Knives and Nuptials Read online

  Knives and Nuptials

  A Wendy the Wedding Planner Cozy Mystery

  Cindy Bell

  Copyright © 2014 Cindy Bell

  All rights reserved.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and locations portrayed in this book and the names herein are fictitious. Any similarity to or identification with the locations, names, characters or history of any person, product or entity is entirely coincidental and unintentional.

  All trademarks and brands referred to in this book are for illustrative purposes only, are the property of their respective owners and not affiliated with this publication in any way. Any trademarks are being used without permission, and the publication of the trademark is not authorized by, associated with or sponsored by the trademark owner.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  From the Author

  About the Author

  More Books by Cindy Bell

  Chapter One

  Words were blurring on the page in front of Wendy. She was trying to push herself to stay awake for an extra hour so that she could review the progress of Anne Max's wedding plans. She had been so busy lately that she was trying to fit more hours into the day. As joyful as it was to be part of a person's special day, it could also be very nerve wracking. Wendy liked everything to be perfect, she liked to make sure that the bride and groom had a day that they could treasure for the rest of their lives. However, at some point table settings and china patterns began to fade into each other creating quite an interesting kaleidoscope every time she closed her eyes.

  “All right,” she yawned and snapped her large planner shut. It was nearly bursting at the seams with samples and sticky notes. It was a far cry from the modern version, a nearly paper thin tablet that could store the universe in tiny little apps. But Wendy liked having the real thing in front of her. She had her tablet, too, but it was what she used when meeting with clients. There was something soothing about the patchwork style of a stuffed binder. As she carried it inside from her small patio, she felt her sleepiness growing. She locked the patio door behind her, dropped the binder on her desk, and then collapsed into bed.

  Wendy was becoming fonder of her condo since she no longer had to share it with her ex-boyfriend. She was remembering what it was like to have real privacy. It was amazing to think how different her life had been not too long ago. She had been preparing to marry a man she didn't even realize she didn't love, until he had walked out on her. She had been employed by a very prestigious wedding planner, until she had met an unfortunate end. Now, Wendy had her privacy once more, she had her own business as a wedding planner, and she had a new love interest.

  “Brian,” she murmured to herself as she sprawled out on her bed. Brian had come into her life exactly when she had needed him. He was a private investigator who had helped her out of a very dicey situation. Ever since, he had been a constant presence in her mind, and heart. Their relationship was tentative at best, with barely a kiss between them, but it was more powerful than she had ever experienced before.

  Wendy, who was surrounded every day all day by blushing brides and hopeful grooms, was a romantic at heart. She loved the idea of love. She loved it so much, that she had almost conned herself into believing she was in love with her ex. It wasn't until she had looked into Brian's eyes that she had realized that love isn't something that can be found between the pages of a book, or in a certain pattern, or even in the rhythm of a ballad. In fact, in her current opinion, it wasn't something that could be found at all. It was something that had to find her. She hugged her pillow and curled up on her bed as she smiled. She was fairly certain, that this time, it had actually found her. Did Brian feel the same way? She fell asleep wondering if she would ever know the answer to that question.

  ***

  After what felt like only a few moments of slumber, Wendy woke to her phone chiming first thing in the morning. It was actually too early for it be her alarm. She picked up the phone and looked at the caller ID. Anne Max flashed on the screen.

  “Hello?” she mumbled and cleared her throat as she answered the phone.

  “Hello? Wendy?” Anne said quickly. “I'm sorry to call so early,” she said in a sweet, apologetic tone. “It's just, I was wondering if you could join me this morning. I'm doing the final fitting for my dress, and I'd love to have your opinion on it.”

  “That's fine,” Wendy assured her in a bright tone. “I'd love to see you in your dress.”

  There were many things that Wendy took care of before wedding crunch time, and many things that most brides wanted to do personally. Wendy had her own selection of vendors for the weddings, such as florists, decorators, and caterers that she relied on because of past experience with them. Anne had a dress she had been dreaming of wearing, and had no question about what she wanted. It wasn't something that Wendy had to help her choose. As a result Wendy hadn't had the chance to see the dress except in photographs.

  “Can we meet up at Barney's Bridal around nine?” Anne requested.

  “Absolutely, I'll be there,” Wendy replied warmly before hanging up the phone. She hugged her pillow a moment longer. Then her phone chimed again. She picked it up, expecting it be Anne again.

  “Hello?” she asked in a rushed voice.

  “Good morning,” Brian replied perkily.

  Wendy blushed immediately. She shoved her pillow away and sat up. “Oh Brian, I didn't know it was you,” she said quickly.

  “Disappointed?” he asked with a slight chuckle.

  “Not at all, I was up half the night thinking about you,” Wendy rushed to say, and then immediately felt foolish. She wondered how she was going to get out of this one.

  “Really?” Brian asked with interest. “Just what were you thinking about?”

  “I meant the wedding, I was thinking about the wedding,” Wendy stammered out.

  “Our wedding?” he asked with surprise.

  “What?” Wendy blinked and then gulped. “What do you mean our wedding?”

