Wade stood next to Mike, holding Dammit's leash in one hand, the rings in the other. Dammit had a peach satin bow tie clipped to his collar.
Theo sat, of course, holding Ruby's flowers. Tony thought she was as pretty as the bride.
While his mom sat next to him, with Chris and Jamie, Tony was surprised to see his Aunt Martha sitting with a man. A man he didn't recognize. He leaned close to his mom, “Who is Martha's date?”
“Oh, his name is Orlando Espinoza.” Jane craned around until she could see her sister and her date. “He's been spending a lot of time at the museum. Claims he's working on a book about the area.”
“You don't believe him?” Tony thought Mr. Espinoza resembled an old-fashioned melodrama villain with his slicked back hair and pencil mustache.
“Maybe.” Jane smiled. “I'm just surprised she invited him to the wedding.”
Tony looked across the aisle at Blossom. She sat between Kenny Baines and DuWayne Cozzens, one man per hand. Tony had watched her set up the wedding cake. Then she vanished and came back wearing a ruffled lavender dress. It made her magnificent proportions appear even greater. If the expressions on her suitors' faces meant anything, they were delighted by the situation. There was enough to share.
Tony was especially happy to see Ruth Ann sitting with her husband, Walter. After months of physical therapy, he was doing quite well. He'd overheard her say she thought her mother-in-law could go home any time and leave them to lead their own lives.
He was a bit distracted when Claude and Katti Marmot arrived. Claude was clean and shaved and wearing slacks and a starched shirt. And a tie. Tony couldn't decide if the man was strangling or not, but he was smiling at his brightly-dressed new wife. For her part, Katti was a festival of pinks.
And Sheila. Tony hoped she didn't get called in to work. He was so accustomed to seeing her in uniform with her hair in a tight braid, he almost hadn't recognized her with her hair down in loose curls, wearing a dress. She had a date, but it looked like a line was forming with guys vying for her attention.
Doctor and Mrs. Nash sat near the front, right across the aisle from Tony. With them was a young woman. She wasn't one of the Nash girls. In fact, she was totally unfamiliar to him. He liked to think he could remember faces if not names.
The woman laughed at something the doctor said as she smoothed a strand of windblown hair away from her face. On her left hand ring finger, a sapphire ring twinkled in the sunlight.
After the vows, the party began.
The bride and groom, leaving Dammit sitting next to Theo's wheelchair, waltzed together on the makeshift dance floor surrounded by portable heaters and colored lights. Wade might have been chosen to be the best man, but Tony had the honor of dancing with the bride, standing in for the father she had never known. Mike and his mom made their way around the dance floor, laughing at something only they knew about. The line of men waiting to dance with Ruby stretched around the café.
Then Mike danced with many other partners including his unofficial step-daughter, Angelina. The little girl grinned and tossed her head in an uncanny echo of one of Ruby's expressions.
Tony's Aunt Martha and her exotic date made a bit of a stir. A good ten years older than Martha, Mr. Espinoza navigated her across the dance floor. He had fantastic footwork.
“He could give lessons,” Tony said.
“I heard he and his former partner won big prizes on the ballroom dance circuit.” A woman's voice traveled to him. He recognized it belonged to Eleanor Liston. “He's good enough to make Martha look like a dancer.”
Another voice whispered. “He's from Miami.”
Blossom and her beaus stepped onto the dance floor and the three of them danced together. They managed so well, Tony guessed it wasn't the first time they'd done it.
Theo found herself consumed by curiosity. The woman dancing with Wade had been sitting with the doctor. Glancing up, she saw Ruby watching too. “Who is she?”
Ruby's eyes widened. “You don't know?” A delighted grin flashed across her face. “Maybe Tony doesn't know either.”
Theo shook her head.
“She's Wade's fiancée.”
Theo's jaw dropped.
“Her name is Grace O'Hara,” Ruby whispered. “She's a doctor.”
“Wade sure can keep a secret.”
Ruby nodded. “And she's sweet. And, when she finishes her residency, she'll be a pediatrician.”
