by Maeve Hart
“Logan Andrews?”
“That’s the one.”
I blew out a deep breath, not liking the sound of that. The detective was getting close to her to get information about me, just like Donald Farrell had done with me.
“What did he say?” I asked, trying not to look as concerned as I felt.
“Nothing about you. He bought me a drink.”
“He’s not married?”
“I hope not.” Abbie laughed.
“Where was Steve?”
She looked away from me and I knew she felt guilty. “He didn’t want to come out. He said he had a big presentation at work the next day. Steve prefers to sit at home. He’s going away for work soon and he’s preparing for it.”
I leaned forward. “Did you and the detective get cozy?”
Abbie picked up her champagne glass. “We got closer, I don’t know about cozy. He knows I have a boyfriend.” She took a small sip then put her glass back on the table. “You remember he interviewed us to make certain that you were at the hunting cabin with us on the night Donald was murdered.”
“Yes. I remember.”
“Why do you look so worried?”
“I just think it’s strange, that’s all. I didn’t think the detective would go to a place like that,” I said.
“Well, we go there.”
“Yes, but we haven’t been there a lot since we’re older. Was he with a group of people or by himself?”
“I’m not sure. If he was with a group he must’ve left them when we got talking. Anyway, enough about him. Tell me about your wedding plans.”
I grimaced. “There aren’t any plans yet. Except we’re getting married next year.”
Abbie nodded. “Some people plan their weddings years in advance.”
“I don’t want a big wedding. All I know is that I want to wear white and something slinky. I don’t want to wear anything frilly or with lace.” I didn’t need anything to draw attention to my size.
“No. Of course not.”
The waiter brought our food to the table.
When he left, I said to Abbie, “You’ll have to come with me when I get a dress. I could have one made, but it’s hard when I don’t know what kind of dress I want.”
“I’d love to come with you. I was hoping you’d ask me. This is so exciting.”
I tried the gnocchi. It was good. “You’ve got good taste in clothing. And you’re the only person I’d want to come with me to choose the dress.”
Abbie clapped her hands. “Goodie. That’s something to look forward to.” Abbie leaned forward. “What about the ring? He’s got the money to buy you a huge million dollar rock.”
I shook my head. “I don’t want something like that. I just want a ring that’s special. Not something I won’t feel safe wearing, or have to keep in a vault. Just a ring I can wear every day.”
“Boring! I’d have a huge diamond.” Abbie delicately placed a couple of pieces of pasta on her fork and then stabbed a tiny piece of lettuce before she popped it into her mouth.
I laughed when I caught glimpses of the images of the huge diamond rings that flashed through her mind. She looked up at me and I shook my head. Then Abbie arranged more food on her fork. Was that why she was so thin, because she ate so slowly? I’d noticed that before—thin people eat slowly. Note to self—eat slow.
While Abbie was distracted with the food, I knew I had to figure out how well she’d gotten to know the detective and if they had planned to meet again. If they had planned to meet once more, I’d do my best to talk her out of it.
“Aren’t you drinking your champagne?” Abbie asked when we had barely started the meal.
“Yes. I am. I’m eating first.”
She gasped. “You’re not...”
“No.” I laughed about Abbie thinking I was pregnant. I’d decided not to drink because I needed my wits about me for when I got to the detective’s office to find a way to look at his handwriting. All I needed was some reason to be there, which I still hadn’t thought of.
“Wouldn’t it be great if we had babies at the same time?” Abbie asked.
“Babies?” I crinkled my nose. “That’s so far away for me to even think about.” Wow, I could do with a swig of champagne right now. I was flat out keeping a hundred balls in the air. I didn’t need one hundred and one. A baby would be nice, but only if it was sometime way in the future.
Abbie smoothed back her hair. “Oh, Destiny. You’re getting married before me and I’ve been going out with Steve for about two years now—probably more. He hasn’t even talked of marriage. And he’s there all the time and he’s moving more and more of his stuff into my house. Where’s the magic, where’s the romance?” She shook her head as her gaze fell to the plate in front of her.
“I noticed that—about him having a lot of his stuff at your place.” I knew that had been bugging her.
“Are we living together? Is that what he thinks? I didn’t ask him to move in with me. That’s something that needs to be talked about. The right time for him to propose was six months ago and now everything feels flat and boring. I wanted to be swept off my feet and flown to Paris for the weekend and proposed to on top of the Eiffel Tower. Just like in Sleepless in Seattle.”
“Um, I don’t think he proposed to her there.”
“Well, they probably went back there later and he proposed. Do you get what I’m saying, though?”
I nodded. “I do completely! The same thing happened to me. When I moved to that apartment near the city, Donald said it was close to where he worked and the next thing I knew he was spending nearly every night with me. He was practically living off me because he never chipped in for anything. We’d never talked about living together—he gradually just moved in.” I calmed myself down. It was partially my fault for not speaking up and talking to Donald about it. “You’ll probably have to say something to Steve.”
“I know, but why should I? If he loves me, why hasn’t he ever spoken of marriage?”