  “I don't know, you're the one that brought it up,” Brian pointed out with a laugh. She could tell that he was getting pleasure from all of her squirming.

  “Brian, stop!” Wendy laughed. “What I meant to say was that I was up half of the night working on Anne Max's wedding, and yes, I thought about you as well, which means I was not the least bit disappointed when it turned out to be you on the phone.”

  “Well, now that we have that all cleared up,” Brian murmured. “Maybe we could meet for breakfast?”

  “Oh, I can't,” Wendy sighed. “I just promised to meet Anne this morning to see her wedding dress.”

  “All right,” Brian agreed with some disappointment. “Whenever you're free, just let me know. I'd love to see you.”

  “I will let you know,” Wendy promised him.

  “I'm glad to see that your business is doing so well,” Brian added.

  “And yours?” Wendy asked as she climbed out of bed. “Are you hunting cats or are you stalking husbands?”

  “Maybe a little of both?” Brian suggested.

  “Well, whatever you are doing, please be careful,” Wendy said warmly.

  “Always,” he replied. “See you soon, Wend
y.”

  “See you soon, Brian,” Wendy replied and hung up the phone. She held the phone between her cheek and shoulder as she sighed dreamily. Only then did she realize she hadn't actually hung up the phone. “Oops,” she nearly dropped the phone as she fumbled with it to turn it off.

  Wendy took a quick shower. Then she did her best to tame her ear-length strawberry blonde curls. They never seemed to want to cooperate with her. She enhanced her deep green eyes with a hint of mascara, and added a few light strokes of blush to disguise her pale skin. Her grandmother had once called it porcelain. Wendy called it pasty.

  ***

  As Wendy drove along the promenade she saw the usual happy sights. The beach was dotted with joggers, runners, and wanderers. Wendy was usually one of them but she hadn't been able to get up early enough for her walk that morning. The town was busy but quaint with several tourist traps nestled amidst local small businesses. There were not too many big-box stores, people had to drive a few miles out of town for that. Wendy liked how they were close enough to the big city to have access to everything anyone could want, but far enough away to still have a small town feeling.

  Wendy parked her car outside the shop and stepped out onto the sidewalk. She took a breath of the fresh, sea air. She was looking forward to this wedding. Anne and Rowan seemed to truly be in love, and Anne was a dream to work with. She was very agreeable but had enough of her own requests to make the wedding and ceremony feel very personal. Wendy stepped into the small bridal shop with a bright smile. She saw Anne excitedly waiting for her by the dressing rooms.

  “Hi Wendy!” Anne said happily and ran over to give her a quick hug. Anne was practically glowing. Wendy had seen plenty of happy brides, but Anne seemed absolutely over the moon.

  “I waited for you to get here before I tried it on,” Anne explained. “I'll just be a minute.”

  She followed one of the clerks from the shop into one of the large dressing rooms.

  “So, you're the wedding planner, huh?” a voice said from just behind Wendy. Wendy spun around to face the mother of the groom, Celeste Coopers. Celeste had just returned from a vacation so Wendy only knew her from the newspaper and pictures she had seen of her. Wendy always made it her business to research everyone in the wedding party. This was for two reasons. It made the bride more comfortable if she felt her wedding planner was familiar with her family and loved ones. It also alerted Wendy to potential party animals, flakes, and other bad behaviors that might lead to a wedding disaster if not handled carefully. Celeste Coopers was a pillar of the community, very well-off, and very much involved in her sons' lives.

  “Yes, I am,” Wendy smiled warmly at her. “You must be Celeste, I'm Wendy,” she offered her hand. Celeste reluctantly shook it.

  “I don't get these new trendy jobs,” Celeste commented shaking her head. “You base your entire career on people being too lazy to do things themselves. How is that working for you?”

  Wendy was a little startled by the question. Despite the obvious rudeness of the woman's words, her tone was syrupy sweet as if she had just paid Wendy the nicest compliment.

  “I enjoy my work very much,” Wendy finally replied with a professional smile. She was not going to play into the woman's attempt to upset her. Celeste opened her mouth to speak again, but before she could the door to the dressing room swung open. Anne stepped out of the dressing room and took Wendy's breath away.

  Anne was a beautiful woman to start with. She was petite with golden highlights in pin straight, light brown hair. She had bright blue eyes that always seemed eager to please. But she had a childish look about her, almost as if she was too young to even think about marriage. However, in the figure-hugging dress she had chosen she looked drop-dead gorgeous. She was absolutely transformed. The dress had a simple skirt, but the bodice was intricately woven with tiny glass beads that caught the reflection of the lights in the showroom.

  “Wow!” Wendy breathed out with genuine awe.

  “Do you like it?” Anne asked as she stepped into the middle of three mirrors. “I knew the moment that I put it on that this was the one,” she sighed happily as she looked in the mirror.

  “It's perfect,” Wendy agreed.

  Celeste clucked her tongue lightly and huffed as she rolled her eyes.

  “Celeste, don't you like it?” Anne asked as she looked in the mirror at the reflection of her soon to be mother-in-law.