“No kidding.” Theo rubbed her belly with an elbow. “No wonder Doc Nash is becoming such a fan of Wade's.” Theo studied the young woman. She wasn't sure what color hair Grace had. It was a blend of browns, red, and blond—shiny and it bounced when she moved her head. As Theo watched, she guessed only Grace and she saw the wink from Wade that added extra color to her cheeks. “Do you think she'll want to stay here?”
“Yes,” said Ruby, just as her new husband swept her onto the dance floor.
Theo watched Wade and Tony walk toward her wheelchair. When Wade smiled over his shoulder at Grace and nodded, Theo thought the incredibly attractive deputy's appearance surpassed description.
“Oh dear,” she muttered quietly. “We'll have to make another wedding quilt.”
Grace, following Wade's silent invitation, joined the Abernathys. “Congratulations to you both,” said Theo.
Tony thought Grace was attractive in a pleasant way, if not drop-dead gorgeous like Wade. She was not tall and not tiny, but she had a fabulous, warm smile. He said, “You're the best kept secret in Park County.”
Grace extended her hand. “Wade admires you very much.”
“Wade's a good man.” Tony liked her handshake. A glance showed Theo smiling up at Wade, talking to him. “When's the wedding?”
“Um . . .” Grace stared into his shoulder. “We're still talking about it.”
Something in her expression told Tony everything he needed to know. He gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder. She looked up, meeting his eyes. He said, “Tell Wade he has to give Ruth Ann the information about when you two got married, if for no other reason than to make you his beneficiary. Being in law enforcement . . .” His words trailed off.
“If it makes you feel better,” said Grace, giving him a little wink, “we haven't told anyone in Atlanta.”
“I can understand why Wade didn't want to date in a fishbowl, but why the big secret now?”
She flashed him a glorious smile. “As of now, the secret's over.”
Tony led Grace nearer to Theo.
Wade had pulled a chair close to Theo and sat to talk so Theo didn't have to look up. He reached into his shirt pocket and retrieved a wedding band and slipped it on. “I'm a lucky man,” he said, looking at his bride.
He glanced up at Tony. “When Miss Flossie took my name pin, I was afraid for a moment she'd gotten the ring too.”
“So, when was the wedding?” Theo reached to give Wade a hug. And then Grace got one.
“Two weeks ago in my hometown.” Grace answered. “It was small, only my folks and Wade's because we didn't want to do the huge wedding thing, and there seemed to be no middle ground.”
“And Doc Nash?” Tony guessed the idea of another doctor in town had a lot to do with the overworked doctor's new attitude toward Wade.
“We did have to let him in on our plans,” said Wade.
“But not on the wedding itself,” Grace broke in. “I needed to know what my options were about my medical practice.”
“And they're good here?” Suddenly concerned, Tony realized if her options were not good, Wade would leave.
“Yes,” said Grace. “Although Doc Nash did suggest I learn more about the dead. He says you're a body magnet.”
Tony shook his head. “I think it's Wade. He's always in the neighborhood too.” He gave Wade a slap on the back. “And did the doctor mention your husband's habit when he sees one?”
Before Grace could ask more, Wade swept her off to the dance floor.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The weddin
g reception was in full swing. Tony was enjoying talking football with Patrick MacLeod, whose own wedding was set for Friday. The young football coach had no delusions about the quality of his new team, but he liked the boys and claimed they were working hard. As badly as the team played when he started his job, the only way to go was up. He'd already seen a fair amount of improvement.
Tony glanced across the dance floor to see how Theo was doing. Now in charge of her favorite bloodhound, she held Dammit's leash and was laughing at something Nina was saying. Evidently, not even jet lag caused by her return from Paris was enough to keep Nina at home.
“That's not good.” Next to him, Patrick's voice sounded like the voice of doom. “Really not good.”
Curious, Tony turned to see him staring at a candy apple red touring bus gliding to a stop in the overflow parking lot behind Ruby's Café.
