A Peachy Plan Read online

  Michelle let her head droop. “Momma Peach, I just want to get home and defrost,” she complained and crawled into the front seat.

  “Yeah, I've had enough of the snow,” Sam agreed with Michelle. “I'm sure I'll get all the snow I want when I buy the lodge in Alaska, Momma Peach.” Sam walked around to the driver's side door and jumped into the SUV.

  Thelma folded her arms and turned her head against an icy wind. “Momma Peach, I admit it's a beautiful afternoon, and I am a tough old gal, but it's too cold for my liking.” Thelma opened the back door and got into the SUV, leaving Momma Peach alone.

  Momma Peach rolled her eyes and threw her hands at the SUV. “I’m riding home with a bunch of babies,” she yelled and then chuckled to herself. But she stopped chuckling when she turned around and spotted a familiar bull slowly plodding across the snowy field toward her. Momma Peach's mouth dropped open. “Oh,” she said and slowly began backing up toward the SUV. As she did, the bull began to lope faster. “Now wait a minute, Mr. Bull,” Momma Peach cried and then looked down at her red coat. “You gotta stop hating the color red. Red is a lovely color...roses are red,” she said. The bull began to trot faster and faster.

  Sam rolled down the driver's side window. “Uh, Momma Peach, having a bit of trouble?” he laughed.

  “Not funny, Mr. Sam,” Momma Peach snapped through gritted teeth. “Just open my door for me, okay?”

  Sam looked at the bull. “If you make one move that bull is going to charge you.”

  “Mr. Sam, this ain't funny!”

  Michelle leaned forward in her seat. “Maybe the bull is just trying to enjoy this beautiful winter day, Momma Peach? You should go and talk to him.”

  “Not funny,” Momma Peach scolded, then gasped as the bull drew closer and closer. “Oh my...run!” Momma Peach screamed and got her short little legs pumping to run around the SUV as fast as she could. The bull exploded and chased after Momma Peach.

  Michelle giggled to herself and grabbed her gun out from the glove compartment. “Well, I guess I better go help poor Momma Peach.”

  “Oh, wait a minute,” Sam laughed, “let Momma Peach get some exercise.”

  “You're awful,” Michelle giggled again and jumped out of the SUV and began running at the bull. As she did a red truck appeared in the distance. Michelle quickly fired a few shots into the air. The bull quickly skidded to a halt to look around and charged off into a field. Momma Peach stopped, breathing hard as she watched the bull run away, and then marched up to Michelle with fire in her eyes. “Now, Momma Peach,” Michelle said and began backing away.

  “Go talk to the bull, huh?” Momma Peach huffed. “Maybe the bull is just enjoying this beautiful winter day, huh?”

  “Well,” Michelle said and then took off running for her life. Momma Peach took off right behind her but stopped when the red truck pulled up to the SUV. The driver rolled down his window and stuck his head out. “Able?” Momma Peach asked in a shocked voice.

  Michelle stuck her head up from behind the SUV, spotted Able, and burst out into tears of shock and joy. She ran to the truck. Able flung open the door, jumped out, slipped and busted his butt on a hard patch of ice, and then clambered up to his feet just as Michelle jumped into his arms. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  “I'm here too,” Old Joe said and waved at Momma Peach and Michelle from inside the truck. “But don't ask me to get out of this here warm truck.” Momma Peach looked into the truck and saw Old Joe wrapped up in the thickest winter coat she had ever seen in her life. “We started to get worried is all,” he told Momma Peach, a look of genuine concern on his face.

  Momma Peach grinned. It sure felt good to see Old Joe's face. “I had to deal with a few skunks, Old Joe, but everything is fine now.”

  “Fine? If I ain't mistaken, you were being chased by a bull,” Old Joe laughed to himself. Momma Peach threw her hands at Old Joe and walked back to the SUV.

  “How did you know where we were?” Michelle asked Able, stepping back to take in the sight of him.

  “Sam called me and told me the route you were taking. I meant to arrive before you left the farm, but I...got lost,” Able confessed and pulled Michelle into his arms again. “Next time you go anywhere I'm coming along.”

  “That's fine with me,” Michelle smiled and hugged Able.

  Sam stuck his head out of the SUV and looked at Michelle and Able hugging and then yelled at Old Joe. “Hey, Old Joe, you better ride with us and let Michelle ride with Able.”

  Old Joe mumbled something to himself, climbed out of the truck, hunkered down against the wind, and waddled over the SUV like a penguin in the arctic. “Oh, stop fussing,” Momma Peach said and smacked Old Joe on his shoulder as he walked up. “Ms. Thelma cooked plenty of fried chicken and Mom, bless her sweet heart, packed up a lot of brown bag lunches filled with lots of goodies. So get your scrawny butt in the backseat and start filling your mouth.”

  He hunkered down into the hood of his jacket and hesitated. “I really worried about you, Momma Peach.” Old Joe rubbed his shoulder and looked up with a sheepish grin. “Fried chicken, huh?”

