two

I heard the words “You may kiss the bride.” David, beaming, leaned down to kiss Geneva. The entire crowd broke out in cheers and applause, more I suspected from relief that the formalities were over and the evening would bring cool weather, food, wine, and celebration. The bride and groom, laughing, turned and waved to their guests. Geneva’s mother, a plump, dainty woman dressed in a blue silk suit, rushed up and hugged both the bride and groom.

Brooke leaned closer and muttered, “It’s so damn hot.” The oldest of the three Leary sisters, Brooke is tall, blonde, and striking. I’m fond of her, but I’ve always found her somewhat intimidating. The superachiever in the Leary family, she’s now the editor of a well-
known fashion magazine in the city. She has unerring fashion sense and had even hired a designer to create our gowns.

I spotted Sally Stark pushing through the crowd surrounding the newlyweds. She looked upset as she approached Dan Leary and whispered something in his ear. The expression on his face shifted. He shot a glance at Brooke and headed in our direction. He spoke very quietly to Brooke and then turned to walk into the now-closed dining area of the restaurant. Brooke’s complexion paled. She followed Dan.

Something was wrong. I glanced around to make sure I wasn’t needed at the moment and followed both of them.

Inside the empty restaurant, Moira, still in her bridesmaid’s gown, sat holding a cold cloth to her forehead. One of the waiters stood at the ready with a bowl of ice water. Dan stood there glaring at his youngest sister, arms crossed against his chest.

As I entered the room, Brooke turned to me. “They found her at the bottom of the stairs down by the creek. She’d passed out.”

“Damn it, Moira, what were you thinking?” Dan demanded.

Moira’s face was red and blotchy. “Why don’t you get off my case? I had a couple of glasses of wine. That’s all.” She dipped the cloth in the ice water and squeezed, then replaced it on her forehead.

Dan shook his head. “You expect us to believe that?”

Brooke’s lips were pinched. “Couldn’t you keep it together just this once, for Geneva’s sake?”

“Something was wrong with my drink.”

“Like what?” Brooke asked.

“I don’t know,” Moira whined. “Maybe ’cause I didn’t have anything to eat all day. I don’t know. I swear I only had two glasses.”

We all turned as the door opened. Rob Ramer, Brooke’s husband, entered. Almost as tall as David, Rob is darkly handsome and muscular. But his chiseled features had taken on a hard cast and his jaw was clenched.

“So much for the program,” Dan muttered. He stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Rob grasped Moira’s shoulder. “Brooke, you and Julia should head back.” Moira tried to pull away, but Rob’s grip was too strong. “I’ll handle this. I’ll stay with her until she feels better.” Moira dropped her head and stared at the floor. She made no response.

Brooke let out a sigh. “Rob’s right. We should get back.” I followed her toward the exit. She leaned toward me and whispered, “Rob’s in prosecuting attorney mode now. He can deal with her much better than I when she’s like this.”

I glanced back once at Moira. She was silent, staring at Rob with an expression I couldn’t quite read, perhaps a mixture of fear and anger.

The sun had set and the sky was now a deep, periwinkle blue. The courtyard and surrounding gardens sparkled with thousands of tiny white lights. Large candles flickered at each table as the waiters began serving. On one side of the bride and groom, Brooke was next to Dan. Andy, still awaiting Moira, anchored the far end of the table. Andy is thin, with a saturnine face shadowed by hollow cheeks and heavy dark eyebrows. He wasn’t looking happy.

Matt, a large man with wide shoulders and ruddy cheeks, was seated next to me. Geneva had mentioned he had played football in college, and, judging from his conversation, his favorite topic was sports. I smiled and nodded a lot, pretending I had some interest in the topic.

With a promise of good behavior, Moira had managed to escape Rob’s supervision and joined us. A fresh cocktail stood next to her plate. An argument started brewing between her and Andy, and Moira became louder and more belligerent. Andy leaned over and whispered in her ear, then grasped her arm. He looked very angry. Moira’s jaw was set. She lapsed into a sullen silence.

Brooke struck up a fresh conversation with the bride and groom in an attempt to lighten the tension at the table. The three of them chatted amiably, ignoring the simmering altercation between Moira and Andy. Then Moira stood suddenly, swaying slightly, and with a final glare at her date, stormed away. Andy, his face flushed, turned back to his plate and stabbed at the remaining food. Dan glanced at Andy but said nothing.

I’d seen a few episodes of sullen and volatile behavior on Moira’s part over the past few days. There was no doubt in my mind that Brooke and Geneva were devoted to their younger sister, but they’d been forced to cut her a lot of slack in order to keep the peace.

