Toxic Attack Spirit of the Soul Wine Shop Mystery Part 2: A Rysen Morris Mystery, #2

By K.J. Emrick

Rysen Morris, to her surprise, finds that she enjoys being back in her hometown and has quickly settled into life living and working with her sister in the Spirit of the Soul wine store.

 

Having reconnected with her high school sweetheart things were going well.

 

Of course, things weren't perfect but they were just close enough to make her happy.

 

So when Christina admits that money is going missing from the store and then starts acting strange and looking really sick Rysen becomes alarmed.

 

What is happening to her sister?

 

Is it just the flu or is it something more sinister?

 

Teaming up with Brandon once again Rysen is determined to find out!

• Language: English
• Publisher: South Coast Publishing
• Release date: Apr 8, 2015
• ISBN: 9781502252166

Book preview

Chapter 1

Rysen Morris hated to admit it, but she enjoyed being back home. Her little town of Cambria in California's wine country had grown quite a bit since she was a little girl. It might not be the big city of San Francisco, by any means, but it was beginning to feel like home again.

Ironically, it had taken her running away to San Francisco's sprawling cityscape to appreciate what she had here. It had taken being fired from her job and her bastard of an ex-boyfriend dumping her before she had come back to Cambria with her tail between her legs to live with her sister and start her life over. Again.

Of course, things weren't perfect. Just close enough to make her happy.

Laying in her bed upstairs in her sister's house, staring at the ceiling, she let her thoughts wander. There was something else making her happy here, too. Someone, actually.

Josh Keats. It had been such a surprise to see him back in town, too. They'd dated in high school for a very short time. Just like the rest of this town and everyone in it, Rysen had believed Josh was part of her past. She'd forgotten all about him. Or at least that's what she'd told herself. Seeing him again had brought all of her old feelings blossoming back to the surface.

For him too, as it turned out. They'd been dating for the last three weeks.

She kicked her feet under her blankets, like a giddy little school girl. Things were going really well with her and Josh. Every day was just a little bit better. Tonight, at dinner, he'd told her that he was falling for her.

It wasn't quite those three little words every girl waits to here, but it was pretty close.

She supposed Josh could be forgiven for not diving head first into romance. He'd just broken up with Rysen's best friend from childhood, Beatrice Leary. Breakups could do that to a guy. Bea's mother used to babysit for Rysen and her sister, the three girls playing away long afternoons in the flower shop the Leary's owned. She had been one of the first people that Rysen reconnected with when she came back to Cambria.

Rysen and Beatrice were still friends, but dating Josh had made things…a little awkward. Bea had jokingly given her permission when Rysen had asked if it was okay. She had laughed it off and said things were finally over for her and Josh, so why shouldn't Rysen rekindle that old flame? In spite of that, Rysen still had to wonder if Bea could really get over Josh just like that.

So that was life for her now. Dating a wonderful man, reconnecting with friends and even slowly working to smooth things over with her father. Not that her dad was making that easy. He never had. Between all of that and working her shifts at her sister's wine shop, life was full.

She was feeling sleepy, even though her thoughts wouldn't stop turning. Her lids drooped heavily over her eyes and she heard her breathing even out and become deeper. Dreams slid in to push worries and hopes and all of that aside. She was floating, and she let herself drift.

A man's arms held her, his embrace strong and sensual. In the dream she felt his skin against hers, smelled his cologne, breathed in his warmth. He whispered things she couldn't remember that made her flush with expectation.

When he leaned in to kiss her, her dream self floated toward him, expecting to see Josh's face. It wouldn't be the first time she'd dreamt of the moment they, uh, took their relationship to the next level.

It wasn't Josh's face she saw.

With a start she pushed herself awake, fighting to get untangled from the blankets, wondering when the sun had come up to peek into her window. Rysen propped herself up on her elbows and collected her scattered thoughts. When the dream replayed itself in vivid color in her mind, she wrapped her pillow around her head and groaned loudly.

The handsome—and barely clothed—Brandon Dennicort had invaded her dreams several times since he'd left town. It was hard to say what prompted her to think of him that way. Maybe her new goal of becoming a private investigator was prompting her subconscious to conjure visions of Brandon Dennicort. Maybe it was the kiss they had shared on his last day here.

Right now, she could use a cold shower. Or a real man in her bed. Like Brandon.

Josh! Oh, hell. She meant Josh. That was what she meant. Josh. Yes. Brandon was just the security expert that her sister had hired to help her stop the thefts from her store. That was all. He was gone now, too, so that should be the end of it.

Except she could still feel her lips tingle when she remembered their one and only kiss.

Growling, she punched her pillow and tried to be mad at Brandon. He'd promised to call her. Now it was three weeks later, and still no word from him. It wasn't fair for him to just show up in her dreams like that. Lying next to her. Holding her. Caressing all the right spots on her back, her neck, her chest…

Right. A cold shower was just what she needed.

When she made it downstairs Christina was already there, hovering over the toaster, still in her pink fleecy pajamas with the flamingos all over them. She stifled a yawn as she saw Rysen. Good morning, sis, she said. I know I usually cook eggs or whatever but I'm just really tired. Hope you're okay with toaster waffles.

The blueberry ones? Rysen asked hopefully.

Of course. Nothing but the best in my house.

Rysen laughed and sat down at the small kitchen table. Blueberry waffles had been a favorite of the sisters when they were little. Having a father that was rarely home meant having quick, easy things for breakfast like toaster waffles or cold cereal. When dad had remembered to stock the freezer, they always went for the waffles.

Christina's short brown hair was mussed from sleep and her hazel eyes were bleary. It was obvious she'd been staying up late to balance the books for her store. Again. Rysen was still amazed at how much she resembled her older sister. Little differences like how Rysen's hair was long and dark while Christina's short pixie cut was a lighter shade couldn't hide the fact that they were related. They both had their mother's looks. Dad had told them so many times. Not that they had many chances to prove it. Their mother had left when Rysen was still really young. They had only seen her a handful

Reviews for Toxic Attack Spirit of the Soul Wine Shop Mystery Part 2

[JoEllen Sparks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really like this series just wish the books were a little bit longer. all in all though this really is a great book!!