Wedding Mints and Witnesses

by Kelsey Browning

  “Simple.” Plans for Jenny’s wedding were spinning out of control. “Let’s keep it simple.”

  “We have to do right by Jenny and Teague though. I mean, some things you shouldn’t shortchange,” Lil said.

  The muscle in Abby Ruth’s jaw got a mini workout as she tried to maintain control. “I would never shortchange a thing when it comes to my daughter’s happiness.”

  “We know that.” Maggie laid a hand on Abby Ruth’s arm. “Calm down. We’ll keep the wedding simple. Simply beautiful.”

  She needed their help, but this…this was over the top. Simple to Lillian Summer Fairview wasn’t in the same ballpark as Abby Ruth’s concept of simple.

  She’d been so hopeful they’d rekindle some fun and excitement with this case. She really hadn’t thought about how they would juggle the investigation and Jenny’s wedding. This mess was one helluva wakeup call about how complex a wedding was to plan. This wedding stuff wasn’t going to be fun at all.

  Lil frowned. “If we’re hosting a wedding at Summer Haven, we will give it the attention it deserves. This is the most important day in a lady’s life.” Lil crossed the room carrying a glossy white hardcover book half open in her arms. “I’ve already filled some things in for you.”

  “What the heck is that thing? It’s the size of an unabridged dictionary.”

  Lil tipped the fancy white book in Abby Ruth’s direction. “It’s a wedding planner, of course.”

  For heaven’s sake. Thick as that book was, they could be organizing the logistics of the Super Bowl. Abby Ruth glanced at the contents. “I think we can mark off about half this stuff.” She grabbed the pencil from behind Lil’s ear and crossed off the bridesmaids’ and groomsmen’s tasks. “See, we’re a quarter of the way done.”

  “Hardly, but we are well underway. We’ll need the guest list, but I’m thinking one hundred chairs, give or take. Maggie is checking into borrowing them from Dogwood Ridge Assisted Living and the bingo hall for free since she did some work for them both earlier this year. We have to watch our budget, right?”

  “Budget?” Abby Ruth sped-read through the list. “I guess I better set one.” Not that it mattered. She had a nest egg that would cover this wedding, and if it meant going into debt, she didn’t care. Seeing Jenny and Teague finally together, the way it should’ve been long ago, was worth any price to her.

  Lil flipped the page. The two facing pages were filled with yet more tasks.

  “This is impossible,” Abby Ruth said, suddenly overwhelmed with the reality of planning and hosting a wedding in just over two weeks. “All I wanted was to have some fun and get the G Team back in gear. Jenny’s wedding planning seemed like a good way to get some information for the case. I didn’t mean for it to be the shindig of the year. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think I’ve bitten off more than I can chew.”

  “Don’t be silly. We’ll all help. I just got off the phone with Sera, and she’s handling the invitations.”

  “And Darrell Holloway said we can use all his white twinkle lights. He’ll get the Christmas boxes from storage this weekend.”

  “Lovely,” Lil said, scribbling furiously in the fancy planner. “We can accent light the gazebo and drape twinkle lights through the trees. It will be magical.”

  Abby Ruth groaned. “It’s a June wedding. Who needs Christmas lights?”

  “White lights are all-purpose. Leave this to us. Also, I hope you don’t mind…” Lil said cautiously, which told Abby Ruth she would not like whatever was to follow. “…but I called Jenny and asked her about the colors for the wedding and a few other things. She gave us carte blanche, so I’m thinking a soft blue would be nice. If that’s okay with you, Abby Ruth?”

  “I guess.” What did she know about picking a color for a wedding?

  “You should wear a blue dress,” Lil insisted.

  “I’m not wearing a dress.”

  “But—”

  Abby Ruth raised her chin, which communicated better than a slew of words. Lil switched gears like a NASCAR racer on the last straightaway to the checkered flag.

  “We’ll deal with that later. Jenny doesn’t want to write vows, so we’re going traditional. A few I do’s and done. Nothing to do there. Check.” Lil checked off a couple more tasks. “And who will give the bride away?”

