Pumpkins in Paradise (Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Mystery Book 1) (21 page)

“Tj, how are you dear?
” Millie hugged her, interrupting her walk down memory lane. “Did you hear the news?”

“I did
. Congratulations.” Tj turned away from Hunter to focus all her attention on Millie.

“We feel like we’re walking on sunshine,” Maude gushed
. “If we’d have known what we were missing, we would have defied Daddy and left the group years ago.”

“But then you might not have met Abe and Andy,” Tj pointed out.

“How right you are, dear.” Mille leaned her head against Abe’s arm. “I’ve been waiting my whole life for this and I plan to make the most of every minute.”

“Your costume is lovely,” Millie added
. “You look just like a fairy princess. Perhaps Sister and I should wear dresses like that for our wedding. Antique dresses for antique brides.” Millie laughed.

“You’re hardly an antique,” Tj said
. “Besides these old dresses are made with heavy material and weigh a ton.”

“Perhaps you’re right
. Sister and I have always dreamed of making a dramatic entrance down an elegant staircase. I guess it’d be better to wear something we can walk in comfortably.”

“Where are you planning to have the ceremony?”

“Here, actually,” Maude answered. “We were lucky to get it on such short notice. Apparently someone canceled just minutes before we called to inquire about it. Now if that isn’t fate, I don’t know what is.”

“We plan to hold the actual service over there, in front of the fireplace.
” Millie pointed across the room. “We’ll set up tables for dining on the second-floor loft and leave this floor free for dancing.”

“Are you expecting a lot of guests?
” Tj wondered.

“No,” Maude said
. “Sister and I have a few friends we plan to invite, but no family.”

“Other than Kyle and his mom, that is,” Millie added.

“True. We’ve also invited Carmen, and you and your family, of course. Abe and Andy said they have about twenty-five people they’d like to invite. I guess we’ll probably end up with around fifty or so. I imagine we should line up the flowers and a caterer before we leave.”

“The mermaid over there owns a flower shop.
” Tj pointed to a long table where a group of people around her age were talking and having a drink. “Her name is Rita Halliwell. I’m sure she can order any type of flower you want.”

“We’ve always dreamed of white roses,” Millie informed her
. “Perhaps with a touch of red to add some color.”

After talking to the sisters a while longer, Tj wandered over to chat with her dad, who was having a drink at the bar with Hank Hammond, the winner of this year’s chili cook-off
. While the ballroom in the house hadn’t initially had a bar, the historical society had decided it would be a good idea to add one once the decision was made to rent out the facility for special events. Wanting to keep the feel of the house as authentic as possible, Helen had agreed to use her connections to try to find an antique bar from the same period as the house. After months of searching, she’d found the perfect bar in a rundown building in San Francisco that was being torn down. Tj had to hand it to Helen; if it had been her, she wouldn’t have given the long bar with the peeling finish a second thought. But Helen recognized a quality piece when she saw one, and after painstakingly refinishing it to its original splendor, it had fit the room perfectly.

“How’s my princess?
” Mike turned on his bar stool to kiss Tj on the cheek as she walked over to stand behind him.

“Suffocating.
” Tj tried to take a deep breath, but the tight bodice prevented her from doing so. “You look very handsome in your police officer costume. Where’s your biker chick?”

“Rosalie and Ellen,” Mike referred to Hank’s date, Ellen Pomeroy, “are making the rounds
. Hank and I decided to sit it out and have a cold one instead.”

“Mind if I join you
? These shoes are killing me.”

“Where’s your prince?
” Hank pulled out a bar stool so she could sit down.

“Dancing with one of the teachers from the school
who didn’t have a date. Did the girls get back from trick-or-treating before you left?” Tj asked her dad. Her grandpa had taken Ashley, Gracie, Kristi, and Kari trick-or-treating so Helen could work her magic on Tj.

“Yeah
. They seemed to have had a good time. Kristi and Kari are spending the night. Grandpa was getting them settled in front of the television in the den and Helen was making popcorn when I left.”

“Curling up on the sofa in front of the television eating a bowl of popcorn sounds wonderful
. I don’t think I’m cut out for this princess thing. Unlike Cinderella, I have serious doubts as to whether I’ll make it to midnight. David seems to be having fun with Lilly; maybe I’ll just call a cab and go home.”

“I’ll give you a ride
. Rosalie seemed like she was tired and thinking of an early night.”

“Okay, thanks, Dad.”

Tj was on her way to tell David she was going to leave early when Dylan walked in. Dressed not in a costume but in his deputy sheriff uniform, he still managed to cause Tj’s heart to skip a beat.

“You came.
” She smiled.

“Couldn’t miss out on a dance with the prettiest girl in town
. Have you seen her?” he teased.

“Very funny.
” Tj punched him in the arm.

Dylan
playfully rubbed his arm. “Got quite a punch for a little thing. By the way, you look stunning.”

“Take a good look,” Tj twirled in a circle, “because this Cinderella was just about to go home and turn back into a much more comfortable homely stepsister.”

“Don’t tell anyone,” Dylan said, leaning in close and whispering, “but I’ve always had a thing for homely stepsisters.”

“Really?
” Tj smiled.

“Really
. Much less pretentious. In fact, if you really are ready to go, maybe after you unrig yourself we can stop by the hotel so I can change and then we can get a bite. I’ve had the strangest craving for chicken wings all day.”

“Seriously
? Chicken wings?”

“I guess I should buy you something more befitting a princess
. Maybe a steak?”

“Chicken wings sound perfect.
” Tj looped her arm through Dylan’s. “Come on. I need to tell my dad and David that I’m leaving and then we’re out of here. And since we’re on the subject of personal preferences, how do you feel about bowling?”

Kathi
Daley
lives with her husband, kids, grandkids, and Bernese Mountain dogs in beautiful Lake Tahoe. When she isn't writing, she likes to read (preferably at the beach or by the fire), cook (preferably something with chocolate or cheese,) and garden (planting and planning not weeding). She also enjoys spending time on the water when she's not hiking, biking, or snowshoeing, the miles of desolate trails surrounding her home.

Kathi uses the mountain setting in which she lives, along with the animals (wild and domestic) that share her home, as inspiration for her cozy mysteries.

Visit
Kathi:

Facebook at
Kathi Daley Homepage

Twitter at
Kathi Daley@kathidaley

Webpage
www.kathidaley.com