Proposals and Poison Read online

  “Before they were even married? That seems kind of morbid.” I stared out the window as we approached. “None of it sounds right.”

  “Let’s try to think of something else for a little while so you can enjoy your wedding.” Luke turned the car off.

  “Oh no, this is not one of my weddings,” I insisted.

  Luke chuckled as he helped me from the car. “If you say so.”

  “I do,” I hissed, but it was loud enough that a woman looked askance at me as we walked around the back of the house.

  Luke’s smile broadened, and he squeezed my hand. “I do, too,” he whispered.

  We passed a handwritten sign on cardboard that had been tacked onto one of the trees. It had a big red arrow pointing toward the backyard, and the words declared, Hank & Gladys Forever. We had to duck under a wire clothesline that was draped with purple and red crepe paper. There were a few long white tables flanking the side of a sagging barn, and various folding chairs, rocking chairs, and large stumps dotted the yard, where a makeshift altar was set up near the horse trough.

  We stopped and signed in at the guest book, and I set the handmade wedding card I’d brought in a vellum envelope on the table. The design was one of my favorites, because the one edge of the card was torn and then brushed with ink to make it look old—almost like the antique wedding cards I collected.

  We wove through the obstacle course of mismatched furniture toward the middle of the yard. My eyes bulged when a cow came over near the fence and nearly ate some crepe paper before someone shooed it away. Luke’s shoulders moved in quiet laughter, and I tugged on his hand. He looked at me, and the mirth in his eyes made me laugh, but I wasn’t so good at the silent laughter.

  Luke led me back to a pair of rickety folding chairs, and we sat underneath an ancient willow tree. “This is nice,” he murmured.

  “Now, you stop,” I whispered. “It’s not every day you get married for the fifth time.”

  Luke laughed so hard he snorted, and he stopped abruptly and sat up straight in his chair. The music started then: it was the traditional wedding march, the tinny quality coming from an old tape player that was plugged into an extension cord coming from the barn. Everyone quieted, but then the music stopped and we heard someone say, “False alarm. The bride ain’t ready yet.”

  “Maybe they are waiting on a few more guests,” I said. “By the way, I forgot to tell you that I asked Gladys about Lily testifying. She wasn’t sure if it was against Rose or not.”

  “That makes me feel a little bit better, but I still don’t know why Lily would tell her,” Luke said.

  “I’m not so sure that she did. Gladys is extremely flighty, and it was hard to keep her on topic. I don’t know if she was deliberately changing the subject, but maybe she overheard something instead of actually being told.”

  Luke nodded and turned his head to glance down the path behind us. He stiffened, and I turned to see who had arrived. A woman wearing a sleek red dress, holding the hand of a little Latina girl in a frilly yellow dress, stopped at the guest book. She flipped one of her dark brown curls across her shoulder and bent to sign the book.

  “Rose and Jasmine?” I whispered.

  Luke nodded, his lips turning down in a frown.

  I reached over and pretended to smooth his mouth upwards into a smile. “Relax. It’s a public setting.” But even I knew that attorneys didn’t like to be seen in public with the opposing side of the courtroom.

  I held my breath as she walked past us and to the other side of the yard. She took a seat, settled Jasmine in beside her, and looked up. Her eyes widened when she saw Luke.

  I quickly averted my own gaze, murmuring quietly to Luke and motioning to the refreshment table set up near us. “Hey, pretend you’re really interested in these refreshments while Rose checks us out and decides if we’re a threat or not.”

  Luke leaned his head toward mine. “You watch too many detective shows. You know that, don’t you?”

  “Only Castle,” I retorted. “I’m too busy to watch anything else.” Well, I did sneak in a few home remodeling shows on HGTV sometimes, but I doubted Luke would be interested in those.

  He smiled. “Thanks for inviting me, even if I do know what you’re scheming.”

  “What?” I whispered.

  “You got me to attend this so I can recognize what an expert you are when I come to one of your weddings.”

  I nudged him with my elbow. “Not my scheme at all.”

  Luke put his arm around me and pulled me toward him. “Well, I can tell the difference. You do great work, Adri.”

