by Lauren Carr
“That’s a low blow,” David said.
“Your wedding is going to be in thirty hours.” Mac sat forward in his seat. “The time for being subtle has passed. My job as your best man is to stand up in front of that church and witness your vowing to love, honor, and cherish Chelsea with all your heart. I can’t do that if I know that it’s a lie.”
The server arrived with a second round of drinks for both of them.
Numb, David took the drink Mac handed him.
Then, a grin crossed Mac’s face. “Besides, you can’t get married anyway.”
David turned his gaze to Mac. His forehead furrowed.
Mac tossed back his drink. “Gnarly ate your wedding rings.”
David’s mouth dropped open. With a gasp, he looked over to where Gnarly, who had heard his name, was raising his head. With wide eyes, the German shepherd looked over at the two men.
“What kind of best man are you?” David asked. “You let your dog eat our wedding rings?”
“I think he deposited them in Central Park that morning you took him running.” Mac ordered a another drink from the flight attendant.
Sitting up in his seat, David pointed at Mac. “You know, all of this is your fault. I would not be in this position if it weren’t for you.”
“How do you figure that?”
“I wanted to go to the police station with you,” David reminded him. “But no! You insisted that I go with Dallas to ZNC because she needed someone to protect her. If you had let me go to the police station with you and Ed, then I wouldn’t have fallen in love with Dallas! So”—he pointed at Mac—“all of this is your fault!”
“And we wouldn’t have come to New York, where you met Dallas and fell in love with her, if you hadn’t gotten drunk in Vegas and married Yvonne without knowing it! Who gets married without knowing it?”
“What kind of best man feeds the wedding bands to his dog?”
The flight attendant trotted out with another round of drinks for them, which they both tossed back.
Mac was relieved when his cell phone received a call. The caller ID read “Archie.” When he brought the phone to his ear, she let loose with a string of shrieks and unintelligible sounds. “Archie, calm down. What’s going on?”
“She gone!”
“What?” Mac jumped out of his seat. “Who’s gone?”
“The bride! She ran away!”
“Who’s gone?” David was standing next to Mac. “What happened? Is it Chelsea?”
Mac swallowed. “Chelsea ran away.”
“Are you kidding me?” Breathing heavily, David lowered himself back into his seat. “No!”
“She left David a note,” Archie said, “and her engagement ring.”
“She left her engagement ring,” Mac told David.
“Are you going to feed that to Gnarly, too?”
“She also left a note for you,” Mac said.
“Read it to me,” David said.
Fearing that the letter would include personal information he would prefer not to hear, Mac suggested they wait until the plane arrived in Deep Creek Lake, but David insisted he needed to know what the note said right then. Putting the call on speaker phone, Mac sat across from David. They both bowed their heads over the phone Mac was holding between them.
Archie’s voice was soft when she read it.
My dearest David. I love you so very much. I have loved you for the longest time. Marrying you would be the fulfillment of a fantasy. That’s why this is such a difficult letter for me to write. In the last couple of days, I’ve come to realize that we’ve been living a fantasy. Do you remember when you asked me to marry you? You said you wanted to make things right. Now I realize that a big part of our relationship since I came back home has been based on trying to go back to our youth, a time before the real world stepped in—a time before you hurt me by sleeping with Katrina. You’ve been trying to make it up to me—maybe to earn my forgiveness—while I’ve been trying to forget about the pain you caused me.
Thing is, David, I have forgiven you. Maybe you haven’t forgiven yourself—and that’s why you want to make things right by marrying me.
As much as I love you, and as much as marrying you would be my dream come true, I do know that if we go through with the wedding that one day—someday, maybe not today or tomorrow, but someday—your true love will come crashing into your life, at which point you’ll be too honorable to leave me to be with her.
On that day, we will be repeating your parents’ mistake.
I’m sorry, David, but I don’t want to be your Violet. I want to be someone’s Robin.
And I want you to be free to be with your Robin, whoever she is, when she comes into your life.
Don’t be sad, David, because you don’t have to make things right with me. They already are right. That’s why I am releasing you from your obligation to marry me.
Finished reading, Archie said, “She then says she’s gone to the Poconos with Seth Blanchard and will be back Monday to pick up the rest of her things from your house, David.” She let out a sob. “I am so sorry.”
After a long silence, Mac asked, “What do you want us to do, David?”
David sucked in a deep breath. “We’re going to Texas.”
Not sure if he’d understood him, Mac asked, “What?”
David was gesturing for the flight attendant, who rushed to his seat with another round of drinks. Taking his, he said, “Tell the pilot to change course for Dallas, Texas.”
Before she could turn around to run to the cockpit, Mac stopped her. “Wait a minute. I’m going to Deep Creek Lake.”
“Mac,” Archie called out from the phone, “what’s happening?”
