by Denise Carbo
Danny, the youngest at five, grins.
I round the front of the car. Frank, the same age of my hooligans, squats next to a cardboard box full of multi-colored water balloons. His gaze bounces around, clearly wondering if he should make a run for it.
Snatching up the box, I send my best glare their way and set it on the hood of the car.
Frank stands and backs over to his cousins. “We were told to play with them by the cars.”
“I’m sure you were.” After all, it was probably assumed everyone had already arrived since the engagement party had started hours ago. No one would have given a thought to late arrivals like me who had to work on Saturdays.
Danny clearly realizes he might be in trouble and shuffles his feet and stares at the ground.
I plant my hands on my hips and step in front of the box. “Run.”
Three gazes snap to mine.
I grab a balloon from the box and raise an eyebrow.
Conner sprints away as Frank’s mouth drops open and Danny giggles.
I raise my arm and let it fly smacking Conner in the middle of the back.
Frank and Danny take off in different directions and I grab another balloon. Danny goes down in one shot to his shoulder. He rolls on the ground, giggling away, while I grab another balloon. It takes me two tries, but I manage to tag Frank too. This time in the leg.
I make a gun sign with my hand and blow on the tip. “High school softball, boys. You messed with the wrong aunt.”
Conner holds up his hands for truce while Frank jogs back to me. “That was so cool. Are Timmy and Tommy coming?”
“Sorry, they’re with their dad today.”
He frowns but shrugs. Danny runs over gives me a high five as he delves into the box. I wiggle my finger in his direction. “No more throwing them at anyone without consent.”
“What’s that mean?”
Conner walks over. “It means they have to give permission first.”
“Oh.”
I rub the top of his head and walk towards all the laughter and conversation at the back of the house. Dozens of people fill the space and I’m related to most of them and I suppose soon to be related to the rest since they’re the groom’s relatives, not counting the few friends in attendance too.
Aunt Nancy spots me crossing the yard and rushes down the steps. She latches on to my arm. “What happened to you?” She steers me towards the front of her house. “Why don’t you go in and clean up? You can use my room. Borrow a top from Violet’s room. Yours is all wet.”
“Thanks, but it will dry.” I glance down and pull the top away from my skin. It’s mostly contained to the one spot. The sun is out and besides, my cousin Violet would not appreciate me borrowing her things. She’s territorial.
My aunt frowns but drops my arm. “Suit yourself.”
We walk side by side to the back deck. “Your flower gardens look lovely.”
“I planted purple mums to match Violet’s wedding colors.”
“They look great.”
The smell of smoke and grilled meat taunt me as I walk up the wooden stairs. Empty plates litter the tables. I missed the meal. My stomach growls in protest.
My parents sit on the back deck with some of the other aunts and uncles and my grandparents. Dad is sitting on one side of his parents. Aunt Nancy lowers herself into the empty chair on the other side of them. The family resemblance is strong from the same blue eyes to the slim pointed nose. I walk up and smile. “Hi everyone.” I kiss my grandparents on their cheeks.
Mom stares at my damp shirt and wet face and frowns. Her lips purse, but she doesn’t ask any questions.
Dad is oblivious. He wraps an arm around my waist and I perch on the arm of his chair. “How was work, honey?”
“Good. Busy.”
“Are Ryan and the boys coming? You did invite Ryan?” My mom hands me a napkin.
I wipe off the rest of the water. My hair, I’m sure, is a lost cause at this point. I had even worn it down and curled it this morning. Oh well.
“Yes, I invited them, but Ryan had plans for the boys.” Mom frowns and looks away. She’s made no secret of her hopes for a reconciliation between Ryan and I, even though we’ve been divorced for almost two years and separated even longer.
I search the party attendees. “I should go say hello to the guests of honor.” Violet and her fiancé are holding court around the firepit in the backyard.
It takes several minutes to reach them because I have to stop and greet people as I go.
“Congratulations Violet.” I lean down and give her a hug. She’s sitting on the bench of the picnic table while Kyle sits above her on the table. “And Kyle.” I smile at her fiancé. Violet probably began planning their wedding from the day they met less than a year ago when she bought a car at one of his families’ car dealerships.
“This is Kevin, my best man.” Kyle introduces me to a handsome dark-haired man dressed in a white dress shirt opened at the throat and black dress pants sitting on the other side of the picnic table. Not exactly backyard party attire. Perhaps he came straight from work. He looks around my age, he could be a year or two older even.
I smile. “Hi, nice to meet you.”
He doesn’t smile or say a word, simply nods his head. What is it with the men I meet lately? Am I emitting anti-interest pheromones or something? It’s not like I think I’m irresistible or anything, but seriously? Every decent guy I meet lately seems to take an instant dislike to me or total disinterest.
If I wore perfume, I’d be tempted to toss out the bottle. Maybe I should change my body wash, shampoo, and deodorant.
Sighing, I shift back to Violet and the group of women surrounding her. She introduces me to a few of her friends I don’t know.
“Saw your dominance in the water balloon fight, champ.” Tyler walks up and bumps my shoulder with his.
