with Skye’s decision to refuse her cousin’s request.
But sometime after Skye had hit thirty, being in weddings had lost its appeal. She’d stood up for several of her sorority sisters right after college, a couple of friends while she’d been in the peace corps, and her graduate school roommate the year before she’d moved back home. Being a bridesmaid was a lot of work, not to mention a huge expense, and seven hideous dresses she could never wear again were her limit.
May narrowed her emerald eyes and stared into her daughter’s matching ones. “But once she asks you, you are going to say yes, right?”
“My question stands. Why would Bailey want me to be her maid of honor?” Skye held firm. “She was only twelve when I left for college, by the time I moved back to Scumble River she’d left, and we haven’t seen each other in all those years.”
“Blood is blood no matter how long it is between visits,” May countered. “She idolized you. She followed you around at family gatherings and begged her mother to hire you as her babysitter.”
Skye refused to be swayed. “But we haven’t kept in touch. Not to mention, I’m not even entirely sure how we’re related.”
“Your grandma Denison, and Bailey’s grandmother Dora, are sisters. That makes your father, and Bailey’s mother Rose, first cousins,” May explained to Skye. “And since both Rose and Bailey are only children, close or not, you are Bailey’s only female relative young enough to be in her wedding.”
“How about Bailey’s father’s people?” Skye knew Rose was a widow, but couldn’t remember the details.
“He wasn’t from around here, and Rose lost touch with them after he died.”
“Oh.” Skye paused, then shook her head. “Anyway, I just don’t have the money.”
“That’s the best part. Bailey’s fiance is filthy rich—it’s a shame he couldn’t come with her so the family could meet him—and he’s paying for everything. They’ve even hired a wedding planner from California who’s going to be in Scumble River for the entire month before the wedding.”
“Impressive.” Skye understood her mother’s awe. May had never had a lot of money, so being able to spend it on frivolous nonessentials seemed like a fairy tale to her. “But I’m sorry. The answer’s still no.”
“I wish you’d reconsider, Skye,” an elderly, quavering voice said from the bed.
Skye whirled in that direction. She and May had been so intent in their conversation, she hadn’t realized anyone else was in the room.
Cora Denison, Skye’s grandmother, swung her legs over the side of the mattress and struggled to get up. At eighty-five, she had buried a husband, two stillborn babies, and a grandson. Up until Halloween, she’d made a batch of her famous Parker House rolls nearly every Sunday, but she hadn’t been feeling well for the past few weeks.
Skye rushed to her side and helped Cora to her feet, then handed her the cane that had been leaning against the wall. Skye felt her heart sink. Having lost both her grandfathers and her grandma Leofanti, she wasn’t ready for her last remaining grandparent to die, but it was clear that Cora was failing.
Once she was steady, Cora said, “I’d really like you to be in Bailey’s wedding.”
Skye opened her mouth to explain why she couldn’t, but a movement near the door drew her attention. Standing on the threshold was Skye’s father, Jed, his faded brown eyes pleading with Skye to agree with her grandmother’s request.
What could she do? Skye knew a lot of people thought she needed to grow a spine where her family was concerned, but there was no way she could disappoint her grandmother or her father, neither of whom often asked her for anything.
Smiling, she said, “If
As she gave Cora a hug, Skye mentally shrugged. How bad could it be? All she’d have to do was buy a few gifts, throw a bridal shower, and attend the rehearsal dinner, the ceremony, and the reception. The wedding planner would do the rest.
Suddenly a shiver ran down Skye’s spine. All the murders that had taken place in Scumble River during the past few years flashed through her mind. Most of them seemed to occur when some big event in town brought in a lot of outsiders. She sure hoped this wedding didn’t prove to be equally deadly.
Other Scumble River Mysteries
