Killer Bridal Party

by London Lovett

  Chapter 7

  Lana spun around from the bed of the truck and handed me a large basket that was filled with delicious plums, apricots and some of her home baked white chocolate and macadamia nut cookies. "Oh this is too generous, Lana. I'm only helping you set up a campsite."

  "Funny little sister. Put that at the end of the picnic table. That's dessert tonight for the bridal party. If there still is a bridal party. Or a wedding, for that matter." She cast a disapproving scowl at Raine, who was too absorbed in her task piling up kindling in the campfire pit to notice.

  "It's not her fault." I lowered my voice to make sure Raine didn't hear. "And frankly, if you'd seen her face today after Brooke and Tory left, you'd be worried too."

  Lana motioned for me to follow her to the other side of the truck where we could talk in private. "Don't tell me you are starting to believe in her extra sensory powers. Or did you forget the silly little séance at your house, that, shockingly, produced no ghost?"

  "Yes, well." Bite your tongue, Sunni. This is your secret to keep, even from your own sisters.

  "Honestly," Lana continued, obviously still upset about the entire fiasco. "I think her own mood or blood sugar or whether or not she had a good night's sleep has more effect on her card reading ability than any psychic sense." She waved her fingers in the air to further emphasize her feelings, proving she was more than a little upset. Like me, while she never took Raine's abilities seriously, she also never ridiculed our friend. "I almost lost a big account because of her interpretations of those silly cards."

  It seemed Raine had been right about Lana's reaction. My older sister could sometimes step on a nerve. "All right, you made your point with the finger waving and all that." I waved my fingers wildly. For the most part, we were successful, supportive adult siblings and we acted in accordance, but occasionally, we lapsed into our earlier years of sibling rivalry. "Everything is always about your bottom line, your profit, the business. I'm telling you that the expression on Raine's face today led me to believe that she had felt something dark in the tarot cards." I decided not to go into the specifics and mention a death because even Raine couldn't elaborate on that stunning proclamation. All she knew was that the cards were warning of an imminent death. I didn't need to fuel Lana's anger or disbelief with that little explosive nugget of knowledge.

  Lana produced one of her familiar harrumphs and waved me away with the basket of goodies. I walked the cookies and fruit over to the picnic table. Tonight was just a precursor, a bridal party only event, before tomorrow's bridal shower. Lana had subcontracted a local adventure tour company to set up tents and picnic tables on a beautiful clearing in the campground. Tall yellow birch trees surrounded the site. The canopy of leaves and branches and a nearby lake cooled the early evening air enough that we had pulled on our sweatshirts. That same ceiling of lush foliage would keep the party guests somewhat shaded from the summer heat during the day. Once the sun went down, the surrounding shrubs and grasses would light up with thousands of fireflies, twinkling like haphazardly hung Christmas tree lights. The whimsical display was always a big draw in the summer months and for good reason. They were nothing short of spectacular. I was sure any shadow Raine's dire prediction had cast would be obliterated by nature's twinkling light show.

  Lana carried over a foil covered tray and set it on the table. "It's lasagna from the caterer. Precooked, of course. I just hope my idea to heat it over the campfire works."

  I followed the direction of her gaze. Raine was setting up a grill with foldout legs near the campfire pit. "I think if they keep it covered with foil, it won't absorb too much smoke." She shrugged. "The glamping party was Brooke's idea, but there's only so much glam you can infuse into a campsite that has very few luxuries."

  "I'm sure it'll be fine. Besides, what's wrong with a bit of hickory flavor in lasagna?"

  Car tires crunched the rough hewn road leading up to the campground. A blue truck pulled up to the site. Cindy, the second bridesmaid, was behind the wheel. The back doors opened, and Tory emerged along with two other women. The other bridesmaids, I surmised. The tall, slender woman, who looked as if she spent a lot of time outdoors, must have been the cousin from California Lana had mentioned. She had just arrived in town for the shower. The final bridesmaid was wearing her red hair in two braids, and she was sporting a brand new pair of hiking boots. Lana had mentioned that the fourth bridesmaid had grown up next door to Brooke. She'd been asked to join the wedding party as a favor to Brooke's mother. My sister was always expert at finding out all kinds of unnecessary details about her clients.

