Proposals and Poison

by Rachelle J. Christensen

  I heard giggling and walked through the sewing room to the front of the shop. Lorea was just coming in the front door with another of our clients, Jessie Wilder. Lorea held the door for her and her son. Jessie’s long, straight blonde hair fell to the middle of her back and always looked sleek and stylish even as she wrangled with her young son. She clutched Gavin’s hand as he dragged his feet across the threshold of my shop.

  Lorea and I had been working with Jessie to plan a September wedding that was out of the norm. Jessie was engaged to a Croatian man named Drago Kovacevic, but that wasn’t really what made this wedding different; rather, Jessie was a traditional young woman and she wanted a traditional wedding, but she had a four-year-old son and she’d never been married.

  Gavin was born when she was only seventeen years old, and though some thought it was unconventional, she wanted to wear a wedding gown and have a beautiful marriage ceremony and celebration. I didn’t think there were any problems with her plans, and I had told her so at our first meeting. Marriage at any stage was a beautiful choice, and I was happy that she saw the significance of a ceremony. But Drago’s family was concerned about this American girl and her son. Apparently, they’d always hoped he would return to Croatia.

  “Good afternoon Jessie, Gavin, and Lorea.” I greeted them all with a smile that belied the bit of adrenaline still burning off from my earlier episode with the crazy gunman and Luke asking me out on a date. Weird how I could group those two incidents in the same thought.

  “Did you get all your errands done?” Lorea asked. Her black hair was styled in a short cut that left her neck bare, and around this time every summer I thought about cutting my own shoulder-length hair. Jessie was just taller than Lorea’s five-foot-two frame, but that was only because Lorea had on four-inch wedge sandals.

  “Almost.” I thought of the couple things on my list that would have to wait until after work.

  “Gavin is so excited to hear about his new daddy’s special game he has planned for the wedding.” Lorea winked in my direction, and I gave her a subtle nod. The planning stage had been full of fun games and treats, because we were planning a kid-themed wedding with all sorts of delightful activities for Gavin and his buddies to enjoy as well as the adults in attendance.

  Gavin stood on his tiptoes, a miniature version of his mother with light blond hair and blue eyes. “What is it? What game? Is there a prize?”

  “Well, it’s a surprise, and I can only give you a clue,” I said.

  He furrowed his brow. “What clue?”

  “If you know how to throw a ball, then you might be able to play this game.”

  His eyes lit up as he glanced at Jessie, Lorea, and me. “I can throw a ball so far!”

  I smiled. “You’ll love all the games we have planned.”

  “There’s more games?” He grinned and bounced on his toes.

  The cornhole game had been showing up all over Pinterest lately, and Lorea and I were designing a board that would be screen printed with wedding bells and gifts, with a large hole cut out in the middle. Kids would throw toss bags filled with corn through the holes. We’d discussed whether we should do bean bags or corn-filled bags, but Lorea was a traditionalist when it came to old-fashioned games, so she’d won that argument. She had already talked to her sister and asked her to help make the toss bags for the late-September wedding.

  “I’m going to work with Jessie on getting the pattern right for her maid of honor,” Lorea said. She walked toward the back, where all of her sewing and design supplies were stored.

  “Work your magic,” I said.

  Lorea wiggled her fingers toward Gavin. “Did you hear that? We have lots of magic in this shop.”

  Gavin stopped walking. “You do? Where is it?”

  Jessie ruffled his hair. “It’s the kind of magic that lives in your heart. The kind Mommy feels for Drago.”

  Gavin put his hand on his stomach. “My heart feels it too.” He grinned.

  “Ah, he’s such a cutie,” Lorea said. Usually she poked fun of sentimental statements like the one Jessie had just made, but with Gavin in the room she looked like she was about to melt. Maybe my friend was starting to come around to the idea that true love really did exist. And maybe she and Tony were getting more serious than I thought.

  I filed away some receipts and checked the mail before venturing toward the back to see how things were going. Gavin stood on top of a box and stacked spools of thread in a tower on Lorea’s worktable. When he’d stacked about six, they all toppled over. He squealed and clapped his hands.