  “What's to like?” Celeste asked and scrunched up her nose. “It looks just like any other dress that anyone would wear. I mean, they must have run it right off the same assembly line. You might as well be wearing a white sheet.”

  Wendy watched Anne's expression transform in the mirror. She went from the upturned lips, sparkling eyes, and rosy cheeks of elation, to a deep frown, downward cast eyes, and a blush of shame.

  “I thought it was nice,” she said softly.

  “Sure, it's nice,” Celeste muttered as if she was uttering a curse. “You there,” she gestured to the clerk who had been helping Anne. “Bring me something a bit more fashionable, hmm?”

  The woman stared at her for a moment, but nodded. Anne drew a deep breath and turned towards Celeste.

  “I really like this dress, Celeste,” she said. Wendy observed quietly. She knew that a fight between family members could cause a wedding to be canceled. She also knew it wasn't her place to step in.

  “I understand that, sweetheart, and I can't blame you for it, you just don't know any better,” she smiled broadly as the clerk brought a high-end high-fashion dress that had angles so sharp Wendy wondered if it would be painful to wear. “Just try this one,” she pressed.

  Anne shifted from one foot to the other and then frowned. “Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to try it,” she said quietly.

  Wendy bit her tongue and watched as Anne walked back into the dressing room with the new dress.

  “Poor girl, she's a little behind on what's fashionable,” Celeste muttered to the clerk. The clerk offered her a strained smile.

  “Celeste, wedding dresses are very personal to the bride,” Wendy ventured casually. “Most brides fall in love with one dress, and that is the one they choose.”

  “That's because most brides don't have someone with the wisdom and fashion knowledge that I have,” Celeste explained with a smirk. “Lucky for Anne, she has me.”

  Lucky wasn't the word Wendy would have used to describe the situation. But she kept that to herself. When Anne stepped out of the dressing room again, Wendy summoned a smile to her lips.

  “You look beautiful, Anne,” she said. But the truth was, the angles were falling against her subtle curves in all of the wrong places, making her look bulky rather than svelte.

  “I tried it on,” Anne said and cringed. “I still like the first one.”

  “Nonsense,” Celeste said dismissively. “There is no comparing the quality. This is the dress for you.”

  “I don't know,” Anne said hesitantly. “I really like how the other one looks on me.”

  “Well, anyone can look good in a tent, dear,” Celeste said with a playful chuckle. “We'll just need to let this dress out a bit, you know, it's designed for the perfect body shape, but we can make it work for you with a little bit of effort. Can't we?” she asked the clerk with a tight smile.

  Anne was staring with disbelief at Celeste. Wendy was waiting for the explosion. She was sure that Anne would lose it over the dress. Instead she cleared her throat and managed a smile.

  “Well Celeste, you certainly know best about these types of things,” Anne nodded. “We'll take this dress.”

  “Anne, are you sure?” Wendy asked with concern. “I know how much you loved the other one…”

  “Stay out of this,” Celeste snapped. “A daughter-in-law should trust the opinion of her mother-in-law more than they trust some fly-by-night wedding planner.”

  Wendy gritted her teeth. Anne had walked back to the dressing room to change. Wendy was so tempted to let Celeste have it. But it w
as Anne's wedding, and if she was willing to sacrifice what she wanted in order to keep the peace with Celeste, then Wendy had to respect her wishes and keep her mouth shut.

  “It's nice that you two are so close,” Wendy said politely and walked away from Celeste towards the clerk's desk.

  “Yes, it is,” Celeste said. She looked as if she was working up towards making another rude comment, so Wendy pretended to be receiving a call. She ducked out of the shop in order to get some air.

  Wendy was not generally a violent person, but Celeste certainly had a way of plucking her nerves. She took a deep breath and mentally coached herself to be calm and accepting of the situation. Celeste was right about one thing, she wasn't presenting herself as very professional if one busy-body mother-in-law was enough to make her lose her cool. She was just stepping back inside the shop when Anne and Celeste stepped out.

  “Oh Wendy, just who I was looking for,” Anne said with a smile. “I was wondering if you could tell us about the venue. Celeste wants to hear about it,” she added with an apologetic frown.

  Wendy smiled. “Of course she does, it's an important part of the wedding,” she said quickly. She pulled out her tablet so that she could display pictures of the hotel as she spoke. “So, the venue we have chosen has a beautiful, spacious banquet room and hall that can be used for both the ceremony and the reception,” Wendy explained. “But it also has the option for an outdoor wedding, which I know was something that you were considering.”

  “Yes, I thought it might be nice if the weather is good, which it usually is,” Anne grinned.

  “You can't seriously be considering that,” Celeste said grimly as she batted her long lashes at Anne. “Are you aware that birds will most likely poop in your hair?” she asked.

  Anne stared at her for a long moment. Wendy had to cover her mouth to suppress a laugh. Surely it would have been an amusing moment if it were not for the completely serious expression on Celeste's face.

  “I hadn't thought of that,” Anne said quietly.