Lost and Gowned

by Melissa F. Miller

  I peeked up at her through my wet eyelashes. “I shouldn’t have helped them.”

  “No, you shouldn’t have,” she agreed.

  “I thought … I thought Rosemary would regret it someday if they weren’t here for her wedding.”

  Thyme’s face tightened, but she didn’t argue the point. Instead, she pulled me closer and gave me a quick hug. “Your heart’s in the right place.”

  “Thanks,” I managed.

  She pursed her lips. “Your brain, on the other hand….”

  I pulled away. “Hey.”

  “Sorry,” she said, giving me a look that made it clear she wasn’t even remotely sorry. She paused for a moment then continued, “We don’t have time to hash this all out now.”

  She was right. I squared my shoulders but couldn’t ignore the wave of worry that crashed over me. What had I done?

  “Are you sure you’re not mad at me?” I asked, unable to stop myself, as we hurried away from the empty cottage and back to the main house.

  I knew the fact that our parents were here had been a bombshell for her. I didn’t want her to be angry with me.

  “No, I’m not mad at you,” she said. Before I even had a chance to exhale in relief, she went on, “I’m just … surprised.”

  That was understandable. I’m sure she was surprised, stunned—shocked, even—to learn I’d taken it upon myself to let our parents know Rosemary was getting married and then help them sneak onto the resort property so they could watch from a distance.

  I flashed her an uncertain smile. “Okay, good. I don’t want you to be upset with me.”

  We walked a few more feet.

  Then she said “I’m more hurt, I guess. Why didn’t you tell me they were going to be here?”

  I stopped in the middle of the path and turned to meet her eyes. “They asked me to keep it a secret, Thyme. They knew Rosemary wouldn’t want them here and they didn’t want to distract from her day. So Kay, Chelle, and I came up with the bird watching cover story.”

  As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I realized I’d made a mistake. Now, she was angry—no doubt about it.

  “Wait. You told Kay and Chelle? But not me?” she demanded heatedly as her foot tapped rapidly against the stepping stones underfoot.

  I tried to reason with her. “I couldn’t tell you. I couldn’t put you in that position. Imagine if Rosemary found out. It’s different with Chelle and Kay, they’re Mom’s best friends. They love us like daughters, but their loyalties lie with her.”

  Thyme narrowed her eyes and huffed out a breath. I didn’t really want to fight with her. I took a guess that she was primarily upset about being left out.

  “It’s not just you. I didn’t even tell Roman,” I said softly.

  “Really?”

  “Really.”

  I felt endlessly guilty about that fact, but it seemed to change the dynamic with my younger sister.

  Her face softened. “This subject’s not closed, Sage. But we need to find Rosemary.”

  “And Mom and Dad,” I added.

  As we reached the doors to the lobby, she gave me a dark look but didn’t respond.

  Chapter 15

  Thyme

  Sage and I pushed through the doors to the reception area and clattered across the floor. The sound of our sandals slapping the stone caught Kay’s attention.

  “Is everything okay, girls?” she asked.

  “Not really,” Sage told her. “Rosemary’s missing.”

  “Missing? What do you mean?” Kay probed.

  “She tried on her gown after Thyme brought it back from Chelle’s. Thyme came to get me so I could see it. When we got back to Rosemary’s room the French doors were open, and she was gone. She left her shoes, her phone, and her purse behind. As far as we know, she’s barefoot and wearing her wedding dress.”

  “That’s bad enough, but when in town, I got the feeling I was being followed,” I added. “Something’s not right, Kay.”

  A shadow of worry crossed Kay’s tanned face.

  “What is it?” I asked softly.

  She trained her eyes on Sage and gave a little jerk toward the back office with her head. “I need to talk to you.” After a pause, she added, “About the Simons.”

  “Thyme knows about Mom and Dad,” Sage reassured her.

  A small sigh of relief leaked out of Kay as if she were a balloon with a pinprick hole. “Good. A little while ago, your parents came running through the lobby doors like the two of you just now. Your mother was beside herself, babbling about an abduction. I couldn’t make heads or tails of it.”