“David’s hijacking the plane,” Mac said into the phone. “I’ll have to call you back.” He disconnected the call and turned his attention back to David. “You can’t just change course.”
“Yes, I can,” David said. “It’s a private plane. You yourself said I belong with Dallas. I want to be with Dallas. Chelsea called off the wedding. So now I’m free to be with Dallas.” He turned back to the flight attendant. “We’re going to Dallas.”
“No, we’re not,” Mac said before turning back to David. “I don’t want to go to Texas. I want to go home to my wife, and besides, you have over two hundred wedding guests in Spencer who are expecting a wedding. Chelsea ran off to the Poconos with Dr. Love, and you’re taking off for Texas. What about the guests?” He threw up his arms. “Someone has to be there to tell them what’s happening!”
“Tell them that Gnarly ate the rings,” David said with a grin.
“What do you want me to tell the pilot?” the flight attendant asked.
“We’re going to Dallas,” David said at the same time that Mac told her they were going to McHenry, Maryland.
Confused, the flight attendant folded her arms.
“You can drop me off in Texas before you go home to Deep Creek Lake,” David said. “I took a week off for the honeymoon, so I’ll spend it in Texas with Dallas. By the time my vacation time is up, Chelsea will have moved out, and I can bring Dallas back home with me.”
Mac chuckled. “You’re bringing Dallas Walker back to Deep Creek Lake to live with you?”
“I know it’s fast,” David said. “But she and I talked about it. With the money Yvonne left me, I can take care of her while she devotes herself to her career as a freelance investigative journalist.”
Mac sat up in his seat. “You’re going to take care of her?”
David nodded his head.
“And you told her that? That you were going to take care of her?”
David’s forehead furrowed. “Yes, I did.”
Mac laughed.
“What?”
“You have no idea,” Mac said.
“No idea about what?”
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Mac waved a hand at the flight attendant. “Tell the pilot to change the flight plan. We are now going to Dallas, Texas. Tell him to make arrangements for us to land at the Walker Ranch—on their private airstrip, if possible.”
The flight attendant hurried up to the cockpit.
“Private airstrip?” David murmured.
Throwing his head back, Mac laughed. “Oh, this is going to be so good!”
Spencer Manor - Next Day
“Okay, Bogie,” Mac said into the phone, “I understand. Tell Jeff that the therapist’s emergency counseling session will be covered under hazard pay at the Inn.” He blew Archie a kiss when she set a plate containing his half of the submarine sandwich she had made for lunch and some chips next to his elbow. She responded with a kiss on his forehead before slipping into the dining room chair across from him.
Sitting up tall next to Mac’s chair, Gnarly eyed the sandwich.
Mac hung up the phone with a deep sigh.
“You can’t say you were surprised,” Archie said while eying her to-do list for cancelling the wedding. “All those guests came in from out of town for David and Chelsea’s wedding, only to have both the bride and groom bail out on it. It’s only right that someone cover their bills at the inn.”
“I still think I won the bet,” Mac chuckled.
“The bride called it off,” Archie said.
“David didn’t even make it back to Maryland,” Mac said.
“But Chelsea ran away first,” Archie said. “Turns out that while her bridesmaids were watching male strippers, she was sneaking out of town with Dr. Love under the dead of night.” She added with a naughty grin, “Which means I won.”
“Who would have thought?” Mac shook his head. “You should have seen David’s face when that plane landed on the Walker Ranch’s private airstrip.”
Archie laughed. “David honestly had no idea that Dallas’ father was Buddy Walker, Texas billionaire?”
“Or that the Walker Ranch consists of five hundred thousand acres across four counties in the state of Texas,” Mac chuckled. “He took the news well. He only had to put his head between his knees for about half the flight.” He paused, and then a slow grin came to his face when he said, “And then he saw Dallas waiting at the airstrip, sitting on top of one of her prize quarter horses. She brought a second horse for David. They were literally riding off into the sunset when the plane took off to bring me back home.”
“Look on the bright side,” Archie said while slapping Gnarly’s snout back from the sandwich with one hand. “Neither the bride nor groom ended up hurt. They both found their soul mates.”
“At least one of them should have stuck around to help cancel all of this stuff.” Mac uttered a groan while looking over his to-do list. “Well, David inherited nine million dollars from Yvonne. He can cover the guests’ hotel bills.” He crossed the item labeled “Hotel Reservations” off his list. “You talked to the caterer?”
“The inn’s event coordinator is handling that,” she said. “Since the food had already been purchased and it’s too late for the entertainment to get another booking, I suggested that the inn go through with the event—only instead of calling it a wedding reception, we’d call it an Oktoberfest and invite all of the hotel’s guests. That way, everyone has a good time and nothing goes to waste.”
“Very smart.” Mac kissed on the nose. “Beautiful and smart.”
Grinning, she said, “Pretty clever if I must say so myself.”
