cottage-style house just a few blocks from Emily in the charming, older section of Paradise Valley. It was pretty as a postcard with painted white clapboard and black shutters, set off by a deep red arched-top front door.
The front yard was profuse with flowers and blooming rosebushes, bordered with a white picket fence. It was the kind of home Maggie grew up dreaming of back in her dirt-floor shack in Texas.
“Come in, Em,” Maggie squealed, giving her friend a warm hug. “I can’t wait to show you the invitations I’ve picked out. I want you to tell me which one you think is prettiest.”
“Okay.”
Maggie took Emily’s hand and dragged her to the cozy dining room. The table was covered with magazines and catalogs lying open with pads of colorful sticky notes strewn amongst them. Maggie excitedly pointed out which one was which, and how she had put bright yellow sticky notes on the items she liked.
“I don’t think we can do all of this within the next two weeks, Maggs,” Emily said.
“I know, but it’s a nice idea, isn’t it? My first weddin’ was in front of a Justice of the Peace in Hollywood, so I was hopin’ this one would be magical and romantic, with a big white weddin’ dress—the whole shebang.” Maggie’s big blue eyes moistened and her lips thinned as she appeared to be fighting off the disappointment.
“We’ll see what we can do,” Emily assured her, patting her hand. “Let’s make some plans. Guest list first so we can get the invitations out right away, then we’ll set a time to go shopping this week for everything else.”
“I knew I could count on you, Em.” Maggie’s expression brightened.
Emily took on a serious tone. “You know you can always count on me, Maggie, but I have to ask you…” She paused, trying to find the best way to say what was in her heart.
“What is it?” Maggie’s countenance grew serious as well.
“Are you certain you’re making the right decision? Marrying Lucas before you have a chance to truly get to know him?”
“What are you sayin’? You don’t like him?”
“I’m saying Isabel and I—”
“Y’all have been discussin’ me and Lucas?” Maggie spoke as if she felt betrayed.
“Listen to me, Maggie. Isabel and I are just concerned. We want nothing more than happiness for you, but we want to make sure you’re doing the right thing.” Emily could see she had upset Maggie, but this was too important to just drop it. “How much do you really know about him? About his background? Who he was before you met him?”
“We’ve talked for hours and hours over the past few months. He’s never given me any reason to doubt what he’s told me—or that he loves me.”
“He may not be who you think he is.”
“Like Evan?” Maggie asked pointedly. “Just because you’re findin’ out Evan wasn’t who he said he was doesn’t mean every man is like that.”
“It has nothing to do with Evan,” Emily snapped back, hoping she was right. Camille had also accused her of projecting her suspicions of Evan onto Lucas, and she had vehemently denied it. Could they be right?
“Are you sure?” Maggie questioned.
“Did you know Lucas had an argument with Sully at the party last night?” Emily asked, arching an eyebrow, trying to direct the discussion away from Evan.
“No. I did notice Sully left without sayin’ good-bye, but Lucas told me there was some city emergency he had to deal with.”
“Did you know he had a fight with your son, too?”
“With Josh? If that’s true, why didn’t Josh say anythin’ to me about it?
“Where is Josh? Let’s ask him,” Emily posed.
“Uh, I don’t know. We didn’t really talk last night and he’s been gone all day. I assume he’s out with his buddies, doin’ something with them while he’s home.
“Why don’t I give him a call?” Emily pulled her phone out of her purse.
“You don’t need to do that,” Maggie protested.
Emily raised a hand to shush Maggie.
“Josh,
The front yard was profuse with flowers and blooming rosebushes, bordered with a white picket fence. It was the kind of home Maggie grew up dreaming of back in her dirt-floor shack in Texas.
“Come in, Em,” Maggie squealed, giving her friend a warm hug. “I can’t wait to show you the invitations I’ve picked out. I want you to tell me which one you think is prettiest.”
“Okay.”
Maggie took Emily’s hand and dragged her to the cozy dining room. The table was covered with magazines and catalogs lying open with pads of colorful sticky notes strewn amongst them. Maggie excitedly pointed out which one was which, and how she had put bright yellow sticky notes on the items she liked.
“I don’t think we can do all of this within the next two weeks, Maggs,” Emily said.
“I know, but it’s a nice idea, isn’t it? My first weddin’ was in front of a Justice of the Peace in Hollywood, so I was hopin’ this one would be magical and romantic, with a big white weddin’ dress—the whole shebang.” Maggie’s big blue eyes moistened and her lips thinned as she appeared to be fighting off the disappointment.
“We’ll see what we can do,” Emily assured her, patting her hand. “Let’s make some plans. Guest list first so we can get the invitations out right away, then we’ll set a time to go shopping this week for everything else.”
“I knew I could count on you, Em.” Maggie’s expression brightened.
Emily took on a serious tone. “You know you can always count on me, Maggie, but I have to ask you…” She paused, trying to find the best way to say what was in her heart.
“What is it?” Maggie’s countenance grew serious as well.
“Are you certain you’re making the right decision? Marrying Lucas before you have a chance to truly get to know him?”
“What are you sayin’? You don’t like him?”
“I’m saying Isabel and I—”
“Y’all have been discussin’ me and Lucas?” Maggie spoke as if she felt betrayed.
“Listen to me, Maggie. Isabel and I are just concerned. We want nothing more than happiness for you, but we want to make sure you’re doing the right thing.” Emily could see she had upset Maggie, but this was too important to just drop it. “How much do you really know about him? About his background? Who he was before you met him?”
“We’ve talked for hours and hours over the past few months. He’s never given me any reason to doubt what he’s told me—or that he loves me.”
“He may not be who you think he is.”
“Like Evan?” Maggie asked pointedly. “Just because you’re findin’ out Evan wasn’t who he said he was doesn’t mean every man is like that.”
“It has nothing to do with Evan,” Emily snapped back, hoping she was right. Camille had also accused her of projecting her suspicions of Evan onto Lucas, and she had vehemently denied it. Could they be right?
“Are you sure?” Maggie questioned.
“Did you know Lucas had an argument with Sully at the party last night?” Emily asked, arching an eyebrow, trying to direct the discussion away from Evan.
“No. I did notice Sully left without sayin’ good-bye, but Lucas told me there was some city emergency he had to deal with.”
“Did you know he had a fight with your son, too?”
“With Josh? If that’s true, why didn’t Josh say anythin’ to me about it?
“Where is Josh? Let’s ask him,” Emily posed.
“Uh, I don’t know. We didn’t really talk last night and he’s been gone all day. I assume he’s out with his buddies, doin’ something with them while he’s home.
“Why don’t I give him a call?” Emily pulled her phone out of her purse.
“You don’t need to do that,” Maggie protested.
Emily raised a hand to shush Maggie.
“Josh,
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