Page 16 of One Weekend On Mackinac Island
“What is?”
“The rings. Todd and Tria’s wedding rings. They were right here.”
I pulled her out of the closet so I could take a closer look. The door to the safe gaped open, revealing nothing but empty space.
The hours dragged on as we waited for the authorities to arrive and filed reports, the weight of the theft heavy on our minds. The force of the thief’s shove had sent her tumbling, and she slammed into the door, the latch bolt tearing a painful gashacross her arm. I hated that she’d been hurt mere feet from me and I’d been unable to prevent it.
Kat was devastated and blamed herself. I held her as she experienced a myriad of emotions. Everything from a raging anger to utter despair. When Todd and Tria arrived, her tears were unstoppable. Their reassurances that everything would be alright were lost on her, she remained trapped in her own anguish.
Eventually, she fell asleep in my arms.
Chapter 9
Kat
The morning arrived andwith it came the reminder of what had occurred the previous night. I was still in a state of disbelief, but the anger was quickly overshadowing it. I knew now, everything that had happened to derail this wedding was caused by one person. The bike tires. The ruined flowers. And now the missing wedding rings.
Someone didn’t want this wedding to take place.
Resolve took hold. I was not going to let that happen. Rings or no rings, this wedding would proceed.
Brunch at the Watercolor Café was subdued as word of the theft made the rounds of the wedding party participants. Sitting on the edge of the lake, the Café was whimsical and intimate with a menu that was just filling enough to get us through the morning. As I sipped on my Lilac latte, I watched the ferries pull in and out of the dock, their horns echoing across the water.
Owen was beside me, a constant presence that brought me comfort. Last night hadn’t gone how I wanted it to, but he was exactly what I needed in that situation. I took his hand, linking our fingers, not caring who saw or what they thought about our blossoming relationship. I was all in, and I wanted everyone to know about it.
The weight of Todd and Tria’s lost wedding rings pressed heavily on my chest, but the simple act of holding Owen's hand amidst the love and support of my friends and family brought a flicker of joy.
“What’s with everyone today?” Scott stomped out onto the deck, his boots creating a heavy thud against the wood. “Why all the long faces?”
“Shut up, Scott,” Stephanie hissed.
Stephanie.
Something flickered in the back of my mind. I closed my eyes and brought up my memories of the previous night. I’d just opened my door when a flash of black caught my eye. I was shoved out of the way. My arm was cut as I fell. A pair of black shoes, flashing past the doorway, disappeared down the stairs, leaving only the lingering echo of a hurried escape.
A pair of distinctive black shoes.
I gasped.
Owen was instantly on alert. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
I glanced at Stephanie, my gaze sliding down her body to her feet. Sure enough, she was wearing the same shoes.
I snorted in disbelief, a sharp, loud sound that could not be mistaken for anything but a disbelieving laugh. “How stupid can you be?”
Rising slowly, my body still aching from the hard shove, I confronted the bitter woman.
“What are you talking about now?” she asked, her voice cold and cutting, making her contempt impossible to ignore.
“You’re behind everything. The question is . . . why?”
The small deck was crowded with our family, all drawn by the commotion, their voices hushed as they tried to make sense of what was going on. Tria's sharp gasp cut through the cacophony of voices and the rhythmic slap of water against the deck.
Stephanie’s eyes flared, and I knew I was right. Her gaze flickered frantically around the crowd as if looking for an out. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I always knew you were a bitch, but I’d never imagined you’d stoop so low as to ruin someone’s wedding. What? You just can’t stand anyone else being happy? Just because you are a bitter, lonely woman, doesn’t mean everyone else has to be too.”
“You think you’re so smart, but you don’t know everything.”
