“It’s all about the wedding,” she said with a nod. “And family, and whether or not we’re going to be able to meld our lives together.”
Vince sat up straight now and his eyes were piercing as he asked, “Are you and Grant having problems too?”
“I’m not sure what’s happening. Our emotions are ratcheting up because of the wedding, and we’re dealing with two very different families.”
“In-laws,” Vince said. “The bane of every marriage.”
“They shouldn’t have to be.”
“Sometimes you and Pollyanna have too much in common,” Vince griped.
“Because I want us all to be happy? It is possible, you know.”
Vince sat forward. “Only if you limit your expectations, and don’t have an idea that anything is perfect.”
“I think I prefer my attitude over yours.”
“No surprise there. Do you want to have some dinner with me? We could go to the Blue Moon Grille.”
She uncurled her leg, then stood. “Oh, Vince. I can’t. I’m sorry. Roz is taking me to the Country Squire Golf and Recreation Club. We’re going to check out a room for the rehearsal dinner. I have to make some decisions about what they can provide.”
“Is Grant meeting you there?”
“Not this time. We’re just going to look around and get a list of possibilities. He and I will go over the list together, I hope.”
Vince must have seen the worry on her face because he stood too, crossed to her, and gave her a very tight hug. “Everything’s going to be all right,” he said, trying to give her comfort.
She leaned back and stared at him. “Do you really believe that’s true?”
“Thinking about it, I do like your attitude better than mine . . . for now.”
Caprice thought about attitudes and perceptions on her drive home. She wanted to change clothes before they went to the Country Squire. She suspected bell-bottom jeans, a Beatles T-shirt, and a fringed vest weren’t exactly what she should wear there.
After she arrived home, Roz waved at her from the living room. Dylan was on her lap and Lady was at her feet. Mirabelle was spread out on the arm of Roz’s armchair and Sophia sat on the top shelf of her cat tree looking bothered. Caprice guessed she and Dylan weren’t getting along.
Roz was dressed in a camel-colored twin sweater set and cream slacks. Her tan pumps coordinated with the outfit. She always looked so put-together.
Setting her purse on the table in the foyer, Caprice smiled. “I’m just going to go up and change. I don’t think this outfit would do at the Country Squire.”
“Don’t change for my benefit. That’s up to you. You’re going to be their client.”
“Actually, you’re their client since you’re paying for it. Have you thought about Grant’s parents paying for half?”
“They don’t have to, and I’d like you or Grant to tell them that. But if they want to, I understand. I’ll take care of the extra touches like flowers if you want any, and any decorations. I already let Lady and Dylan out so I’m good to go when you are.”
“Just give me ten minutes and I’ll be back down.”
Caprice ran up the stairs thinking about her conversation with Vince. It so preoccupied her that she hadn’t even petted Lady or Dylan or Mirabelle or Sophia. She thought about attitudes and perceptions and expectations. Not everybody could be happy all of the time. Some people couldn’t be happy any of the time. Was that the case with Grant’s parents?
Lady came running up the stairs. Before Caprice entered her bedroom, she crouched down and gave her cocker a rubdown all over. Lady lay on her side in canine heaven.
Caprice told her, “I’m sorry I ignored you. I have a lot on my mind, but that’s no excuse. I promise when I get back tonight, you can sit on the sofa beside me.”
Lady gave a small ruff as if she understood. Lady followed Caprice into her room and onto the swirled pastel hand-braided rug by the bed. Caprice’s bedroom was colorful in a more muted way than downstairs. Each piece of furniture had been hand chosen, from the brass four-poster bed to the antique yellow armoire, hand-painted with hummingbirds and roses.
She went over to her dresser, stopped in front of it, and looked into the mirror. She didn’t know what she was looking for. She didn’t wear much makeup. Maybe she should. She didn’t curl her hair. It was sleek, long and straight, and she liked it that way. But maybe she should think about a different hairstyle. She checked out her clothes. They were retro. It was the type of fashion she liked. Maybe she should change that.