“How could we have been so stupid as to think those two were ready to get married?” Mac asked. “Even though we were that stupid, it’s still not right that you and I have to do all the work.”
“This is what we signed up for when we agreed to be the best man and the matron of honor.” She tapped his list. “It looks like you only have one more item not checked off. What is it?”
“Cancelling the honeymoon, which was our wedding present to them. Ten days on a private island in Nassau, Bahamas. All paid for. No refund at this point. Money down the drain. Unless …” A wicked grin worked its way across his lips.
She raised her eyes to meet his. “You know, we’ve been working very hard.”
“Extremely hard.”
She laid her hand on his.
“I’d say we’ve been working so hard that we’ve earned a relaxing vacation,” Mac said.
“You’re getting no arguments from me.”
“I think we deserve ten days on a private island.” Moving toward her, his voice was husky when he sad, “Just you, me, the sun, the surf, and the seagulls.” He pulled her out of her seat, picked her up, and twirled around with her in his arms.
“Sounds heavenly.” With dreamy eyes, she gazed at him. “Would it be right for us to take David and Chelsea’s honeymoon for ourselves?”
Mac put her down. “We can feel guilty about it during the flight to our island.” He checked the details on his list. “The plane leaves McHenry at midnight tonight. By this time tomorrow morning, we’ll be making love in the cabana, with no one around except the seagulls.”
“I need to pack!”
When she attempted to trot toward the stairs leading up to their bedroom, Mac pulled her back. “It’s a private island! All we need are our passports.”
“What about swimsuits?”
Mac smiled at her.
Catching on, she grinned back. “I’m game if you are.” With that, she threw off her sweater and dropped her pants. With a flourish, she struck a pose before Mac, wearing only her underwear. “I’ll let you unwrap the rest.”
“I can’t think of a better way to kick off a second honeymoon.”
With a shriek, she ran up the stairs, with Mac in hot pursuit.
Alone, Gnarly eyed the stairs they had rushed up and the two halves of the submarine sandwich abandoned on the dining room table.
He waited.
It must have been a test.
The only sounds in the house were Mac’s and Archie’s laughter upstairs—until the bedroom door slammed, signaling that they were too preoccupied to care about the two plates of food on the dining room table.
Those poor sandwiches looked so neglected.
It was just too easy.
Gnarly looked from one sandwich to the other. They were his for the taking.
No guts, no glory!
In a single bound, Gnarly snatched up the first of two lunches.
Moments later, as he stretched out on the deck, looking out across the lake, he licked his chops and thought, “Yes, life is grand on Deep Creek Lake.”
The End
About the Author
Lauren Carr
Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday and Lovers in Crime Mysteries and the Thorny Rose Mysteries.
A popular speaker, Lauren has appeared at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She also passes on what she has learned in her years of writing and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education classes.
She lives with her husband, son, and four dogs (including the real live Gnarly!) on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.
Visit Lauren Carr’s website at www.mysterylady.net to learn more about Lauren and her upcoming mysteries.
Check Out Lauren Carr’s Mysteries!
Order! Order!
All of Lauren Carr’s books are stand alone. However for those readers wanting to start at the beginning, here is the list of Lauren Carr’s mysteries. The number next to the book title is the actual order in which the book was released.
Joshua Thornton Mysteries
Fans of the Lovers in Crime Mysteries may wish to read these two books which feature Joshua Thornton years before meeting Detective Cameron Gates. Also in these mysteries, readers will meet Joshua Thornton’s five children before they have flown the n
est.
1) A Small Case of Murder
2) A Reunion to Die For
Mac Faraday Mysteries
3) It’s Murder, My Son
4) Old Loves Die Hard
5) Shades of Murder (introduces the Lovers in Crime: Joshua Thornton & Cameron Gates)
7) Blast from the Past
8) The Murders at Astaire Castle
9) The Lady Who Cried Murder (The Lovers in Crime make a guest appearance in this Mac Faraday Mystery)
10) Twelve to Murder
12) A Wedding and a Killing
13) Three Days to Forever
14) Open Season for Murder
16) Cancelled Vows
Lovers in Crime Mysteries
6) Dead on Ice
11) Real Murder
17) Killer in the Band (May 2016)”Killer in the Band” on page 4
Thorny Rose Mystery
15) Kill and Run (featuring the Lovers in Crime)
18) A Fine Year for Murder (September 2016)
Killer in the Band
A Lovers in Crime Mystery
Summer has arrived! The Thorntons expected it to be a summer of change and change it does, but not in the way Joshua had expected.
Joshua’s eldest son, Joshua Thornton Jr. (J.J.) has graduated at the top of his class from law school and is returning home to spend the summer studying for the bar exam. However, to the Thornton’s shock and dismay, J.J. decides to move in with Suellen Russell, a lovely widow twice his age.
