Free Tiger's Eye by Barbra Annino Page A

prepare for the occasion every year, just us three, in private.”
    “And Lolly?”
    My great-aunt thought for a moment. “Your aunt Lolly has always been a bit scatterbrained. Mother used to say she was ‘away with the fairies.’ When Jack never showed up, Lolly did not believe it was by choice but rather some other…force that kept him away.” She twirled a lock of hair that had sprung free from a bobby pin. She looked at me as she explained, “She waited for him. Hours turned into days, days grew into weeks, and before we knew it a year had passed. And, well,” Fiona sighed, “she simply wasn’t ever quite the same.”
    “Her heart was broken,” I said hoarsely.
    Fiona smiled. “No, my dear. That’s just it. Her heart refused to break. So her mind bore the burden of the wound.”
    I was still processing that when Lolly and Birdie came down the stairs. Fiona rose to block me from the bride’s view.
    “Almost ready,” Birdie said. Fiona nodded and said, “Be right there.”
    I watched the eldest Geraghty Girl float out the back door in a worn wedding gown, her youngest sister escorting her train and I thought it was the saddest thing I had ever witnessed.
    “Stacy, dear, I need to go, but you can take this with you.” She opened up the kitchen catchall drawer and pulled out a notebook. “I wrote down everything from my sessionwith Keesha. Hopefully it’s enough to help you find the poor girl’s family. She’s quite distressed.”
    She pulled out two small bouquets of lavender from the refrigerator and fluffed the herbs. “You call me if you have any questions, all right, dear?” She kissed me and hustled out the back door, allowing it to bang shut.
    I watched through the screen as Fiona handed the second bouquet to Birdie before filing in line behind her.
    The picture was surreal. The three of them stood there waiting for a wedding that was supposed to take place nearly half a century ago—a wedding they prepared for every year despite knowing it would not happen. It made my heart ache for Aunt Lolly.
    I vowed in that moment that no matter what, I would find out what happened to Jack.
    For the briefest moment, Birdie met my eyes.

Chapter 11

    “Dogs are better than human beings because they know but do not tell.”
    —Emily Dickinson
    The parlor was empty as I made my way to the entrance door. Outside, Thor was rolling around on the front lawn, kicking his legs in the air and barking at nothing.
    Ah, to be a dog.
    “Come on, Thor.”
    We hopped back in the car and I swung around to my driveway and parked there. I gathered the notebook, the dog, and my bag and we headed inside. Thor immediately curled up on the sofa and I turned the portable air-conditioner on high, grabbed a pair of white shorts and a red tank top, and hit the shower.
    It was after one when I finished getting dressed. I twisted my damp hair into a clip, grabbed my amethyst necklace, and tossed the dirty lake towels, my suit, and cover-up in the wash. I was still full from breakfast and Thor was satiated for the time being so I slathered onsome sunscreen, slipped into flip-flops, grabbed Fiona’s notebook, and headed outside.
    Partial shade covered the wicker settee on the porch. Only my legs, which were propped on the railing, were exposed to the sunlight as I opened the cover.
    Fiona’s normal handwriting was a work of art, the letters beautifully curved and so eloquently designed it looked like a computer font designed specifically for wedding invitations.
    A chicken on meth could have scratched out her “session” script. It was hastily scribbled with no paragraphs, no punctuation, and no spaces. Just words incoherently lumped together.
    I was able to decipher these on the first page:
    Keesha
Pretty
Girl
Smart
Help
Teach
Show
    I thought for a minute. Show. Teach. Was she an acting dog? I didn’t own a television so I wasn’t up on the latest programs. Perhaps for a children’s show where she would teach the