by Jeff Shelby
It was a great question.
And one I didn’t have an answer for. “I honestly don’t know,” I said. “Connor is taking care of that, I think.”
I remembered his conversation from when they arrived, and how he and Laura had gone upstairs to look over menu options. I didn’t know if they’d decided on anything, and somehow I’d forgotten to ask. I bit back a sigh. I was forgetting a lot of things lately, which I assumed was either early onset dementia or simply due to the fact that the wedding was stressing me more than I wanted to admit.
Mikey cocked his head. “Isn’t he the one who contributed some…odd dishes to the Thanksgiving dinner?”
I nodded. Connor had made chestnut soup with duck cracklings – fried duck fat. He’d also wanted to gather acorns to make his own acorn flour and turn it into bread but had changed his mind when he learned how long the process would take.
I wondered if his food plans for his wedding were as ambitious.
I certainly hoped not.
“He is,” I said ruefully. “So I guess we’d better be prepared for anything.”
Mikey cringed. Well,” he said, forcing a smile, “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
I could always count on Mikey to put a positive spin on things.
I, however, was under no such obligation. “I’m not.”
He grinned. “If you need someone to cater, just let me know. How many guests do you have coming?”
“Just under a hundred, I think.”
He looked to the ceiling, apparently doing some sort of mental calculations. “That’s a lot of people,” he said. “But my offer stands. If you guys run into problems with food, call me. I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
I smiled gratefully.
Mikey was the best.
Especially if he could somehow guarantee I’d be eating his burgers at the reception as opposed to acorn bread and fried duck fat.
SIX
Laura couldn’t stop talking about Sophia. If I didn’t know any better. I would think she was seriously contemplating leaving Connor for the glamorous woman she’d spent the morning with.
“It’s going to be perfect,” Laura said, her eyes flashing with excitement.
“What is?”
“The wedding!” She was sitting on the couch, a glass of lemonade in her hands. “I’m so glad Annabelle came down with Zika!”
“Laura.” My voice was sharp, my eyes wide.
She immediately looked contrite. Sort of.
“Not that I want her to be sick,” she amended. “But if she’d been able to plan the wedding, then I wouldn’t have been able to work with Sophia.” She sighed contentedly.
I tried not to roll my eyes.
I heard the sound of a car door slam and I pushed myself off of the couch. Connor had agreed to pick up Luke from the airport in Charlottesville that morning. I’d wanted to go myself, but taking Laura to meet with Sophia had to take priority. I was pretty sure Connor got the better end of the deal.
The front door opened and Luke walked in, a suitcase in one hand, his guitar case in the other. He’d taken a red-eye, with a layover in Chicago, and he looked like a man who had spent the night traveling. His chin and cheeks were covered in stubble, his eyes were bloodshot, and his hair looked like it hadn’t seen a good brushing in days.
I hugged him anyway.
“It’s so good to see you.” I breathed in the scent of him, a mix of deodorant and shampoo along with the lingering smell of stale airport air.
His arms wrapped tight around me, the very best sort of bear hug. “I’m glad I could make it.” He disentangled himself and smiled at his sister, spreading his arms wide for her.
She stood up reluctantly. “When was the last time you showered? Were there any sick people on your flight?”
His eyes gleamed with amusement as he launched himself toward her, enveloping her in just as big of a hug as he’d given me.
She shrieked, but it was half-hearted, and my heart swelled when I saw her arms encircle his neck.
The two of them had never been particularly close as siblings, but I took this as a sign that they at least sort of missed each other. Or, at the very least, were ready to acknowledge the other was their blood relative.
“Where’s Connor?” Laura asked, craning her neck over her brother’s shoulder so she could see the door.
“He’s getting stuff out of the trunk, I think.”
I eyed the two pieces of luggage next to Luke. He always traveled light. “You have more stuff?”
He shook his head. “I don’t.”
A massive silhouette loomed in the doorway.
Someone who was definitely not Connor.
“Thor does,” Luke finished.
“Thor?” Laura and I said the name simultaneously.
The man standing in the doorway looked like a cross between the half-giant in a certain wizard book and a professional wrestler.
Thor was close to seven feet tall, and wide enough that he almost took up the entire doorframe. The ends of his shaggy brown hair brushed his shoulders, and his lips were hidden behind a massive beard and mustache.
He waved. “Howdy.” His voice was gruff, and the Southern greeting he’d just used was not accompanied by a Southern drawl.
I fixed a smile on my face.
Laura stared in horror.
“Thor,” I said, stepping forward with my hand outstretched. I glanced at his hand, worried that his might actually crush mine, it was so large.
“You’re Luke’s friend?” I asked, a little uncertainly.
“No, Mom, he’s just some guy I met at the airport.” Luke rolled his eyes. “This is Thor. He’s in the band with me, remember?”
I didn’t actually remember, which struck me as pretty bad because I thought for sure that I would remember if my son was in a band with someone named after a god in Norse mythology. Also, Thor was one of my favorite Marvel characters. How on earth would I have forgotten that name?
Dementia?
“Oh, of course,” I said, nodding and smiling. “How very nice to meet you.”
