Whipped Wedding Woes: A Cozy Mystery (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book 8) Read online

  That morning we all headed over to decorate the courtyard and the reception tent. I brought my little doggie Winchester with us so he could run within the courtyard. Stormi wanted him there for the wedding as well and I couldn’t deny her. I just hoped he’d be a good boy. For some reason, whenever Luella came into the ice cream shoppe and Winchester was there, he’d bark incessantly at her. He never did that before with anyone else. I’d have to put him in the back room if I saw her coming. They say dogs know if someone doesn’t like them. I’m sure the feeling was mutual.

  We decorated the courtyard first, setting up chairs with a white liner running down the aisle. The nuptials would take place inside the gazebo, which we decorated with red and pink roses. The fragrance from the flowers was intoxicating and helped elevate the mood even more so. We also strung white lights around the roof of the gazebo which we hoped would provide a magical ambience for the wedding that evening. The reception tent tables were decorated with pink tablecloths with vases of red roses. More white lights were strung around the tent roof and a huge Congratulations banner was hung at one end of the tent. Bruce, Howie and Brandon set up the tables and chairs while us ladies hung pink and red streamers from the tent ceiling. After the boys were finished, Howie cornered Bruce in an animated conversation. Luckily, Brandon was able to sneak away, but not without Bruce giving him the stink eye.

  “What are they talking about?” I asked Brandon as he walked over to Paige and me.

  Brandon shook his head. “Howie wants Bruce to invest in his new invention…some kind of poltergeist detection.”

  Paige’s jaw dropped. “What the…”

  Brandon raised his hand. “I know, I know…I didn’t think Bruce would go for it either, but…”

  Paige did a double take. “If he did, he’s bunking with the dog tonight.”

  “You don’t have a dog,” I said trying to stifle my giggle.

  “He’ll have to scour the neighborhood and find one then.”

  Brandon laughed. “You know Bruce is too smart for that. No way would he ever invest in any of Howie’s ideas.”

  Paige straightened one of the tablecloths. “Don’t be so sure about him Brandon. One time he bought some kind of cookware that was supposed to halve my cooking time. He spent $500 on a complete set…I tossed it in the garbage the next week.”

  “She didn’t give it time!” Bruce exclaimed as he walked up behind Paige, giving her a start. “I thought it would cut your time preparing dinner in half. I was only thinking of you dear.”

  Paige gave him one of those, ain’t buyin it, looks. Bruce grinned. “Well, the sales guy was good. I mean I really thought it was the next generation in cookware.”

  “I hope Howie wasn’t as good a sales guy,” Paige said.

  Bruce sat down at one of the tables. “No way. Even if you could detect a ghost, what would you do with them?”

  “Well I’d have them help with the laundry and cleaning, especially if they set up housekeeping in my abode,” Paige stated then waved her hand. “Enough of this nonsense…we have to get this show on the road. Must commence with hair and makeup.”

  Of course Luella didn’t show up to help and we weren’t surprised. I doubt she’d want to mar her manicure and pedicure. I know I shouldn’t be so mean, but there was a feeling I had about her. It’s hard to explain, but is there anyone you have ever met that seems to suck the air right out of the room? Or casts a pall over the surroundings? I got that vibe from Luella. And it wasn’t her snobbish behavior or even the obvious way she looked down on us intellectually. There just seemed to be a dark force encircling her that made me want to stay as far away from her as possible. I’d never talked to Paige about it, and especially Stormi, but after the wedding, I planned to have a little talk with Paige and Brandon regarding my feelings. But today was the wedding day. Stormi was waiting for us in a little bungalow on the property where we girls were to have our hair and makeup done. The guys, Brandon, Bruce, Howie, and Greg were in another little bungalow on the other side of the courtyard. While Bruce wasn’t in the wedding, he played the part of the usher.

  Us girls, including Dottie and Sammi, laughed and carried on as we had our hair and makeup done. Sammi left early since she was handing out programs and having people sign the guest register.

  Before it was time to go, Stormi gave Paige and me gifts. We opened them to find identical necklaces; only the charm on each was different. Mine had a sun and Paige’s had a moon.

  “Because you two will always be a part of my world…you are the sun and the moon to me.”

  I teared up and I swore Paige did too….although I’m sure she’d deny it. We had a group hug and then Stormi chewed us out for having to go and fix her makeup again.

  Before we knew it, it was time for Stormi to walk down the aisle. Her dress was stunning. It was a mermaid wedding dress that accentuated her curves brilliantly. Her hair was clipped up with a diamond hairpin that was given to Dottie from her late mother. A diamond necklace hung around her neck, given to her the previous evening from the groom. She held a huge bouquet of red and pink roses that looked lovely against her creamy white dress. Paige and I wore sleeveless red dresses with bouquets of red and white roses. The dresses came to our knees and could be worn again for fancy dinners or events.

