Wonderful You (32 page)

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B
en dropped tiny grains of fish food into the top of the tank he had recently had installed in his office. He might not have bothered to look for more permanent living quarters beyond his grandfather’s condo—which was, after all, spacious, close to the office, and fully equipped with all manner of technological gadgetry—but he needed some kind of living thing to keep an eye on. Delaney was allergic to cats, and dogs demanded more of a routine than he could keep on any regular basis right then. Fish were just right.

Ben still hadn’t given up on getting a dog. He had missed having one since he had lost Hercules. He wondered if he could talk Zoey into getting
a dog. Maybe not as big as Herc
had been, but surely, living out in the country as she did, it wouldn’t hurt for her to have a decent watchdog. He pictured them walking down that
old country road together, Zoey, the Big Dog, and him. Or maybe just him and the Big Dog, exploring those woods back behind Zoey’s house early on a January morning, trudging over frost-covered grasses that crunched and bent beneath their feet.

What if Zoey didn’t like big dogs?

He dismissed the thought as one having no merit. Zoey was definately a Big Dog kind of woman.
She’d love an Irish setter…
maybe a golden retriever or a Chesapeake Bay
…
or a Newfoundland. Or a Great Pyrenees. Yeah, that might be the one—big, like a Newf, but golden and soft
…

He frowned. Sharing a dog with someone was a big commitment, a life-changing event.

But then again, so was loving Zoey.

Ben wasn’t exactly sure when it dawned on him that he was in love with Zoey, but he suspected it had been somewhere between that last game of Hide the Soap and the chicken noodle soup. But love her he did, and there was no getting around it. He had thought it would frighten him more, this falling in love business, but he found it barely scared him at all
…
not at all what he’d been led to believe, if in fact he’d believed what he’d heard from other guys over the years. It had pleased him, actually, the way she had just sort of slid right into his life and assumed her place there, as if that place had been waiting all along for her to fill it. And perhaps it had been. It was a spot inside him that no one else had ever occupied. Maybe it had in fact always been hers
…

“Ben, there’s an Anthony Chapman on the line for you.” Nancy’s voice broke through his reverie.

He grabbed the receiver eagerly. “Tony!”

“Ben, old man. How are you?”

“Couldn’t be better! And you?”

“Great. Wonderful. How’s the foot?”

“Coming along. I’ve found a therapist here who’s a miracle worker.”

“Splendid. That’s exactly what I was hoping you’d say.”

“Why’s that?”

“Well,
because I have a little something in the works
here that I thought perhaps
you’d be interested in.” Tony
paused briefly, then asked, “Wouldn’t be thinking about going to Magny-Cours at the end of the month, would you?”

“You mean for the French Grand Prix?” Ben looked at the calendar on his desk for the date.

“Right.”

“Not a chance. I have a wedding to attend. One I wouldn’t miss for anything.”

“Not your own, I hope.” Tony chuckled.

“No.” Ben laughed. “Not this time, anyway.”

“Now, should I be looking for a hidden meaning there? Ben, mate, you haven’t gone and done something foolish, have you?”

“Nothing at all foolish. And you’ll meet her soon enough.”

“Ah, so there
is
a she. Any chance you’ll be coming to Silverstone in mid-July, then?”

“Hmmm
…”
Ben flipped the pages of the datebook. The British Grand Prix was he
ld at Silverstone, a former
airfield in Northamptonshire, England. This year it would be run two weeks
after the wedding. “That’s a
possibility. Very doable.”

“Great. Wonderful. T
here’s something I want you to
see.”

“You’ve got my curiosi
ty piqued, buddy. Let me see
what I can do.”

“Wonderful! I’ll be counting on it.” Tony said. “And
Ben…”

“Yeah, buddy?”

“Bring her with you.”

“I’d planned to. ” He laughed as he hung up the phone. His Big Dog would have to wait. He was taking Zoey to Silverstone.