Next to me, Matt continued to wolf down his dinner. “So, Julia, what sort of work do you do? Are you a teacher too, like Geneva?”

My appetite was nonexistent after the heat of the day. I picked at my food, choosing small bites. “Uh, no.” I was hesitant to answer. Somehow Matt didn’t strike me as the type of guy to be receptive to the occult. “How about you?”

“Well, I’m with Lyle & Smart. I’m a stockbroker. Are you interested in the market at all?”

He caught me with my mouth full. “I don’t really … know much about investing.”

“You know, most people don’t, Julia, but I’d be happy to talk to you about it some more if you’re interested.”

“To tell you the truth, Matt”—I managed to swallow my food—“I don’t really have any money to invest right now. I’m self-
employed, and … uh … you know, making ends meet, building my business.”

“Oh, I understand, believe me. It’s tough. What kind of business do you have?”

“I do personal consultations.”

“Really?” Matt queried.

He was not going to let this go. “I’m an astrologer.”

“You don’t say!” His eyes widened. He was quiet for a moment. “You mean you can tell the future?”

I cringed. “Uh, no, not exactly. Not the way you mean.”

“Hey, if you don’t mind, maybe I could talk to you about that sometime.”

“Sure,” I replied, surprised and mentally kicking myself for assuming Matt would be someone who’d ridicule my interests. “I’ll give you one of my cards later.”

Matt nodded. “I’d appreciate that.”

When our dinner finished, Geneva and David rose and circulated among their guests, greeting family and friends. I danced to a few romantic ballads with Matt, Dan, and a white-haired Leary uncle. Brooke and Rob then stepped onto the dance floor, while Dan stood by his mother, her arm hooked through his, watching the festivities. David and Matt sat on the sidelines, enjoying a beer while Matt regaled David with newlywed jokes and laughed heartily at each punch line. David, looking a little tipsy, smiled and nodded dutifully. I spotted Geneva chatting with the DJ. Ashley was still scampering around, dispersing rose petals over the courtyard and picking up used ones and dumping them in the fountain. Andy was nowhere to be seen.

At the far edge of the pavilion, Sally Stark had cornered Moira. Sally’s face was thrust forward, and she emphasized her words with a finger pointed at Moira’s chest. Moira leaned back against the archway, her expression contemptuous. Sally took a deep breath, reached for her wineglass, and downed it completely before storming away.

I breathed a sigh of relief. The celebration was almost over and in spite of some upset, nothing had gone terribly wrong. It was as good a time as any to get comfortable. I headed for the dressing room, kicked off my shoes, and dug a pair of sandals out of my tote bag. I soaked a facecloth in cool water and held it to the back of my neck. There wasn’t much I could do about my hair until I reached a shower and washed the hair spray out. I tucked a few straggling wisps back in place and wandered into the courtyard, empty now that everyone had moved into the dance pavilion.

I had no desire to return to the noisy crowd and instead headed for the stairway that led to the creek below the restaurant. Matt spotted me and hurried away from the dance floor.

“Hey, Julia,” he called. He pulled a pen from his jacket and scribbled on the back of his business card. “Here’s my birth date and time. Maybe I could call you to set up an appointment?”

“Sure.” Well, there you go, I thought. The last person I’d ever expect wants to be my client. I gave him my business number as I glanced at his birth information.

“Where were you born, Matt?”

“Oh. Chicago. You need the birthplace?”

“Yes, for the latitude and longitude.”

“Who knew?” He smiled.

“How come you’re not out on the dance floor?”

“I plan to be. I’ve got my eye on that woman who’s dancing with Rob right now.”

I glanced toward the pavilion and saw a tall, sultry-looking redhead in a dark green clingy dress.

“Do you know who that is?” he asked.

I shook my head. “No. Maybe she’s one of the teachers from Geneva’s school.”

“Well, then, I definitely went to the wrong school.” He smiled again and turned away, hoping to position himself near the object of his desire as soon as she was free. Just then, Moira, standing at the edge of the crowd, spotted us. She drifted in our direction and wrapped her arms around Matt’s neck.

“Hey,” she said, moving even closer to him. “Let’s dance.” I caught a strong whiff of alcohol on her breath.

“If you insist,” he responded, glancing over her shoulder at me and looking slightly embarrassed. As they moved onto the floor, she once again wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body close to his. Andy had reappeared and glared at them darkly from the sidelines.

