His masters vice, p.1
Death by Food Truck, page 1
Un-Lucky Noodles ©2023 by Joi Copeland
Dead as Donut ©2023 by Cynthia Hickey
Lethal Spuds ©2023 by Linda Baten Johnson
Taco Tragedy ©2023 by Teresa Ives Lilly
Print ISBN 978–1-63609–594-3
Adobe Digital Edition (.epub) 978–1-63609–595-0
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial purposes, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without written permission of the publisher. Reproduced text may not be used on the World Wide Web.
Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible and from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, and/or events is purely coincidental.
Cover illustration by Begoña Fernández Corbalan
Published by Barbour Books, an imprint of Barbour Publishing, Inc., 1810 Barbour Drive, Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683, www.barbourbooks.com
Our mission is to inspire the world with the life-changing message of the Bible.
Printed in the United States of America.
Table of Contents
Un-lucky Noodles
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Dead as Donut
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Lethal Spuds
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Taco Tragedy
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
UN-LUCKY NOODLES
JOI COPELAND
DEDICATION
To my beautiful, amazing friend, Jaqueline Quirke-DePalatis, for not only being willing to give me insight on the Japanese culture but also for being my friend. I love you so very much, and I praise the good Lord that He had our paths cross thousands of miles from our original homes all the way in Ireland.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Jesus, thank You for allowing me to write.
May You receive all the glory!
Chris, my love, my best friend, what would I do without your support and encouragement? I love you always!
Garrison, Gage, and Gavin, best sons ever!
My fantastic editor, Barbara Hand, thank you for your patience with me as I write these stories. You are amazing, and I cannot do this without you!
CHAPTER ONE
I couldn’t breathe. I tried to inhale, but I couldn’t catch my breath. My heart plummeted to my feet like when I rode that elevator ride at Disney World. No way was he here. I’d been living in Maine for a solid year with no word from him. I didn’t even tell my own mother where I’d moved. Like she’d care anyway.
The only person who knew where I relocated went with me. Well, she and her husband, Mark McGreggor. Wei was my best friend and co-owner of our food truck, Lucky Noodles. The day Wei betrayed me would be the day Jesus stopped forgiving sinners. Never.
I leaned my body out the window, stretching my neck to get a glimpse of where I thought I saw him. I scanned the lines outside the nine other food trucks on Birch Point Lake and ran my gaze over the people standing by the Crunchy Taco. What was I thinking? Paul Davis never liked tacos. Anytime I suggested Mexican food, he’d glare at me and call me all kinds of names.
By the time I finished scanning the rest of the food trucks, I realized he wasn’t there. I blew air out the side of my mouth, thankful it was just my overactive imagination. Why would Paul come all the way to Maine from Texas? He wouldn’t still be hunting for me … would he?
“Hey, Mey.” Wei nudged me with her hip. “What’s the matter with you?”
I grabbed my soda cup and took a long gulp. The carbonation soothed my parched throat. Sweat trickled down my back. Summer in Maine proved to be hot and humid on most days. Not that I minded. Texas had the same weather.
“I think I’m imagining things.” I shook my head, my long black ponytail swooshing against my bare shoulder.
Since I wasn’t the cook of Lucky Noodles, I opted to wear comfortable clothing. Wei was the mastermind behind the meals. I kept the books, did the purchasing, greeted the guests, and took their orders. Wei made brilliant Japanese food, the best in all of Maine, maybe even the East Coast. Who was I kidding? The world.
When Wei agreed to partner with me, I hit the jackpot. I couldn’t do it without her. My best friend since I was eight years old, Wei knew the good and the bad of my life. The blessings and curses. The ups and downs. Without Wei, I wouldn’t have gone to church and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. That simple action changed the course of my life and drew Wei and me closer together as friends.
Wei’s almost-black eyes filled with concern. “What do you think you’re imagining?”
I forced a laugh. “I thought I saw Paul.”
Wei’s face lost its color. “Paul Davis?”
“Do you know any other Paul?”
“Of course. Paul Newman. Paul McCartney. Paul Bunyan.” Wei tapped her nose, a habit that appeared when she was thinking. “Paul from the Bible. Pope John Paul. Paul Revere. Paul Rudd, Paul Simon, and Mark-Paul Gosselaar. Wait. Does he count since his first name isn’t Paul?” She waved aside her question. “Paul—”
“Okay, okay!” I laughed. “I get it. You know, or know of, a lot of Pauls. Yes, Paul Davis.” I rolled my eyes. “But I guess I’m seeing things.”
Wei chuckled along with me. “See what happens when you’re snarky with me?” She tossed me a cheeky grin then sobered. “But seriously. You really think you saw Paul?”
“I hope not.” Dear Lord, don’t let it be so.