  Jessie rolled her eyes. “You know what they say: why waste money on toys, right?”

  I nodded. “My niece and nephew would play in the garbage all day if their parents would let them.”

  Gavin threw an empty spool into the garbage and jumped up and down.

  “Speaking of,” Jessie said with a laugh.

  “The activities we’ve come up with will definitely help with his high energy,” I said.

  Jessie smiled. “It’s going to be such a neat experience for him and his cousins. I just wish that Drago’s family could be there.”

  “That’s hard. Isn’t there any way that his parents at least could make it over?”

  Jessie looked down at the carpet and nudged a spool of thread with her sandal. “There might be, but they don’t want to come. They think Drago is making a mistake marrying me.”

  Lorea made a growling noise. “Those txori burus. Why can’t they see what a gift you are to him?”

  Jessie laughed at Lorea referring to her future in-laws as birdbrains. Whenever Lorea got upset or excited, she would slip in a few words from the Basque language, Euskara, to emphasize her point. Lorea probably understood the dynamics of Drago and Jessie’s relationship because of her own Basque heritage. Her mother had been trying to set her up with other Basque men for years, and although Lorea was proud of her ancestry, she was a holdout for love, no matter how many times she scoffed at the notion that marriage was in her future.

  “Lorea’s right, of course.” I looked over at Gavin to make sure he wasn’t listening; he was across the room under a pile of scrap material. “I’m sorry they feel that way. The only advice I have comes from what I’ve seen: Love them as hard as you can and they’ll come around eventually.”

  Jessie threaded her fingers through a section of her hair. “That’s what Drago says, too. Well, that and when we have another baby. The first Kovacevic grandbaby will not be ignored.” Jessie studied Gavin, and it was obvious what she was thinking.

  “They’ll love Gavin,” I said. “It might be hard at first, but how could they resist him?”

  Jessie smiled. “Thanks. You and Lorea have been great. I know Drago loves me and Gavin, and whatever happens in the future, he won’t love Gavin any less. I just need to keep my fears under control.”

  “Yes, enjoy this time. You deserve this beautiful wedding. I think you and Drago and Gavin will be very happy,” I said.

  I thought about our conversation after Jessie and Gavin left the shop. Lorea and I would have to come up with an idea that would help the new family see just how special their life together would be.

  At five thirty, I left the shop to get ready for my date. Lorea closed up the shop for me a few nights a week, and at other various times as well because she often stayed late to get a few more stitches in her latest gown. It was only on my drive home that I realized I hadn’t told Lorea about the incident with the crazy-looking man holding a rifle this morning. It had been such a busy day that Lorea and I weren’t able to chat much. The story would have to wait until tomorrow.

  “Hey, Tux.” I patted my cat. “I’m going on a date with Luke tonight.”

  Tux didn’t care if I spoke in a sing-song voice; he just mewed and followed me in from the garage.

  I hurried to change out of my clothes and into a mint-green tank top with a sheer white blouse and denim capris. The ninety-five- degree desert heat didn’t let up until after su
ndown, and by then I was ready to relax and enjoy Luke’s company.

  A knock sounded on my door just as I was slipping my feet into a pair of white sandals. Luke was early. I ran my fingers through my hair as I headed for the front door and swung it open. “You’re early—” I stopped when I saw Tony standing on my doorstep. “Lorea’s working late at the shop.”

  Tony bit the inside of his cheek and shook his head. “I came by to see you. Do you mind if I come in a minute?”

  There wasn’t any laughter in his eyes. Something was wrong. My first thought was of Lorea—but no, she probably hadn’t even left the shop yet. I stepped aside and motioned for Tony to come in. “Is something wrong? My family’s okay, right?”

  Tony nodded. “Yes, your family’s great as far as I know. Could we sit down?”

  “Oh dear.” I clasped my hands together and followed him into the little sitting room off my front door. The wedding ring quilt my aunt Dana made me hung over a stand in the corner, and I focused on the different shades of green blending together. I didn’t want to look at Tony’s face.