Then she shook her finger at herself in the mirror. “Grant asked you to marry him because you’re you.”
Quickly Caprice changed into a violet boxy jacket and high-waisted tailored pants in the same color. Underneath the jacket she wore a cream blouse with a seventies-style bow. After she took a quick brush to her hair, she opened her jewelry box to look for her gold hoops. But her eyes didn’t fall on the hoops. They fell on a charm bracelet. Seth Randolph, a doctor she’d dated, had given it to her.
She removed it from the jewelry box and studied it. There were several charms and glass beads. The beads were painted with colorful flowers. One of the charms was a peace sign and another was a kitten’s profile. A small heart dangled from the center of the circle of charms. She and Seth had almost been serious. That had been the problem . . . almost.
Seth’s career as a trauma physician would always come first. He hadn’t been ready to settle down. And then there had been Grant in the shadows . . . in the wings . . . in her life. He’d been in her life since he was Vince’s roommate at law school. She’d never forgotten him, even after he’d moved away and gotten married. She’d never expected their lives to intertwine again, but they had. And she didn’t want to lose him.
Taking her phone from her dresser, she brought up her messaging favorites and tapped Grant’s name. Then she texted him three heart emojis. That should tell him what she was feeling . . . that should tell him she wanted to talk . . . that should tell him she was willing to make the first move.
Just what would his response be?
* * *
After taking a long walk with Lady in the morning, Caprice met with a prospective client in York. Since the woman was a dog lover, Caprice took Lady along. Mrs. Carter’s dog, a cute dachshund named Heidi, made friends with Lady right away. The two dogs entertained each other while Caprice took a tour through the house and sat with Mrs. Carter to talk about staging. Caprice left Mary Carter’s house with the optimism that the woman would sign on the dotted line once Caprice worked up the proposal. To do that, however, she needed a computer.
In her car with Lady, she said to the cocker, “You helped me sell my services that time. Thanks for making nice with Heidi.”
Lady sat up proudly, cocked her head, and Caprice imagined her dog almost smiled. She reached into the little pouch she’d hung on her belt and pulled out a treat. When she gave it to Lady, she said, “Now don’t you tell anyone we’re in the Camaro instead of my van. You aren’t in your kennel.”
Lady took the treat and then looked expectantly out the side window.
Taking her phone from her purse, Caprice brought up Roz’s contact information. She texted her.
Can I use your laptop?
She knew Roz had left it on the kitchen counter. Her friend didn’t need it when she was at the dress shop.
Caprice had just put her key in the ignition to start the car when her phone played the Beatles song “All You Need Is Love.” Roz had messaged back.
No problem at all. You know the password.
Yes, she did. She kidded Roz all the time that she should change it, but Roz wanted to be able to remember it. The password was allaboutyou in small letters and 8, Roz’s lucky number, followed by an exclamation point.
Caprice texted back a thumbs-up.
“We’re good to go,” she told Lady. “But as soon as I write up the proposal, I need to go on another errand. It shouldn’t take too long, so
I’ll leave you at home to entertain Mirabelle and Sophia.” Lady swiveled toward her, her brown eyes sad.
“Don’t give me that look. I’ll leave your Kong ball with treats.”
Lady gave a soft bark and turned to look out the window once more.
* * *
After Caprice finished the proposal and e-mailed it to her client, she gave Lady lunch and took her outside for a few games of fetch. When she returned inside, she poured kibble into the cats’ dishes. She wasn’t hungry. She hadn’t been since her argument with Grant. This errand was just another way to keep her mind distracted.
Oak Grove Winery was located near Dallastown, a small town outside of York. Each winery she visited was unique. Oak Grove, like its name, featured a profusion of oak trees all over the property. The wine-tasting room looked as if it was an old barn that had been refurbished. From what she’d seen on the Internet, the first floor was a tasting room that led outside and overlooked a pond. The second floor, with the winery itself, had entrances at its ground level on the other side of the barn. Huge multi-paned windows, with at least twelve panes, lined the tasting room and the winery on the pond side.
