Adventures of a New Year's Kiss: A Holiday Romantic Mystery (Funeral Crashing Young Adult Mystery Books) (12 page)

As they walked up to Jake’s house, Jake carrying the bulk of her luggage, Chloe couldn’t help but wonder at the beauty of her new home. It was nestled into a hill above the ocean. Other houses were littered all the way down the hill, perched above blue water. The house itself was modest in size, but the exterior was cozy, almost like a chalet nested into the hill.

“Chloe!” Jeanette Spencer cried happily, seconds after Chloe walked into the house. “It’s so good to see you!”

She enveloped Chloe in a hug and then stepped back to get a better look at her, “You look just like your mom at your age! I’m so happy you’re here! It’ll be like having her here with me!”

Chloe grinned, “Well, you might get the real thing in about a month. She’s already itching to come visit me. Thank you so much, Mrs. Spencer, for everything. ”

“First of all, no Mrs. Spencer’s here. Call me Jeanette. And, secondly, it’s such a pleasure to have you here! I would do anything for Stacy. This will be fun,” Jeanette looked over to Jake and Kate. “Do we have time for dinner or are you all off to that party?”

“Party?” Chloe looked over at Jake and managed to see a quick look pass between him and Kate. Obviously, Kate wasn’t thrilled with Chloe attending the party with them. She’d have to have that talk with Kate and soon.

“We weren’t sure if you wanted to go, but there’s a party tonight at this girl’s house on the beach, sort of a back to school thing. It’s up to you, though, no pressure. I understand if you’re tired from the flight and all,” Jake managed, without looking at Kate again.

“Um…” Chloe felt indecisive. On the one hand, she was tired from the trip across the country, but on the other, she was absolutely energetic with excitement about her new life and a party sounded like a great way to start it all out. It would be a great way to meet the people she’d be going to school with tomorrow.

“Why are you even thinking? You’re young! Go out and have a good time!” Jeanette replied before Chloe could say anything and then she looked at Jake seriously, “Just not too good of a time.”

“Mom,” Jake replied, laughing uncomfortably.

“What? I worry. Especially, after your father died,” Jeanette’s smiling face crumpled for a moment, at the memory, but then regained it’s composure.

“I know,” Jake said, softly.

Chloe felt uncomfortable and glanced over at Kate, who was staring at the ground.

“A party sounds perfect!” Chloe said, breaking the uneasy silence. “Let me just change clothes and I’ll be ready.”

Although she had forced herself to sound more cheery and energetic than she felt, Chloe really did think the party sounded fun. She picked up her backpack and swung it onto her shoulder, her mind on what she might wear to make a good impression on her new classmates, when there was a crash. She had just knocked over a vase on the kitchen table with her backpack.

“I’m so sorry!” Chloe said, automatically dropping everything and stooping down to help clean up the broken vase and flowers.

“Oh, don’t worry about it!” Jeanette said, running into the kitchen for clean up supplies.

The white carnations that had looked so pretty on the kitchen table were now in a pool of water on the floor. Chloe couldn’t believe she had just been so clumsy. Two minutes in their house and she had already broken something. Jake stooped down to help her, as Kate stood awkwardly nearby.

“Be careful!” Jeanette said, walking back toward them with towels and a bag for the broken glass and flowers.

As she said it, Chloe felt a piece of the vase she was collecting slice into her finger. A drop of blood escaped and stained one of the white carnations on the floor. Chloe felt a strange sense of foreboding. She should have taken the warning.

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Milda Harris is a Chicago girl who ran off to Hollywood to pursue a screenwriting dream! She likes silly sports like dodgeball and kickball and loves John Hughes teen movies. Between working in production on television shows like
Austin & Ally, That's So Raven,
and
Hannah Montana
and playing with her super cute twin toddlers, she writes young adult and new adult novels.

Be sure to check out Milda's other Funeral Crashing books:
Adventures in Funeral Crashing, Adventures of a Graveyard Girl, Adventures in Murder Chasing,
and
Adventures in Heartbreak and Homicide.
Her other books include:
Doppelganger,
Doppelganger 2: On the Run, The New Girl Who Found A Dead Body, Connected (A Paranormal Romance), Crashing Prom,
and more!

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