I shrugged my shoulders and then pulled my jacket tighter around me. “Do you know if he’s got something against it? Does he believe in getting married? Many people think it’s just a piece of paper.”
“That’s just it. I don’t think he’s got anything against it because he’s been engaged once before. And now I don’t know if I feel the same about him.”
“Hold on. He’s been engaged before? You never told me that.”
“It was when he was nineteen. She ended it a few weeks later, but that proves he’s not against marriage.”
“Sounds like he’s scared.”
Abbie shook her head. “I dunno. I want someone to ask me to marry him because he thinks I’m so wonderful he has to marry me before another man steals me away.”
I smiled. “You’re a true romantic.”
“Yeah, well, I blame all those fairy tales I heard when I was growing up. Real life’s not like that. You know what all those fairytales have done?”
“What?”
“All they’ve done is raise my expectations and now I’ve come crashing down. If I’d never expected that once in a lifetime love, I wouldn’t be so upset right now.” She chugged her champagne. “I’ll need more soon. Anyway, things are going well for you. You’ve just met your Prince Charming and he’s swept you off your feet,” she grumbled.
“It wasn’t exactly like that, remember?”
Abbie pushed her bottom lip into a pout.
“Um, let me see,” I began. “I met Jacques at my engagement party and then two days later I found Don dead. And then there was that little matter of me being arrested for his murder.”
Slowly Abbie nodded.
“It wasn’t exactly glamorous when I was getting to know my Prince Charming.”
“Well, you’re engaged now and that’s more than I can say for me and Steve.”
“It’ll happen if you want it to.”
Abbie shrugged her shoulders and took another gulp of champagne. “I’m just going to
the ladies.’ Can you order me another glass of bubbly while I’m gone?”
“Okay.” I caught the eye of the waiter, held up the empty glass, and held up one finger to let him know I only wanted the one.
CHAPTER 3
While she was gone, I looked around to see if anyone was watching and then I tipped most of my champagne into a nearby pot plant. Such a waste, I know, but it had to be done.
When Abbie came back from the toilets, looking at my champagne glass was the last thing on her mind. She launched right into talking about Steve. “I don’t know what I’m going to do about Steve.”
“What do you mean?”
The waiter replaced her glass with a full one.
“Thank you,” she said, glancing up at him. She continued, “Like I said before, he hasn’t asked me to marry him. Either we get married or we break up. I can’t go on with things just being the same.”
Her speech was starting to slur and I wondered if she’d had a drink or perhaps two before I’d arrived. She seemed dreadfully upset. “Do you love him?”
“Yes, I do, but it’s not enough anymore. He’s changing and I don’t know if he’s changing in the way I want him to. I think he’s far too influenced by his mother.”
I grimaced. “The one who lives off the land?”
“Yes, well, she doesn’t actually live off the land, but she is rather radical. She grows her own organic fruits and vegetables and now she’s turned him into a vegan. All he wants to talk about is how animal agriculture is ruining the planet and the CO2 in the atmosphere is being depleted or has been depleted. I’m not sure which one. Apparently we’re all doomed.” Abbie shook her head. “He talks nothing but doom and gloom and now I feel guilty when he watches me eat yoghurt for breakfast. And you know I’ve always eaten yoghurt for breakfast. He’s always judging me. He wanted me to call the landlord and ask if the carpet was wool or synthetic fiber.”
“Why?”
“He doesn’t like wool. He doesn’t like the use of anything that comes from animals, but the thing is I’m the one paying the rent. What the carpet is made of is none of his business. Do you see?”
Abbie’s cheeks were flushed and little spidery veins were showing on her cheeks.
“Yes, I get that.”
“It’s all gloom and doom and he’s hinting to me that I should turn into a vegan. That’s all he cooks now—plant food.”
I wouldn’t be happy if someone was watching everything I ate either, but I couldn’t let Abbie know that because if she broke up with Steve, she could fall right into the detective’s arms. “I like Steve and I always have.”
“Yes, I was pleased at the beginning that the two of you got along. But I fear that in a few years, he’ll want to get a farm somewhere and live off the land.” She shook her head and her hair brushed over her shoulders. “That’s not the life I want to live.” Abbie drank a large mouthful of champagne.
“What do you want?”
She placed the glass down a little too heavily. “I want my career and I want a husband to come home to. A proper husband and not one who wants to turn me into someone who likes eating rabbit food. Someone must love me for the wonderful person I am.”
I nodded. “And someone will. You look like a model, you’re beautiful and thin, and you’re good company. If it’s not Steve, someone will sweep you off your feet just like you want.”
“Do you think so?”
“I do.” Whoops. I forgot I was supposed to be in Steve’s corner.
Abbie pouted again. “I have to admit I’m a little envious of you. Jacques is a millionaire and he’s gorgeous and he loves you. Why couldn’t that happen to me? I’m sure he lets you do whatever you want.” Abbie shook her head. “I can’t believe I just said that. Why do I let men dominate me?”