  His words made me feel all wobbly inside, and I might’ve glanced at his lips and wondered how it would feel to kiss them. Instead, I leaned my head on his shoulder. “Thank you.”

  The music started again, and Gladys arrived. She walked along the grass in low heels, watching Hank as she approached. She wore a peach-colored jacket over a bright-purple skirt. Her wardrobe suited her well, and as she stood next to Hank in what looked to be a new pair of Wranglers and a snap cowboy shirt with a bolo tie, it didn’t really matter that they hadn’t spent a fortune on their wedding.

  The preacher gave a few words of advice and then asked Gladys if she would have Hank as her husband.

  She nodded vigorously. “I do, I surely do.” I could see her squeezing Hank’s hand.

  The preached then turned to Hank. “Mr. Hank Shaffer, do you take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife?”

  The audience collectively leaned forward for the crowning moment of the evening. Then, out of nowhere, I thought I heard an old Chris LeDeux song called “8 Second Ride” start to play. I looked at Luke and he scrunched his eyebrows, turning an ear toward the sound which seemed to be coming from Hank’s back pocket.

  “I do,” Hank said. The song grew louder and he jolted, then grabbed the phone from his pocket. And answered it. “Hello?” He held the phone close to his ear and took one step away from Gladys.

  I tugged on Luke’s hand and mouthed, “What?!”

  He subtly shook his head and grinned. Gladys didn’t seem perturbed; she lifted up her bouquet of daisies and sniffed them daintily. The preacher’s face was stoic and his concentration was focused on Hank, who was still on the phone. The preacher checked his watch and then said, “I now pronounce you man and wife. Congratulations.”

  Hank held one finger up and then said, “Well, Earl, I’ll have to get back with you on that. I’m just gettin’ hitched right now.” There was a pause. “No, not my horse, to my wife.”

  Everyone laughed, and then Hank ended the call. I kept laughing because Luke was laughing and trying to hold it in, but the craziness of it all was leaking out the corners of his eyes.

  “Thank you all for coming,” Gladys said. “Please enjoy the refreshments.” She hugged Hank.

  “Luke, I can’t believe it. He forgot to kiss the bride,” I sputtered.

  “I guess you’re right. Oh well, that’s just a technicality, right?”

  I looked up toward the sky. “I’ve never.”

  Luke put his face right next to mine. “What are we looking at? Are they releasing doves?”

  “Quit making me laugh. My sides hurt already.” I poked him and he moved over, but I could still feel the stubble on his cheek against mine and smell the hint of pine in his cologne.

  He stood and held out his hand. “Would you care for some refreshments?”

  “I’d love that.”

  We walked over to the long tables graced with red and purple tablecloths and decorated with paper plates of E.L. Fudge cookies, Oreos, and bowls of M&M’s. There were also cups of homemade root beer and ... I wasn’t sure, but maybe some cups of moonshine. Luke and I steered clear of the unknown and stuck with E.L. Fudge.

  We sat back down, and I surveyed the guests. It was a motley crowd, some dressed nicely in skirts or suits and several dressed casual. There were even a few younger relations wearing stained tank tops and sporting mullets, ball caps, and shorts. G
uests were starting to exit the backyard, some carrying plates full of Oreos and M&M’s, when a new visitor arrived: a Latino with close-cropped black hair, wearing tan cargo pants and the skimpy white tank tops we used to call wife-beaters, charged in through the back gate. Luke didn’t just flinch; he jumped out of his chair, dropping his paper plate of M&M’s, and headed for the man I assumed to be Javier Benavidez.

  “What are you doing bringing my daughter here?” The man stomped over to Rose and pointed at Jasmine.

  “She’s my daughter too!” Rose stood. “This is uncalled for. You weren’t invited to this wedding.”

  “I told you I don’t want you taking Jasmine anywhere without letting me know first.”

  “Hi, Daddy,” Jasmine said.

  The little girl stepped forward, but Rose pulled her back and stomped her foot. “This is a wedding, you—”

  “Javier,” Luke interrupted. “Talk to me for a minute.” He pulled Javier aside, and Luke spoke softly while Javier muttered angrily.

