Gracie took hers, then popped it open. “I worked on a wedding once where instead of a sit-down meal, they had tons of appetizers. Not only were waiters circulating with trays, but there were various stations with fun things like melted chocolate for dipping and a mini sandwich bar. The savings for the bride’s family were enormous.”

Her mother picked up a folder marked menus and opened it. “Aren’t appetizers pretty expensive?”

“They can be, but they’re still cheaper than a meal. Plus, people are circulating more, so there’s a lot of opportunities for conversation, which the guests really like. They’re not stuck with the same six people at the table all night. On the savings side, you don’t have to have such fancy table settings or decorations. At a cocktail party, no one expects the chairs to be covered. You can even serve a signature drink that matches the wedding colors, plus beer and wine.”

Vivian narrowed her blue eyes. “Thanks for making my wedding into an experience on the same level as going to the outlet mall, Gracie. You know, another way we could save money is have everyone pack a lunch. Wouldn’t that be too, too stunning for words?”

Gracie stiffened. “I’m sorry. I was trying to help.”

“Yeah, well, don’t. The wedding is in less than five weeks and I’m not changing anything. I want a big sit-down dinner. I want a band and I want lots of dancing. The signature drink idea is a good one, though. I’ll talk to Tom about that.”

Alexis smiled sympathetically at Gracie. “It wouldn’t hurt to save a little money,” she told Vivian.

“Why should I? You and Zeke eloped. Oh, and Gracie’s never getting married, so why shouldn’t all the money be spent on me?”

Alexis shrugged. “Always the baby of the family. You’re spoiled.”

“Whatever.” Vivian grabbed a cookie. “Look, I’m paying for my own wedding dress. Isn’t that enough?”

“It’s fine,” her mother said. “I appreciate you helping out. Let’s talk about the dresses. Yours is ready, isn’t it?”

“It’s in, and I have my first fitting next week.” She turned to Gracie. “It’s so beautiful. Strapless, with lace and a drop waist. The bridesmaid dresses are a similar style, but really simple and elegant. They’re black, edged with white. I can’t wait for you to see them.”

Vivian seemed to have forgotten her explosion from fourteen seconds before, but Gracie hadn’t. The sharp words still stung. Maybe the problem was she didn’t know her role here. Despite all her experience with weddings, she was the odd sister out. If her presence was simply a courtesy, then she should remember to keep her mouth shut.

Still, she wanted to protest that it was unfair of Vivian to assume Gracie wouldn’t get married. She was only twenty-eight and the last time she checked, that didn’t mean love was out of her life forever. Sure there wasn’t anyone special right now, but that could change.

“Alexis’s dress has a matching little shrug that’s so cute.”

Vivian’s previous outburst had been a painful twinge. This revelation was a full-on stab.

Gracie took a swallow of her soda. “It’s important to have the maid of honor stand out a little.”

“Exactly.” Vivian beamed.

Alexis said something about flowers, their mom pulled out yet another folder and Gracie did her best to act normal.

It wasn’t that she minded Vivian asking Alexis to stand up with her. They’d grown up together, they were close. It was that when Vivian had first told her about the wedding, she’d made it clear she was going to ask her friends to be in her wedding, and not her sisters. Apparently she’d only meant not Gracie.

Gracie understood intellectually that while she might technically be a member of this family, she wasn’t in any other way. She’d been gone for the past fourteen years. Things had happened, people had changed. She’d changed. This wasn’t her world. Oh, but it still hurt to be excluded.

“You seem to have everything under control,” she said when they’d finalized the flowers for the bouquets and the tables. “I’m going to head out. I have some baking to do.”

“When are you going to make me some sketches for my wedding cake?” Vivian asked. “I want it huge. I mean really, really big and spectacular. Every inch decorated.”

Which described a cake that would not only go for several thousand dollars, but would take weeks to finish. Not that Vivian would care about that.

“I’ll put something together in the next couple of days,” Gracie promised. She rose.

“I’ll walk you out,” Alexis said and followed her to the front door.

“Well?” she asked when they were alone. “Are you going to find out what’s going on with Zeke and Pam Whitefield?”

“Yes. Riley and I are going to follow her tonight and see what happens.”

“Don’t lose her like you lost Zeke,” Alexis said.

“Thanks for the tip. I wouldn’t have thought of it on my own.”