  Brooke climbed out from the passenger seat still looking glum, but her face brightened when she saw the five nicely constructed tents and the pale blue checkered tablecloths my sister had tacked to the picnic tables. Lana had placed clusters of bright yellow sunflowers in heavy clay vases to brighten the shady campsite. Each tent could sleep up to six people and came with a canvas awning to protect the entrance from rain. The sides each had a zipper window to allow for nice ventilation and star gazing.

  "It's wonderful, Lana." Brooke's light voice floated across the clearing. Lana waved back to welcome them and then returned to her task of setting out cooking and eating utensils.

  "Hey, Sunni," Raine called, "do you think you could help me find some more kindling? I don't think there's enough yet."

  My eyes landed on the lofty pile of twigs and branches Raine had already collected. I was just about to tell her I thought there was plenty when I caught her extremely obvious wink. It seemed my friend needed some private conversation time, and a search for kindling would be the perfect excuse.

  I headed across the camp. Raine led me along a small trail into the trees. She stooped down to pick up a few twigs. I did the same.

  "I didn't realize we were actually going to collect kindling. I thought you just wanted to talk."

  Raine stood with a fist full of thin branches. "I did but I needed to make my request look legitimate. As you might have noticed, I'm not exactly on the top of your sister's buddy list at the moment."

  "Oh please. That's just Lana. She doesn't hold a grudge long. Once this event is over and everyone is covered in bug bites and filled to the gills with all the treats Lana has provided, everyone will forget all about those tarot cards." I zipped up my mouth, knowing the second I'd finished I'd said exactly the wrong thing.

  Raine spun around and stomped through the trees pretending to be absorbed in her task.

  I crunched through the dried forest litter behind her. "I said that wrong. I meant—"

  Raine crouched down in a pile of sticks. "You don't need to explain, Sunni. I've met plenty of skeptics in my day. I just thought I'd get more support from my best friend."

  I stopped and smiled down at her. "Am I your best friend?"

  Her back rounded with a deep breath, then she pushed up to her feet. "You're mine, even if you don't feel that way in return."

  I walked over and hugged her as well as I could with fists full of twigs. "Of course I feel the same. It's never a dull day when you're around. You're funny and smart. Besides, I'm not nearly as much of a skeptic as you might think."

  She wiggled her nose to lift her glasses higher on her face. "Oh? Has something happened to change your mind?"

  If you only knew. I searched for a good answer. "Nothing in particular. It's just the longer I know you, the more it all seems plausible."

  Feminine laughter and voices filtered through the trees. I glanced back toward the campsite. Lana was showing the girls their tent accommodations. "Sounds like everyone is having a good time." I turned back to Raine. "How about you? Still getting bad vibes or have they lightened?"

  Raine shook her head. "I'm afraid that isn't how it works."

  "So you're still getting the sense of impending doom?"

  Raine's mouth peeled into a straight line, and she pulled her eyes away. "I don't want to say one way or another. I need this job too much." She stooped down to collect more twig
s. I stared down at the top of her dark head. Her non-response made it clear that she was still gravely worried.

  Chapter 8

  My sister had left the bridal party feeling cozy and pleased with their well-appointed campsite and plethora of goodies. The three of us traveled back down to Lana's farm. The sun had dropped completely and a sliver of a moon was making its way across the navy blue sky. We kept the conversation in the cab of Lana's truck far away from the topic of tarot cards or psychic predictions.

  Raine and Lana were verbally working out the schedule for the morning. The campsite would need to be restocked with much more food and then there were the knapsack gift bags and treat jars to transport. I was just relieved that any of the earlier angst had dissipated. Raine seemed more relaxed, and once my sister was on a roll talking about an event, she never let negative thoughts or distractions get in the way.

