by Marla Cooper
We settled in on the couch, and while I recounted the evening’s events we polished off a quantity of ice cream that was probably more than what would be considered therapeutic.
Brody listened intently, occasionally interrupting to clarify important facts. “So, wait, you were going to let Kelsey drink the poisoned wine?”
“It wasn’t poisoned,” insisted Laurel. “Just drugged.”
“Still, you were going to let her drink it?”
“Right?! That’s what I said!” I was grateful for Laurel’s quick thinking, but things could have gone very differently if her plan had backfired.
“Kelsey never drinks when she’s on duty, and I knew she wasn’t going to start now.”
“I guess you know me better than I thought.” I scraped the last drops of Peanut Butter Cup from the bottom of the carton. “Still, a heads-up would have been nice.”
“That’s cool,” Laurel said. “I just saved our lives and all. No need to thank me.”
I grabbed the Vanilla Toffee Bar Crunch and held it up in a toast. “Here’s to your quick thinking and superior acting skills.”
“Hear, hear!” Brody said as we all clicked spoons.
“Does this mean I can take tomorrow off?” she asked.
“Definitely. We’re closed tomorrow. The wedding world can wait.”
By the next morning, Danielle’s arrest was all over the news. By noon, I’d gotten so many calls, texts, and e-mails that I decided to turn my ringer to silent just to get a break. Not that I didn’t love being able to clear my name, but the sheer volume of calls was starting to overwhelm me.
As I went to switch the phone off, I saw Haley Bennett’s name on the caller ID. Oh, jeez, she was out a wedding planner. Again.
I took a deep breath before answering. “Hello?”
“Kelsey, it’s Haley! I just heard Danielle got arrested!”
So the word was out. “Yeah, it’s been quite a week.”
There was a pause on the other end of the line. “Did she really do all those things they’re saying she did?”
“Yeah, I’m afraid so.” Suddenly I felt embarrassed, like Danielle’s behavior was a bad reflection on me. “I’m so sorry. If I’d had any idea, I would never have recommended her.”
“Of course,” Haley said. “I know you wouldn’t. She had us all fooled.”
The memory of her dad standing in my office right after seeing his name on the murder board flashed through my mind and I winced. He may have been guilty of having an affair, but he hadn’t been a killer, and I knew firsthand how bad it felt to be a suspect. “Will you do me a favor and tell your dad that I’m really sorry for thinking he had anything to do with it?”
“I will. Although he’s got bigger things on his mind right now. My stepmom found out about the affair with Babs, so he’s in pretty hot water.”
“Yikes.” I was dying to ask her more about that, but I decided this was one time when I would just mind my own business. “So other than that, how are you doing?”
“I don’t know. This whole thing has gotten so out of hand. Dad wanted to give me the wedding of my dreams, but the whole thing’s turned out to be a nightmare.”
“I’m so sorry. I can give you the name of another planner if you want. There’s not usually this much drama. I swear!”
Haley laughed. “Oh, I know.” She paused. “Any chance I could talk you into helping us out?”
“Oh, Haley, I don’t know.…”
“I know things got kind of weird with my dad, but he’ll be fine. He’s on his best behavior right now.”
I rubbed one temple as I thought back to our last meeting. “Yeah, it’s just … I kind of accused him of murdering someone.” In other words, awkward.
“Would it make you feel any better if I told you he thought you did it?”
A loud laugh burst from my lips before I had a chance to stop it. “Not really.”
“Well, now he knows you didn’t. Can’t we just call it even?”
“I don’t know, Haley. I want to help, I really do, but I really don’t want to be involved with any weddings at Higgins Estate.” Maybe it wasn’t entirely rational—after all, neither Lucas nor Miles had actually killed anyone—but so far, that place had caused nothing but regret.
“I get it, especially after everything that’s happened.” She sounded a little wistful. “Dad wanted us to do it there to impress his friends, the bigger the better, you know? But it doesn’t even feel like my wedding anymore. If I had my way, I’d just have it out under the trees somewhere.”
A lightbulb went off in my head. “What are you doing right now?”
“Nothing,” she said, her voice curious. “Why?”
