Daisy hadn't brought anything to wear to a wedding reception. The only dress she'd brought was a white tank,and it really wasn't appropriate. Maybe she'd just send a gift. 'Are you registered anywhere?'
'Oh, don't worry about that.' She smiled. 'But yes, I am. Donna's Gifts on Fifth.'
Of course. Everyone registered at Donna's.
'See ya tonight,' Shay said as she moved away.
Daisy watched her disappear around a corner and she smiled again. Little Shay Brewton was marrying wildJimmy Calhoun. Growing up, there really hadn't been any boys more insane than Jimmy and his brothers.
Except maybe Jack.
Jack had always been wrapped crazy. It had never been enough for him to race his bike as fast as it would go;he had to lift his hands from the handle bars, or stand on the seat. It wasn't enough to chase dust devils; he hadto play outside when the weather service predicted an Fl tornado. He thought he was invincible, like superman.
Steven had been more daredevil than Daisy, but even he hadn't attempted half the stuff Jack had. He'd neverjumped from his roof into a pile of leaves and broken his leg. Or put a motorcycle engine on a homemade go- cart and driven around town as if he were at Talladega.
Jack had done that. He'd done it even though he knew his dad would whoop his butt. And Ray Parrish had, butit'd been worth it to Jack.
Steven Monroe had always been the safe one - dependable - while Jack had raced through life full throttle as ifhis hair was on fire.
Hanging around with the craziest boy in school had been a lot of fun. Getting romantically involved with himhad been a huge mistake.
One in which she and Steven and Jack had all paid a high price.
Chapter Three
The Lovett Country Club sat on the edge of an eighteen-hole golf course. #Elm trees lined the drive from thegates to the entrance of the building. Visitors had to walk across a bridge to get to the front doors. A stream ranbeneath the bridge and emptied into a pond filled with koi, their red and white bodies swaying in the slowcurrent.
At half past eight, Daisy pulled into a parking spot next to a Mercedes. This was the first time she'd gone out byherself since Steven's passing, and it did feel strange. Like she'd forgotten something at home. The sort ofpanicky feeling she'd usually get when she was in line at the airport before a trip, like she'd left the tickets onthe dining room table even though she knew they were in her purse. She wondered how much longer until thepanicky feeling went away? Until she was used to going out alone.
And dating. Forget it. She didn't think she'd ever be ready for that.
Daisy entered the glass double doors and caught a glimpse of her smeared reflection in the polished brass railingas she walked past the restaurant and down a long hall toward the banquet room. She wore a red sleevelesscocktail dress she'd borrowed from Lily. Daisy was a few inches taller than her five-foot-two-inch sister, a littlebigger in the chest too. Red might not be the most appropriate color to wear to a wedding reception, but it wasthe only dress Lily owned that wasn't too short or too tight across Daisy's breasts.
Covered silk buttons ran up the right side from the hem to her armpit, and her mother's small red purse hungfrom a long gold chain on her shoulder.
She set the gift she'd bought earlier on a table beside the door, and she moved just inside the banquet room. Thebridal party stood before teal-and-gold swags in a traditional line while a male photographer snapped pictureswith a digital camera.
About two hundred people toasted the happy couple with flutes of champagne. Teal and gold festoonedeverything and colored candles flickered atop round tables covered in white cloths. To Daisy's left, rows ofchafing dishes served what looked like barbeque chicken, roast beef, vegetables, and chili. Most of the guestswere already seated while others milled around.
The photographer wasn't using a video light to capture the glow of the room, which Daisy thought was too bad.
If she'd been hired for the shoot, she would have packed a number of cameras and numerous lenses in hergearbox. In this particular room, she would have used 1600color film with on-camera flash and a video light toenhance ambient light in the background. Every photographer worked a little differently, though. This guy'sphotographs would probably turn out all right.
'...to Jimmy and Shay Calhoun,' someone toasted. Daisy grabbed a flute of champagne and turned her attentionfrom the photographer to tile bridal party. As her gaze scanned the line, she raised tile glass to her mouth,careful not to smudge her red lipstick. Behind her flute, Daisy smiled as her eyes took in her friend from highschool. Sylvia was decked out in some sort of teal gauze and gold satin harem-girl outfit. She was as big as ahouse. Not fat. Very pregnant. She looked tired, but as cute as ever, and was as short as Daisy remembered; andshe still wore the same lacquered bangs and big hair as in school.
Shay looked beautiful with her Texas-sized curls bouncing at her shoulder and soft veil floating like a cloudaround her. Jimmy Calhoun was better looking than he'd been when Daisy had lived here before. Or maybe hejust cleaned up nice in his tux. She wasn't sure, but his red hair was a shade or two darker and all his freckleshad faded.
'Excuse me, ma'am,' a voice she instantly recognized spoke directly behind her. She scooted sideways out ofthe doorway and glanced over her shoulder, looking past the defined line of Jack Parrish's mouth and up into hisbeautiful eyes.
His gaze locked with hers as he passed, and the sleeve of his charcoal blazer brushed her bare arm. Surprisehalted his footsteps for about half a heartbeat, and within that fraction of a second, something hot and aliveflashed behind his eyes. Just as quickly it was gone, and Daisy wasn't sure if it had been a trick of the twochandeliers overhead or of the flickering candlelight. He moved past, and she watched his broad shoulders andthe hack of his head as he wove his way through the crowd toward the bride and groom. His dark hair brushedthe back of his collar and looked finger-combed, as if he'd just taken off his hat, tossed it on the seat of his car,and fixed his hair. In his suit, he looked liked he'd just stepped out of a fashion magazine. And as always, hemoved with an easy, laid-back stride that made it clear he was in no great hurry to get anywhere.
A little flutter that had nothing to do with his looks, and everything to do with who he was to her and her son,stirred in her stomach.
'Daisy Lee Brooks!' Sylvia hollered and Daisy turned her gaze to her friend. 'You get over here.' Sylvia'svoice had always been bigger than the rest of her. It had made her an excellent cheerleader.
Daisy laughed and walked to the front. She moved to stand beside Jack, who was speaking with the groom. Shehugged her friend and Mr. and Mrs. Brewton. Sylvia introduced her to her husband, Chris, then said, 'Youremember Jimmy Calhoun.'
'Hello, Daisy.' Jimmy grinned, his silver tooth gone, replaced by porcelain. 'You look great.'
'Thank you.' She glanced up at Jack who was doing a good job of pretending she wasn't alive. Her gazelowered to his shoulders and the blue dress shirt between the lapels of his suit jacket. He wasn't wearing a tie.
She returned her attention to the groom. 'You look good yourself, Jimmy. I can't believe you married little ShayBrewton. I remember when Sylvia and I tried to teach her to ride a bike and she ran into a tree.'
Shay laughed and Jimmy said, 'I bet you thought I'd he in prison by now.'
In the seventh grade, Jimmy and his Calhoun brothers had piled into their daddy's Monte Carlo, pressed theirnaked behinds to the windows, and mooned the middle school. In the tenth, Jimmy had called in a bomb threatbecause he wanted to get out of school a few hours early. He got caught because he used the pay phone outsidethe principal's office. 'The thought never entered my head.'
Sylvia laughed because she knew better. Daisy felt herself relax. The flutter in her stomach calmed. Now wasn'tthe time nor place to tell Jack about Nathan. She didn't have to think about it. She could relax. Have fun withold friends. It had been a long time since she'd had a little fun.
'Jack, do you remember the time you and Steven and I got arrested for racing out on the old highway?' Jimmyasked.
