santa, so we’d headed in that direction. I remembered being a little sad that Catherine wasn’t with us this Christmas, while at the same time being excited about what the new year would bring. I remember being worried, but for the life of me I couldn’t remember why. I do remember the fear in my heart had caused me to become distracted, which is probably how I tripped over the elf in the first place.

  “The ambulance is here,” someone said.

  I could hear rustling and shuffling but decided it still wasn’t worth the effort to open my eyes, so I just lay there and waited.

  “The ambulance is going to take you to the hospital,” Ellie said. “I can’t go with you because I have Eli with me, but I called Levi and he’s on his way. We’ll meet you there.”

  “Zak?”

  Ellie took my hand in hers. “Zak isn’t here, sweetie. Remember the accident?”

  I cringed as my eyes closed tighter. Suddenly, I remembered what it was I’d been distracted by.

  ******

  I wasn’t sure how long I’d been asleep, but when I next opened my eyes Ellie was sitting in the chair next to the bed I was lying in. I was hooked up to so many monitors I couldn’t begin to figure out what they were measuring, but I felt a lot better, so I hoped everything was fine.

  “Ellie?”

  Ellie set down the book she’d been reading and smiled. “Oh good, you’re awake.”

  “Is Catherine okay?”

  “Catherine’s fine. You are as well. The doctor said you have a mild concussion and he wants to keep an eye on you overnight, but you should be fine to go home tomorrow.”

  I put my hand on my stomach and was greeted with a strong kick. There was no doubt in my mind that my daughter was going to be a soccer player. “What about the kids?”

  “Levi picked Alex and Scooter up at school and took them home. Alex’s working on the Santa’s sleigh project and Scooter is finishing up a project for school. Levi, Eli, the dogs, and I are going to stay at your place for a few days. We don’t want you to be alone while Zak’s away.”

  “Does he know?”

  Ellie shook her head. “I wanted to talk to you first. On one hand, Zak’s your husband and should be informed of your little accident, but on the other, I felt like he already had a lot on his plate and didn’t want to send him totally over the edge.”

  “I’m glad you waited to tell him. If you told him he’d only worry, and he really needs to focus on his mom right now. I’m fine, and with you and Levi to help me, I’m sure everything here in Ashton Falls will be back to normal in no time.”

  “Whatever you think is best. The doctor is on his way in to speak to you, so I’m going to go call Levi to let everyone back at the house know you’re awake.”

  “Okay. And thanks, Ellie.”

  The doctor came in to do an exam as soon as Ellie left. I lay quietly, trying not to worry about my husband and the internal struggle we’d both been dealing with since we’d learned of his mother’s accident. Any way you diced it, it was my fault Zak’s mother was lying in a hospital in Paris, France, with serious injuries. No, I hadn’t been driving the automobile that had run her down, but the only reason she was in Paris and not here, safe in Ashton Falls, was because she’d wanted to spend Christmas with us, I hadn’t wanted her to, and Zak had wanted to make me happy. He knew reasoning with his mother wouldn’t work, so he’d sent her to Paris for Christmas as some sort of a bribe.

  Had there ever been a worse daughter-in-law than me?

  “Are you feeling any pain?” the doctor asked.

  “No. I’m fine.”

  “Your whole body just tensed up.”

  I let out a breath. “Sorry. I was just thinking about my mother-in-law. She was in a serious accident overseas and I guess I’m worried.”

  The doctor took off his gloves and took a step back. “That’s understandable, but it’s important that you try to relax. Your baby has been through enough stress for one day.”

  “I know. I’ll try harder. Is everything okay?”

  “Everything should be fine. I want to keep you overnight for observation, but you should be able to go home tomorrow. Your friend told me she’d be there to help you until your husband returned.”

  “She will. I’ll have a lot of help.”

  “Okay, then. Get some rest and I’ll check in on you in the morning.”

  I noticed my cell phone on the nightstand next to the bed. I picked it up and checked for messages. Although it was after six, I realized I hadn’t checked my phone since before Ellie had picked me up for lunch and shopping. There were eight texts and two voice messages, but nothing from Zak. I figured he should have landed in France by now and would have called, but I supposed he had more important things on his mind.

  The first text message was from my mom, asking me if I had any news on Zak’s mom. I texted her back, letting her know I hadn’t heard anything, but I’d let her know as soon as I did. I considered telling her about my own elf accident, but I knew she’d just worry, so I decided to wait until I was safely home before mentioning anything about it.