  I watched as Dottie and Paige put the finishing touches on my dear friend, making sure every hair was in place and the dress situated just so on her curvy frame. Tears filled my eyes as I thought about us growing up together and experiencing so many things. Like our first time together at an amusement park where Stormi butchered my eardrums with her high pitched screams on the rollercoaster rides. Or the time we went horseback riding at the campground. We’d never mounted a horse before in our lives, and her horse decided to take off down a different trail than ours. We could hear her yelling at the horse as the guide tried to lasso him in. We have had so many laughs and a few tears shared over the years.

  And today was another milestone we were facing together. Stormi was there for me at my wedding and later on when the marriage fell apart. I was there for her during the breakups she had with countless boyfriends. We were there for one another during good and bad times, always propping the other up when need be. Now today we would be experiencing another highlight in life together, her wedding day. I couldn’t be happier for her. She deserved a great guy and she was getting that and more with Greg. I think he knew he won the jackpot with Stormi too. Now we just had to make sure we got her out of this bungalow and down the aisle in one piece. I had forgotten how panicky one gets when trying to ramrod the bride, and one like Stormi, down to where the nuptials would take place.

  However, Stormi was calm, more so than Paige and I. We were the nervous wrecks, twittering about making sure our dresses and hair looked perfect. But Stormi was serene as she primped in the mirror. We wondered if someone had kidnapped our Stormi and this was a clone. But in hindsight, I think she knew that this was where she was supposed to be and whom she was supposed to be with for the rest of her life. Perhaps when you know with your heart that something is right, that little intuition nudging at your insides, it provides a calm center for the rest of your being. At least that’s what I thought in Stormi’s case.

  As we exited the bungalow, we could hear the sweet melody of violins playing in the courtyard. We gathered Stormi’s train and walked the short distance to the courtyard’s entrance. Brandon and Howie were waiting in their white suits with red ties. Even Howie looked good. Paige grabbed his arm and started walking down the aisle. Brandon and I followed. Dottie walked Stormi down the aisle and gave her to Greg, who she kissed sweetly on the cheek before taking her seat in the front row. The reverend Sam Talbot officiated, telling Greg that he should hug his wife everyday, and Stormi should cook him a good meal at least three times a week. That a good marriage included a husband who ensures his wife gets the comfort she needs and the man receives a proper meal at least every other day. It was a joyous occasion and the entire ceremo
ny went off without a hitch. Before I knew it, the bride and groom were walking back down the aisle with Brandon and me following.

  We stayed behind for photos while the guests entered the tent for cocktail hour. Once the photographer was finished with us, we joined the festivities inside the tent. One of the local caterers set up a buffet and we stuffed ourselves with fried cod, fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, noodles and rolls. A true southern feast. Of course, we had wedding cake for dessert. I also brought a large barrel of fudge ripple ice cream from the shoppe, one of Greg’s favorites, to serve with the cake.

  A makeshift dance floor was set up at one end of the tent where a DJ spun the latest tunes. Howie could barely wait for Greg and Stormi to finish their first dance as man and wife before he was cutting a rug old school in front of amazed guests. His dance moves were almost hypnotic in their peculiarity. First, it was the snake, and then he’d move on to the robot, slide a few raise the roof moves in, and then finish with a moonwalk. While Luella danced with him, she didn’t partake of the fancy stirrings originating from her companion. It appeared she ignored his antics as she danced, preferring to look in another direction. Unlike the rest of us who were mesmerized by his range of motion…and not in a good way.

  Fortunately, a slow song came on and Howie and Luella retreated from the dance floor so the rest of us could have a chance. Brandon and I along with Paige and Bruce and other guests slow danced to the tune of Eric Clapton’s You Look Wonderful Tonight. After the song, we sat down together and let Howie retake the floor. I guess he was the entertainment for the night.

  “Lordy that boy can dance,” Dottie exclaimed.

  Paige looked skeptical. “I don’t know…reminds of a dry heaving dog.”

  Stormi started snorting which got me going as well. I grabbed her arm as we ran away from the dance floor before Howie could catch us laughing. We sat down at a table and tried to compose ourselves.

  “You know I kept thinking he looked like something but I couldn’t put my finger on it until (snort) Paige (snort) said that!” Stormi erupted into violent giggles. My stomach hurt and I couldn’t breathe. Finally, we calmed down in time to see Howie walk away from the tent.

  “Oh lawdy, I hope he didn’t know we were laughing at him,” Stormi said attempting to calm her sniggers.

  When I caught my breath I said, “I don’t think so. He couldn’t see us from the dance floor. He’s probably taking a break. He has to be winded from all spontaneous jerking and twitching.”

  We looked at each other and erupted into laughter again. It wasn’t just Howie’s dance moves that had us going. I think it was also a chance to release pent up tension. The start of Stormi’s wedding planning had serious bumps in which a man died. So the few months leading up to the wedding we were all on alert, waiting for the other shoe to drop. When the wedding went beautifully and everyone was having a festive time at the reception, it was a relief. Stormi and Greg deserved to have a happy day and I was glowing on the inside, elated that everything had turned out wonderfully. However, the day wasn’t over and it would have a disastrous end.

  Chapter Three

  After our laughter explosion, Greg, Brandon, Bruce and Paige caught up with us. Miss Trixie and her husband Ben stopped by the table.