  “She’s her own woman. Skip that part.” Abby Ruth’s gut knotted. She sure as hell wasn’t opening that can of worms right now. Forever if she had her druthers, but Red would never let that happen. And his deadline was ticking closer with every minute.

  “You could walk her down the aisle,” Maggie added. “That’s very common these days.”

  “No,” she barked the word and regretted it immediately. Even Ritter flinched, and she wasn’t sure how well that hound could hear. The expressions on Maggie’s and Lil’s faces stabbed at her, making guilt rise. She dropped to the couch, head in her hands. Her friends didn’t understand what was really going on here. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap. But I need you to slow down all the walking-down-the-aisle stuff right now. It’s more than I can take.”

  “We’re here for you,” Maggie said as she and Lil plopped down on either side of her.

  “I can’t do this.”

  Lil slapped the book closed. “Oh dear. I’ve overwhelmed you. Please don’t worry. I’ve planned a million parties. It’s totally in my wheelhouse. Don’t you worry about a thing.”

  “She really is the best,” Maggie said, placing a hand on Abby Ruth’s back. “It’s short notice, but if anyone can do it, we can.”

  “You don’t understand,” she mumbled into her palms. What had made her believe today would be a great day? Old personal baggage was like an uninvited party guest, always ruining a good time.

  “I think we do,” Lil said gently. “Party planning isn’t your thing.”

  “There’s more.” Better spit it out before she chickened out. “Jenny’s father will be there.”

  Lil and Maggie looked at each other, then back at her. “Jenny doesn’t know her father,” Maggie said.

  “But you do.” Abby Ruth’s voice went up an octave, her throat scratchy. “It’s Red. Red is Jenny’s father.”

  “What?” Maggie slumped as if all her bones had been sucked out of her skin.

  “I can’t believe I didn’t see the resemblance before,” Lil said. “The nose. Yes. Even more so in Grayson.”

  Abby Ruth nodded.

  Lil sat back, her arms pulled tight across her body. “But he’s been here since—”

  “You don’t have to tell me.” She swallowed hard. “And if I don’t tell her soon, Red will do it himself.”

  “You can’t let that happen.”

  “She’ll hate me.”

  “This is definitely a delicate situation. Jenny will probably feel betrayed. After all, Red has been a part of our daily lives and the community for the past year. And yet you never told her. Never told any of us.”

  Abby Ruth regretted that so many people’s feelings were being hurt by her choice to keep the past in the past. What had seemed so logical all those years ago felt twisty, selfish, and complex now. “I never expected him to steal back into our lives.” She didn’t mean just as Jenny’s father either. As much as she hated to admit it, Red had stolen back into her life and her heart too.

  “The good thing is Jenny already loves him,” Maggie said. “We all do.”

  “I’m not sure if that’s better or worse.” Abby Ruth closed her eyes. “He wants to walk his daughter down the aisle.”

  “Can you blame him?” Lil asked. “She’s smart and beautiful. He has to be so proud of her. But I don’t understand why he never tried to be a part of her life before now.”

  “He didn’t even know about her until…” Abby Ruth swallowed hard. “Until he ran into us in Atlanta.”

  “You never told him either?”

  “It was complicated, and I thought it was best for everyone.” She raised a palm. “No lectures. No judgmen
t. I can’t change the past. Now I have to make it right.”

  “When will you tell her?”

  “Soon.” But her heart pounded so hard at the thought that she wasn’t sure how she would break it to Jenny. If she hadn’t found the right time all these years, how did she expect to do it now?

  “You should talk to her immediately,” Maggie offered. “We’ll come with you.”

  “Not today because we have somewhere important to go.” Abby Ruth was thankful for the diversion Stella’s text had inadvertently offered her. “I found out Stella and her friends are hitting a wedding today. It’s the perfect opportunity to look for a bad guy and shake him down.” She jumped to her feet. “Let’s go crash the wedding crashers at the botanical garden in Atlanta. This case is on.”

  “But Stella seemed dead set against us meeting her friends. How did you convince her to let us help?”

  “Things just sort of fell into place,” Abby Ruth hedged.

