The Last Groom on Earth by Kristin James Page A

hamburger, unless one counted the Soyburger Eileen. He looked back up at Angela warily.
    “Is everything here vegetarian?”
    Angela nodded. “Yes. They have dishes with eggs and cheeses in them, though.”
    “But no meat.”
    “No. But it’s great…it really is. The Greek salad is scrumptious.”
    ‘Actually, I had something a little more substantial in mind.”
    “Well, they have heartier meals, too. This vegetable and brown rice casserole is really filling. Or the veggie fajitas.” She paused and asked tentatively, “I’msorry, I didn’t think. Are you very opposed to meatless dishes?”
    “No. I can live.” A wry smile quirked the corner of his mouth. “I should have known you were into health food.”
    “Well, actually, I’m not a vegetarian. I even eat hamburgers, which drives Eileen crazy.”
    At that moment the door onto the patio opened, and a large woman rushed out, followed more sedately by a waitress carrying a water pitcher and order tablet. The woman was tall; Bryce judged her to be close to six feet, and she was built like a Valkyrie. She wore a loose patterned dress that fell to her ankles and shoes similar to her husband’s. Her hair was black and shot through with a single dramatic streak of white, and she wore it fastened into a long, thick braid hanging almost down to her waist. A necklace of tiny bells jangled on her ample bosom.
    “Angela!”
    “Eileen.” Angela jumped to her feet and went forward to greet the other woman. Eileen hugged Angela enthusiastically.
    “I haven’t seen you in ages.”
    “Two weeks,” Angela protested faintly.
    The other woman waved her words away. “You came to eat here. But you haven’t been to the house in at least two months. Judy and Bean miss you.”
    She went on prattling about Judy and Bean and how much they had been pining away for Angela and how often they asked for her. Bryce took the pair to be her children, until Angela laughed and said, “You expect me to believe that? The last time I came over to visit, Judy took off like a streak at the sight of me and hung from inside the chimney swinging her tail.”
    “Well, that’s because it had been so long since you’d visited her,” Eileen retorted smoothly.
    Angela must have caught the astonished look on Bryce’s face because she smiled and said to him, “Judy and Bean are Eileen’s and Max’s cats.”
    “Our babies.” Eileen corrected her, looking at Bryce for the first time. Her eyes widened and she shot Angela a look that Bryce couldn’t fathom. “The King of Pentacles!”
    “Forget it,” Angela replied tersely and turned back toward their table.
    “Now don’t be stubborn,” Eileen told her, following her over to the table and gazing with great interest at Bryce.
    Bryce rose politely at her arrival, and Angela introduced them. Bryce noticed that Angela had a rather mulish set to her mouth. He wondered what on earth Eileen was talking about.
    “Black hair,” Eileen said significantly to Angela.
    “He has gray eyes,” Angela countered, leaving Bryce bewildered.
    “I beg your pardon?”
    “Never mind,” Angela told him. “It’s not important.”
    “Don’t be silly. Of course it is.” Eileen reached out to shake Bryce’s hand. “I’m so glad Angie brought you to see us.”
    “Thank you.”
    “I’ll fix you two something special,” she said, her dark eyes twinkling. “You all just ignore the menu. It’s so nice when Angela brings a—new person over here.”
    “You sound as if you’re my mother,” Angela said irritably.
    “Well, why not? Someone’s got to take care of you. Otherwise you’d spend your entire life with your head in the clouds, dreaming up stories and never taking a look at what’s going on around you.” She turned back to Bryce, saying brightly, “And what’s your line of business, Bryce?”
    “Give it up, Eileen,” Angela said cryptically. “Bryce is a friend of my parents, and he’s here to help me with a tax