Page 59 of Merry Murder Season
Dom stepped closer to Lille before he spoke. I wasn’t even sure he realized what he was doing. “I considered Gunter more than just a friend. He was my brother. I thought he was on board with our move to respectability, but he must have been working on this scam for years. He and Matty were close. He knew her before she moved here.”
Lille rubbed his arm with her left hand and something sparkled on her ring finger.
“Wait, what’s that?” I asked as my eyes widened. “Are you two engaged?”
Lille narrowed her eyes as she glared at me. “What? Did you think you and your friends were the only ones who could find a man?”
Dom chuckled and held out Lille’s hand. “Lille, be nice. It’s a beauty, isn’t it? I had to get your uncle’s approval, first, but then I surprised her this morning after taking a ride up the coast to this beautiful spot overlooking the ocean. We’re getting married.” He kissed her cheek.
“Congratulations. The ring is beautiful and I wish you both all the best.” I did hope that this was Lille’s soul mate. Maybe Dom would make her nicer. Marriage had worked for Josh. Finding the love of a good man or woman could change someone. Even Jim wasa little nicer.
“Please thank Beth for helping me pick out the ring. She translated all the clues this one gave me over the years.” Dom squeezed Lille and she giggled. “It has my mom’s old stones in the setting as well as a new one, just for myLilly flower.”
Lille giggled again. The world must have shifted. I felt Emma lean against my leg, so I assumed I was awake. “I’lllet her know.”
Now, I understood why Dom and Beth talked so much. Yes, they were talking about his sister and the effect of the cult on the family structure, but he was also planningthis surprise.
The surprise that Beth had warned me about had arrived. Lille was getting married. I wondered if the theme would be black goth or Halloween. Somehow, I didn’t see her in a white princess wedding gown. But maybe a silky white gown that accentuated all her curves and assets. I didn’t know why I was thinking about Lille’s wedding dress. I probably wouldn’t be invited to the ceremony anyway.
“I better go. Greg’s expecting a call when I get home. He’s a little overprotective.”
Dom smiled and nodded at me as we started to leave. “I understandhis feelings.”
I tried not to hear Lille giggle again. The first one had nearly put me into catatonic shock. As we hurried home, I hoped that the happy couple would stay that way. Dom seemed nice, even with his sordid past. Had Lille finally found her bad boy with aheart of gold?
When I got home, I let Emma off the leash and she ran to the water dish in the kitchen. I could hear Beth chatting with someone on the phone.
She smiled as I came into the kitchen. “She’s here, do you want to talk to her?”
“I was talking to Dom and Lille and they told me the good news.” I didn’t wait to let her hear Greg’s response. I grabbed a bottle of water and sat down at the table, putting Beth’s gift on the table.
“Oh, he popped the question?” Beth did a little joy jump. The girl was all about the good news. “Sorry, Greg, I’ve got to go. Cookies tobake and all.”
She sat next to me. “Isn’t the ring the most stunning thing you’ve ever seen? I went with him to pick out the setting. I hopeshe loves it.”
“She seemed happy. Sorry I questioned your motives with Dom.” I moved the gift bag toward her. “This is to help you stay on track in January when you go back to school.”
Beth opened the bag and pulled out a planner and a goal-setting book that Deek had loved. “This is amazing. I usually use a cheap planner I can get at the dollar store. This has stickers and everything.”
“If you’re going to be a professor, you need a good planner for all your appointments and wise thoughts.” I drank more water as I watched her page through the planner. “Make sure you put my birthday in there. I don’t want you to miss it.”
She went to her purse and grabbed a purple pen. “Okay, give me your birthday and Greg’s. I alreadyknow Amanda’s.”
After she played with the planner for a bit, she put it in the living room and then washed her hands. “I’m glad you’re back. It’s time to make peanutbutter kisses.”
And just like that, we were back in Christmas mode. I turned up the carols on the radio and we spent the afternoon covered in sugar and flour. By the time Greg came in the door, the kitchen was clean, and the ham was baked along with a batch of scalloped potatoes. A pumpkin pie sat on the counter, cooling. The house smelled like the holidays.
We sat down around the table as a mini family. As Beth prayed over the food and our lives, I silently added to the prayer that Jim would figure out that this woman was already part of our family. Allhe had to do was accept her for who she was. Even Lille had found her soul mate. Jim just had to open his eyes and unharden his heart.
Just before Beth said amen, I also said a prayer for Chris and Chip. Their happily ever after hadn’t happened, but hopefully, Chris would find someone else. Or at least find something thatmade her happy.
Life was too short for anyone to be miserable.
Chapter 24
Beth left South Cove Monday morning with her planner in her backpack and a promise to check in on Tuesday night for book club. I had the day free, but the house seemed empty, so I bagged up some cookies and headed into town to drop off the product of our Christmas cookie mania with my friends. First up, City Hall and Amy, then I’d pop into the station.
Amy was at the desk when I came in and her eyes brightened when she saw the bag. She waved me over to her desk and glanced around the empty room. “Thanks for these. I’m starvingand I’m late.”