She left the house and walked to her car. She felt uncomfortable, as if she had a bad taste in her mouth. The house where she’d lived for so long looked exactly as she remembered, but everything else was different, and those changes made her sad.

RILEY PULLED into Gracie’s driveway and found her waiting just outside the front door. The storm had moved on, leaving the sky clear, which would be both a help and a hindrance to their evening plans. It was already twilight, but there were plenty of stars and a good-sized moon to provide light.

Gracie waved when she saw him and walked toward the car. He watched her, noting something was different. Something he couldn’t figure out.

Not her clothes. She’d dressed casually, in dark pants and a long-sleeved T-shirt. Her blond hair had been fastened back in one of those fancy braids women seemed to love. She even had her damn camera with her.

“What’s up?” he asked when she opened the door and slid onto the passenger seat.

“Hi,” she said with a smile that seemed more forced than genuine.

He left the car in park. “I was asking a question, not offering an urban greeting.”

“What? Oh. You mean what’s up with me?” She shrugged. “Nothing. I’m fine.”

Fine had been the bright, cheerful, glowing woman who had delivered the cake to his office earlier that day. This was not fine.

“Are you sure?” he probed, then could have kicked himself. Did he really want to know what could be up in Gracie’s life?

“I don’t want to talk about it.” She let the smile fade. “Can you be okay with that?”

“Absolutely.”

He backed out of her driveway.

“We’ll swing by Pam’s house and see if she’s there. If she is, we’ll wait and see if she goes out.” He glanced at her. “Sound like a plan?”

“It’s great. When I saw Alexis, she reminded me not to lose Pam this time. Good advice, huh?”

There was something in her voice. Something sharp, but also broken. He gripped the steering wheel and told himself to think about sports.

Fifteen minutes later, he slowed as they turned onto Pam’s street. Her house was on the far corner-a modest single-story structure with a big garden and bay windows.

“She’s here,” he said, pointing to the lights on in the house and the car-a white Lexus GS300-in the driveway.

“Do you know why she’s here?” Gracie asked, speaking for the first time since they’d left her house.

“She lives here.”

“No, I mean why is she in Los Lobos? I would have thought she would head out for the big city.”

“I have no idea.” Nor did he care. Pam was firmly in his past and he was happy to keep her there. She’d lied her way into their marriage and as soon as he’d learned the truth, he’d been gone.

“It’s just I don’t know why they even asked me to be at the meeting,” Gracie said as she stared out the side window toward the house. “Obviously my opinions weren’t welcome. I don’t get it. I just don’t get it. Mom can’t be making that much at the hardware store. I’m sure she owns the house outright, but still.

“Vivian’s acting as if money is no object. A sit-down dinner at the country club? That’s insane.”

Riley didn’t want to ask. He held in the question as long as he could, but it finally escaped. “What are we talking about?”

Gracie sighed. “Nothing. My sister. My younger sister. She’s getting married in a few weeks. That’s why I’m back here. They said they wanted my help. But they don’t. Oh, Vivian wants a wedding cake, though. A big, heavily decorated one. Sure, I’m happy to give her that, but it’s as if she has no idea what she’s asking. We’re talking hundreds of hours. Plus, there’s the whole wedding party. I’m okay with it, but I don’t know why she lied. All she had to do was tell me the truth. So she wants Alexis in the wedding and not me. What do I care?”

Her pain was a tangible creature in the car. Riley wished he was wearing a tie so he could loosen it. Instead he touched her arm.

“It’s okay,” he said, feeling like a complete idiot as he spoke the words. How the hell did he know if it was okay or not?

She turned to him and he saw a hint of tears in her eye. In the glow from the streetlight, she seemed more frail, somehow.

“I’m telling myself I’ll be fine, but so far I know I’m lying. I’m not even a part of this family anymore. She and Alexis are close. That’s okay. I have to accept it. It’s just…” She swallowed hard, then drew in a deep breath and released it. “None of this is my fault. If I’m not a part of things, it’s because my mother sent me away. I never wanted to go.”

He felt both uncomfortable and awkward. Gracie being upset made him want to fix things, which was unfamiliar. But all these feelings-he didn’t like them at all.

“Go where?” he asked.

“After that summer.” She looked at him. “When you found out Pam wasn’t pregnant, you took off. But you weren’t the only one leaving town. I was sent away, too.”