  Lil put her hands on her hips. “She doesn’t know, does she?”

  “Don’t give me that look.” Abby Ruth avoided making eye contact with Lil. “Besides, I now know why Stella was so resistant to it. One of her friends, Virginia, is married to Sinclair LeFleur.”

  “Isn’t Virginia the one Stella described as…flirty?”

  “Yeah, but apparently flirty is putting it kindly,” Abby Ruth said, followed by a snarky snort.

  “She’s married to the owner of LeFleur Publishing? Don’t they publish books about family values and stuff like that?”

  “That’s the one.” Abby Ruth loved it when she had their full attention. “And apparently, Penelope is married to Ted Wesley.”

  “He’s one of the biggest TV preachers in history. Why on earth would these women crash parties? Certainly they could get an invitation to any event they’d like.”

  “Guess that’s part of the fun. I think it’ll be fun for us too. In the name of bringing justice, of course.”

  “Abby Ruth, you still have to tell Jenny about Red,” Lil said. “Don’t think switching the subject makes that go away.”

  She took in a breath. She was living with the consequences of decisions that had once seemed so cut and dry. They sure didn’t seem so now. “I’ll tell her tomorrow night.”

  Lil glanced away, and the lines etched across Maggie’s forehead resembled kindergarten writing paper.

  “I promise,” Abby Ruth said. “By Monday.”

  “Fine,” Lil finally said. “I know you’re a woman of your word. So why are we still standing here? We have a wedding to attend.”

  Chapter Nine

  Saturday turned out to be a perfect day for a garden wedding. Lil had taken it upon herself to make sure they all looked presentable for such an affair. Even if that had meant an exhausting morning trying to coerce Abby Ruth into a dress, a failed attempt. At least she’d compromised and changed into a soft gray pair of trousers and one of Lil’s few remaining designer blouses.

  Lil had barely been able to contain her excitement on the long ride up to the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Not only was she getting the chance to dress up, gloves and all, but the anticipation of an investigation was exhilarating.

  As they waited outside the garden until the wedding I-do’s were done, timing their entrance into the reception with the rest of the guests, the reality of what they were about to do sank in. Anxiety in the form of sweat under the jacket of her favorite fitted suit—sea foam with an A-line skirt and worn with dyed-to-match pumps—had her squirming and struggling for a gulp of air.

  “This feels a little unethical,” Lil whispered to Maggie as they wove their way through well-dressed wedding guests to a huge white tent in the rose garden.

  “That’s slightly funny coming from you, Lil,” Maggie whispered back. “Relax. It’s business.”

  “I know, but…”

  Maggie placed her hands on Lil’s shoulders. “This G Team thing is one for all, and you’re the one who decided we should have an official identity. We aren’t breaking any laws.”

  True. But it was still uncomfortable for Lil to use other people’s social occasions to further her own agenda.

  Up ahead, Abby Ruth was following a step behind Stella, who had yet to spot them. Lil and Maggie triple-stepped to catch up to Abby Ruth. Before their threesome could get to her side, Stella joined a group of women.

  One was tall and slim with rounded shoulders. Another was possibly shorter than Lil herself, and that was saying something.

  Maggie leaned over and said, “I could probably put that woman in my pocket.”

  Lil smothered a laugh and slapped Maggie lightly on the arm.

  The third woman, a short-haired brunette with breasts rivaling Dolly’s, had to be Virginia because there was no disguising a sexpot, no matter her age. She was balancing on four-inch heels, as pretty as you please. And not wedges or those square heels. These things were needle sharp and the color of a pomegranate. Her cocktail dress was made from a shimmery silver fabric and had a neckline that made it clear this was a woman who took care of her décolletage.

  Once again, Maggie had a comment. “Wish my neck and cleavage looked like that.”

  “Not to be catty, but what you’re looking at is either the result of an expensive French cream or a nip and tuck.”

  “Definitely not interested in the nip and tuck, and I’d never remember to slap on pricey face goo even if I could afford it.”

  Lil gave her a quick hug. “It’s a lot of work to look that nice, and let’s be honest, you’d much rather spend time hammering nails.”

  “Amen.”