“Hey cuz. Was it you who directed your son and his cohorts to bomb unsuspecting late arrivals?” Danny is his spitting image. Same brown curls and brown eyes.
He grins and winks. “I seem to recall a few battles when we were kids where you and Oliver planned the sneak attacks.”
Absolutely true. I smile back. “I have no recollection of those incidents of which you speak, counselor.”
Tyler chuckles. “Don’t worry, I’m off the clock.”
Aunt Nancy hasn’t stopped proudly beaming or bringing it up since he passed the bar last year.
“Where’s your better half?” I scan for his wife, Cat.
“She took Heather inside for a bathroom emergency.”
“How’s the potty training coming?” Every time I run into Tyler or Cat, they ask my advice on their resistant three-year-old. Timmy was my challenge. Tommy began tearing off his own diaper as soon as he started walking. I had to put him in the pullups early and he basically potty trained himself by the time he was two. Timmy was another story. I tried every trick in books, on the internet, and by asking pretty much every parent I came across. He still wore pullups when he was almost five. I worried they wouldn’t allow him to enter kindergarten because of it.
“Stubborn like her mother.”
“Ha! How dare you call that saint you married stubborn. You forget, I’ve known you all my life. I vividly remember a certain little boy sitting at the table until he fell asleep because he refused to eat his peas.”
“I plead the fifth.”
“Olivia, will you take some pictures of us?” Violet hands me her phone.
“Sure.”
“I better go check on Cat and Heather.” Tyler stuffs his hands in his pockets and wanders towards the house.
I walk around the other side of the firepit to take pictures of the happy couple and their friends.
“Make sure you get a couple with the fire and some closeups of just the two of us.”
Violet stands and poses with her arms loosely linked around Kyle’s neck. I snap a few pics and she rearranges herself so she’s cheek to cheek with him. The differ
ent poses go on for several minutes before she holds out a hand for her phone.
Once I hand it over, she scrolls through the pictures, deleting those she doesn’t like. She’s done that for as long as I can remember, probably since she’s owned a phone. Actually, no, even before because she would take any family members phone and do the same if they took pictures. I guess it’s a surefire way to make sure no unflattering pictures are left circulating and posted online or put in photo albums.
Violet’s a beautiful girl, it’s doubtful there would be many unattractive photos of her anyway. She sits back on the bench and crosses her tanned legs. The lavender skirt of her sundress stops about mid thigh. She tosses back her chestnut brown hair over her shoulder and smiles coyly up at Kyle.
“How are the wedding plans going?”
She places a hand on Kyle’s leg. “Fabulous! It’s going to be so elegant. We’re getting married at his parents’ country club.”
“Oh good, you asked Olivia?” Aunt Nancy arrives with a platter of blondies. “Desserts are out. I thought I’d bring some over.” She offers the plate to the group.
“Not yet, Mom.” Violet grimaces and receives a commiserative expression from her best friend since grade school.
“Ask me what?”
“Oh.” Aunt Nancy frowns. “Well, there’s no time like the present, is there?” She nods her head at her daughter.
Okay, what is this about?
Violet gives me a tight smile. “Will you be one of my bridesmaids, Olivia?”
Crap! I didn’t see that one coming. Although, I really should have. I must be the required family addition. Why didn’t she ask our cousin Iris? Or had she already said no? There’s Melanie, she’s away at college, but she could still participate.
“I’d be honored.” I paste on a smile. My mother would disown me if I said no. At what age do we stop caring about disappointing our parents?
There’s none of the excitement I had when Franny asked me to be a bridesmaid because I know Violet is more than capable of becoming the bridezilla we joked about.
Aunt Nancy nods sharply. “Good, that’s settled. Now why don’t you young people come check out the desserts?” She marches back to the house.
I glance around the group as they stand. The one or two that meet my gaze look away. Yup, I’m not imagining it, Violet has likely discussed her reluctance to have me as a forced bridesmaid at length with them. I can’t really blame her, I wouldn’t want to be told who I had to include either. I’m surprised she agreed.
I follow behind my aunt. I keep a few feet of distance between us so she won’t notice me and drag me into a conversation about the wedding or ask me to serve the desserts to Violet’s friends. Wrong of me, I know, but I’m tired from working all day and it’s clear Violet only asked me because her mother made her.
Damn it! How can I get out of this without pissing off my relatives?
Chapter 11
The stars glitter on a blanket of midnight blue in the heavens above. The rough wood of my deck is cool against my back. I can smell the sweet scent of freshly mowed grass. Luke mowed my lawn again. He must have liked my pie.
The engagement party is probably still raging on. I made my excuses and came home to my little sanctuary. The clear night sky beckoned and I found myself lying down on the deck and staring up at the stars like I used to do as a kid. Except back then, it had been on the roof of my parents’ house. I wasn’t in danger of breaking much if I fell off the single-story ranch house.
“Are you alive?”
The dark rumble comes from the edge of my deck. My heart jumps into my throat and my body tenses ready to spring up and run.
I let out a breath in a whoosh.
It’s Luke. I recognize his deep growl of a voice.
“I was. Now I’m not so sure after you scared me to death.”