  The truck headlights lit the dirt road leading to Lana's barn. We'd decided to pack up Lana's truck so she could just head up the hill in the morning. Two cars were parked in front of the barn.

  "Looks like you have company, sis."

  "Jeez, I've been so busy, I forgot that the groom and his friends were going to wait in the barn before heading up to the campsite to surprise the women."

  The truck light illuminated three men sitting on the benches outside of the barn.

  "I still think this is a bad idea," Lana said, sounding a little ominous. "A group of teenage girls might be giddy about having a group of boys show up to surprise them, but I don't think Brooke and her friends are going to be overcome with excitement. Brooke was hoping tonight would help bring peace between Tory and Cindy. And after today—" Lana made a point of looking over at Raine. "They really need that peace."

  "The men arriving unexpectedly will definitely put a wrench in that plan," I agreed.

  Lana parked the truck.

  "Which one is the groom?" I asked before we climbed out. The tallest one of the group walked over to a brand new BMW with his phone, deep in conversation. "Never mind. I'm going to assume that's Jeremy Stockton."

  "That's him all right." Lana opened the door and climbed out. Raine and I slid out too. Whatever the phone conversation was about, the groom didn't seem too pleased with the person on the other end. He saw us heading toward the barn and quickly ended his call. He forced a polite smile and walked toward us.

  "Hope you don't mind that we ate dinner out here on your benches. We tossed our trash in that can on the side of the barn."

  "No problem." Lana had a special, ingratiating and professional tone she used with most clients. Tonight's special tone was edged with a little irritation. She was tired. We all were, and now it seemed she was stuck entertaining the groom and his friends while they waited for just the right time to surprise the women. I was fairly certain no time was right, but it was none of my business.

  Raine's either apparently. She scurried past everyone and went inside the barn to get to work. If I didn't know any better I would say that she was trying to avoid any conversation with the groom. It wasn't too far-fetched to think that his weepy, distraught fiancée had called him in a panic after the unpleasantness at Raine's shop. And it wasn't too far-fetched that the groom was less than pleased with Raine. His glower as she walked past confirmed that.

  "If you guys don't mind," Lana continued, "I could use your help loading up the truck for tomorrow's party. That way I can send my sister home for the night." She tilted a smile my direction.

  "Absolutely." Jeremy was a tall, square-shouldered thirty-something whose very dark eyebrows were shaped at an angle that gave him a sort of permanent scowl. Apparently his family company, Stockton Tools, was doing very well as evidenced by his car and his high end adventure wardrobe, slick looking cargo pants, a brand new, pristine coat and leather hiking boots. It seemed he'd purchased the outfit just for the occasion.

  Jeremy's phone rang and he pulled it out. "Tom, Bryan give her a hand. I'll just be a minute." He pushed the phone to his ear, and his polite, gentlemanly tone fell away as he snarled the words 'did you get through' into the phone and walked away.

  "If that's all, then I guess I'll see you tomorrow." I hugged Lana. "Tell Raine good-bye. She raced into that barn like something was biting at her heels."

  "She's avoiding the groom," Lana muttered.

  "I guessed that."

  Knowing I'd be out well past dark, I had driven my car to the barn. At the time, Lana had given me a hard time about driving five acres to get to her house, but now I was glad I'd made the decision. I was tired.

  As my headlights swept across the front porch, I saw a flicker of movement in the front window. A few months ago, I would have been terrified and reaching for my phone to call my sisters. Instead, I climbed out of the car and went inside.

  I could see Edward from the corner of my eye as I hung up my sweatshirt on the hook near the door. "Were you waiting up for me?" I asked and turned around. He was drifting in front of the window, pretending like he was just watching the night landscape.

  He turned his dark gaze toward me. Sometimes, in just the right amount of light, like the single lamp I'd left on in the front room, I could almost imagine he was flesh and blood, a dashing, well-dressed member of the gentry waiting to ask me for the next dance. Then he spoke with his usually acerbic wit and the fantasy moment vanished.