I left Matt to Moira’s wiles and headed toward the creek. Darkness closed in as I descended. Light from the Inn’s windows offered slight illumination, enough to see outcroppings of rocks lining the creek bed. It was deliciously cool, and quiet except for the gurgling of the creek. I sat and gathered my dress around my knees. Leaning against the banister, I drank in the night air. A full moon had risen over the hills to the east and the sky was filled with stars never visible in the glow and fog of the city.

Voices from above filtered down. I turned and looked up to the top of the wooden stairway. Two figures were outlined against the light of the Inn’s kitchen windows. A man and a woman. A woman who wore a gown exactly like mine but was shorter than Brooke. It was Moira. I couldn’t identify the man standing against the light. Was it Andy? There was a glimmer of a cigarette as he inhaled. They hadn’t seen me and were arguing in sibilant whispers. Suddenly, Moira’s voice became louder.

“I don’t need you to tell me …” She backed away unsteadily from the man.

“Look, calm down … we’ll talk …”

Only snatches of their conversation reached me. Should I somehow make my presence known, or hope they wouldn’t see me? I didn’t relish being an eavesdropper at a private argument.

Moira raised her arm to strike at the man, but he grabbed her wrist. She pulled her arm away and turned, stumbling slightly. Her head was down and I was almost certain she was crying. She ran around the side of the building, heading back to the dance floor. The man swore softly, threw his cigarette on the ground, and crushed it with the toe of his shoe. He turned and followed her. I still hadn’t been able to see his face.

The mood of the moment broken, I gave up my oasis and climbed the stairway, following the path Moira and her unknown man had taken a few moments before. As I turned the corner of the Inn, I crashed into Dan coming from the other direction. I caught my breath and jumped back.

“Oh sorry, Julia. Didn’t know anyone was here. Didn’t mean to scare you. Just trying to slip away and grab a smoke.” Dan has the brilliant blue eyes shared by the rest of the family. One of his front teeth had been chipped in a teenage fight, and when he smiled, it gave a rakish air to his features.

“Moira was here a minute ago,” I said. “She was arguing with someone.”

Dan grimaced. “That’s no surprise.”

“Was it you?”

“Me? No. Probably fighting with Andy.”

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”

Dan sighed. “Well, my sister can be pretty outrageous when she wants. Sorry you had to see her like that earlier, too.” He pulled a packet of cigarettes and a lighter out of his jacket pocket. “She’s had way too much to drink. I’m keeping my fingers crossed she doesn’t ruin the rest of Geneva’s night. Fortunately, the party’s almost over and Geneva and Dave’ll be leaving soon.” He offered me a cigarette from the pack in his pocket. “Would you like one?”

“No thanks. I totally quit a few years ago.”

“Good for you. I’m still trying,” he replied ruefully as he flicked his lighter and lit the cigarette. “Hey, I haven’t really had a chance to talk to you alone. I was so sorry to hear about … ” He trailed off.

I nodded. “Michael. Yes.”

“How are you doing?”

“I’m getting by. Coping, I guess. But I’m doing okay.” I changed the subject before he could ask more questions. “How about you? What are you up to these days?”

“Me? Well, I studied computers and got a fancy certificate, but as soon as I was done, the bottom kind of fell out. I decided to stick with electrical work, like Dad. I set up on my own.”

“That’s great. Is it going well?”

“Yup. More work than I can handle.” Dan took another drag from his cigarette. “I should quit too. Hey, do you know when they’re leaving on their cruise?”

“Day after tomorrow. They’re staying at David’s house while they get ready to get out of town.”

“That makes sense. Listen, Julia, after this we’re all heading over to Brooke’s. Mom and Matt and Andy and everyone. I hope you’ll come too? Brooke wants everyone to stay overnight—she’s planning a big breakfast party in the morning. Besides, we could use an extra pair of hands loading up the cars with the gifts.”

“Thanks, I think I will. Geneva invited me too.” What I really wanted was to sleep in my own bed, but my car was at my grandmother’s house in North Beach. Brooke had been kind enough to drive me to the Inn, and I hesitated to ask anyone for a ride all the way downtown again. “Are you sure one more guest won’t be any trouble for them?”

“Not at all. They have a huge house. Plenty of room. I’m heading home tonight, but I’ll be there in the morning. I can give you a lift after that.”

We heard shouts from the patio above. “Sounds like they’re getting ready to cut the cake.” Dan smiled and flicked his cigarette to the ground, crushing it under his shoe. “We should get back.”

A high-pitched scream cut the air. He froze. “What the hell?”

“Something’s wrong.” I gathered up my skirts and hurried toward the sound.