“I didn’t know you were bringing a guest,” Laura said. Her eyes were still bulging as she took in the giant standing in my house.
“Well, Yancy couldn’t come so I figured Thor was the next best thing.”
Yancy was Luke’s girlfriend. I hadn’t met her yet, but I’d seen pictures of her and immediately conjured up the image I remembered best: long blonde hair twisted into dreadlocks and a smattering of freckles on her nose that reminded me of Pippi Longstocking.
“Sure,” Laura mumbled.
“Anyway, I brought Thor along for a very special reason,” Luke said. His smile widened. “We have a gift for you. For your wedding.”
Laura raised her eyebrows. “You do?” she said timidly. “Both of you?”
Luke nodded. “And you’re gonna love it.”
Connor had slipped into the house and was standing close to the door. He cleared his throat when Luke said this and I glanced at him. His expression didn’t convey in any way that his future wife would like what her brother was about to tell her. In fact, he looked downright nervous, his gaze darting from Luke to Laura as he licked his lips nervously.
“Midnight Robot is going to play at your wedding,” Luke announced.
She stared blankly at him. “Who?”
His brow furrowed. “Midnight Robot. My band.” He looked at Thor. “Well, two-thirds of my band.”
Laura stared at him, her mouth agape.
“Uh, Wade couldn’t make it,” Luke said, shuffling his feet. “But there’s a drummer out here who we’re hooking up with. A friend of Yancy’s. Can you believe it? Small world.” He was talking fast now. “His name’s Drew. He should be by sometime today, I think, so we can have some time to practice together before your big day.”
Laura looked at me, her eyes begging me to say something.
I was at a complete loss for words.
“But…but…” she sp
uttered. “But we already have a DJ.”
“So?”
“So we can’t just cancel him,” Laura said. She looked to Connor for support.
He glanced down at his shoes, a shiny pair of black loafers.
“Sure you can.” Luke’s expression clouded. “This is my gift to you. For your wedding.”
Laura looked as though he’d just gifted her a pet eel.
“Are you really going to tell him no?” Luke pointed at Thor.
The giant just stood there, his arms folded across his massive chest. I couldn’t tell if he was actually glowering, his beard and mustache were so thick, but I imagined he was.
Laura gulped.
“He flew all this way to play at your wedding. And I don’t know if you know this, but Midnight Robot is on the cusp, man.”
There was silence.
Connor finally spoke. “On the cusp of what?”
Luke smiled. “Of making it big! Can you imagine how cool it will be when you tell people that Midnight Robot played at your wedding? That’s like saying Nirvana or Pearl Jam played a private gig for you.”
Laura cocked her head. She’d never been one for alternative rock, preferring Top 40 hits instead. Of course, now that Pearl Jam and Nirvana had started showing up on the oldies stations, there might actually be a chance she might listen to them.
“Well, sis?” Luke put his hands on his hips. “What’s it gonna be? You gonna have us play for you or not?”
She swallowed hard before she turned to me.
Her voice was small when she spoke.
“Can you call and cancel the DJ?”
SEVEN
The wine I was drinking was a rose, crisp and slightly dry, and just what I needed on a Monday afternoon with a houseful of people draining both my time and my energy. Even the humidity that was making my hair frizz as I sat on the front porch and enjoyed my early happy hour didn’t do too much to dampen my spirits.
Of course, it wasn’t as if I was at the pinnacle of a stellar mood to begin with.
Luke showing up with Thor had definitely put a wrinkle in my accommodation plans. Added to that stress was the fact that Laura was still slightly freaking out over having her brother’s band play at her wedding. But as soon as I reminded her who else was in the band, and who would need to be told he wasn’t welcome to play—Thor—she’d quickly shut up.
It helped that Sophia had come by first thing that morning to whisk Laura away on more wedding errands. I’d spent the better part of the day finishing up last minute cleaning so that I’d be ready to help with wedding stuff as the week progressed.
I heard a car pull into the driveway and I looked up, thinking it might be Laura and Sophia returning from whatever they’d been doing.
But I was wrong. A trusty white Prius headed down the drive and I smiled.
Declan Murphy parked his car and hopped out, offering a friendly wave. He was wearing khaki shorts and a blue shirt that I knew would exactly match his eyes.
He opened the passenger door, grabbed a large paper bag, and made his way toward me. He loped up the steps and held out the bag.
“What’s that?”
“Blueberries.”
“Blueberries?” I repeated.
“Sandy Piper has a bunch of bushes in her yard. They’re heading out on vacation and she didn’t want to waste them,” he explained. “Or, as she put it, feed them to the birds, since they’d get picked clean if she left them out there.”
He tipped the bag so I could see inside. There were plastic baskets brimming with large bluish-purple fruit.
“I saved a basket for myself but I am a household of one.” He grinned. “And, by my calculations, you are a household of many right about now, what with the wedding coming up. Figured you could use them to feed your clan.”
I smiled up at him. “Thank you.”
If there was one thing I could count on, it was Declan bringing me food. And a whole host of other things, too: a listening ear, sound advice, a supportive hug when needed. It was no surprise to me that we’d once veered off into more intimate territory before deciding that we operated far better as friends. Close friends, which I was grateful for.
