Chapter 8

The Iris was a huge, one-story white building. It had an air of grandeur with its large columns and manicured gardens surrounding the grounds. The building branched off in different directions, with circular verandas overlooking the golf and tennis courts. The overall atmosphere exuded luxury and exclusivity, making it a popular destination for social events and gatherings. My parents loved it here.

Valet parking was the only way to leave a vehicle on the property, so after we got out of the Cadillac, I watched the man get into Pen's car with a big grin on his face. Boys and their toys. Pen stepped up beside me. "Are you ready to look like we belong?"

"We do belong, Penelope. No one can tell us otherwise." I put my arm around one of Pen's and moved us forward. I didn't recognize the man at the door, but he was smartly dressed in a suit. He smiled. "Afternoon, ladies."

"Good afternoon," we muttered in awe as we entered the lavish foyer. The spacious room was elegantly decorated with luxurious furnishings. I swallowed nervously as I glanced at Pen.

"You're Tallulah James and I'm Penelope Bailey. We can do this. The groom is unknowingly depending on us."

"Hell in a handbasket," I muttered.

We stepped further into the room and read the event notice, which was an electronic tablet mounted on a fancy gold stand. "Upstairs," Pen said.

At the top of the stairs, I turned and looked down at where we'd entered The Iris. My breath caught at how pretty it was, and excitement coursed through me at where I was. I had to reconsider why I'd refused my father's invitation.

"Talla, isn't that Shelia?"

I frowned. "Shelia who?"

"Lionel's girlfriend," Pen said at the same time I spotted the woman. She was near the stairs, sitting behind a long table covered with promotional items.

"Hi girls!" Sheila waved us over.

As we stood by the table, I realized the pamphlets were health related. "Are you from the doctor's office?"

"I am." Sheila beamed. "Part-time, but I like what I do. I'm a nurse." She waved her hand across the table. "I'm advertising next week's free health screening at the clinic. The Iris has graciously given us this space." She leaned closer. "A golfer dropped dead a few weeks ago, so they're anxious to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"I heard about that. An out-of-towner," I said, trying to figure out what the flat yellow things with an emoji on them were. Pen had no problem.

"An eraser," she grinned. "I can never find one when I need one. Mr. Richardson, my boss, always takes mine and never gives them back. He must have a drawer full of them by now."

"Help yourself," Shelia offered.

I gave Pen a warning look, which she ignored, and picked out five different emoji erasers. I rolled my eyes at Shelia. Then I noticed the squishy balls. My eyes lit up. I didn't know how I'd missed them. A slim, black cardboard box sat on the floor and burst open above the table into a large bowl. Inside were bright yellow balls. Emoji images covered them. Not only were they cute, but some of them had hearts on them.

I took one out and smiled as I squished the stress ball.

"Oh!" Pen gasped. "I need one of those." In her rush to grab one, she bumped into me. I spun on my heels, lost my balance, and began to fall. Time froze. Or so it seemed. Horror filled me for seconds before Pen quickly reached out and grabbed my arm, preventing me from crashing into the box of balls. "Oops, sorry about that," she said sheepishly. I laughed and handed her a stress ball, saying, "Here, now we both have one."

"Tallulah, Penelope, what a surprise."

Shocked to hear Carlisle behind me, I turned abruptly, wobbled, and stumbled into the box of balls. My stumble was not graceful at all. I caught myself on the box, smiled in relief, and then watched as the balls began to burst from the box. To my embarrassment, they began to bounce downstairs. I cursed under my breath.

"Oh dear," Shelia said with a chuckle.

Carlisle chuckled and said, "Looks like you two could use some practice in coordination."

My cheeks felt flushed as I quickly rushed forward and began to clean up some of the spillage. The side of the box was cracked. I looked down at the balls still making their way into the foyer and noticed people staring. One guy shook his head in disgust. I was so tempted to throw one at his head. Pen tried to get down to help but took a sharp breath. "No, Pen. I've got this."

"Ma'am, please leave them. The staff will pick them up," a man in a suit said. He took my arm and pulled me to my feet. I stared at the man in shock at his treatment of me.

Carlisle stepped forward and removed the man's hand from my arm. "You will not touch her," he said in a cold, hard voice. The man immediately backed away.