  "I don't understand this term 'waiting up'. Should I be waiting down?"

  "It's just a turn of phrase we use, and I'm far too tired to discuss it."

  It was always strange to have him following closely at my heels but only hear the sound of my own footsteps. I headed into the kitchen for a glass of milk before bed.

  "You were out terribly late," Edward noted. "Do you think it's wise for a woman to be out at all hours un-chaperoned?"

  I glanced at the kitchen clock. "It's nine-thirty."

  "Exactly."

  "The sun has only been down for two hours. I'd hardly call that all hours of the night, and as for the chaperoned part, that's just so very nineteenth century of you. Women no longer require chaperones. I'm perfectly capable of getting around safely on my own." I filled a glass with milk and headed to the bedroom. I stopped briefly in the doorway of the kitchen and leaned back to smile at him. "But thank you for waiting up. Even if you don't actually sleep. It's nice that you were worried." I shut the door to my bedroom before he could ruin the moment with one of his usual biting retorts.

  Chapter 9

  An early morning blue sky and two eager dogs had coaxed me outside for a hike. The family property ran along the base of some rolling hills, which, in turn, eventually grew and spread into the majestic mountain range. The hills provided a nice, easy hiking path, not too steep and not too hard to navigate. The trailhead was adjacent to the asphalt road that led up to the campsite where I imagined the bridal party and their unexpected guests were just rising from their air mattresses with sore backs and cricks in their necks. Lana had provided every comfort for a respectable, luxury camping trip, but an air mattress on hard ground was still just an air mattress on hard ground.

  I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall, or, in this case, a firefly on the tent wall to catch the women's reaction when the men snuck up on them. As I got ready for bed the night before, Lana had texted that she sent them up with a tray of brownies she'd had prepared for the following day. She decided they needed to show up with some kind of peace offering in case Brooke and the girls were irritated by the surprise.

  The dogs and I climbed through the two boulders meant to keep motorized vehicles off the hiking trail. Newman ran ahead to find a good stick for a game of fetch, but Redford, who was considerably less adventurous and a great deal less energetic, stuck by my side. As I hiked along, I planned my Saturday. I was determined to get a head start on the bridge article with some good old fashioned research. Then, at some point, I would need to make my way to Emily and Nick's place because I was certain the baby goats would be missing me. (Or maybe it was vi
ce versa.) Either way, a baby goat cuddle was on my to-do list.

  Newman returned with what he'd apparently decided was a perfectly aerodynamic stick. I wasn't so sure. It had several tiny sub-branches and a dead leaf still attached. Being the super dog mom that I was, I set to work to make it more streamlined, while my dog fell all over himself waiting for me to throw it. I could almost see Redford's eyes roll in his head about the spectacle.

  I trimmed off the extra branches and leaf and tossed the stick. It flew end over end and landed a good twenty feet ahead. Naturally, Newman was there to catch it before it hit the ground. But rather than loop around and bring it back, he froze and lifted his head. His ears followed. A second later, a long deep howl billowed up from Redford. Newman dropped the stick and joined him in the crooning session. I looked quickly around to make sure they weren't howling along with a pack of wolves. My human ears finally caught up to their preternatural hearing. Sirens were whining down below. The sound was echoing off the mountainside.

  I moved a few feet higher on the trail to get a view of the town below. Red flashing lights spun wildly around on the tops of several emergency vehicles. The breath caught in my throat as they turned down the road that led to the inn and my sisters' houses. I released the gasp I'd been holding as the ambulance and two police cars raced past the entrance to Emily's farm. Lana was up at the campground setting up for the bridal shower, so I knew they weren't heading toward her farm. They sped past the inn and made the sharp turn that led up to the camping grounds.

  I watched from the trail. Grit and dust flew up as the tires on the first police car hit the asphalt. It seemed they were heading up to the campsite. I took a few deep breaths to remind myself that there were plenty of other people up at the campgrounds and that Lana and Raine were undoubtedly fine. But I planned to make sure. The police and ambulance disappeared around the first curve.