  The next text message was from a woman named Stella Green. I’d gone to high school with her, but we hadn’t stayed in touch, so I didn’t consider her to be a close friend. The text just said Call me, so I skipped it and went on to the next.

  The third text was from the Christmas store in town, letting me know the custom ornaments I’d ordered had come in and I could pick them up at my earliest convenience. I was excited to see how they’d turned out, so maybe I’d ask Ellie to pick them up for me.

  The fourth text was from Stella again, asking me to call her and adding the words it’s really important to the end. I once again skipped over it, figuring I’d call her after I got home.

  The fifth text was from Scooter, asking if his friend Tucker could spend the night. I realized he’d texted before he knew I was in the hospital, but I decided to text back anyway, letting him know I was doing fine but he’d need to take a rain check.

  The sixth text was from my grandfather’s girlfriend, Hazel Hampton, asking if I was planning to participate in the cookie exchange this year. Knowing Ellie, she’d already made cookies for us both to bring, so I texted back to let her know I planned to attend and wanted to confirm the exchange was still scheduled for Tuesday.

  The seventh text was from my mom again, asking if I wanted her to make a Christmas stocking for Catherine. I texted back that Catherine wasn’t due until three weeks after Christmas, but if she had time and wanted to do it, we could always use the stocking next year.

  The last text was from Alex, asking if I was okay. I guess Levi must have told her what was going on. I told her I was fine, but they wanted to keep an eye on me, so I was staying the night. I told her I’d call her later.

  Both voice messages were from Stella. The first said she’d been getting strange emails and she wondered if Zak could help her track down the source. The second message sounded a bit tenser, as she asked me to please get back to her right away. I was about to call her when Ellie came in.

  “So, everything went well?” Ellie asked.

  “Yes. I can go home tomorrow. You don’t have to stay with me. Go home to your husband and baby. I’ll be fine.”

  “I know you’ll be fine, but I’m not leaving until they kick me out.” Ellie noticed the phone in my hand. “He didn’t call?”

  I shook my head. “He must hate me.”

  Ellie sat down on the side of my bed and took my hand in hers. “Zak doesn’t hate you. He loves you. It’s not your fault his mother was in an accident.”

  “If I hadn’t been such a big, complaining baby she’d be safe and sound in Ashton Falls, making me crazy and not clinging to her life halfway around the world.”

  “You might not have wanted her to come to Ashton Falls for Christmas, but you didn’t force her to go to Paris, and you certainly didn’t force her to walk down a narrow street late at night where a drunk driver ran into her. Why was she walking down a narrow str
eet late at night anyway?”

  “I don’t know. Zak doesn’t know. It is rather odd.”

  “To be honest, Zak’s mother doesn’t seem the sort to walk anywhere.”

  “She’s not. The whole thing makes no sense. Hopefully, she’ll regain consciousness and tell us what happened.”

  Ellie squeezed my hand. “She will. She may already have. Chances are, Zak hasn’t even made it to the hospital yet. I’m sure he’ll call you when he has news to share.”

  I wanted to respond that I was sure he would, but I really wasn’t so sure. I couldn’t get out of my mind the haunted look on his face when he’d first received the call from the hospital in Paris. He’d looked so lost and scared. I wasn’t used to my big, strong husband looking like a terrified little boy. I closed my eyes, fighting back my own tears.

  “Are you okay? Should I call the nurse?”

  “I’m just tired, and I can’t help but worry about Zak and his mom. Let’s talk about something else. Did Levi have a chance to talk to the guy who’s running the new tree lot in town?”

  “He tried, but the guy’s being completely unreasonable. Despite the fact that his lot is right next door to the one Levi’s running for the high school sports program, he maintains it’s his right to sell his trees for whatever price he wants even though it’s killing the high school’s business.”

  “What I don’t understand is how he’s selling the trees so cheaply.”

  “It seems like he’s using the cheap trees to get people onto the lot and then he sells them baked goods, ornaments, photos with Santa, and a variety of other add-ons for an exorbitant price. Levi’s getting pretty frustrated, and I hear he’s not the only one who’s complained about the loud music and flashing lights, but it appears he has permits for everything, so there isn’t a lot Levi can do.”

  “Poor Levi. It’s really going to hurt the high school if they can’t sell their trees.”

  “Yeah.” Ellie sighed. “It really is. But I don’t want you to worry about that or anything else. The doctor said you need to relax.”