I turned to Shelia. "I'm so sorry about this."

She waved me off. "This is the most fun I've had in a long time. Don't worry about it." She tossed me a ball, which Carlisle caught.

He looked at the thing and gave me a wicked smile. "Looks like we have a new game to play."

I cleared my throat. "I wasn't aware we were playing a game."

He grinned. "Be careful you don't get into any more trouble, Tallulah."

It wasn't my fault if I stuck my tongue out at his retreating back. Pen muttered, "Very mature."

"I don't know what to do with that man."

"I would let him have his wicked way with me," said Shelia, who had come up beside us. "Who is he?"

"Carlisle Hallen," Pen replied.

I pulled myself together. "Shelia, I really am sorry for the mess I made."

"It brightened my afternoon, so don't think anything of it. I can't wait to tell Lionel." Shelia walked back to the table.

"I'm not safe anywhere."

Pen chuckled. "Let's go see what kind of mess you can make at the wedding."

As we approached the large terrace at the back of The Iris, an official-looking man stepped into our path. "Guests for the wedding?"

"We are," I said with more confidence than I felt. The man looked at both of us and said, "Follow me."

The man led us outside where a group of people were gathered. Pen and I exchanged nervous glances before we stepped onto the patio, ready to blend in with the crowd. The atmosphere was buzzing with excitement, and I couldn't help but feel an adrenaline rush as we made our way through the elegant setting.

Pen grabbed two glasses of strawberry daiquiris and handed one to me. As we sipped the delicious drink, I whispered to Pen, "Do you think we can do this?" She gave me a mischievous grin and replied, "Absolutely. Just remember to act natural.

"Ladies, what a surprise!"

I glanced at Pen before smiling at the bride's brother. "Lyle, how nice to see you."

Pen chuckled under her breath.

"I couldn't miss my sister's wedding," he said, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "But I have to admit, seeing you here is a pleasant surprise."

"Um, about that," I chuckled nervously.

Lyle crossed his arms over his chest and grinned.

"What can I say?"

"You could try saying, 'We're crashing your sister's wedding, Lyle, so chill.' That would work."

I sighed. "You caught us." I winced. "Look, we're not going to eat or anything; we just wanted to watch the wedding." I moved closer to him and put a hand on his arm. "You're not going to kick us out, are you?"

"That would be a shame, you're all dressed up." His eyes roamed over me. "Nice legs. Come on. I'll show you where to sit."

"Really?" I grinned.

Lyle rolled his eyes. "Yes, really. I'm related to most of these people, so it's nice to have two beautiful women here that I'm not related to," he murmured.

A blush crept across my face, which I covered by letting my hair fall forward. Lyle motioned for us to sit in the back row of white chairs before leaving us with a wink. I ignored Pen's knowing look and enjoyed the beautiful decorations. Large black bows had been tied to each chair, and black and white garlands were strung along the chairs leading up the makeshift aisle. A stunning arrangement of white roses and black calla lilies sat on the altar, creating a serene and elegant atmosphere for the upcoming ceremony. Soft music playing in the background added to the romantic ambiance, and I felt more determined than ever to prevent the groom's impending demise.

Then a terrible thought crossed my mind. I grabbed Pen's arm. "What if it's too late?"

"What?" I could tell by the look on her face that she hadn't thought about it either.

"It could happen at any time."

Pen sagged in relief. "The groom is behind you with his friends."

I turned and clutched my chest when I saw him. The relief was real. I hated knowing what was going to happen. I had felt like a failure when I couldn't prevent George's death. I would not fail again. Marshall caught my eye and gave me a surprised second look. He laughed and came over to us. I asked, "Are you nervous?"

He winced. "A little, if you must know. Anyway," he paused, a smile on his face, "I had no idea you were planning on crashing my wedding."

"Well, I had a strange feeling that something was going to happen, which is odd, I suppose. I felt I had to be here." I winced. How lame was that? I shrugged.

Marshall chuckled. "Well, whatever the reason, it's good to see you both." He was distracted when an older man put an arm around his shoulders. His father, I thought. They had the same build and hair color. Same nose, too. He pulled Marshall away.

"Maybe I should have been more direct," I muttered to Pen.

"I'm not sure there was much else you could say without blurting out the truth."

The guests began to be ushered to their seats.