“Let’s go for a ride.”
* * *
A week later, I was standing with Haley and her bridesmaids at the top of the path leading down to the old barn behind Jake’s tasting room. The live oak tree was strung with all the twinkle lights Laurel and I could find on short notice, creating a glow that lit up the entire area. Underneath the tree, Christopher waited beneath an archway of flowers, a huge smile lighting up his handsome face. Farley sat nearby, wagging his tail enthusiastically while dutifully obeying the command to “stay.”
Of course, Jake and Brody had been more than happy to pitch in to get everything done in time. After all, Brody’s staged photo shoot was now a real photo shoot, and Prentice Vineyard was hosting their first official wedding.
“Kelsey, I can’t thank you enough,” Haley said. “I can’t even imagine how you made all this happen.”
I smiled and wiggled my fingers at her. “I’m magic.”
Haley laughed. “I really think you are!”
Despite what I’d told Haley about not wanting to go back to Higgins Estate, I had made one more trip through their grand front gates. During a meeting with Lucas, I’d explained that not only would he need to find a different wedding planner to work with, but that Haley and Christopher wanted out of their contract.
When he declined—which, to be fair, I assumed he would—I offered him a little extra incentive. Namely, I would let him be the one to tell Miles about the pipeline agreement and, as a special added bonus, I wouldn’t go to the press.
It was no surprise that Lucas had agreed to my terms, and I told him if he ever needed someone to plan another wedding at Higgins he should be sure to call anyone but me.
All in all, it had been a productive meeting. And now Haley and I were both enjoying the wedding of our dreams.
Laurel and I sat in the back row as the couple said “I do” underneath the giant oak tree.
“Wait,” Laurel said as the ceremony was coming to a close. She pulled out a tissue and handed it to me. “You’re leaking.”
“Damn allergies,” I said as I patted gently under each eye.
After the officiant was done pronouncing them husband and wife, we rolled open the doors to the barn and invited everyone inside for the reception. Vintage chandeliers hung from the wide beams, candles flickered on every table, and loose arrangements of roses and hydrangeas in pinks, ivories, and greens cascaded from every surface.
The crowd murmured appreciatively, and I could tell from the oohs and aahs that we’d achieved the desired effect.
After dinner, Laurel and I watched while Haley and Christopher shared their first dance. Jake had called in a favor from a great swing band he knew, and they were more than happy to help inaugurate the space. Afterward, the rest of the guests crowded onto the dance floor to join them, and even Mr. Bennett and his wife, Yvonne, seemed to be having a good time. I couldn’t help but think what a different scene it would have been if the evening’s festivities had been at Higgins Estate.
During a break in the music, Christopher jumped up on the stage and borrowed the mic. “Haley and I wanted to thank everybody for coming. It means so much to us to have you all here.” A few cheers rippled through the crowd along with a congratulatory whistle. “We also wanted to thank our wedding planners, Ke
lsey and Laurel. I don’t know how they did it, but they pulled off the impossible, and we can’t imagine having a better wedding day than this.”
As everyone burst into applause, I turned several shades of pink. I mean, sure, we’d pulled off an awesome wedding while simultaneously fighting crime, but I wasn’t doing it for the attention.
Not content to let me enjoy the moment anonymously, Laurel pushed me out of the shadows, then pointed at me just to make sure everyone knew who I was. I smiled and waved to the crowd, then took a few steps back. “You are so fired,” I said as the band started up the next song and everyone resumed dancing.
“Yeah, right. What would you do without me?”
I laughed. “Okay, fine. You’re the wind beneath my wings.”
“That’s more like it.”
“Hey,” said a voice behind me. I turned around to see Jake, who had crept up beside me.
“Hey yourself,” I said, my heart fluttering—and not just because he’d startled me. It was the first time I’d seen him in person since our picnic with Brody—we’d talked a couple of times, but in all the excitement we hadn’t had a chance to go on our date—and I’d forgotten just how dreamy his dreaminess could be.
“Wanna dance?” he asked, gesturing toward the floor.
“I’m on duty,” I said, blushing.