  “Yes sir,” Momma Peach said and then, to everyone's surprise, she gave Old Joe a gentle hug. “Now get on in that back seat and start eating.”

  Old Joe stared at Momma Peach, still in shock. “What was that for?” he asked.

  “That hug was because I love all my babies, Old Joe, including you,” Momma Peach told him and smiled again.

  Old Joe gave Sam a strange look and hurried into the backseat next to Thelma. “Hello,” he said.

  Thelma reached down and grabbed a bag full of chicken and handed it to Old Joe. “I’m Thelma Dodge, pleased to meet you. There's pie in the back. Fill on up,” she said. She felt pleased when he took a big bite of fried chicken and closed his eyes in happy satisfaction. “Good thing you folks showed up. We have a flat and can't get no reception on the mobile phones this far out.”

  “We'll drive into the nearest town and find a tow truck,” Michelle called out to Sam.

  “Sounds good,” Sam called back and leaned against the driver's side door and watched Able help Michelle into the truck. “Momma Peach, that is one special woman Able is going to marry. One minute she's a fierce tiger and the next she's delicate and gentle as any woman in love.”

  “Yep,” Momma Peach agreed with Sam and walked over to him in a very casual way. “My girl is very special indeed. She has a heart of gold, pure and sweet, and a soul just as pure as this snow…” she continued and then, without warning, grabbed Sam in a tight bear hug, pulled him down onto the snowdrift, and began showering him with fistfuls of powdery snow. Sam let out a loud yelp and began trying to crawl free, laughing. “Oh, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow,” Momma Peach began to sing as she dumped snow all over Sam's head.

  “What in the world.” Old Joe asked, chewing on a chicken leg.

  Thelma stuck her head out the window, spotted Momma Peach dumping snow down the back of Sam’s jacket, and then pulled her head back in. “Momma Peach is teaching Sam a lesson about being funny-mouthed.”

  “That's nice,” Old Joe said. “Say, did you mention pie?”

  “Momma Peach!” Sam cried.

  “Oh, the weather outside is frightful,” Momma Peach continued to sing. But then she spotted movement in the field across the road. The bull was back. “Uh, Mr. Sam?” she asked and froze.

  Sam raised his head and spotted the bull walking toward them across the pavement. “Don't move,” he whispered.

  The bull locked eyes with Momma Peach and lowered its head at her jacket. “Uh, Mr. Sam...Michelle isn't here to fire her gun at that there bull...please tell Momma Peach you have your gun.”

  “Tucked under the driver's seat,” Sam whispered in a miserable voice. “Momma Peach, we're in a bad spot.”

  “Yes, Mr. Sam, we are,” Momma Peach whimpered as the bull walked closer and closer. “Uh, Mr. Sam?”

  “Yeah, Momma Peach?”

 
“Run!” Momma Peach screamed. She rolled off Sam, scrambled to her feet, and got her legs pumping again. Sam popped up, made eye contact with the bull, and then took off like a scolded dog being chased by a hungry cat. “Run, Mr. Sam!” Momma Peach yelled, making her way down the lonely road. “And whatever you do, don't look back!”

  “I'm right behind you, Momma Peach!” Sam yelled and looked over his shoulder and cried: “And so is the bull!”

  “What's happening now?” Old Joe asked, placidly chewing the last bit of crispy skin from his chicken.

  “Oh, Momma Peach and Sam are being chased down the road,” Thelma said and retrieved Old Joe a slice of pecan pie.

  “That's nice,” Old Joe said and took the pecan pie from Thelma.

  “Keep running, Mr. Sam!” Momma Peach's voice echoed up and down the snowy road.

  “I am running, Momma Peach!” Sam promised.

  As Momma Peach ran from a cantankerous old bull, far away in Georgia, a crime was underway that would require Momma Peach's attention very, very soon. But first, poor old Momma Peach had to outrun perhaps the only creature who liked her strawberry-red jacket more than she did. “Oh, give me strength!” Momma Peach's voice filled the beautiful winter day.

  Life sure was beautiful.

  Dear Reader,

  Hi there. Thank you for reading.

  I hope you’ll leave a review and/or rating at the retail website where you purchased it, I appreciate you and your feedback.

  Thanks again,

  Wendy Meadows

  Be the First to Know

  Sign up to be the first to know about new book releases!

  Click or visit the link below.

  www.wendymeadows.com/cozy

  About the Author

  Wendy Meadows is an emerging author of cozy mysteries. She lives in “The Granite State” with her husband, two sons, two cats and lovable Labradoodle.

  When she isn’t working on her stories she likes to tend to her flowers, relax with her pets and play video games with her family.

  Get in Touch with Wendy

  www.wendymeadows.com

  Also by Wendy Meadows

  Maple Hills Cozy Mystery Series

  Nether Edge Mystery Series

  Chocolate Cozy Mystery Series

  Alaska Cozy Mystery Series

  Sweet Peach Bakery Cozy Series

  Sweetfern Harbor Mystery Series

  Candy Shop Mysteries