  A fist of ice wrapped itself around my heart. “An abduction? Are you sure that’s what she said?”

  Kay nodded grimly. “I’m almost positive. Your father stepped in and started talking over her. He said they needed to borrow the old pickup truck. So I got them a set of spare keys.”

  “I don’t suppose you have any idea where they went?” Sage asked in a weak voice.

  “I’m sorry, girls. I honestly don’t. The only person who might be able to tell you is Chelle.” Kay twisted her hands together into a worried knot.

  I shook my head, dismissing the idea. “I was with Chelle most of the afternoon. I doubt she knows what’s going on.”

  “She might,” Kay countered. “Chelle’s planning to be with them tomorrow—as moral support—while they watch the wedding from that stand of elm trees on the hill. Heaven knows they’ll need it. It’s going to be hard to watch their baby get married through binoculars. But, anyway, Chelle’s one of your mother’s closest friends. She might have called her after I gave them the keys.”

  I tried to ignore my rising anger at her obvious sympathy for my parents. I bit down hard on my lower lip to prevent myself from reminding her that my parents had stiffed her almost three months’ salary before they left town. We had paid her back and kept her current even during the resort’s leanest times. Just possibly her loyalty was slightly misplaced.

  I took a ragged breath, and as Sage looped her elbow through mine, she applied just the slightest pressure to my arm to let me know she understood what I was feeling but that this wasn’t the time to get into a big discussion about it. I exhaled slowly. She was right.

  “If you hear from either of our parents, call me or Thyme right away,” Sage instructed Kay.

  “I will.”

  Just then, Parsley strolled through the lobby like he owned the joint.

  Kay shook her head. “That cat. The moment your mom and dad set foot on the property, he came out of nowhere and attached himself to them. He’s been following them around like a shadow.”

  Sage crouched and rubbed his head, right above his ears. “I wish you’d tell us where they got to.”

  He blinked up at her. For one surreal moment, I almost thought he was going to answer her. Then he yawned widely and started to bathe his front paws with his tongue.

  Sage stood. Before we walked out of the lobby, I caught her arm.

  “If we can’t go to the police, then we have to tell the guys. Mom and Dad told Kay Rosemary was abducted. That changes things. She’s definitely not off somewhere working through her nerves like a runaway bride. She needs our help,” I said. I jutted out my chin, prepared to argue the point.

  But there was no need.

  She nodded. “You’re right. Let’s go.”

  As soon as we turned the corner near the parlor where the men were putting together the gift bags we heard raucous laughter floating down the hallway.

  When we walked into the room, Dave stood up and waved his hand with a flourish to show off their work.

  I nodded approvingly at the tidy rows of favors. Despite—or maybe because of—the collection of empty beer bottles, they’d completed the project in almost no time.

  Victor grinned at me. “We finished your job, so it’s time to celebrate.”

  I managed a wan smile.

  “Right, let’s get Rosemary. I propose a game of bocce out on the lawn,
” Dave said.

  “Boys versus girls,” Roman added.

  Sage let out a long, shaky breath. “Rosemary’s missing.”

  The air in the room seemed to still, and the men fell silent. Dave placed his hands palms down on the table and leaned forward. Roman scrunched his forehead into a squiggle of concern. And Victor watched me with wide, worried eyes.

  “Rosemary’s missing?” Dave echoed in a soft, controlled voice that belied the tightness of his face. “What do you mean, missing?”

  “After Chelle made the last-minute alterations to the wedding dress, Rosemary tried it on, just like we told you. I left to get Sage so she could see, too. When we got back to her room, Rosemary was gone, and the French doors leading from her room out to the patio were open.” I said.

  I glanced down and realized my hands were shaking as I spoke. Victor must have noticed, too, because he took my hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

  “You don’t think she got cold feet, do you?” Victor whispered, his mouth near my ear.

  Dave’s eyes narrowed as if he’d heard.

