moments, he combed the hair out of her face and said, “Are you okay?”
She nodded but couldn’t speak. As excited as she was about getting married, she also knew it meant leaving her father, something she’d wanted to do for years but now realized was going to be harder than she’d realized. Imagining him alone in this old house tore her heart to shreds.
“Daddy,” she cried, “this is so perfect. I can’t wait to read it.”
“I hope it brings you some guidance as you plan your own wedding.”
She sniffled away her tears and then handed her father his present. Without regarding the silk bow or silver wrapping, he tore it open. She couldn’t help but smile. Luckily, she wrapped packages like that for her own satisfaction.
“A cookbook?” her father asked with a laugh.
“Not just any cookbook.
The Male Species Guide to Cooking Anything.”
The sheriff smiled. “I guess it’s time for me to learn the kitchen,” he sighed. “I know I’ll get tired of making myself cold cereal after a while.”
“I love you, Dad,” she said, hugging him. “I’d better get to the kitchen myself. I have a big feast to prepare. By the way, Alfred Tennison will be joining us.”
“Wolfe’s editor?”
“Ex-editor. And I know, I know, Christmas is family time, but Alfred didn’t have anywhere to go for Christmas, and he’s practically family to Wolfe.”
“That’s fine, sweetheart,” he said. “You know what’s best.”
Just as she was headed for the kitchen, the doorbell rang. She checked her watch. She didn’t expect Wolfe this early but would be glad to see him no matter what the time.
Opening the door, she found Melb there heaving out sobs while trying to explain something that Ainsley couldn’t understand. She pulled her inside the house.
“Melb, calm down. Calm down. Please. Take a deep breath. Are you okay?” She couldn’t remember ever seeing anybody this upset.
Melb’s whole face was red and splotchy, her eyes bloodshot. “Oh, Ainsley,” she finally managed, “it’s all so terrible.”
“What happened?”
“Oliver!”
Ainsley guided her into the living room, shooing her curious dad back into the kitchen. Taking her coat, she sat them both onto the couch. “Did you two have a fight?”
“Not really,” Melb said. “Oliver doesn’t know I’m upset.”
“Why are you upset?”
“I just … I just don’t know if I can marry a man who is so frugal with his money. I mean, the man is saving us hundreds of dollars on this wedding.”
“That’s a bad thing?”
Melb eyed her. “I don’t expect you to understand. You don’t have to worry about money.”
“Melb,” she said, “please, tell me what this is about. I don’t understand why you’re upset.”
Melb shook her head. “Oliver is brilliant with money. He set up this account and this budget for us to plan our wedding.”
“That’s a good thing.”
“I guess. But I found this beautiful dress, Ainsley. My dream dress. But I went $550 over budget.”
“Oh. Well, Oliver will understand.”
“I thought he might. But then he told me he saved a bunch of money
and was
able to get us a horse-drawn carriage. And then I found out he also saved us four hundred dollars on our honeymoon.”
“Where are you going?”
“To the Bass Pro Shop up in Cincinnati.”
Ainsley was about to say something but decided to each his own.
“Anyway, he got some great deal on hotel rates there.” Melb sniffled. “He’s going to kill me!”
“Over a dress?”
“That’s not all. I also received the invitations in the mail.”
“How exciting!”
“Except I spelled Oliver’s last name wrong! I left out a couple of
o’s
and a p, I think.” Melb melted into sobs again. “I’m going to have to pay for them to be reprinted!”
“Melb, Melb,” she said, patting her shoulder. “It’s going to be okay.”
She shook her head. “No. He’s going to think I’m some crazy woman who doesn’t know how to live on a
She nodded but couldn’t speak. As excited as she was about getting married, she also knew it meant leaving her father, something she’d wanted to do for years but now realized was going to be harder than she’d realized. Imagining him alone in this old house tore her heart to shreds.
“Daddy,” she cried, “this is so perfect. I can’t wait to read it.”
“I hope it brings you some guidance as you plan your own wedding.”
She sniffled away her tears and then handed her father his present. Without regarding the silk bow or silver wrapping, he tore it open. She couldn’t help but smile. Luckily, she wrapped packages like that for her own satisfaction.
“A cookbook?” her father asked with a laugh.
“Not just any cookbook.
The Male Species Guide to Cooking Anything.”
The sheriff smiled. “I guess it’s time for me to learn the kitchen,” he sighed. “I know I’ll get tired of making myself cold cereal after a while.”
“I love you, Dad,” she said, hugging him. “I’d better get to the kitchen myself. I have a big feast to prepare. By the way, Alfred Tennison will be joining us.”
“Wolfe’s editor?”
“Ex-editor. And I know, I know, Christmas is family time, but Alfred didn’t have anywhere to go for Christmas, and he’s practically family to Wolfe.”
“That’s fine, sweetheart,” he said. “You know what’s best.”
Just as she was headed for the kitchen, the doorbell rang. She checked her watch. She didn’t expect Wolfe this early but would be glad to see him no matter what the time.
Opening the door, she found Melb there heaving out sobs while trying to explain something that Ainsley couldn’t understand. She pulled her inside the house.
“Melb, calm down. Calm down. Please. Take a deep breath. Are you okay?” She couldn’t remember ever seeing anybody this upset.
Melb’s whole face was red and splotchy, her eyes bloodshot. “Oh, Ainsley,” she finally managed, “it’s all so terrible.”
“What happened?”
“Oliver!”
Ainsley guided her into the living room, shooing her curious dad back into the kitchen. Taking her coat, she sat them both onto the couch. “Did you two have a fight?”
“Not really,” Melb said. “Oliver doesn’t know I’m upset.”
“Why are you upset?”
“I just … I just don’t know if I can marry a man who is so frugal with his money. I mean, the man is saving us hundreds of dollars on this wedding.”
“That’s a bad thing?”
Melb eyed her. “I don’t expect you to understand. You don’t have to worry about money.”
“Melb,” she said, “please, tell me what this is about. I don’t understand why you’re upset.”
Melb shook her head. “Oliver is brilliant with money. He set up this account and this budget for us to plan our wedding.”
“That’s a good thing.”
“I guess. But I found this beautiful dress, Ainsley. My dream dress. But I went $550 over budget.”
“Oh. Well, Oliver will understand.”
“I thought he might. But then he told me he saved a bunch of money
and was
able to get us a horse-drawn carriage. And then I found out he also saved us four hundred dollars on our honeymoon.”
“Where are you going?”
“To the Bass Pro Shop up in Cincinnati.”
Ainsley was about to say something but decided to each his own.
“Anyway, he got some great deal on hotel rates there.” Melb sniffled. “He’s going to kill me!”
“Over a dress?”
“That’s not all. I also received the invitations in the mail.”
“How exciting!”
“Except I spelled Oliver’s last name wrong! I left out a couple of
o’s
and a p, I think.” Melb melted into sobs again. “I’m going to have to pay for them to be reprinted!”
“Melb, Melb,” she said, patting her shoulder. “It’s going to be okay.”
She shook her head. “No. He’s going to think I’m some crazy woman who doesn’t know how to live on a
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