Wedding Belles. Beth Albright

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      11

      Later that afternoon, I was sitting in the cool of my office with Wanda Jo. Harry hardly ever came in anymore since the campaign had taken over his life. But I was okay with that. I liked working on things by myself, much more than I ever thought I would. I had several cases going, and I was glad to be so busy. Otherwise, I might find myself hanging over at the police station in a certain investigator’s office, which would simply not do.

      I was meeting with Wanda Jo concerning a file when Vivi came flying in, literally running down the hall and straight into my office. “Blake, oh, my God, you’ll never guess what happened after you left the press conference. It is unreal!”

      “Sit down, girl. You gonna deliver that baby right here if you don’t,” Wanda Jo said, getting up and giving her a chair, then pulled up one for herself.

      “What the hell, Vivi?” I asked her. “What happened?”

      “Blake, you are gonna die. In a million years, we never would have seen this comin’.”

      “Are you gonna tell me or are we practicing telepathy?”

      “After you left, Harry came over to Lewis and asked to talk to him. Lewis looked surprised and nervous. I mean, you know how it is between them. I moved closer to Lewis for support when Harry asked me for privacy. Can you believe it? I am carrying Lewis’s baby, and Harry had the nerve to ask me to give them a minute alone. I was immediately suspicious.”

      “You aren’t the only one. What did you do?”

      “I walked over to Meridee and Kitty, who were still talkin’ to Mayor Charlie. Harry said something to Lewis and he plopped down on the bottom step in shock. Then Harry sat down next to him.”

      “Oh, my Lord,” Wanda Jo said. “It must have been serious for Harry to risk getting his pants dirty. What the heck did he say?” She knew Harry pretty well herself. Well, actually, everyone knew that for Harry to sit on anything other than a proper seat in his perfectly pressed pants was way out of character.

      “I’m getting there, I’m getting there! Anyway, I wanted to run over when I saw Lewis sit down, but then I saw them shake hands. A minute later—you won’t even believe this—they hugged. Hugged!”

      “No way,” I said. My heart sank. I knew Harry would be up to something with Lewis in the spotlight today. He just couldn’t stand it.

      “Yes, way,” answered Vivi. “I almost fainted. With the heat and all, I thought I was seeing a mirage, but Meridee confirmed it. She was watching with me, and you know how she never misses a thing.”

      “Vivi, spit it out. What happened? I’m about to die here,” I said.

      “Harry walked away, and Lewis sank back down on the steps. I ran over to him and sat beside him. Blake, you aren’t gonna believe this, but Harry wanted to make amends. He actually apologized to Lewis, said he was truly sorry. Harry said he had misjudged Lewis for years and had been wrong about him. Can you freakin’ believe that?”

      I sat in silence.

      “Blake, you can close your mouth now,” Wanda Jo chimed in. “It’s not like Harry apologizing is a sign of the apocalypse, though it’s pretty damn close, for sure.”

      “This is just not the Harry I know,” I said. “What else happened?”

      “Harry asked Lewis to forgive him, and said he wanted to make up for lost time. Wanted them to act more like brothers. You know Lewis. He has been so hungry for family since the big fight all those years ago, and Harry not speaking to him ever since. Lewis said he was ready for them to start over, and he asked Harry to be best man at our wedding.”

      “Okay,” said Wanda Jo. “It’s officially the apocalypse.”

      I couldn’t believe this. Lewis and Harry had gone for over six years without speaking, all because of money and what to do with their mother after their father died. While Harry was the practical, serious one, Lewis was always going for the big dream, like owning his own radio station, though none of his schemes had ever worked out until now. He had lost the majority of the family fortune and went to Meridee behind everyone’s backs to ask for loans. But while the rest of us had spent our time judging Lewis based on his failures, Meridee saw something special in him, as she did in everyone. She helped him get this radio station going and he has been able to fully pay her back. But Harry has never ever apologized to Lewis. Till now.

      “I can’t believe Harry came around,” I admitted. Was it real? I wondered. Was he genuinely wanting to make amends? Or did he just want something, now that Lewis was Tuscaloosa’s golden boy.

      Vivi seemed happy, but I detected a hint of confusion from her, too. We sat there in shock and silence for a few moments.

      Wanda Jo broke in first. “Look, y’all, we can sit here all day long wonderin’ what the hell he’s up to, or we can just be glad this happened. Whatever the motive, Lewis has got his big brother back. Just in time for the wedding, too! I have known those boys since they were knee-high to a grasshopper, and I know their momma would be proud.”

      “You’re right, Wanda Jo,” I ventured warily.

      “’Course I am. But I can’t just sit here whistlin’ Dixie. I got to get home and watch my VCR. I hope all my stories taped. СКАЧАТЬ