This is where Caprice parked, knowing she was stopping by the tasting room. After locking her car, she went to the tasting room door.
When she walked in, a bell dinged. There were at least ten tables with four chairs at each and a counter in front of a wine shelf. The man behind the counter, who’d been checking wines, straightened. Caprice could see that he was a handsome man, probably in his mid-forties. He was well built and looked muscled.
She walked up to the counter and he smiled at her. “Welcome to Oak Grove Winery,” he said.
His hair was brown, some strands bleached by the sun. There was also silver at his temples. He had a Patrician nose and a firm chin. “Hi, I’m Caprice De Luca. I’m looking for Dion Genet.”
“You found him,” he said with another smile, extending his hand.
She took it and shook.
“Would you like to taste a few of our wines?”
She decided to be blunt. Checking him over again, she knew he would have been more than able to wield a cheese knife to kill Travis. “I’m not here to taste wines. I’m here hoping I can help Michelle Dodd. The police are looking at her hard for Travis’s murder.”
Dion paled, but he asked, “And what do you think I have to do with that? Are you with the police?”
“No, I’m not. I’m a friend of Michelle’s. She once dated my brother. My fiancé and I are having our wedding reception at Rambling Vines. I know a detective on the police force and I help him sometimes. If you want to check me out with Michelle, go ahead. I heard you were tight friends.” She didn’t think he would check on her. She was bluffing. But you never knew what would happen with a bluff.
He studied Caprice for a few long seconds. She caught him looking at her shoes. She’d worn flat ones.
“Maybe you don’t want to taste my wines, but how about a walk. I need to check the vines.”
“Are you concerned someone will overhear us?”
“There’s staff all around, offices in the back of the tasting room, and of course, the winery up above. I never know when someone will barge in. Are you afraid to walk with me?”
She took another look at him, and especially studied his dark-brown eyes. She saw no malice there. What she did see was a bit of fear. For himself? For Michelle?
“It’s a beautiful day. Sure, I’ll walk with you. But just remember, I have my cell phone at my fingertips.” That wasn’t a bluff. She’d slid it into the pocket of her khaki gaucho pants.
“I’ll remember that,” he said with a nod. Then he came out from behind the counter and motioned her to go through the door ahead of him.
They walked in silence for a while about a quarter of the way around the pond. Then he motioned toward a hill. “Up this way. There’s a path for us.”
She saw that there was. She also saw the rows and rows of grapes. “What kind of grapes?” she asked.
“These are Catawba.”
“How many acres do you have?”
“About thirty.” After they walked up the hill, he veered to the right and so did she. He studied the vines hanging on the trellises. “But you don’t want to know about my winery. What do you want to know?”
“As I said, I heard you and Michelle were tight friends. I’d like to know how tight.”
He stopped and turned toward her. “Where did you hear this?”
“From Michelle’s assistant, Leanne Colbert.”
It was obvious that he recognized Leanne’s name and he knew Caprice wasn’t fishing aimlessly.
She went on, “You weren’t at Travis’s viewing or funeral. Aren’t you supporting Michelle through this difficult time?”
At that, his face took on color. He looked as if he wanted to blurt out something, but instead he blew out a breath. “You do know that Michelle was disappointed in her husband.”
“Just disappointed?” Caprice pressed.
“You said you have a fiancé and you’re getting married. Then you know how a loved one can make you feel if he’s critical, or if he says spiteful things that get you down.”
“Grant doesn’t do that.”
“But if he did, imagine how you’d feel. Probably hurt, probably insecure. You’d probably feel as if you weren’t attractive or maybe that your husband didn’t love you anymore.”
“Are you saying you took up the slack? That you helped Michelle feel better about herself?”
This time Dion didn’t watch his response. “I helped her feel loved. By the time Travis died, she almost hated him.”
“Why?”
