Vanessa waved her hand to dismiss the thought. “You’re an old friend. Your brother went to high school with Beck and your dad grew up with Hal. That trumps whatever came after.”
“Just thought I’d check. I hadn’t seen an invitation.”
“They’re just going out. Since they decided to move the date from June, they’re a few weeks off the normal schedule.”
“So who else is in the wedding party?”
“Mia’s brother Andy’s wife, Dorsey, is the other bridesmaid, and the matron of honor is a friend of Mia’s from when she was in the FBI. She wants both of her brothers to walk her down the aisle, since their dad died last year. Andy’s on board, but she had to fly to Montana to try to talk the other one into coming. Beck took her to the airport this morning.”
“I heard the one in Montana is, like, a recluse or something. Barbara and Nita were talking about it in the coffee shop. And they said that there was another brother who had been in the FBI, too, but he was, like, a really creepy guy, into all kinds of really bad stuff.”
Vanessa shrugged. “I don’t really know. Mia doesn’t talk about him, and I don’t ask.”
“Nice family your brother’s marrying into.” Steffie tilted her head back and took a long drink of water.
Vanessa glared.
Steffie shrugged. “I’m just saying.”
“I’ve met most of the others, and they’re all really nice.”
“What happened to the other brother? The creepy one?”
“Oh. Brendan.” Vanessa nodded. “All I know is that he’s dead, and everyone’s okay with that.”
“Maybe the one from Montana’s hot.” Steffie wiggled her eyebrows. “It could make for an interesting day.”
“I’ve met Andy, and I have to say, he is really cute. Mia said once that all the guys in her family look alike, so Mountain Man probably is pretty cute, too. But I’m thinking he’s gotta be strange, living by himself all this time. So thanks, but no thanks.”
“So what? You’ve done strange before.”
“That’s exactly my point. I’ve met so many guys with issues that I’m starting to believe there’s no other kind. I don’t care how hot the hermit is. I’m done with all that.” She shook her head. “Uh-uh. Give me boring and normal, if you give me anything at all. No baggage, no issues, no drama.”
“Doesn’t sound like much fun to me.”
“I’ve had fun enough to last a lifetime. If there is a next guy-and I’m not sure I will ever want another one for any length of time and for anything other than occasional sex-he’s going to be excruciatingly bland.” She held up her empty ice-cream cup. “Vanilla, not rum raisin. Someone who washes the car in the driveway on Saturday morning and who rakes the leaves in the backyard in the fall and reads the newspaper at the breakfast table. He’s going to be one of those guys whose idea of a good time is watching a movie at home with a bowl of popcorn in one hand and me in the other.”
Steffie rolled her eyes.
“I can’t believe I’m hearing this. You’ve just described my sister’s excruciatingly dull life, and it terrifies me to think that someday I could end up like that. It’s my worst nightmare.”
“Which nicely explains your commitment phobia.”
“Don’t knock it, since you obviously haven’t tried it.”
“That was a low blow, Stef.”
“Sorry. Really. Damn. I am sorry.” Steffie looked contrite. “Give me a minute to remove my feet from my mouth.”
“It’s okay. It’s true. At least, it was true, once upon a time. But two really bad marriages have cured me of all that.” She finished the last of the ice cream and licked the spoon clean. “Anyway, like I said, Mountain Man is probably as weird as they come after living like a hermit for a couple of years, so it doesn’t matter how hot he is. I’ll be my usual sweet and pleasant self at the wedding, because he’s Mia’s brother, but if what she’s said about him being antisocial is true, he’ll be on a plane back to Montana before his sister even tosses her bouquet. And that’s just skippy with me.”
“Well, if he gets bored and lonely while he’s in St. Dennis, you can send him my way.” Steffie lowered her feet to the floor and wearily pushed herself up from the chair. “Do you mind if we do dinner at Captain Walt’s tonight? I’m not really dressed for Lola’s and I’m too tired to go home to change.”
“Walt’s is fine. I love their broiled seafood platter.” Vanessa stood and gathered the paper cups, napkins, and plastic spoons and tossed them in the trash near the front door, all thoughts of the potentially hot guy already replaced by visions of a few broiled scallops, a piece of rockfish, and one of Walt’s famous jumbo lump crab cakes.
Chapter 2
FROM the top of the ridge, Grady Shields reined in the chestnut mare and watched an unfamiliar Jeep pull all the way up his driveway and park near the barn. He unsnapped his binoculars from the saddlebag and raised them to his eyes, corrected the focus, then smiled broadly when he recognized his unexpected visitor. He urged the horse down the path, but halfway to the bottom of the hill, he froze in the saddle, his smile fading slowly as he recalled the last time she’d come unannounced.
A knot in his stomach, he followed the path to the bottom of the hill and crossed the field to the paddock area next to the barn.
“Gray!” Mia shouted joyfully. As he swung down from the saddle, she jumped into his arms, startling the horse.
One hand managed to hold on to the spooked animal while the other hugged his sister, in spite of his anxiously pounding heart. If someone had died, would she be so happy?
“Don’t you look all Marlboro Man?” she teased. “You’ve gone totally cowboy.”
“Well, when in Rome…” He removed the wide-brimmed hat from his head and placed it on hers. It slid down onto her forehead.
“Wow, I almost forgot that you have such a view here.” She adjusted the hat and looked past him to the hills beyond. “And you have a horse!”
She stretched a hand out to stroke the animal’s neck.
“The view is mine, but the horse is not. I rent out the paddock area to some neighbors. The horse belongs to their son, who’s away at school for another two weeks, so Chance here and I keep each other company most afternoons. Right, girl?” He patted the horse affectionately, then asked cautiously, “So. Is everything all right at home? Everyone’s okay?”
“Everyone’s fine. Everything is better than fine.”
“Good.” He sighed his relief. “When I saw you, I wondered if maybe… at first I was afraid…”
He left the thought unfinished.
“Afraid? Why afraid?” Mia paused midsentence. “Oh. You’re thinking of when Dad died and Andy and I came to tell you?”
He nodded.
“This time the news is all good.” She held up her left hand and wiggled her ring finger. “Gray, I’m getting married.”
“You and the cop…?”
“Beck. You met him at Dad’s funeral.”
“I remember. He seemed like a nice enough guy.” He took her hand and turned it to him. “That’s a really pretty ring, Mia. Congratulations.”
“Thanks, Gray. He’s a great guy. The best.” Grady couldn’t help but see that her face glowed.
“You could have called me, you know. You didn’t have to make the trip all the way out here to tell me you were engaged.” He looped the horse’s reins over the fence, wondering what was coming next. “Not that I’m not happy to see you.”
“I needed to ask you something, and I wanted to ask you in person.”
“Uh-oh,” he teased. “When your little sister flies three-quarters of the way across the country to ask you something, you know it’s something big.”
“It is big.” Mia became very solemn. She followed him to the fence. “I want you to walk me down the aisle at my wedding, you and Andy. I want you both to give me away.”
He fell silent and unhooked the saddle’s girth.
“Gray?”
“Mia, I…” He struggled with his words. How to explain…?