Free 10 Ten Big Ones by Janet Evanovich Page B

'Glad it worked out. '

    'So what do you think of the dresses?' Valerie wanted to know.

    'Are you sure you want to have a big wedding?' I asked Valerie.

    'It seems like a lot of work and expense. And who will you have for bridesmaids?'

    'You'll be my maid of honor. And then there's Loretta Stone-houser.

    And Rita Metzger. And Margaret Durski as bridesmaids.

    And the girls can be junior bridesmaids. '

    `I'm thinking pumpkin would be a good color for the bridesmaids' gowns, ' Sally said.

    I cut myself a large wedge of coffee cake. It was going to take a lot of cake to improve my mood on the pumpkin gown.

    'You know what we need?' Grandma said. 'We need a wedding planner. Like that movie. Remember where Jennifer Lopez is the wedding planner?'

    'I could use help, ' Valerie said. It's hard to find the time for everything, but I don't think I can afford a wedding planner. '

    'Maybe I could help plan the wedding, ' Sally said. 'I have extra time between my bus runs. '

    'You'd be a perfect wedding planner, ' Grandma said. 'You have a real eye for color, and you got ideas about all that seasonal stuff.

    I would never have thought to have pumpkin gowns. '

    'It's settled then. You're the wedding planner, ' Valerie said.

    My mother's attention wandered to the pantry. She might have been taking a mental inventory, but more likely, she was contemplating the whiskey bottle hidden behind the olive oil.

    'How's the house search going?' I asked Valerie. 'Any luck?'

    1 haven't had a lot of time to put to it, ' she said. 'But I promise to start looking. '

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    'I know, ' Val said. I'm really sorry this is taking so long. Maybe we should move back here with Mom and Dad. '

    My mother's back went rigid at the stove. First the wedding planner and now this.

    I cut another piece of cake and headed out. 'I have to go. Joe's waiting. '

    Joe and Bob were on the couch, watching television. I dropped my purse on the small hall table and took the grocery bag into the kitchen. I made sandwiches and spooned out the potato salad.

    `I'm thinking about getting a cookbook, ' I told Morelli when I handed him his plate.

    'Wow, ' he said. 'What's that all about?'

    `I'm getting tired of sandwiches and pizza. '

    'A cookbook sounds like a big commitment. '

    'It's not a commitment, ' I said. 'It's a stupid cookbook. I could learn how to cook a chicken or a cow, or something. '

    'Would we have to get married?'

    'No. ' Jeez.

    Bob finished his sandwich and looked first to me and then to

    Morelli. He knew from past experience that it wasn't likely we'd share, so he put his head down on his paw and went back to watching Seinfeld.

    'So-o-o, ' I said. 'Did you hear about Eugene Brown?'

    'What about him?'

    1 bounced him off my car today. '

    Morelli took a forkful of potato salad. 'Am I going to hate the rest of this story?'

    'It's possible. It was sort of a hit-and-run. '

    'So this falls under the category of making an official police report?'

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    'Did you kill him?'

    1 don't think so. He was latched on to the hood of the Buick, hanging on to the windshield wiper, and he got pitched off when I turned the corner. I was at Seventh and Comstock, and I didn't think it was a good idea to get out of the car to check his vital signs. '

    Morelli collected the three plates and stood to take them to the kitchen. 'Dessert?'

    'Chocolate ice cream. ' I followed after him and watched while he scooped. 'That was too easy, ' I said. 'You didn't yell or tell me I was stupid, or anything. '

    `I'm pacing myself. '

    I rolled out of bed with Morelli at the crack of dawn.

    This is getting scary, ' Morelli said. 'First you're thinking about buying a cookbook. And now you're getting up with me. Next thing you'll be inviting my grandmother over for dinner. '

    Not likely. His Grandma Bella was nuts. She had this Italian voodoo thing going that she called the eye. I'm not saying the eye worked, but I've known people who