  “I’m sorry to barge in on you. It sounded like you were expecting someone?”

  “Yes, Luke Stetson is on his way over to take me to dinner.”

  Tony lifted one corner of his mouth in an attempt at a smile. “That’s good. He’s a great guy.” He looked down at the carpet and then back at me.

  “It’s okay, just tell me. I know it’s bad.” My insides tightened. I leaned back against the love seat and reminded myself to breathe.

  “You’re right, it is bad. I’m really sorry.” Tony swallowed. “I hate this part of my job.” He blew out a breath. “Lily Rowan died a couple hours ago.”

  CHILLED QUINOA SALAD WITH LIME VINAIGRETTE

  2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled

  1 chopped red bell pepper, 1 cucumber chopped, 1 tomato chopped. Toss together for salad.

  Lime Vinaigrette:

  Juice of 1 lime, juice of 1 lemon, zest of orange, 2 minced garlic cloves, ¼ cup chopped onion, 4 fresh basil leaves, 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley, ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ tsp sea salt.

  Combine the citrus juices and zest, garlic, onion, basil, parsley, and oil in a food processor. Mix into the quinoa salad. Chill and serve garnished with avocadoes and lime.

  Courtesy of www.mashedpotatoesandcrafts.com

  I covered my mouth, sucking in a breath as my vision blurred. The tears rolled down my cheeks as Tony’s words echoed in my mind. Lily was a sweet person, a good friend, and I had been thrilled when she became my newest client. Lily had caught the bouquet at Natalie and Brock’s gorgeous wedding last year. I still remembered the surprised look on her face, which changed to a demure smile as she’d turned to her date, Tim Esplin.

  “I’m sorry, Adri,” Tony said. “I wanted to tell you before you heard it somewhere else, because I know she was your neighbor.”

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “She was out in the stables at her stepdad’s place. It looks like a heart attack.” As Tony spoke, each word grew quieter.

  My throat felt like it was bound with cords and my voice box was a steel drum. Too many possibilities collided with each other and my brain felt like a scattered jigsaw puzzle, struggling to fit the pieces together.

  I shook my head. “She was too young for a heart attack.”

  Tony pursed his lips, took in a breath, and said, “I know. We’re investigating. I remembered you saying you had an appointment with her earlier today that was canceled. Did you talk to her?”

  “Just briefly to reschedule the appointment for Thursday.” I shook my head.

  “Did she say anything that seemed out of the ordinary?” Tony asked.

  “No, we probably talked for less than a minute,” I said. “Although she did seem kind of down about something.”

  Tony flipped his notebook open and wrote something down. “Hmm. Any idea what that would be?”

  “Well, Tim mentioned she was really worried about getting married because of Rose’s divorce. She hadn’t said anything to me about it, though.”

  Tony nodded and wrote something else in his notebook.

  “Poor Lily,” I said. “And Tim ... he’s going to be crushed.”

  Tony blew out a breath. “He is out of his mind with grief right now.”

  “You were the one to tell him?”

  Tony nodded. “Yes, Detective Hamilton and I went out to his house and then we split up to notify the rest of the family. We haven’t been able to reach her stepdad yet, but someone thought he’d gone up to the mountains and would be back down about now. I was headed up that way and decided to stop by here first. As soon as Phil is notified, it’ll be in the news. Probably tonight.”

  I clasped my hands together and looked at Tony. “Thank you for telling me.” My chin wobbled, and I felt my eyes well up with tears again. “I’m so sorry for her family.”

  Tony nodded. “Well, I’d better go. Are you going to be okay?”

  “Yes, Luke should be here any minute.” Just saying those words gave me a measure of comfort; I wouldn’t have to be alone to think about Lily’s death. I swallowed my tears and stood. “Are you going to tell Lorea?”

  “Yes, as soon as I can.”