  “No,” I said simply, locking eyes with Dave. “Rosemary didn’t vanish because she was unsure about getting married. I’m sure of it.”

  Dave bobbed his head in acknowledgment, but I knew his next question would be to ask why we hadn’t told him Rosemary was missing when we ran into him outside her room. Sage knew it, too.

  She headed him off. “We didn’t tell you when we saw you before because there was one more place we needed to look first. We didn’t want to worry you for no reason.”

  “But you’ve checked that place and didn’t find her?” Roman prompted her gently.

  “Right.”

  I had no idea whether that response was going to satisfy her boyfriend or a homicide detective, but Victor’s reporter instincts were never going to let it stand unchallenged.

  Sure enough, he tilted his head and asked “Where did you check?”

  But before Sage could answer, Dave had pulled out his cell phone.

  “What are you doing?” I asked him.

  “Calling the local police, of course. Unless you’ve already done that?”

  Sage crossed the room and put her hand on his arm. “Please don’t.”

  “Why?” he demanded, his finger still hovering over the numbers.

  “Please, put your phone away and I’ll explain.”

  Rosemary’s fiancé gave Sage a long, warning look but pocketed his phone. “Start talking,” he said.

  “Thank you. To answer Victor’s question, the other place we looked for her was in one of the cottages. Did you notice the bird watchers roaming around the resort?”

  “The older couple in full safari gear? Yeah, they’re sort of hard to miss,” he countered.

  She gave a wry smile. “Yeah. Not one of my better plans, admittedly. They were supposed to blend. They’re not birding enthusiasts. They’re our parents. And they’re staying in the Rose Cottage.”

  “Your parents are here?” Dave asked in disbelief.

  Roman and Victor wore bewildered expressions. I knew the feeling.

  Sage explained, the words coming out fast, tripping over one another. “I guess our mother and Aunt Ruby must stay in touch somehow. After Rosemary sent out the wedding invitations, Aunt Ruby must’ve told Mom. And, long story short, Mom called me and asked me to help her figure out a way for her and my dad to be here for the wedding.”

  A thundercloud crossed Dave’s face. “Did Rosemary find out about this? Because, if she did, I guarantee that’s why she took off.” His voice broke with emotion—anger and worry.

  Roman put a hand on Dave’s shoulder. “It’s going to be okay, man. We’ll find her.”

  “He’s right. If the five of us work together, we will find her,” I said. “And before you ask, no, I didn’t know anything about this harebrained scheme to bring my parents to the resort. That was all Sage … and a couple of Mom and Dad’s friends.”

  Sage’s cheeks turned deep pink and she dropped her eyes to the floor. My heart gave a tug, and I instantly felt guilty.

  I went on, “I understand why Sage did it, though. And I think, in her heart, Rosemary will understand, too. But that’s sort of irrelevant now, because Rosemary is missing. And so are our parents.”

  Sage gave me a tremulous smile of thanks. Then Roman walked around the table to put his arm around her waist in a show of support.

  “Your parents are missing, too?” Roman asked.

  “We think they went after Rosemary. That’s why we can’t call the police,” Sage explained. “Given the circumstances, there are probably more than a few law enforcement agencies who would be interested to learn they’re back in the United States. So can we please try to find them ourselves first?”

  Her eyes swept the room but landed on Dave and stayed there. Dave worked his jaw, thinking.

  Victor cleared his throat. “Thyme and I have a little experience with this issue, you know. When my sister went missing I refused to involve the police because I wasn’t sure whether her ex-husband had a friend on the force. So, while I imagine it must go against everything you believe, Dave, I can see where Sage and Thyme are coming from.”

  Everyone looked at Dave, waiting to hear what he would say.

  The muscle in his left cheek twitched. Then he said in a thick voice, “I don’t like it. But I understand. That said, if we haven’t found her by nightfall, I’m going to the police, and it won’t be up for discussion.”

  “That’s fair—more than fair,” Sage agreed quickly.

  “Thank you,” I added.