Tony studied the million-dollar motor home. He knew the price because he'd seen it featured on some television program designed to make average people feel bad about their finances. Although no name was painted on the side of the vehicle, a mural of beautiful lilies painted in transparent white and gold adorned the exterior. Tony had seen it often as it passed through town on the way to the mansion.
Elf, also known as, Easter Lily Flowers, had arrived.
The aroma of diesel exhaust wafted toward them, and Tony wondered if brimstone smelled the same.
The driver, a tall young man wearing jeans, boots and a leather vest, but no shirt, climbed down from the bus. A few strands of long, blond hair escaped his thick ponytail. Tony thought he looked like a model for the cover on a paperback romance. Very handsome and very aware of it, he unlatched a door, lowered the stairs and stood at attention. The only thing missing was a trumpet fanfare.
When the door opened and a woman stepped into the doorway, Patrick sighed deeply. “That is really, really not good.” His eyes met Tony's. “She promised she couldn't come. She has a full concert schedule and to be honest, we double checked it before picking our wedding date. We hoped she'd be singing someplace as far away as Australia.”
Elf continued to stand at the top of the steps, posing for photographs, before she descended, waving to the wedding guests like they were gathered to greet her. The tiny woman with pixie-like facial features and large, winsome brown eyes was easy to identify. Her picture was on music albums, billboards and frequently on the internet. Gossip clung to her like the emerald green dress she'd obviously painted on.
Tony'd had dealings with her before, not all pleasant ones. He walked over to Mike and Ruby. “I can get rid of her for you. She's got no right to crash your wedding party.”
Ruby said, “It's all right. Everyone else in the county is here. Why not Elf?”
And Mike added, “How much trouble can she stir up here?”
Elf swooped through the crowd until she found Patrick, shoved aside his fiancée and flung her arms around his waist. Sobbing, she rested her face against his chest. “I had to come.”
To his credit, Patrick gave her a quick hug, set her aside and locked his arms around his fiancée, holding her in front of him like a shield.
“You've met my birth mother,” Patrick said loud enough to qualify as an introduction to the gathering in general.
Tony heard him whisper into Celeste's hair. “Stay, love. It's just part of her diva display. She'll move on. She's not really interested in us.”
Celeste nodded and leaned back against Patrick before she extended her hand. “I'm sorry about your sister's death.”
Ignoring the hand, as well as the younger woman, Elf's wide smile did not seem grief laden. The tears of a moment earlier could have been a mirage. “Well, it did give me a reason to use the fabulous loophole in my contract.” She caressed Patrick's cheek. “I came for the funeral, but I get to stay for your wedding. Isn't it marvelous!”
Tony guessed the couple might not have chosen the same word to describe their feelings.
Theo watched the local musician known as Dan-the-Dulcimer Man edge through the crowd, his eyes fixed on Elf.
When he was about ten feet away, the muscular bus driver stepped into his path, blocking the way. “Stay back. This is a family moment.”
Next to Theo, Pops Ogle growled. “Like Dan's not part of her family.”
Obeying the driver's command, the rangy, weather-beaten man stopped, waiting, his eyes focused only on the petite singer.
“He's in love with her.” Nina moved closer to Theo.
Theo grinned. “I'm glad you aren't too jet-lagged to see the obvious.”
“Is he Patrick's father?”
“That's certainly been one of the more persistent rumors in town.” Theo studied the two men. Patrick was the taller of the two. The dulcimer man was somewhere between his late fifties and late sixties, but looked older, mainly because of his shaggy gray hair and beard stubble. Every autumn he let his beard grow out and shaved again in the spring. He lived in a small cabin above The Lodge. He kept to himself. He made dulcimers and old-fashioned wooden puzzles and toys, all by hand, and sold them to tourists and musicians.
Theo whispered. “I think Elf was about fourteen or fifteen when Patrick was born. Dan wasn't a young man. He'd been in the Army a long time before he ever moved here. Don't you remember the excitement when she gave the baby away?”
“Yes,” Nina agreed. “It was the talk of the town for months.”
