Ready to Fumble (The Worst Detective Ever Book 1) Page 20

The waves didn’t allow me to remain mostly dry. No, they whipped over me, all the way to my shoulders in cold fury. I could only think of one thing: pneumonia. I was done. I ran back to the shore, desperate for warmth.

  Quickly, I found my coat and pulled it back on. Then I took the coffee a volunteer cocooned in a winter coat and knit hat thrust into my hand. Everyone slowly trickled out of the water and acted like I did: frozen. Medics stood by, just in case anyone had any health issues.

  Event: done. One more thing I could mark off my list.

  Until the mayor thought of something else I should participate in to make amends. Stupid amends.

  And, for real, I was deathly cold right now. I had to get inside. I needed some glorious heat. But, at the same time, I was the host. I was supposed to change and then kick off a winter beach party. Stupid winter beach parties.

  My gaze cut across the crowd and came to Jackson’s again. Our eyes connected before I could stop it. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with his crankiness. Or his lies.

  Instead, I looked back at the ocean. Zane came out of the water, water dripping from his wild, curly hair. He looked like he could have stepped off the set of Baywatch with his lean beach body and carefree body language. Just as he reached me, he shook his head like a wet dog as someone handed him a blanket. “That was awesome!”

  “Not the word I was thinking of myself.” But I smiled anyway, his enthusiasm never ceasing to amaze me. “I’m ready to get inside that tent.”

  He hooked his arm around my neck and specks of water rained on me. “Let’s go!”

  I took one last look back, making sure everyone was out of the water so we could get our party started.

  That was when I saw something tumble ashore.

  Or should I say someone.

  It was a body.

  Even worse, it was Mark Hamill.

  Complete Book List

  Squeaky Clean Mysteries

  Hazardous Duty

  Suspicious Minds

  It Came Upon a Midnight Crime

  Organized Grime

  Dirty Deeds

  The Scum of All Fears

  To Love, Honor, and perish

  Mucky Streak

  While You Were Sweeping (A Riley Thomas Novella)

  Foul Play

  Broom and Gloom

  Dust and Obey

  Thrill Squeaker

  Swept Away

  Cunning Attractions

  Clean Getaway (coming soon)

  Holly Anna Paladin Mysteries

  Random Acts of Murder

  Random Acts of Deceit

  Random Acts of Malice

  Random Acts of Scrooge

  Random Acts of Greed

  Random Acts of Fraud (coming soon)

  The Sierra Files

  Pounced

  Hunted

  Pranced

  Rattled

  Caged (coming soon)

  The Worst Detective Ever

  Ready To Fumble

  Reign Of Error (coming soon)

  Safety In Blunders (coming soon)

  Join the Flub (coming soon)

  Blooper Freak (coming soon)

  Suburban Sleuth Mysteries

  Death of a Couch Potato’s Wife

  Cape Thomas Series

  Dubiosity

  Disillusioned

  Distorted (coming soon)

  Carolina Moon Series

  Home Before Dark

  Gone By Dark

  Wait Until Dark

  Light the Dark

  Tween Novels

  The Curtain Call Caper

  The Disappearing Dog Dilemma

  The Bungled Bike Burglaries

  Stand Alone Novels

  The Trouble With Perfect

  The Good Girl

  Non Fiction Titles

  The Novel In Me

  Changed

  About the Author

  USA Today has called Christy Barritt's books “scary, funny, passionate, and quirky.”

  Christy writes both mystery and romantic suspense novels that are clean with underlying messages of faith. Her books have won the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Suspense and Mystery, have been twice nominated for the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, and have finaled for both a Carol Award and Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year.

  She is married to her Prince Charming, a man who thinks she’s hilarious—but only when she's not trying to be. Christy is a self-proclaimed klutz, an avid music lover who’s known for spontaneously bursting into song, and a road trip aficionado.

  When she's not working or spending time with her family, she enjoys singing, playing the guitar, and exploring small, unsuspecting towns where people have no idea how accident-prone she is.

  Find Christy online at:

  www.christybarritt.com

  www.facebook.com/christybarritt

  www.twitter.com/cbarritt

  Sign up for Christy’s newsletter to get information on all of her latest releases here: www.christybarritt.com/newsletter-sign-up/

  If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review.