“Because of all the things I just told you . . . because he wouldn’t let her go.”
“You mean a divorce?”
“He said he’d contest it.”
“That doesn’t tell me why you haven’t been around to support Michelle.”
He brushed his hair over his brow. “It just seemed better for now that I stay away.”
“Because of the police investigation?”
He nodded. “If Leanne is talking to you, I imagine she’ll talk to the police eventually, and they’ll find out Michelle and I were having an affair. I’ll deal with that when the time comes. But for now, I don’t want to add to Michelle’s troubles.”
“Were you just having an affair? Or was your relationship more?”
This time he didn’t raise his voice. “I love Michelle.”
“You realize, don’t you, that your feelings for her give you motive for murder? Did you kill Travis?”
Dion peered over the vineyard. “You know, sometimes I wish I had. But, no, I didn’t because I knew that would only separate me from Michelle, not bring us closer.”
Was Dion Genet telling the truth? If she was reading him correctly, he was.
However, she’d been mistaken about someone’s character once before and had almost gotten killed because of it.
Chapter Eighteen
That evening Caprice didn’t know what to think about first. On the top of her list—Grant had never answered her text. It wasn’t much of a text, she knew, but she had been reaching out with it. Didn’t he realize that?
Roz wasn’t even at the house tonight. She was handling her own stress by going to the Green Tea Spa for a massage and facial. She’d left Dylan with Caprice and that was fine. He was company for Lady. Lady missed Patches.
Travis’s murder, of course, was always swimming around in her head. There were lots of murder suspects and she didn’t know which one might be fooling her—from Michelle and Neil, to the owner of Black Horse Winery and Dion Genet, to Jarrett and even his mother. Maybe Vivian could have fooled the police and she had been in the vicinity the night of the murder.
Caprice picked up Mirabelle’s brush. The Persian was sitting on the back of the sofa on the afghan Nana had crocheted as a housewarming gift. She showed the brush to the beautiful cat and Mirabelle jumped down onto th
e sofa and stretched out on her side. She was affectionate, smart, and listened well. Caprice had to laugh when people said that cats were antisocial. A pet owner just needed to know how to communicate with them. Mirabelle was vocal and that helped. But she also knew what she liked and Caprice played on that.
Now as she used the brush on the cotton-soft white fur, she tried to relieve her own stress with the simple motion. After she finished one side of Mirabelle, the cat turned over so she could do the other side.
“You are such a princess. If there was a Green Tea Spa for cats, I’m sure you’d make an appointment.”
Mirabelle meowed and that brought a smile to Caprice’s face. She looked up at Sophia. “Are you next?”
On her cat tree, Sophia opened her eyes, stood, and turned her back on Caprice. Caprice knew what that meant. She wasn’t interested in being brushed.
The doorbell chimed and Caprice wondered if Roz had forgotten her key. Or maybe Vince had arrived for more advice. Or possibly her neighbor Dulcina had run over to catch up. They hadn’t visited for a while. She knew she should check her monitor before she went to the door but it was in her office. So she looked out the peephole instead.
It was Grant. Had he texted and she didn’t hear her phone play? No, that couldn’t be. It was laying on the coffee table where she could hear it, and she wouldn’t have been able to miss the Beatles song.
She was almost afraid to open the door. But she saw that he had Patches with him, and he was carrying a bag. What was he bringing her? Something she’d left at his place? Was he going to call off the wedding? She couldn’t let a thought like that even enter her head. She trusted Grant. She’d told him that and she’d meant it.
Then why was her stomach doing somersaults and her heart beating as fast as a kitten’s?
Taking a deep breath, she wished she was wearing something other than her lounge pants in pink and black with paw prints all over them. The white tunic top had pink and black paws all over it too. No time to change. She was who she was, pink fluffy slippers and all.
When she opened the door, Grant looked so somber that fear grabbed her all over again.
They just stared at each other for what seemed like forever. She couldn’t seem to find her voice.
Cut to the Chaise Page 20