I motioned to the empty seat next to me. “You’re welcome to join me. I can get you a glass of wine, too. And we could snack on your blueberries.”
He lowered himself into the chair. “It’s a little too early for wine.” He must have noticed my expression because he quickly added, “For me.”
I smirked and took a huge sip from my glass.
“So, how are the wedding plans coming?”
“How are they coming?” I almost laughed. “Completely unhinged feels like the best way to describe what’s happened in the last thirty-six hours.”
“Unhinged?” He sounded alarmed. “What’s wrong?”
Maybe I was being a little overdramatic. Or maybe it was the quarter of a glass of wine swirling in my otherwise empty stomach that made it seem as though things were far worse than they probably really were.
“Well, let’s see…” I rattled off the list of things that had gone wrong with the wedding. The sick planner, the lack of photographer and DJ, the subsequent finding of said DJ, and then Luke’s surprise announcement.
Declan’s lips twitched. “I see. That does sound like you’ve experienced a lot of adjustments to the original plan.”
I chuckled. He could always find a delicate way to address even the most obvious of problems.
“Luke brought his band along with him,” I said. “Well, part of his band. Thor.”
“Thor?”
I nodded and sipped my wine. “One-third of Midnight Robot, Luke’s band. Although he’s so big, he should probably count as two people.”
Declan’s eyes flickered with disapproval at my comment.
“He’s tall,” I clarified, not wanting him to think I was judging the guy for his size. “Like a giant. He barely fit through my door.”
A smile tugged at Declan’s lips.
“Anyway, I had to find a place for both of them to sleep, not just Luke.”
“So you have an extra houseguest?” I could hear the sympathy in Declan’s voice. He knew I was also housing Laura and Connor, and would soon have his extended family, too.
“Yep. I had to stick them out in the bungalow.”
“The bungalow?” Declan’s eyebrows lifted. “The bungalow with…”
“The dead body?” I finished.
He nodded.
The dead body had disappeared ages ago. Also, it hadn’t been an actual dead body. A skeleton, really. Of someone who had died, of course. But it wasn’t as if I’d stumbled on a dead person in one of the buildings on my land.
I’d found other dead people in Latney, but never on my property.
“It’s still a bit of a mess out there, but I didn’t have anywhere else to put them. Laura and Connor are in a guest bedroom upstairs, and the actual guesthouse is for Connor’s parents. I’m hoping his grandma can stay in the other guest bedroom here in the house, provided she can make it up and down the stairs. If not, I guess I could swap his parents and his grandma around.”
“What kind of shape is she in?”
“I have no idea,” I admitted. “I mean, she could be arriving in a hospital bed with a tank of oxygen for all I know.” I sighed. “I guess putting her out in the guesthouse might be better. But then she’ll have to get to and from the house. Would it be terrible to have her sleep on the couch in the living room? Although if she actually is in a hospital bed, I guess we won’t really need to worry about that.” I paused. “Do you think she could travel in a bed? Is that something people do?”
“I don’t know,” he murmured.
I babbled on a little longer, running through options, and Declan just listened attentively, nodding every once in a while.
It was one of the things I loved best about him, his ability to sense exactly what I needed. I wasn’t looking for him to solve my problems. I just needed to vent to
him.
“I’m thinking you might need two glasses of wine today,” he said, after I’d finished.
“That’s not the worst of it.”
His forehead wrinkled. “It isn’t?”
I shook my head. “So Luke’s band is going to play at the wedding and the reception…but we already hired a DJ to do it. Literally yesterday. And now I have to call and cancel.”
“Oh, man.”
“I feel terrible,” I said, staring into my wineglass. “He seemed really excited about doing it, and I don’t know if it’s because he just likes his job or if it’s because he needs the money or what…”
“Well, if you signed a contract, you might still be on the hook for the money,” Declan warned. “Or at least the deposit.”
I looked up at him. “But we didn’t sign anything. Laura wanted to but Jackson, the DJ, didn’t have any paperwork. We just sort of shook on it.”
I swallowed a hefty mouthful of wine. I had to admit that this was the thing weighing most heavily on me at the moment. That I’d told Laura that I would handle calling the DJ and canceling the gig.
“Is there any way both of them can perform?” Declan suggested. “Maybe have one provide the music for the ceremony and the other step in for the reception?”
“I don’t know,” I said miserably. “I feel like Luke is going to be offended if I suggest anything that cuts him out of providing music.”
“It would have been helpful if he would have told you his plans in advance,” Declan said quietly. “You could have kept it from Laura so that it would have still been a surprise to her.”
I nodded emphatically. I’d already thought of this. Several times.
But Luke wasn’t one to share his plans. To communicate anything, really.
“Does this DJ provide any other services?” Declan asked. “Something else he can do for the wedding?”
I thought back to the night before, when Jackson had been sitting in the living room with all of his papers spread out in front of us. There had been a lot of photos of various gigs he’d played at, and some had shown him assembling his stage area.
An idea hit me.
“I wonder if he might want to help us with set up and stuff.”