  “Mr. Luke, what seems to be the problem here?” The preacher addressed Luke and watched Javier warily.

  “I think we’ve about got it settled,” Luke said. “I apologize for the outburst.” He turned to Javier and said something I couldn’t hear. Javier gestured to Rose and Jasmine several times, and then left.

  Luke didn’t say anything to Rose. He headed straight for me and held out his hand. “Is it okay if we go now?”

  “Sure.” I took his hand and let him help me to my feet. He kept hold of my hand as we exited the yard.

  “I can’t believe he did that,” Luke spat. “He completely disregarded all the warnings and guidance I gave him. He’s not supposed to talk to Rose except through an attorney because of how heated things have been in the courtroom. He may have just sabotaged his own case.”

  “I’m sorry. That was really bad,” I said. “I saw a couple people pull out their phones. They might have snapped a picture.”

  “Or called the police,” Luke grumbled. He walked me to the car and unlocked the door.

  “Well, nothing really happened,” I replied. “Javier just yelled, but he didn’t touch Rose or Jasmine. It was good that you were there to break up the fight before it got ugly.”

  Luke groaned. “All of those witnesses.”

  “And don’t forget the preacher, Mr. Luke.”

  That cracked a smile, and Luke pulled me close. “Thanks for letting me rant.”

  “Anytime. You’ve listened to me plenty,” I said.

  “Not really. I need to work on that—listening to you.” He put his hand on my cheek. “You’re good for me, you know?”

  He stroked my cheek with his thumb and forefinger, and it was like a match striking the box and bursting into flame. He leaned toward me, and I almost closed my eyes; the moment sparkled with anticipation. Luke kissed my cheek and then my forehead before pulling me into his arms.

  “You’re good for me too,” I murmured. And I meant it.

  “MR. RIGHT” AND “MRS. ALWAYS RIGHT” PILLOWS

  This pillow set is the perfect gift for an older couple. Embroider, applique, or stencil the words “Mr. Right” onto one decorative pillow. Next put the words “Mrs. Always Right” on the second pillow. You could also screen print the words onto a matching set of pillowcases.

  Courtesy of www.mashedpotatoesandcrafts.com

  I awoke the next morning, drowsy from dreams of red and purple crepe paper monsters and Javier yelling and chasing them through the barn. Shaking off the convoluted nightmare, I decided to focus on that magical moment when Luke had told me I was good for him. My insides warmed with the spark that I’d felt between us when he’d kissed my cheek—almost my lips.

  The pleasant butterflies floating in my belly thinking of almost-kissing Luke were replaced with angry hornets when I saw the Saturday morning news recap headlining the arrest of Tim Esplin in the murder of Lily Rowan. The police had decided to arrest him after all, and bail was set for one million dollars. I ground my teeth together. “He didn’t do it,” I murmured.

  There was plenty to do in preparation for Trixie and Derek’s wedding, but I stopped by the Ketchum police station on my way to the shop. Tony was in his office, surrounded by stacks of files. “Tony, can I talk to you for a minute?”

  There was a clear space on his desk where he leaned his forearms and surveyed my stance. “Shoot.”

  “Why did you arrest Tim? You know he didn’t kill Lily.”

  Tony huffed. “Evidence is what puts things in motion. I couldn’t stop the amount of evidence or its veracity from implicating Tim. I’m sorry, Adri, but I don’t think he’s innocent.”

  “But what about the motive that Luke talked to you about? I saw Rose last night with her daughter, and she seemed fiercely protective of her.”

  “That was kind of a long shot. We went out and talked to Gladys, and she couldn’t remember where she’d heard that information,” Tony said. “Have a seat.” He gestured at the hard plastic chair in front of his desk, and I sat on the edge.

  “That’s kind of odd, don’t you think?” Although I wasn’t surprised that Gladys couldn’t pinpoint where she’d “heard” the information, I kind of hoped that the police would be able to get more out of her.

  Tony tapped his finger on the desk. “Murder and everything related to it is odd. That’s why you need detectives to figure things out.” He said the last part pointedly and I felt the jab, but I wasn’t ready to give up.