24

“
W
hat are you thinking about?” Propped up on one elbow, Ben stretched his legs a little to the right to entwine with hers. It was just slightly after seven o’clock in the morning on the morning of the twenty-seventh of June.

“My big brother getting married,” Zoey answered without hesitation.

“Ummm. The big day. Do you suppose he’s nervous?”

“Nick? No.” She shook her head. “It couldn’t come fast enough for Nick. He can’t wait to marry India. And who could blame him? They were meant for each other.”

Meant for each other.
The phrase repeated itself over and over in Ben’s mind. He wondered if in fact it could be true, that certain people were meant to be together. It was a thought worth pursuing. And he would do just that. Later, when Zoey wasn’t so close, when she was wearing something more than a sheet. It was just too damned difficult to think important thoughts when she was all snuggled up close to him and warm from sleep. Later, maybe, he’d think about the designs of fate. Right
now, they had a wedding to go to, and he had promised Delia they’d be there nice and early.

“Don’t we have to be leaving soon?” he asked.

“Yes. We need to be on the road to Devlin’s Light by nine.”

“Don’t you think you should be getting up?”

“Yes.” She did just that, abruptly.

“I’ll bring you a cup of coffee while you’re in the shower.” Ben watched her as she walked toward the bathroom, covering a yawn with her right hand and scratching the back of her head with her left. “And then while I’m in the shower, you can make me a nice breakfast. Eggs over
easy, home fried potatoes…
”

Without turning around, she made an obscene gesture in his direction with the hand that had been scratching her head.

Yup, she sure was a little charmer first thing in the morning.

“Where’s the dress you’re supposed to wear?” Ben frowned as she stashed her bag in the trunk of his BMW. “Aren’t you wearing some long bridesmaid thing?”

“Mother took it down on Thursday, mine and Georgia’s. Mrs. Colson was afraid we’d let them get wrinkled, so she wouldn’t let us take them. She’d take it quite personally if anything was less than absolutely perfect, Mrs. Colson would.” She slammed the trunk. “Well, are you ready?”

He opened the car door for her and she muttered her thanks.

Following her pointed directions, Ben managed to drive toward their destination in a mostly silent car. He tried to engage her in conversation on several occasions, but she seemed distracted and edgy.

“You know, I’ve never been to a wedding in a lighthouse before,” he said as they crossed the bridge from Pennsylvania into New Jersey.

When she didn’t reply, he continued. “Why do you suppose they decided to get married in a lighthouse?”

“The lighthouse has been in India’s family forever,” she told him. “And India’s brother was killed there.”

“Oh. Well then, that makes perfect sense.” He nodded. “Who would want to get married in a church when they can exchange their vows at a murder scene?”

Zoey glared at him. “India was very close to her brother. And he—Ry—was a very close friend of Nicky’s. They just wanted to feel that he was there with them.”

“Speaking of invited guests, what’s the latest on Laura? Is she coming today?”

“The last I heard, she was still on the fence. I called the inn this morning, but the person who answered the phone was apparently one of the college students hired for the summer. She didn’t know where Laura was and wasn’t sure where to look. It sounded as if they were really busy so I didn’t want to press. Laura could have been with a guest, she could have been walking on the beach.” Zoey shifted in her seat as if to find a better spot. “Or she could be on her way to Devlin’s Light.”

“Is that what’s bothering you? Worrying about what Laura is going to do?”

“What makes you think that something is bothering me?”

“You’re edgy and grumpy and that’s not normal for you.”

“And you’re the expert on what’s normal for me?”

“As a matter of fact, I am.” He reached a hand over and took one of hers, having to unclasp them from the death grip her right hand had on the left.

Finally she said, “I want everything to be perfect for Nicky. He’s the best brother in the world. He deserves a perfect wedding day.”

“And it looks like he’ll have it. The weather is beautiful—not a cloud in that baby blue sky.”

