A Pickled Wedding: Veronica Swift Mysteries, #0

By Ember Mae

Veronica Swift is getting ready to open her very own custom shoe shop at the extravagant Last Resort & Spa. Teddy Swift is getting ready to marry Kourtney Blake (aka the Wicked Witch of the North), but when Kourtney's wedding heels are stolen, all the Swifts' plans might be thwarted.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Emmie B.
• Release date: Apr 24, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201458447

Book preview

1

The snow crunched under the tires of my brother’s Ford Explorer as we climbed the mountain to Last Resort & Spa with boxes and boxes of shoes I made packed in the back on their way to a better home than my mom’s shed, my shop. 

Ahhhh, I said, unable to contain my excitement any longer. I can’t believe this is happening. 

Teddy laughed. Well, get used to it, sis. This is happening. 

How are you so calm right now? I asked, turning to him, surprised. 

He shrugged his big shoulders. It’s not my shop, and I know you’re going to do great. 

I rolled my eyes. I meant about the wedding. It’s in like five days and you have had no sudden ‘I can’t get married’ moments, and you’re marrying Kourtney, so I’m not exactly sure how it’s possible for you to be all relaxed. 

Oh, he said, grinning. I just know that this is what we are supposed to do. This is the next step, and it’s right. 

I sat back in my seat again. If you say so. I think— 

—she’s crazy. Trust me, I know full well what you think of her. But like with your shop, this is happening. Kourtney is a splendid girl when you get to know her. 

I sighed. If that’s true, she only lets the people she is getting to know get to know her. If you know what I mean. I said, wiggling my eyebrows. 

He punched me lightly on the shoulder. She just wants to prove to everyone that she’s more than a pretty face. 

I could’ve continued disagreeing with him, to assure him that everyone knows she was more than a pretty face. Because everyone knew, at least all women knew, she was also a powerhouse in manipulation. But he was one of victims and there was no point in causing problems between the two of us. 

Turn it up, this is one of my favorites. I said, bobbing my head along with the music. 

Oh, this is that song from the new Grinch movie, right? 

New? It’s been out for like three years now Teddy, dear. I said, patting his arm. 

You know what I mean — iz ‘zat you Santa Claus? — I like it, it’s like old timey jazz, he said, singing perfectly in time with the song.

I rolled my eyes again. I do know what you mean. But just so you know, this song has been around long before the animated Grinch movie. 

Really? 

Yes, you big dummy. It was originally played by the one and only Louis Armstrong. That’s why it sounds like old timey jazz. I told him. Because it is. And one of the greats might I add. 

We reached the top of the mountain and Teddy took a left onto the main road for the Last Resort and Spa’s shopping district. And yes, this resort was so big it had its own shopping district. 

People littered the mountainside, like a garbage truck had lost a bag on the side of the road. The chair lift was constantly in motion, taking up ski clad patrons wrapped up to their noses in winter gear that would hopefully keep them from getting hypothermia. 

My stomach tossed and turned again. What if this is a bad idea? I asked as we pulled in front of my little shop with the ‘coming soon’ sign plastered on the door. 

I could see the boxes and half set up shelves from the parking spot reserved for my shop. The irony of that was, I’d never use it except on days like today. I didn’t drive and felt life operated much better that way, at least for me. Of course, that left me at the mercy of drivers.

Just relax, Ron. You still have to set everything up. I bet you’ll feel much more capable when everything is up and on display, like your picturing in that brain of yours. I mean, what shoe store has wrought iron shelves and a classic cash register. 

I grinned. Mine. 

He laughed, rolling his eyes. "Exactly, yours. And you’ve been building up to owning your own store for five years now. It’s finally happening. No more making shoes in Mom’s basement. No more having to listen to twenty-year-old soap’s on full