Murder on the Boardwalk (A Rosa Reed Mystery #2) - Lee Strauss Page 0,3

have already become reacquainted, and he has a fiancée now. I’m fine.”

Nancy narrowed her eyes knowingly. “You’ve said that twice.”

“Then it must be true.”

Rosa thought she could easily hang out with Gloria and Nancy and the others and not watch the band. She had Diego to keep her distracted. Right? However, when she rounded the corner to the amphitheater, the first person she saw was Miguel, front and center, on the stage—a guitar slung across a shoulder.

His black hair was oiled back and, for the occasion, styled with a duckbill fringe which hovered over a brow shiny with moisture from the afternoon heat. He and his band members wore casual clothes for this beachside show—khaki-colored pants and short-sleeve, button-down shirts—but all Rosa could see were Miguel’s dimples and copper-brown eyes.

“Are you coming?” Gloria asked, skipping back toward Rosa to grab her hand. Rosa had unintentionally stopped in place. Nodding numbly, she moved forward with her cousin as she tore her eyes from the stage.

Rosa hadn’t seen so many poodle skirts in one place before, and the fascination with saddle shoes became apparent as she watched the guys spin the girls around. They were perfect for sliding across the waxed floor.

The color and music intoxicated Rosa, and she took a moment to recognize Nancy, already out on the dance floor with an older version of Eddie Kline. Nancy’s blue swing skirt spun out around her with each of her twists and turns. Marjorie had also partnered up.

Rosa and Gloria didn’t have to wait long on the fringes before being approached by two good-looking fellows dressed in plain plaid button-downs and cotton slacks which were cuffed at the ankles and showed glimpses of pairs of colorful dress socks. One of them spoke for them both. “Would you ladies like to dance?”

Rosa held up her satchel. “I’m sorry, but I have my kitten with me.” She turned to Gloria, trying to assess her cousin’s eagerness to dance. The way her feet were tapping, Rosa thought she could safely assume she was ready to twirl. “You go ahead.”

Gloria linked arms with one of the men and the other took his leave. Rosa felt bad that he hadn’t bothered to ask either Joyce or Pauline to dance. Only a second later, Joyce proclaimed, “I’m going for some lemonade,” and headed for a nearby stand. Rosa hoped Joyce hadn’t sensed her pity.

Mick and the Beat Boys rang the first note of “That’ll Be the Day”, and many of the dance partners changed. Gloria disappeared into the fray, and Marjorie spun into the middle with a new partner, a shorter man in a trim short-sleeved cotton shirt, summer slacks, and a pair of leather shoes.

Music was Rosa’s enemy! All the lyrics of the most popular songs seemed to apply to some point and time in Rosa and Miguel’s short but emotional romance. You say you’re going to leave, you know it’s a lie, cuz that’ll be the day when I die.

Rosa had left, but Miguel hadn’t died.

“That’s my brother, Henry,” Pauline said, pulling Rosa out of her reverie.

Rosa blinked and focused on the movement on the dance floor. “Which one?”

“He’s dancing the jive with Marjorie.”

Rosa admired the quick-footed work performed by each partner as they held hands loosely, breaking apart and coming together again on the beat.

Clearly, they’d danced together before. “Oh, are they sweethearts?”

“No, no,” Pauline said quickly. “He’s too old for her.”

Rosa hummed, thinking that she’d heard that one before, but said nothing.

Pauline wistfully added, “The jive is my favorite dance, I think. It looks like such fun.”

Rosa agreed. “Especially if you have the right dance partner.”

Inexplicably, Rosa’s gaze shot back to Miguel. She pinched her eyes and shook her head as if that would help rid it of unwanted thoughts. Unbidden, her mind went to a time when she and Miguel had danced hand in hand to Vera Lynn singing the 1943 hit “We’ll Meet Again”. The rich sounds of brass instruments in the orchestra added to the emotions behind Vera Lynn’s husky voice, “Don’t know where, don’t know when…”

Finally, and blessedly, the music stopped. Rosa’s friends separated from their dance partners and made their way over, bringing Rosa a welcome distraction.

Nancy motioned to her husband. “You remember Eddie.”

Rosa smiled. “Of course. Nice to see you again.”

“You haven’t changed a bit,” Eddie said, arms wide and beckoning. “Give us a hug.”

Rosa held in her dismay and leaned in to Eddie sideways, keeping her shoulder to his chest. Eddie wore round glasses and was thicker