  Stormi stood and Trixie gave her a hug. “Oh darlin, you look so radiant tonight. I couldn’t be happier for you.”

  “Thanks Trixie,” Stormi replied. “I’m feeling like the luckiest girl on earth right now.”

  “It wasn’t luck honey. You deserve all the happiness in the world and that Greg fellow there is going to give it to you. Just be sure to offer some back to him.” They both laughed and Trixie and Ben bid us all adieu.

  We decided to head over to Jeb’s table where he sat with Dottie and ol’ Charlie. He proceeded to tell us stories about how he struck it rich with stocks back in the 60’s and how the money has grown into the millions. This was Jeb’s usual story of how he invested in certain stocks that exploded and he became a millionaire. Of course, he didn’t live the life of one, so it was difficult to believe. No one had ever seen a bank account statement to confirm his ramblings. Jeb was known to blow things out of proportion and we all simply went along with it. His other child, Howie’s mother who lived in California (Howie’s dad passed away several years back), thought he might have buried the money on the property and forgot where it was. Dottie on the other hand thought it was all bull hockey and most of the town did as well. But everyone loved Jeb and simply let him tell his tall tales without arguing or correcting him.

  Jeb beckoned Stormi to come over to him as I sat across the table from them. She put her arm on his shoulder and he looked up at her. “I wanted to give you and Greg some money for a down payment on a new house, but I’m having difficulty remembering where I put it all. I think some of it is in a bank in Atlanta, but I’ve also keep some on the property. As soon as I determine where it’s at, I’ll give it to you.”

  Stormi kissed Jeb on the cheek and said, “Don’t worry about it Papaw Jeb, we’re doing fine.”

  “No, I am going to give you that money,” Jeb said. “I just need to remember where it is. In fact my daughters and grandchildren will be rich after I pass on.”

  Stormi shook her head. “Don’t talk about that Papaw. You aren’t going anywhere if I have anything to say about it.”

  Jeb chuckled. “You’re just like your Momma…feisty and sassy.”

  I spotted Luella a few tables over sitting by herself. Seemed like Howie had been gone awhile so I walked over.

  “Hi Luella,” I greeted her. “Are you having a good time?”

  “Yes I suppose so,” she said looking at her manicured nails. “Have you seen Howie? He’s been gone a while now.”

  “No I haven’t,” I responded. “I noticed he left too and never returned.”

  Luella stood and grabbed her designer bag. “I better go look for him. He’s probably in a deep conversation with someone about one of his inventions.”

  She was likely spot on. “I bet you’re right Luella. I hope you find him.”

  She wandered off to find Howie as I noticed other guests starting to leave. The bride and groom themselves were getting ready to depart for their honeymoon. They were spending a few days in Atlanta before flying to Bermuda. Paige and I hugged Stormi and she thanked us for helping make this day extra special.

  “I’m so glad everything went smoothly,” I said to Stormi and Paige.

  Paige nodded. “I am too. It’s not often a wedding goes so well. Maybe the hiccups were all at the beginning of this adventure.”

  “Let’s hope so,” Stormi replied. “I think once I get to Atlanta I’ll be able to relax with my man.”

  I turned to look at Greg who was talking with Bruce and Brandon. “He looks so happy Stormi. I don’t think I could have chosen a better match for you.”

  “And to think, it only took a murder to bring us together.”

  “Stormi, don’t say those things!” Dottie admonished. “It’s bad luck.”

  Stormi looked over at Greg. “I have all the luck I need right there.”

  “Okay, I can’t take much more of this mushy business,” Paige proclaimed. “Time for you two to take your love fest on the road.”

  Stormi and Greg jumped into his SUV and headed down the road. Dottie rounded up Jeb to take him home as well. The rest of us sat down at one of the tables as guests headed to their vehicles. We decided to wait until the rush of traffic had dwindled before we took off.

  “Well I think we can say this was a success,” Bruce announced. “What do you think dear?”

  Paige nodded. “Thank goodness. I think we all could do with some serenity for a while.”

  Alas, that would all change in an instant.

  Chapter Four

  Most everyone had left and workers were taking down the tables and dismantling the tent. The four of us headed to the parking lot when we heard screams coming from the courtyard where the wedd
ing was held. We ran towards the screams and stopped suddenly when we saw Howie lying on the ground with Luella hovering over him.

  “I found him like this!” She exclaimed. “I’m not sure if he hit his head or had a heart attack or what’s going on.”

  Paige reached into her purse and pulled her cell phone out. “I’ll call for an ambulance.”

  “No!” Luella yelled. “That will take too long and I don’t know how long he’s been lying here. Put him in my car and I’ll take him to the hospital.”

  When Bruce and Brandon hesitated Luella cried, “Please, I am a nurse with major medical background. I can take care of him, but time is of the essence.”

  With that, the men grabbed Howie and carried his lifeless body to Luella’s car where they placed him in the back seat. As she was getting in the driver’s seat, she said she’d call us and let us know what’s going on. We told her we’d meet her at the hospital and she sped off. We stood looking at each other.