“He's lived in the same cabin since he arrived. He doesn't make trouble.”
Nina looked from Dan to Patrick. “They don't resemble each other.”
“That's true, but genetics can be funny.” Theo waved at her brother-in-law. “Gus and Tony and are obviously related, but neither of them look anything like their brother Tiberius.”
“And Elf is just a little older than we are,” said Nina. “Can you imagine having a son as old as Patrick?”
“Not exactly.” Theo patted her belly. “I'm not sure I'm old enough to be the mother of little ones.”
The stand-off between Elf's driver and the dulcimer man ended when Elf herself dashed between them and stopped, facing Dan. She smiled almost shyly at him. He opened his arms, and she gave a little jump and wrapped her arms around Dan's neck. His arms closed around her, holding her until the driver turned and left, anger contorting his attractive face.
“Well, I guess she showed him who's her favorite.” Nina began pushing Theo's wheelchair away from the couple.
“I just hope Dan isn't being used to make the driver jealous.”
Theo glanced at the couple again. Elf was back on her own feet.
“He's a nice man and deserves better.”
Martha and Jane moved over to chat with Theo and Nina. “What if Elf stops the wedding on Friday?”
The pair seethed with worry and excitement. Theo understood. The grand unveiling of their museum was taking place in less than a week as part of the wedding reception. The two of them had battled termites, weather, a little murder, not to mention some assorted squabbles with donors and supporters.
They had begged and borrowed to get funding and family treasures to display, acquiring both trash and treasures. Martha and Jane considered the bride-to-be, Celeste, their best find. Celeste Durand grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, the daughter of wealth and privilege, and began visiting the world's finest museums when she was a child. She majored in art history and restoration at an Ivy League university, did graduate work at the Sorbonne and finally determined she wanted to be a museum curator. She especially loved preservation and display.
Theo first met Celeste when the Kentucky native came to Silersville to complete work on her master's degree in museum organization. Celeste rented a room in Martha's house. It hadn't taken long before she was dating Patrick, who had years earlier been Celeste's older brother's college roommate. Actually his presence answered a few unspoken questions about why she chose this town's small folk museum over some more prestigious museum's offer.
They chose, after only a couple of months,
to marry and make Silersville their permanent home.
Not only to marry but to combine their wedding with the grand opening of the museum. Two buildings were completely ready. Or close enough to get by.
The main museum building, constructed by Tony's brother Gus and his crew, housed the quilt display, including their locally famous “murder quilt,” as well as bits and pieces of the area memorabilia and artifacts. Cradles, medical instruments, garden tools, butter churns—if it had survived hard usage, it was left on the museum doorstep.
The women worked long and hard setting the museum in order. They dusted and labeled and catalogued for countless hours. The second building was a reconstructed barn with one of the original advertisements painted on the roof. “See Rock City.” The dismantling, preserving and reassembling had entertained Gus and his construction crew for weeks.
On Friday, the wedding vows would be exchanged in the Methodist Church for a limited number of guests. The reception, however, would be in the museum barn on a fresh plywood floor, part of which was currently being used at Ruby and Mike's reception. The main museum display building would be open for the guests to visit. Food, drinks and dancing would stay in the barn. Besides every resident in Park County, a huge contingent was expected from Kentucky. Every motel room and guest cabin in the area was reserved. The Lodge was staying open until the first of November, just to accommodate the wedding guests.
Everything was set. The caterer from Knoxville had been contracted to supply a kitchen trailer complete with ovens, burners and refrigerator with all the food and beverages, tables, chairs, tablecloths, napkins, china and glassware.
Silersville's local florist, Queen Doreen, put out the call to her extra workers to be ready to go to work when the huge shipment of flowers arrived. They would be making giant swags of greenery, roses, carnations and an assortment of berries, dried flowers and acres of baby's breath. The hope was to make the decorations last so they'd still be beautiful at Christmas, two months away.
The bride's parents were prepared with credit cards and a checkbook with a high starting balance.
Barbara Graham - Quilted 03 - Murder by Music Page 16