The stairs and boards creak when he walks up and stands next to me. Light from the pair of lights flanking my back door shine on his tall form as he towers over me, staring down at my face. His eyes are black as pitch except for a tiny glint when he tilts his head.
“I saw you from my bedroom window. You looked like a ritual sacrifice with the solar lights casting a glow around you.”
I peek over at the solar lights I fastened to the tops of some of the posts edging my deck. I suppose they’re bright enough for him to spot me from his house.
He drops down next to me and lies down. “Swap out the lights for candles and your deck for a stone alter and you’d be all set.”
“You’re starting to sound serial killey again.”
“Serial killey?”
“I tend to make up words. Get used to it.”
He chuckles.
I turn my head to stare at his profile. His hair brushes his forehead as a breeze blows over us. A tingle of awareness spreads through me.
Nope, not going there.
“You laughed. I wasn’t sure you were capable.”
He shrugs his shoulder. “Haven’t had much to laugh at.” He tilts his head back and stares up at the sky. “Are we looking at something in particular? A comet or meteor shower happening?”
“Not that I know of. I just felt like looking at the stars.” I turn my gaze back up. “Thanks for mowing my lawn again and coming over to check if I was dead.”
“I figured I would return the favor since you came over to check on me that day the ladder fell.”
“You mean the day you growled at me?”
“That’s up to interpretation.”
I snort. “You smiled at your nephew a bunch. He must make you laugh.”
Luke sighs. “Wyatt was the fun one. He could find something funny anywhere. He always made jokes and made people laugh.”
“Were you close?”
“Yeah, we were. He was my best friend.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t imagine losing my brother.”
He angles his head towards me. “You have a brother?”
I nod. “Twin actually.”
“He live around here?”
“No, Boston. He tries to visit as much as he can, but his job requires he travel a lot. He’s in sales for an international company.”
“Wyatt sold medical supplies. He traveled regionally and occasionally nationally.”
“He must have been very personable. Oli is that way. He can talk to anyone about anything.”
“Yeah, he could do that too. But he wasn’t fake about it, he genuinely was interested in talking to people.”
“Barbara said he died in a car accident when she was pregnant with Joey. Was he on a sales trip?”
Silence stretches into minutes. Had I delved too deep? Crossed an invisible barrier?
“No.”
Okay. Should I drop it or ask more questions? I have a feeling he’s not generally the sharing type so I should let him dictate the pace.
“If I remember correctly, that’s Jupiter.” I point to the planet.
“Yeah.” He points. “That’s Mars, Venus, and Saturn.”
“You know something about stars?”
“That’s pretty much it unless you want to know the Virgo constellation is the second largest one in the sky.”
“And how do you know that?”
“Read it once and it stuck. Probably because I’m a Virgo.”
I glance over. “Does that mean you just had a birthday?”
“Yup, September 8th.”
“Happy belated birthday. How old are you?”
“Thirty-two.”
“I turn twenty-nine next week. October 3rd.”
“Mm.” He’s back to grunts and grumbles?
I fold my hands together over my abdomen.
“The car came out of nowhere. A couple of teenagers joyriding with the headlights off. They T-boned us. The doctors said Wyatt died on impact. I know he never woke up all the times I screamed his name until my voice disappeared. My leg was pinned and I couldn’t get to him, no matter how hard I tried.”
“Oh L
uke!” Tears fill my eyes and I reach out to touch his hand.
He jerks his hand away and climbs to a stand, stumbling once until he finds his balance.
“Don’t feel sorry for me. It was my fault. I killed my brother.”
He stomps off the deck while I climb to my feet.
“Luke!”
He ignores me and disappears into the shadows beyond my yard.
Should I chase after him? He’s obviously in pain. Who wouldn’t be?
He’s likely to bite my head off if I follow behind him—that’s if he even opens the door. It’s probably better I let him lick his wounds in private.
What did he mean? Why does he blame himself? Is that why he followed Barbara to make amends? Survivor guilt? Or did he actually cause the accident?
Chapter 12
“Holy Shit! That’s Mitch Atwater!” Barbara slaps my arm and then grabs hold of my bicep like she’s applying a tourniquet.
Damn it! I forgot to warn her. In my defense, I don’t think about it all that often anymore.
“He’s Franny’s fiancé.”
She slaps a hand over her mouth and looks at me with her eyes popping out of head.
“Sorry, I should have warned you.”
She nods and then drops her hand. “I had the biggest crush on him. His pictures were plastered all over my walls and even my notebooks and locker at school.”
Wow! Okay then. I really should have given her a heads up.
She releases my arm and pats her chest. Then her eyes go wide again.
“Ladies.”
I turn and smile. “Hi Mitch, this is my friend Barbara. She’s new to Granite Cove.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Barbara. I’m relatively new myself. Well, at least this time around.”
A high-pitched squeal comes out of her instead of intelligible words.
Grinning, I tilt my head at her. “Umm…she’s a fan.”
Barbara nods emphatically.
Mitch smiles and takes it in stride. “Always nice to meet a fan.”
Franny appears at his side. She takes one look at Barbara and smiles up at Mitch. “Honey, aren’t you going to be late?”