“I wasn’t referring to the weather.”

“Ah, all of a sudden, you’re concerned that maybe convincing Laura that she should be there today maybe wasn’t such a great idea?”

“It isn’t that, not really. Mother thinks that some reporter or two might attempt to crash the wedding.”

“Why would reporters be interested in Nick’s wedding?”

“Probably just ’ca
use it’s Mother, you know, intern
ationally famous writer and all
that. I’m afraid that if they
find out about Laura, they’ll make a big deal out of it, and that’s what people will rememb
er about my
brother’s wedding day
…
that Delia’s secret was publicly revealed.”

“So what?” He shrugged. “Delia’s not afraid.”

“I didn’t say I was afraid. I said I was concerned,” she
snapped.

“Same thing,” he said under his breath and she
shot
him a dirty look.

“Zoey, sweetheart, relax. Delia is a big girl. She knows what she’s doing.” He smiled. “Have you ever known Delia to not know what she was doing?”

Zoey thought about it for a minute, then shook her head. “Not really.”

“Everything will be fine. Delia’s handling this thing exactly the way she wants to. Who are you to second-guess a woman like Delia Enright?”

In spite of herself, Zoey laughed. “You’re right. Everything will be fine. I guess I’m just looking for something specific to worry about, since I’m nervous.”

“What are you nervous about?”

“Just the whole thing
. That everything goes right,
India’s Aunt August has everything planned down to the last second, so I guess there’s nothing that could go
wrong. India’s friend Darla is catering, so the food will be out of this world.”

“Isn’t she also the matron of honor?”

“Yes.”

“Isn’t that going to be a bit of a stretch? Getting the food ready while she’s part of the ceremony?”

“Mom said she and India planned mostly cold dishes so that almost everything could be prepared ahead of
time. Darla apparently also has hired some capable help who will be there today. No one seemed worried.”

Zoey checked the handwritten directions she had jotted down the night before and pointed to the light just ahead.

“I think this is where you turn left. Georgia mentioned that gas station there on the co
rn
er, and that little picnic grove next to it, since the road is not marked.”

Ben made the left and Zoey continued her chatter. “Georgia also said that she helped August with the flowers. Mother had bunches of things brought in, but August wanted to do the table arrangements. My sister seemed to enjoy it. I’m glad. Georgey doesn’t have enough fun in her life. All she does is work.”

“You mean dance, don’t you?” Ben asked.

“I’m getting the feeling that it’s becoming more of a job and less of a joy for her. And don’t ask me why, because I can’t explain it. It’s just a feeling I have. So I’m really happy that she is away for a few days and is relaxing and having a good time.” Zoey rolled the window down and sniffed at the air. “We’re really close to the bay. Can you smell it?”

Ben pushed the button to lower his window. “Ummm. Oh, yes. I can smell it. Salt with just a hint of decaying matter. Just the perfect atmosphere for a romantic wedding in a lighthouse that just happened to be the scene of a murder.”

“You stop that.” She smacked him lightly with the rolled-up directions. “It isn’t like that at all. Devlin’s Light is one of the most peaceful, beautiful places I’ve ever been. You’ll see.”

“I’m confused. Is it the town or the lighthouse that’s called Devlin’s Light?”

“Both. The town was named for the lighthouse.”
She leaned forward and said, “Now, slow down, we’re coming into the town limits. ‘Welcome to Devlin’s Light. Speed limits strictly enforced.’
” She read the sign as they passed by it.

Ben slowed just slightly as they drove into the small
bayside town of Devlin’s Light on the shores of the Delaware Bay. Long ago, India Devlin’s ancestors had settled here. The lighthouse that overlooked the bay, as well as many of the town’s landmarks, still bore the Devlin name and benefited from the proceeds of the Devlin Trust.

“Turn here.” Zoey pointed to a small gravel road on the left.