Paul Davis, my ex-boyfriend. I held in a shudder. The last person I expected to see on the lake would be Paul. We dated for almost four years, but after I became a Christian, I realized he wasn’t the man for me. I couldn’t take the belittling, the rough way he’d grab my arm in public. Add in the manipulation, the guilt, and the mind games. Yeah, he wasn’t the man for me.
“How would he find you? We’ve been so careful.” Wei crossed her arms in front of her.
“I don’t know. That’s why I think I imagined it.”
“Mey, I’m not sure about that.” My friend frowned. She leaned against the counter and poked her head out the window. Good thing we didn’t have customers yet. She may have scared them away with her scowl.
“Why? What do you see?” I mimicked her actions.
“I don’t see anything.” Wei straightened and sighed. “But I think we need to be on the alert. I’m going to text Mark, just in case.”
Wei whipped her phone out of her pocket. I grabbed it before she found her husband’s name. “Don’t do that until we have concrete evidence he’s here.”
Wei snatched her phone back. “Like what? When he corners you, guilts you into believing you shouldn’t have left him, and verbally assaults you?” Wei shook her head. “No. I’m not going to stand by and do nothing like I did last time.”
My frustration seeped out of me. I’d made too many excuses for Paul when we were dating. Excuses Wei never believed. Not that I wasn’t a good liar. She just saw through the lies to my fear. That was when I became a Christian. Because of Wei and Mark’s unconditional love.
“You didn’t do nothing. You tried talking to me about him for years. I didn’t listen.”
Wei sniffed as tears filled her eyes. “I hated seeing you with him, Mey. He turned you into something you weren’t. I should’ve done more to get you away from him. If I’d tried harder, you wouldn’t have suffered so much.”
“It wasn’t your fault. I didn’t listen to your advice.” I blinked back tears of my own. “God showed me my need for Him through all of that. He also opened my eyes to see how destructive my relationship with Paul had become.” I squeezed Wei’s hand.
“Please, let me text Mark. Just to let him know.”
I rolled my eyes. “We both know what he’s going to do. He’s going to come down here and work from that table right there.” I pointed to the table not far from our food truck.
“You’re the sister he never had. You know how badly he wanted to pummel Paul every time the man spoke to you.” Wei fiddled with her phone then typed something I couldn’t see. “Please?”
I dipped my head in consent. “Fine. But I beg you, tell him there’s no need to come down here. He’d get more writing done in his office at home than in today’s hot, humid weather.”
“I will. I can’t guarantee he’ll listen though.” Wei finished typing and tucked her phone into her back pocket. “Promise me you’ll stay in here until we can figure out if it’s Paul or not.”
“I will. I’m not a reckless person by nature. You, of all people, know that.”
Wei’s phone buzzed. She took it out and read what, I could only imagine, was a text from Mark. She shook her head, a slight smile lifting her lips. “He’s on his way.”
I smacked my forehead with the palm of my hand. “Oh, good grief.”
“Listen, Charlie Brown, I warned you. He said he’ll be here in ten minutes and that you’re not to step foot out of this truck.”
“Who’s going to wipe the tables when the customers are done eating? You can’t. You’ll be cooking or cleaning up in here.” I wagged my finger at her. “And I’m not Charlie Brown.”
Wei giggled and tossed her apron over her short black hair and tied it around her waist. “Keep talking like Charlie Brown, and that’s what I’ll call you.”
I glared at her and pointed to the back of the truck. “Shouldn’t you be doing food prep or something?”
“Just promise you won’t leave the truck until Mark gets here, or I’m going to have to tackle you and tie you up.” Wei wiggled her eyebrows. “Wouldn’t want to make a scene, not after the successful year we’ve had.”
“Like you could tackle me.” I rose to my full height of a whopping five foot four, fists planted firmly on my hips, and tried to look as menacing as possible. Fake bravado. Pure and simple. Because Wei not only had me by four inches, but she also had more muscular arms. She and Mark exercised every morning for over an hour, and her body proved it.
“I’m not even going to dignify that with a response.” Wei turned her back on me and began preparing for the lunch rush we were sure to get.
I straightened up the counter and hollered over my shoulder, “You did respond, by the way, so your comment is null and void.”
Wei snickered in return but opted not to say anything further. I chuckled and turned on the local Christian radio station. Nothing helped lift my spirit like some TobyMac or MercyMe. Okay, if I’m honest with myself, I wanted a distraction, because if I did see Paul Davis, my nice and safe life would disappear like a vapor.
I wasn’t a pessimistic person by nature. On the contrary. I was overly optimistic, some said. But for the first five months after I left Texas to get away from Paul, I was always looking over my shoulder. Anytime I heard a noise, I imagined him hiding in the bushes or breaking into my house, which was situated behind Wei and Mark’s. I never thought I’d date someone for so long who stripped away all of my self-worth. I guess it made sense, though, since my mom started when I was young.