  “Thanks, Tony. It means a lot that you came to tell me.” I put my hand on his arm. He was probably about six foot three, which meant that he was nearly a foot taller than tiny Lorea, but they looked so cute together. “I’m glad you’ll be there for Lorea. She really liked Lily.”

  “Take care,” Tony said.

  I stood in the doorway watching his police cruiser drive down the street. Life didn’t make sense. How could beautiful, young, vibrant Lily be gone?

  After Tony left, I realized that he had another reason for stopping by. He’d asked me about my conversation with Lily and taken out his notebook to write notes. The only reason he would do that was if something wasn’t sitting right with him. Something about Lily’s death must have looked suspicious to Tony.

  Before I could step back into my house, Luke pulled his Harley Davidson Road Glide in front of my condo and swung his leg over the motorcycle. He wore stonewashed denim jeans and a gray V-neck short-sleeved shirt. He hurried up the front walkway and grasped my hands.

  “Are you sick? You look like you’re going to pass out.” He wrapped his arm around me and led me back inside the house. His gentle actions undid me, and I began sobbing again. Luke held me, leading me toward the love seat. “What happened?”

  I wiped my eyes and struggled to speak. “Lily died today. Tony just came and told me that she had a heart attack.”

  “A heart attack? Lily?” Luke held my hand and squeezed gently. “I’ve seen her. Isn’t she about your age?”

  “Yes, and she’s healthy too.” Lily rode horses, biked, and seemed to always be on the go. Her cheerful demeanor had made it easy to get to know her, and I had been looking forward to planning her and Tim’s wedding. Every time I thought of Tim, it was like a knife twisting in my gut. His words from earlier echoed in my mind: I want her to be my wife. I turned and cried on Luke’s shoulder, and he held me, rubbing my back in slow circles.

  “I’m so sorry,” he murmured. “What can I do?”

  I heaved in a breath that caught between the edges of my sobs. “Just hold me.”

  “I can do that.” He pulled me closer to him and rested his head against mine.

  We sat that way for a few minutes until my tears subsided and I could breathe normally. When I looked at Luke, I noticed moisture around his eyes, and it almost undid me again. That was something about him that I would never take for granted—he understood loss.

  When his wife died of Hodgkin’s disease a little over four years ago, it had turned his world upside down. He’d moved from North Carolina to Idaho and started a practice in marriage and family law, far away from the memories of what once was. He kept his past private; most people still didn’t know that he was a widower. But he’d confided in me, and I’d kept his confidenc
e. I saw him differently than others did. His prickly exterior had been hard to get past at first, but we’d been through enough that Luke trusted me, and crazy as it sounded, I trusted and really liked the local divorce attorney.

  “Are you hungry?” I asked.

  “Not as much now.”

  “Me neither.”

  We sat there for probably twenty more minutes, talking about Lily and the strange incident of her heart attack. Luke’s stomach grumbled, and he shifted to the edge of the couch, probably trying to hide his hunger.

  “How about some quinoa salad?” I said. “I made a batch yesterday with orange bell peppers from my mom’s garden.”

  “That sounds great.”

  We didn’t say much about Lily for the next half hour while we ate the chilled quinoa salad with lime vinaigrette and chatted about work. Instead, Luke settled on a different topic. “Tell me about your summer schedule. How’s it looking?”

  I appreciated that Luke knew instinctively what would help me feel better. Even though he teased me often about my profession as a wedding planner, he knew how excited I got about my work. “I have three more weddings coming up between now and September.”

  Luke nodded. “And I have three new potential divorce cases.”

  “You’re terrible. You know that, right?”

  Luke held up his hands in mock innocence. “Just doing my job.”

  “Anyway, I’m excited about this girl named Jessie. Her wedding is going to be so much fun.” I scooted up to the table and leaned my elbows on the surface. “She has a four-year-old boy, and we’re planning sort of a kid-themed wedding with stuff that kids and adults will love.”

  “Like what?” Luke leaned forward and mimicked my pose.

  I smiled, noticing what he was doing. “Well, there will be a table full of bowls of treats and scoops. Each guest gets a bag and goes along and fills their bag full of candies.”