  By this time, she and Maggie had drawn close to Stella and her friends, but before they could devise a plan, Abby Ruth stormed right up to them.

  That Texan would be the death of Lil.

  “I can’t believe it. Is that you, Stella?” Abby Ruth made quick work of inserting herself into the center of their group. “How long has it been?”

  “Not that long.” Stella’s eyes had a wild and cornered glint to them. Rightfully so. Abby Ruth had that effect on most people, but rather than raise a fuss, Stella introduced everyone.

  The taller woman’s name was Juliette, and the fairy-sized one was Penelope. When Virginia reached out to shake hands, Lil could certainly see why someone might be tempted to take a jewel or two from her. She was wearing an emerald ring as big as a Greek olive.

  Lil didn’t have much good jewelry left after she’d had to keep herself afloat when Harlan died, but she knew paste when she was looking at it. None of the pieces Virginia wore on her hand, wrist, throat, or ears was a fake. If Lil had to guess, she was toting around at least $100,000 worth of jewelry.

  Heck, that would make a nun look twice.

  “So nice to meet you,” she said to Virginia.

  “Likewise.” Virginia had one of those long Southern drawls that made every word sound like a song.

  Maggie pointed to an empty table a short distance away. “Why don’t we find a place to sit?”

  Once they were all settled, with Abby Ruth on one side of Virginia and Stella on the other, they all smiled politely at one another. Awkward as that was, Lil could tell that Abby Ruth was itching to start questioning the woman. Abby Ruth wasn’t one for small talk.

  “Lovely reception,” Lil commented, and that was no lie. Every nook and cranny had obviously been carefully planned. White ladder-back chairs decorated with pink pomanders flanked guest tables laden with silver and delicate china and beautiful centerpieces with mini-fountains bubbling over shiny iridescent stones.

  Covered with fresh tea roses on a mirrored surface, even the cake table looked as if it could grace the cover of a magazine.

  “Who knew we had friends in the same circles?” Abby Ruth said to Stella.

  Stella’s lips were twitching. “Indeed.”

  “I have friends everywhere,” Virginia said as she scanned the crowd. She wiggled her fingers in a flirty little wave toward a waiter who couldn’t have been more than twen
ty-five. “Well, you know friends can mean such a wide variety of things.”

  Abby Ruth leaned in, elbows on the table, which made Lil want to pick up a fork and poke her. So rude. “How so?” Abby Ruth asked.

  “Well, you know. Sometimes a girl just needs a good party,” Virginia said.

  Abby Ruth did a pretty good fake appalled expression with rounded eyes and mouth. “Oh, you mean those kind of friends.”

  Lil was ready to award Abby Ruth the Oscar. If she didn’t know this was a big fat fishing expedition she’d have bought the whole act. Standing-ovation-worthy performance for sure.

  “Gonna have to be our secret.” Virginia spread her arms out across the table, wagging her forefingers back and forth. “Don’t you tell anyone.”

  “I’d never.” Abby Ruth crossed her heart and flashed a wicked grin.

  Excellent. They now had an opening to ask Virginia questions about her friends. Lil said brightly, “Who feels like having a glass of champagne?”

  As she’d hoped, all hands at the table went up except Abby Ruth’s. “Think I could get a Bud Light?”

  “Of course,” Lil said. “Stella, why don’t you and I go get in line for the bar?”

  “No,” Virginia protested. “Standing in line for a drink will get us into trouble.”

  Abby Ruth nudged Stella. “Isn’t that half the fun?”

  Stella blushed. “You and I know it, but I wasn’t talking about that kind of trouble. Well…” Looking across the group of women, she suddenly let out a breath. “We’re all friends here. Conversations start in the drink line and well, we aren’t exactly friends of the bride. We wouldn’t want any problems.”

  “I don’t much like her either.” Abby Ruth played along.

  “Or the groom,” Virginia said, her gaze darting toward the wedding party’s table.

  “Oh.” Lil nodded politely. No need to tell Virginia that the G Team had crashed the wedding too.

  “Your secret is safe with me, but I’m ready for a beer,” said Abby Ruth.