Ben eased onto the brake as he crept up the stone drive, carefully avoiding kicking up stones that would mar the finish of his car. At the end of the drive through salt marsh heavy with the scent of salt and sea, Zoey instructed him to park next to the white Pathfinder and pointed to the cedar-shingled cabin in front of them and said, “This is Nicky’s place.”

Ben got out of the car and stretched his legs, at the same time taking in his surroundings. The cabin sat on stilts at the edge of the marsh, facing the bay, which was perfectly calm that day. Grabbing his things from the back of the car, Ben followed Zoey along the wooden walkway that ran from the back of the structure to the front. By the time they were approaching the small dock and the steps leading to the cabin, Nick had burst through the door and leaped down the steps to the walkway that served as a floating dock, to pick up his sister and spin her around.

“You crazy man!” Zoey shrieked. “One wrong move and we’ll both end up in the bay!”

Nick set her down, kissed his little sister on the forehead, and hugged his old friend.

“Ben! It’s good of you to offer to give me a hand here this morning.” Nick slapped Ben on the back.

“Hey, someone had to keep an eye on you, just in case you were thinking of backing out.”

“Not much chance of that.” Nick took Ben’s bags and gestured for them to follow him into the cabin. “When you get to know India, you’ll understand. She’s one in a million.”

Zoey’s eyes misted as her brother bragged about his
soon-to-be wife, about her accomplishments as a prosecutor, about how beautiful she was, how she so perfectly adapted to becoming a mother to the little girl her brother had adopted before his death.

“She sounds like the perfect woman,” Ben told him.

“Perfect for me, anyway.” Nick nodded, then turned to his sister. “Zoey, don’t you think you should be getting over to the Devlin house? Mom and Georgia arrived Thursday night, but I’m sure they could use an extra set of hands.”

“Okay.” She turned to Ben and held out her hand. “Keys, please.”

“What?”

“I need the keys to your car. I’m not about to walk from here into the town.”

“You want me to turn over my car—my BMW roadster—to a woman who knows two speeds—stop and ‘whoa, baby’?” Ben blanched.

“Come on, Ben. I’ll be careful. I promise.” She smiled sweetly.

“How ’bout if I drive you over to
…
wherever it is you’re going.”

“That would be a waste of time. Nicky needs you, don’t you Nicky?”

Before her brother could answer, Ben said, “Zoey, unless you go real slow up that drive, you’ll kick up stones. Stones will pock my paint job.”

“Oh, far be it from me to
pock
your
paint.
”
She grinned and proceeded to search his pockets for t
h
e keys.

“What’s going on here?” Observing his sister’s antics, Nick frowned.

“I’m trying to get the keys so that I can
…
Whoops!” She laughed. “That wasn’t your key ring, was it?”

Ben laughed and dangled the keys in front of her face. Zoey grabbed for the keys and Ben let her take them. She kissed Ben on the chin, saying, “I’ll be very careful, Ben. I promise. And I’ll make it worth your while later.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Nick’s eyes narrowed another notch.

Zoey turned to her brother and kissed his cheek. He was still frowning. “Get over it, Nicky. Your little sister is all grown up. I’ll see you at the wedding.”

As she skipped down the wooden walk toward the car, she heard her brother say, “Ben, I think it’s time that you and I had a little talk.”

Zoey laughed out loud.

She was still smiling when she pulled into the driveway of the Devlin house on Darien Road and parked at the rear of the property.

“Zoey!
”
The screen door slammed and Zoey knew without even looking that young Corri Devlin—soon to be Corri Devlin-Enright—had spotted her car.

“You’re just in time for brunch! Delia said you’d get here on time! Darla made the wedding cake. It’s the biggest, bestest cake I ever saw! It’s three different cakes and they stand on top of each other. And all white outside and chocolate inside! It has real white flowers on the top and they sort of fall down the sides. And it has some roses made of frosting. Darla made a few tiny ones just for me and Ollie to taste.”