“C’mon, I paid a lot for that floor. The least you could do is help me enjoy it.”
“It is a pretty nice floor.”
Jake led me to the dance floor, and as the music slowed he pulled me in close. “I wanted to thank you again for everything you did.”
“Oh, don’t mention it,” I said, secretly pleased that he had mentioned it.
“This is going to be great for the winery.” He pointed to a woman across the way. “That lady over there asked me if I have any dates open in October.”
“You’d better get used to it. You’re going to be booked solid before you know it.”
“And it’s all thanks to you.”
I looked over at Haley and Christopher, who were enjoying a slow dance and whispering in each other’s ears, smiles plastered on their newlywed faces. “I’d say it worked out pretty well all around.”
“Maybe we could collaborate on something else,” he said.
I looked up into his blue eyes. “Like what?”
“Like this.” He leaned in and kissed me on the lips, right there in front of everybody.
“Oh, um…” I glanced around to see if anyone was watching. All eyes were on the bride and groom, as they should be, so I turned my attention back to Jake. “I’d like that.”
After one more song, I excused myself to check on the cake. It didn’t really need checking on; I just needed to take a break before I got too distracted. After all, it was Haley and Christopher’s night.
I took a sweep around the room to make sure everything was running like it should, then planted myself off to the side. It wouldn’t be long until it was time to hand out sparklers and send them off on their honeymoon, but for now I had a moment to relax and enjoy.
Brody sidled up next to me. “So, you and Jake Schmake, huh?”
“We’re going to have to come up with a better nickname than that.”
“Why? You don’t want to be Mrs. Schmake?”
Jake was across the room talking to some guests, and he smiled when he caught us looking at him. “If you ever tell him I called him that, I’m going to kill you.”
“We’ll see.” Brody snapped a picture right as I lifted my glass of champagne toward Jake and smiled. “And also? You’re welcome.”
A moment later, Laurel joined us, and we watched Christopher twirl Haley around and dip her before planting a big kiss on her mouth. Laurel sighed contentedly. “Look how happy they are. This was such a good call.”
I nodded in agreement, a feeling of pride swelling in my chest. “Yeah, funny how things work out.”
Although it wasn’t the wedding Babs would have planned, I couldn’t help but think she would have approved.
ALSO BY MARLA COOPER
Terror in Taffeta
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
MARLA COOPER is the author of the Kelsey McKenna Destination Wedding Mysteries. As a freelance writer, Marla has written all sorts of things, from advertising copy to travel guidebooks to the occasional haiku, and it was while ghostwriting a guide to destination weddings that she found inspiration for her series. Originally hailing from Texas, Marla lives in Oakland, California, with her writer husband and her polydactyl tuxedo cat. Visit her online at www.marla-cooper.com, or sign up for email updates here.
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Also by Marla Cooper
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
A THOMAS DUNNE BOOK FOR MINOTAUR BOOKS.
An imprint of St. Martin’s Press.
DYING ON THE VINE. Copyright © 2017 by Marla Cooper. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.thomasdunnebooks.com
www.minotaurbooks.com
Cover design by David Baldeosingh Rotstein
Cover illustrations: bride © olilia/Shutterstock.com; grapes © Victor Metelskiy/Shutterstock.com; bees with vine © Debra Hughes/Shutterstock.com; daffodil with vine © HighlyAnimated Studios/Shutterstock.com
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Names: Cooper, Marla, author.
Title: Dying on the vine: a mystery / Marla Cooper.
Description: First edition.|New York: Minotaur Books, 2017.|Series: Kelsey Mckenna destination wedding mysteries; 2
Identifiers: LCCN 2016047071|ISBN 9781250072559 (hardcover)|ISBN 9781466884373 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Wedding supplies and services industry—Fiction.|Weddings—Planning—Fiction.|Murder—Fiction.|BISAC: FICTION / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths.|GSAFD: Mystery fiction.|Humorous fiction.
Classification: LCC PS3603.O582696 D95 2017|DDC 813/.6—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016047071
e-ISBN 9781466884373
Our e-books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by e-mail at [email protected].
First Edition: April 2017
, Dying on the Vine