Free 3 Bodies and a Biscotti by Leighann Dobbs Page B

veil which hung from the back of her head. Stunning.
      “You look amazing!” she said, making Cassie blush.
    “You look pretty good yourself,” Jack said, his eyes traveling down her body and back up to her eyes.   Lexy’s heart flip-flopped in her chest as a smile lit his handsome face.
    “Oh, well, I kind of got ready in a hurry.” She shrugged, reaching up to straighten her messy hair.
    “Yeah, you usually have much better shoe choices,” Cassie said, causing Lexy’s cheeks to grow warm as everyone looked down at her sneakers.  
    Thankfully, the minister interrupted their inspection of her footwear. “Are we ready to start?”
    Cassie looked around the room. “I think everyone is here, so I guess so. We’re having a lattice archway made with red roses that we’ll stand under.” She walked over to the center of the window. “I’d like to put it here. We’ll stand facing the waterfall and you can stand here facing us.”
    Cassie pointed to a spot and the minister obediently stood there. Cassie and John took their places in front of him.  
    “Wait,” Cassie said. “I need a stand in so I can see how this looks." She grabbed Lexy and put her in the bride’s spot, then shoved John out of the way and replaced him with Jack. “Stay there so I can see how it will look from the guests’ point of view.”
    Lexy glanced at Jack out of the corner of her eye. He looked impossibly handsome in his tux. When he turned to look at her, she felt a little weak in the knees. Until she noticed how nervous he looked. Was standing at the alter with her that nerve wracking?  
    “That’s perfect.” Cassie’s voice pulled her from her thoughts and she turned in time to see her friend walking back to take her place, a devious gleam in her eye. “How did it feel for you two to be standing in front of the minister?” She cocked an eyebrow at Jack who shuffled backwards, his hands held up in the air.  
    “I wouldn’t want to steal the limelight from you and John,” he said, pushing John back into the groom’s spot.  
    The minister cut in. “Will someone be walking you down the aisle?”
    “My brother,” Cassie motioned for her brother, Brandon, to join them.
    “Wow, you look dapper.” Lexy admired Brandon. He owned a fitness studio and his muscular body was evident under the tux.
    “You too,” he said, then glanced down at her shoes. “Almost.”
    Lexy swatted at him playfully. Cassie and Brandon were close and, since Lexy and Cassie had been best friends for decades, Brandon was like a brother to her.
    The minister ushered them all to the back of the room and they were joined by Cassie’s cousins, Sam and Justine, and another cousin Mick. The minister paired off the wedding party and they practiced marching down the aisle.
    Lexy couldn’t help but feel all warm and fuzzy when she saw the look on John’s face as he stood at the alter waiting for Cassie to join him. She hoped someday she would have someone waiting up there for her with the same look on his face. Would that somebody be Jack?
    Eventually they got it perfect and retired to the bar to celebrate. Lexy ordered a coffee. She sauntered over toward Sam, who sat with her elbows propped on the bar, her hand curled around a bottle of beer. Now was the perfect time to try to get more information about the murders out of her.
    “Hi,” Lexy cupped her hands around the coffee mug to warm them. The restaurant was chilly inside and the sleeveless dress didn’t provide much in the way of warmth.
    “Hey Lexy, have you heard any more about what happened at the retirement center yesterday?” Sam asked.
    “Not too much, what about you?”
    “Isn’t that the police detective who was there?” Sam tilted the top of her beer bottle towards Jack.
    “Yes, he works with John.”
    “Oh, thats right. Sometimes I forget that Cassie is marrying a cop.” Sam swiveled her chair to face Lexy. “She never used to like them. But if the rest of them are as good