I popped a piece of salad into my mouth. I hadn’t noticed her being dominated by any man.
“Why don’t you try to find your father, Destiny?”
I looked up and stared at her, wondering why she’d made a sudden change of conversation. “What for?”
“So you can put that chapter behind you when you get married. If he’s still the same slob he always was, at least you’ll know. And if things go better, then you can reconnect and you can be happy. I know it upsets you—your father.”
“I’m not hard to find, especially when my mother still lives in the same house. He could come and find me if he wanted.”
“Perhaps there’s a reason why he stayed away. You should hear his side of things rather than listen to your mother. Your mother had the agenda of keeping you to herself and turning you against him.”
“It’s not like that. He was nasty to me when I was just a little girl and said things that left deep scars. Why should I give him another chance?”
“How do you know he doesn’t regret what he said? He could be ashamed of himself and think he doesn’t deserve another chance.”
“He’s never called to say sorry.”
“I just thought it might be nice to reconnect with him and see what’s happening in his life since what he said makes you so upset.”
“How did we get to talking about me when you were talking about Steve?”
Abbie grinned and looked at her empty glass. “I think I need more champagne,” she said as she held up her glass to the light to examine it. She stood up, not balancing too well, and waved to the waiter.
There was no way she should go back to work in this state.
Thirty seconds later another glass of champagne was put in front of her.
“Steve’s a really nice guy,” I tried for a second time.
“Yes, I know that. That’s why I’ve kept him around for so long. I know he’s a nice guy and I don’t want to hurt him, but neither do I want to end up living off the land and becoming a vegan. That’s what I can see in our future besides going to protest marches about the environment and things like that. He’ll probably chain me to a tree or something.”
“It sounds like a healthy lifestyle.”
“Could you live without eating meat?”
“Maybe,” I lied.
“I guess it would be healthy, but I think his mother’s just got too much influence on him.”
“Mothers can be dominating.” I knew mine was, and my grandmother. “So did you start turning off Steve since you ran into the detective the other night?”
Abbie giggled and her cheeks flushed. This wasn’t a good sign.
“Am I that obvious?”
My heart sank. I couldn’t tell her that he was using her. If I did then I would have to tell her everything and I couldn’t subject her to that.
“I suppose it’s a little bit obvious,” she said.
“Are you going to meet him again?”
“We exchanged numbers. He hasn’t called me yet. Do you think I should call him?”
“No. Definitely not!”
Abbie drowned her disappointment in my words with another mouthful of champagne.
“A man should always call you,” I told her. “That way you always have the upper hand. If you call him you’ll have no hand at all.”
“I guess that’s true.”
Now she had me thinking about my father and I hadn’t brought him to mind in some time. I heard myself say, “Let’s not talk about my father. He doesn’t deserve for me to contact him.”
“Steve would say you have to get rid of that business.”
“What business?”
Abbie giggled. “I meant to say bitterness but it came out wrong.”
She definitely couldn’t go back to work.
“See, Steve has had a positive effect on you.”
Abbie pulled a face. “Has your mother met Jacques yet?”
“No.”
“Destiny!”
“What?”
“That’s just not normal.”
“My family is not normal. You should know that by now.”
“You haven’t told him about your family being witches?”
“Oh, he knows, but meeting them is an entirely different story.”
“I hope he’s going to meet them well before the wedding day.”
“Yes. You’re right. I guess we could invite my family out to dinner. It would be less intimidating for Jacques than going to my grandmother’s house, or my mother’s house for that matter.”
“That’s a good idea. And I really think you should do it soon.”
“We haven’t even set a date yet.”
“Well what are you waiting for?”
“Jacques is busy. I guess we have to schedule it around his work commitments.”
“Pin him down.”
I giggled at the look on Abbie’s face. And since she’d had too much champagne she giggled as well, probably not knowing what I was laughing at.
Then Abbie sighed and the smile was gone from her lips. “I know everything you’re saying about Steve is true but we’re growing apart. I don’t want to hold him back from what he wants to do either.”
“Did he even say he wants to live off the land?”
She sighed and took hold of her glass. “No, but I know where that’s heading.”
My best guess was that she was making an effort to turn herself off Steve so she wouldn’t feel guilty about seeing the detective again. I hoped I could talk her out of seeing Andrews again.
CHAPTER 4
A bbie could barely stand when we’d finished lunch and was in no state to go back to work. I had lost count of how many glasses of champagne she’d had. I helped her outside and tried to put her in a taxi but she insisted I try on wedding dresses. She pulled me into the taxi with her and soon we were at a wedding dress store.
It was often depressing trying on clothes. Not only was I big, I was also between sizes. Everything was either too small or too big. The clothing that did fit looked awful. I had no idea what I was going to wear at my wedding, but still, that was months away so I had time to figure it out.
“I don’t know if this is a good idea, Abbie. I should go on a diet before I try things on.”
“Nonsense.” She found a sales assistant and told them her vision for me and had them make a selection of dresses. They seated us in a private room and offered us champagne, but we declined.
