open lobby she saw the pallbearers stepping aside to allow the funeral director to guide the casket into the hearse.
She smiled reflexively when her eyes crossed a familiar gaze, but the man watching her wasn’t Kevin; it was Mark. His hazel eyes creased in an exaggerated expression of joy that was probably meant to flatter her.
What had she ever seen in him? They’d dated only a few months, but now Mark was gobbling her with his eyes, looking as though he might come down the aisle and sweep her into his arms at any minute.
She gave him a tight smile, then looked away as a sense of unease crept into her mood like a wisp of smoke.
When the crowd began to disperse, Susan nudged Karyn, then pointed to the thin blond near the back of the church. “Look who else made it.”
“Lisa!” Karyn spoke in a hushed tone. “When did she come in?”
“After us, obviously.” A wry smile tugged at the corner of Susan’s mouth. “She’s late as always. Some things never change.”
She led the way out of the pew, then pulled Karyn through the crowd until she was close enough to tap Lisa’s shoulder. Lisa turned, then cried out and melted into Susan’s embrace.
“I’m so glad you came,” Susan said. “How in the world are you?”
Lisa pulled away, then swiped tears from her lower lashes. “Not too good at the moment.” She opened her arms to Karyn. “But you both look great.”
“ Great is a relative term,” Karyn said, hugging Lisa. “But we’re glad to be here. We’re only sorry it took a funeral to bring everyone back together.”
Lisa pulled out of Karyn’s grasp, then tugged a crumpled tissue from her purse. “I’m still in shock. I can’t believe it.”
“None of us can,” Susan said. “Did you see the guys? Kevin and Mark are both here.”
A flush warmed Lisa’s cheeks as she patted her eyes. “I saw them.”
Susan couldn’t help but notice Lisa’s hands. She’d never been the froufrou type, but her hands had never looked this bad. The nails were short and ragged; the knuckles cracked and red. She wore a tiny gold ring on her pinkie finger, but no other jewelry.
Had she never married?
Susan linked her arms through her friends’. “Come on, girls. Let’s get through this, then we’ll have a chance to catch up. I want to hear about everything you’ve been doing the last twenty years.”
They followed the crowd out of the sanctuary to the sidewalk, where a damp drizzle was leaving dime-sized splotches on the black hearse. Susan peered through the vehicle’s wide windows and realized that under that spray of white roses lay the man she would have married . . . if he’d asked.
Lisa nudged her out of her memories. “I think that woman is David’s wife.” Discreetly, she pointed to a small woman on the sidewalk. “Julia Lawson—I heard she kept her maiden name because she established her medical practice before they got married. That’s her little boy.”
Susan groaned as fresh dismay ripped through her. “That adorable child is David’s son ?”
“Nicholas,” Karyn said. “I read his name in the program.”
“I suppose we ought to say something to the widow.” Lisa raised her hand in a futile effort to block the rain. “But I’d really like to sit and talk to you two.”
“All in good time.” Susan lifted her chin. “But yes, we have to speak to David’s wife . . . if we can get through this crowd.”
Their progress halted when a fortyish woman in a yellow raincoat abandoned all decorum and pointed at Karyn. “I don’t believe it! Aren’t you Lorinda Loving?”
Karyn’s face locked in neutral, though she had to be ticked off by the woman’s nerve. “I’m sorry, but you’re mistaken.”
The woman planted herself firmly in Karyn’s path. “But you look exactly like her! You even sound like her!”
“Ma’am”—Karyn’s brows rushed together—“Lorinda Loving is a fictional character. I can assure you I’m not her.”
The woman tipped back
She smiled reflexively when her eyes crossed a familiar gaze, but the man watching her wasn’t Kevin; it was Mark. His hazel eyes creased in an exaggerated expression of joy that was probably meant to flatter her.
What had she ever seen in him? They’d dated only a few months, but now Mark was gobbling her with his eyes, looking as though he might come down the aisle and sweep her into his arms at any minute.
She gave him a tight smile, then looked away as a sense of unease crept into her mood like a wisp of smoke.
When the crowd began to disperse, Susan nudged Karyn, then pointed to the thin blond near the back of the church. “Look who else made it.”
“Lisa!” Karyn spoke in a hushed tone. “When did she come in?”
“After us, obviously.” A wry smile tugged at the corner of Susan’s mouth. “She’s late as always. Some things never change.”
She led the way out of the pew, then pulled Karyn through the crowd until she was close enough to tap Lisa’s shoulder. Lisa turned, then cried out and melted into Susan’s embrace.
“I’m so glad you came,” Susan said. “How in the world are you?”
Lisa pulled away, then swiped tears from her lower lashes. “Not too good at the moment.” She opened her arms to Karyn. “But you both look great.”
“ Great is a relative term,” Karyn said, hugging Lisa. “But we’re glad to be here. We’re only sorry it took a funeral to bring everyone back together.”
Lisa pulled out of Karyn’s grasp, then tugged a crumpled tissue from her purse. “I’m still in shock. I can’t believe it.”
“None of us can,” Susan said. “Did you see the guys? Kevin and Mark are both here.”
A flush warmed Lisa’s cheeks as she patted her eyes. “I saw them.”
Susan couldn’t help but notice Lisa’s hands. She’d never been the froufrou type, but her hands had never looked this bad. The nails were short and ragged; the knuckles cracked and red. She wore a tiny gold ring on her pinkie finger, but no other jewelry.
Had she never married?
Susan linked her arms through her friends’. “Come on, girls. Let’s get through this, then we’ll have a chance to catch up. I want to hear about everything you’ve been doing the last twenty years.”
They followed the crowd out of the sanctuary to the sidewalk, where a damp drizzle was leaving dime-sized splotches on the black hearse. Susan peered through the vehicle’s wide windows and realized that under that spray of white roses lay the man she would have married . . . if he’d asked.
Lisa nudged her out of her memories. “I think that woman is David’s wife.” Discreetly, she pointed to a small woman on the sidewalk. “Julia Lawson—I heard she kept her maiden name because she established her medical practice before they got married. That’s her little boy.”
Susan groaned as fresh dismay ripped through her. “That adorable child is David’s son ?”
“Nicholas,” Karyn said. “I read his name in the program.”
“I suppose we ought to say something to the widow.” Lisa raised her hand in a futile effort to block the rain. “But I’d really like to sit and talk to you two.”
“All in good time.” Susan lifted her chin. “But yes, we have to speak to David’s wife . . . if we can get through this crowd.”
Their progress halted when a fortyish woman in a yellow raincoat abandoned all decorum and pointed at Karyn. “I don’t believe it! Aren’t you Lorinda Loving?”
Karyn’s face locked in neutral, though she had to be ticked off by the woman’s nerve. “I’m sorry, but you’re mistaken.”
The woman planted herself firmly in Karyn’s path. “But you look exactly like her! You even sound like her!”
“Ma’am”—Karyn’s brows rushed together—“Lorinda Loving is a fictional character. I can assure you I’m not her.”
The woman tipped back
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