  “Did you at least question Rose?”

  “Rose has a solid alibi for the entire day of Lily’s murder. She wasn’t even in town.” Tony stacked another file folder.

  “Where was she, then?” I asked.

  “She was at a design conference in Boise and she was seen by several of the associates there,” Tony replied. “I talked to them myself and one of them faxed me her business card with a note she’d written on it about a bid.”

  The backs of my legs felt tight from all the nervous tension I held there. I rolled my ankle, hearing it pop several times. “Tim is innocent. You’ve got to look at someone else, or tell me who to look at. If it’s not Rose, then why isn’t Phil behind bars?”

  “I can’t go over all the details of the case with you,” Tony said. “We don’t make an arrest unless we have evidence. The euthanizing agent came from Tim’s clinic. He doesn’t have an alibi, and he has motive.”

  I shook my head. “What motive?”

  “There’s more to this than you can see.” Tony stood and walked around the desk. “You’ll have to trust me on this one.”

  “Can I talk to Tim?”

  Tony’s lips folded into a frown. “I’ll let you know.”

  “Wait, I heard on the news that only Tim and his assistant have access to the euthanizing agent. That’s probably Vickie, isn’t it? What about her?”

  “Adri,” Tony’s voice was stern.

  I pushed on anyway with my line of questioning. “She could totally have something to do with this. Have you met her? The woman couldn’t even smile at my cat.”

  Tony chuckled. “Yes, I’ve met her and she also has a very good alibi.”

  I groaned. “How good?”

  “She was getting her hair done,” Tony said. “The salon verified her appointment.”

  My shoulders slumped. “Okay. Thanks for answering my questions. I’m really not trying to be a pain.”

  “I know.” He patted my shoulder, and I heard the unspoken ending to his sentence: But you are one. Or maybe I just imagined that’s what my older brother’s best friend would have said to the younger sister who always found a way to tag along.

  The police station was largely quiet for a Saturday morning. I knew which hallway led to the jail, but now wasn’t the time to try to talk to Tim. That was a request that I’d have to follow up on my own. I was pretty sure that Tony wouldn’t let me know if I could talk to his prime murder suspect. What was I missing, and what kind of motive could Tim have to murder Lily before they we
re married? I shook my head. There wasn’t time to investigate now. I had Sadie—er, Trixie’s wedding that evening.

  I stopped by the pet store to get a new set of food dishes for Sadie and Mike to go along with their homemade dog treats. I planned to take them to the shop and wrap a white bow around each of them. On my way out of the store, I saw Jessie. Her eyes were puffy and red, and Gavin wasn’t by her side. I’d never seen her without her son, so my first thought was that something must be wrong with him.

  “Jessie, what’s wrong? Where’s Gavin?”

  She jolted, and eyed me warily before taking a breath. “He’s at the babysitter’s.”

  “Oh. Can I help you with anything?”

  Tears leaked out the sides of her eyes and trickled down her high cheekbones. “It’s Drago. They’ve accused him of embezzling from Lost Trails Construction.”

  I sucked in a breath. I still hadn’t met Drago, but Jessie was so sweet and down to earth, I couldn’t imagine that she’d get mixed up with someone pulling something illegal ... although, as soon as the thought crossed my mind, I thought of Gavin and of how Jessie had admitted she was young and naive and too trusting. But she’d grown up, hadn’t she?

  I rummaged through my purse for a tissue and handed it over. “Are you worried that he might have done something?” I asked as gently as I could.

  Jessie shook her head. “Never. Drago loves America. He tells me all the time about how lucky we are to have grown up with this kind of independence and privileges. He never had that in Croatia. Drago would never break laws that would jeopardize his freedom.”

  “So this Lost Trails Construction, are they going to go bankrupt?”

  Jessie shrugged. “I’m not sure. I know things are really bad. They’ve suspended several projects that were supposed to start this week. Drago actually picked up a few of the customers they’ve dropped and we thought things were going to work out, but now Phil Andrus has decided to take legal action. His daughter, Rose, has some fancy lawyer who is encouraging them to sue.”