Tuesday Tales: From the Word NEW

Welcome to the first Tuesday Tales scene of 2026. Tuesday Tales is a weekly blog written by a small group of wonderful authors and I am honored and humbled to be one of them. Each week, we have a word prompt that we incorporate into the scen we present. Scenes are usually around 400 words long and come from our current works in progress. I am working on a cozy mystery entiltled The Case of the Missing Prince. Our word this week is NEW.

Hallie slapped the table. “Evie, I swear you can be the most exasperating person I know. For the love of God, give me some details. How does your new man compare with the hotties from this morning?”

I was enjoying this. “If those two are the gold standard, then Al is a ten carat diamond.”

Her eyes grew large. “Really? I never thought you would ever look at another man again.”

“Neither did I. When I first saw him, he wore a navy uniform with gold epaulettes, his costume as curator of the museum. In profile he reminded me of Pete. He’s tall, with dark hair that curled on his collar when I left him, although he may have gotten it cut by now. He has streaks of silver peppering his hair and his beard, not enough to age him, but enough to give him that touch of mystery and character.” I laughed. “Why is it that a woman with that hair color or white like me is considered over the hill, while guys like Al are dashing and experienced? It really isn’t fair.”

“That’s why you like him? Because he reminds you of Pete?” The lines furrowing her brow deepened. “Is it healthy?”

“It isn’t like that. Believe me, the superficial resemblance vanished once I got closer to him and we spoke. He’s taller, with broader shoulders, and there isn’t a millimeter of fat on him. His eyes are a different shade of blue than Pete’s, and while he’s also a diver with a penchant for motorcycles, that’s where the comparison ends. He’s got a wonderful sense of humor, loves to dance and sing along to the music, and is great with kids.” I licked my lips. “He makes me feel alive, Hallie, something I never expected to feel again, and when I’m with him, I feel as if I’m where I need to be.” I held up my hand to stop her from interrupting. “At first, I thought that I was imagining the way I felt, but now … I miss him, and this case may be just what I need to find out whether or not Al Binette is the man for me. If I’m going to search for the body of a man who may have been murdered, I need someone I can trust with me. I trust Al.”

Don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.