The first customer of the day sauntered up to the window. “Hey, Mey. How’s it going?”
“Hiya, Devon. I’m good.” Not really a lie. Aside from my slight scare, I really was good. “How are you?”
“Great. Can’t wait to eat some of Wei’s noodles.”
I wrote Devon’s order on a pad of paper, connected it to a clip on a metal slider, and pushed it down to Wei. She plucked it off and started up the fryer.
“You know the drill, Dev.” He handed me his card with a nod. I slid it into the machine, pulled off the paper, and handed the card and receipt to the fifty-year-old man who’d fallen in love with Wei’s cooking the day we opened.
“I don’t even remember what I ate for lunch before you gals came to Maine.” A slow smile slid across Devon’s tanned face.
“I’m sure you chose another one of these fine food trucks. I’m just glad you stick with us now.” I tossed him a wink and a grin.
“If you were twenty years older, Mey, I’d scoop you up and marry you.”
I giggled at our regular line of teasing. “Oh, come on. You know I’m not the chef of this truck. If Wei were single and twenty years older, you’d marry her and leave me behind.” Wei handed me Devon’s order.
“Nah. I come for the food, but I stay for the company.” He winked back at me, tossed a five-dollar bill in our tip jar, and strolled away.
I laughed. The perfect way to start my day. Then I saw Mark setting up his laptop on the table just outside the window of Lucky Noodles. Mark must have felt the burning glare I sent his way, because his gaze rose and met mine, narrowing in the process. A slight shake of his head, meant only for me to see, told me what I already knew. He wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
I broke eye contact and yelled over my shoulder, “Wei, my bodyguard’s here. Can you put together his favorite meal?”
Wei’s laugh drifted out of our truck and must have landed on Mark, based on the slight lift of his lips. “You bet. Coming right up.”
While I loved Mark and Wei, they could be overbearing at times. Like when we first moved to Maine, and they wouldn’t let me sleep in my house by myself. They stayed with me for over two weeks. When I couldn’t handle the closeness any longer, I sent them home. Which was only twenty paces away.
Again, if I’m honest, I didn’t mind them staying with me for the first week. I was like a skittish puppy, always worried someone was out to get me. Maybe I let my guard down over the last year. I got comfortable and stopped looking over my shoulder. I expected Paul to finally let me go. I hadn’t heard from him in months. Of course, it helped that I changed my phone number and moved out of the state.
Mark’s order came up. I grabbed his soda and took him his meal. “You didn’t have to come. And you’re not going to be able to see a thing with the sun glaring on your laptop.”
Mark rolled his eyes. “That’s why I brought my sunglasses. After I eat, I’ll put them on and get some work done. I’m not leaving until the truck is closed up for the day.”
“Mark, that’s hours away. You can’t stay here that long.”
A growl escaped Mark’s lips. “I can, and I will. I’m not taking any chances, and neither should you.”
“I’m not. I don’t know if who I saw was even Paul. Maybe it was his doppelgänger. You know we all have one somewhere in the world.” I pasted on a smile I didn’t feel.
“Mey.” My name came out more of a sigh. “Please. Don’t. I’m here to stay. It’s for your own good and safety.”
“Fine,” I conceded. “But know I’m not happy about it.”
“Really?” Mark put his sunglasses on. “I couldn’t tell.”
I punched Mark in the arm and then scurried back to the food truck as a few people gathered around the window.
I helped a dozen or so more customers, taking orders, making change, running credit cards, and chatting with them all, of course. Some were our regulars. Some were brand-new to our food truck. Probably tourists, since Birch Point Lake had a lot to offer in the summer.
Eight hours later, sweat dripping down the sides of my face, I locked up the cash register, the day’s proceeds tucked away in my purse. The kitchen portion of the truck all cleaned and in shipshape, Wei left the stifling heat of the truck to enjoy the breeze outside with her husband.
I studied my friends as they sat across from each other, holding hands, staring into one another’s eyes. They were the cutest couple I’d ever known and the most sickening. Truthfully, I hoped to find that kind of love one day. In the meantime, I had Lucky Noodles to keep me busy. And several good books to take my mind off the loneliness that often plagued me at home.
I knelt behind the counter, making sure we were all prepared for tomorrow’s lunch and dinner. Some days we were ahead of the game. Others, not so much. Today just so happened to be the former. My heart soared at how well we’d done today.
With a thankful heart, I jumped up and looked into a pair of eyes I had hoped never to see again.
CHAPTER TWO
Mey Hirano,” Paul gushed, as if I were a long-lost friend and not the verbal punching bag he used me for. “You’re pretty good at hiding.”
I swallowed my fear, though it felt ready to erupt like Mount St. Helens. I let my gaze slide to the now-empty table.
Paul followed the direction of my eyes. “Oh, you’re looking for your watchdogs?” he snarled. “They left you here all alone.”
