Page 53 of In Dangerous Water

The ball was in full swing. Tim and I stood at the bar sipping on bubbly spiced cider mocktails. We chatted easily with Estella, Chauncey, Arianna and Rafe.

Estella was wearing a sexy black halter top dress. It was accented with a lace up corset at the waist, and gray bats were scattered across the sheer overlay of the dress. Chauncey wore a pale gray suit with a black shirt and a black and gray striped tie.

Arianna wore a pretty black maternity dress. To accent it she had tied a bright orange ribbon under her breasts. Rafe had also coordinated with his wife and wore a black suit with a burnt orange dress shirt, open at the collar.

“I love this sparkling cider,” I told Estella.

“We decided to offer some mocktails this year,” she said.

Arianna sipped at hers. “I’m glad you did. Otherwise, I’d have been stuck with ginger-ale all night long.”

Gabriella, Drusilla and their husbands walked by and gave us a wave as they headed over to the DJ’s stage to announce the winners of the raffle for the winery gift baskets.

While the winners’ names were called, Tim and I worked our way back to our family’s table and sat.

Brynn and Austin were all cozied up and making goo-goo eyes at each other.

Skye glanced up at me and lifted her phone. “Mom and Dad asked me to send some photos of us all dressed up. Say, Happy Halloween!”

Tim put his arm around my shoulder, and we smiled for Skye’s cell phone camera.

When my sister aimed it at Brynn and Austin, she had to clear her throat to get their attention.

“Jeez guys,” she said. “Get a room.”

Austin smiled. “We already have a suite, right upstairs.”

Brynn chuckled at that, but she and Austin were good sports, and both smiled for the camera. A moment later, they got up to dance.

I smiled to see my oldest sister so happy. They swayed out there together on the dance floor. Brynn, in her purple sparkly party dress with sheer black sleeves, and Austin in his dark suit. “I never pictured Austin as the kind of guy to wear a purple tie with bats on it,” I told Skye.

Skye rolled her eyes. “He’d do anything for Brynn. I have money on the table that he’ll put a ring on her finger by New Year.”

“Probably,” I agreed.

Tim nipped the phone from Skye’s hands. “You and Cordelia get up and go stand together. I’ll take your photo so you can send it to your folks.”

Skye hopped up, I stood, and we stepped back a few paces for Tim.

“Back a little farther,” he said, standing up to better aim the camera at us. “Back up more.”

“You can broaden the view on the screen,” Skye reminded him.

“Step back again,” Tim said.

We did and bumped solidly into someone.

“Sorry!” we said in unison, and when I turned to see who we’d collided with, I discovered that it was Charlie, the buff security guard.

“Hello, Cordelia,” he said pleasantly.

“Hi there,” I said. It was clear that Charlie was working the event. While he did have a suit on, he also wore his name tag.

“I don’t think we’ve met,” he said pointedly to Skye.

Skye stuck out her hand. “Skye Golden.”

“Charlie Smythe,” he said. Taking her hand in his, he held it. “That’s a hell of a dress, Ms. Golden.”

---