  “So, where do we start?” Roman asked, clapping his hands together. He moved toward the door.

  “Wait. There’s a few more details we need to tell you,” I said. “There was a man hanging around outside the seamstress’s shop in town today. He was watching me.”

  Victor purred. “That’s because you’re hot.”

  I rolled my eyes and swatted at him. “I’m being serious. I think he might’ve followed me back to the resort.”

  “And Rosemary said she saw a stranger wandering around down on the beach during the rehearsal before that,” Sage added.

  Dave frowned. Victor frowned. Roman frowned. I’m sure I was frowning, too.

  “Then, when the cottage was empty, we asked Kay if she had any idea where our parents were. She said they’d come running into the lobby, yammering about an abduction. They borrowed the pickup truck and took off.”

  “We think they must have been skulking around and saw Rosemary being taken. So, if we find them, we’ll find her. Or the other way around,” Sage said, finishing our story breathlessly.

  Dave turned ashen, but when he spoke, he used his dispassionate detective voice. “Here’s how we’re going to do this. Thyme and Victor, go back to town. Talk to Chelle. Find out what, if anything, your parents might have told her about Rosemary’s disappearance. And keep an eye out to see if this stranger pops up again. I’m going to go to Rosemary’s room and poke around. Sage and Roman, go back to the cottage and check inside—see if the Fields left anything behind that would hint at where they could be.”

  We all bobbed our heads in understanding.

  “And make sure your cell phones are fully charged,” Victor ordered.

  That particular instruction was probably meant for me. I was the queen of the dead mobile phone.

  “One last thing,” Dave said grimly, sweeping his eyes around the room before he continued. “I know you’ve all played amateur sleuth in the past. We’re not doing that this time. We are going to safely and maturely search for Rosemary.”

  He pointed at Sage, “In other words, don’t crash any golf carts through any windows.”

  Sage nodded, her lips pressed together in a thin line. I giggled, which was a bad move.

  He turned in my direction. “And you. There won’t be a gun-toting Mother Superior to save your bacon this time if you decide to take on a psychopath single-handedly.”
>
  The laughter died in my throat. “Got it.”

  “Good. Now let’s go. We need to find my bride.” Dave strode through the open door without looking back to confirm we were following behind. We were.

  Chapter 16

  Rosemary

  “Say, Rosie, do you know why chicken coops only have two doors?”

  I kept my eyes firmly closed and sat motionless against the wall of the storage container and waited. I knew my father well enough to know my silence wasn’t going to be a deterrent to his punch line.

  He gave it a moment just in case I was going to respond. When it became clear to him that I wasn’t, he said, “Because if they had four doors, they’d be chicken sedans.” He cackled softly.

  I kept my face impassive, careful not to move a muscle, emit a groan, or otherwise indicate that I’d heard him. He lapsed into blessed silence for almost thirty seconds, then said, “If seagulls fly over the sea, what kind of gulls fly over the bay?”

  “Oh, Bart, just leave her be. Rosemary never was easy to cajole. You’re not going to jolly her into talking to us with your lame jokes,” my mother scolded him.

  “Rosemary can’t resist a good chuckle. The answer is a bagel, by the way. Bay gull, bagel; get it?”

  I was feeling more like a French existentialist by the moment. Without opening my eyes, I said, “I’m not responding to your jokes because I’m sleeping.”

  “You’re not asleep,” he protested.

  I opened my right eye. “Let’s pretend I am anyway.” I closed it in a hurry to block out the sight of sadness crossing his face at my cold tone.

  I regretted snapping at my dad pretty much instantly because my mom decided to fill the silence by peppering me with stored-up questions about my personal life. “We are all stuck here together, Rosemary. Why not be nice and tell us about your David. Where did you meet? How did you know he was the one? What does he do?”

  I opened both eyes this time and ignored her questions to pose one of my own. “How do you know his name is David?” Before she could answer, I hit her with my follow-up question. “And how did you just happen to turn up at the resort this weekend?”