Gina Cresse - Devonie Lace 03 - A Deadly Change of Heart by Gina Cresse Page B

love them.”
    “Good.  Me too.  They’ll go great with the champagne.”  I continued adding to the list when a thought popped into my head.  “You’ll need favors for the guests.  You know what would be really cool?  Bubbles.  It’s outdoors.  It’s perfect.  What do you think?”
    Pamela giggled.  “Bubbles?  Like what I played with as a kid?”
    “Yeah.  They’re really popular for weddings now.  Rice makes such a mess and people slip and fall all the time on it,” I explained, repeating what I’d learned when looking for favors for my own day of bliss.
    “I like it.  Yeah.  Bubbles,” she said, beaming.
    I wrote it down.  “Good.  Let’s go find a dress.”
     
    Ann Marie’s had one dress in the entire store that fit Pamela perfectly, needing no alterations at all.  Luckily, it also made her look like a princess.  She actually cried when she saw herself in the mirror.  I warned her to stop or she’d get mascara on the white satin.  My suspicions were confirmed when she told me she wasn’t wearing any mascara.  She was a natural beauty.  Ann Marie’s would have it pressed and ready to pick up in a week.
    Pamela invited me to dinner at Bradley’s house that evening so we could go over the guest list.  I offered to print the invitations and envelopes with my computer to save time.
    “Oh, and be sure to bring Craig along.  I’m dying to meet him,” Pamela said.
    I smiled and agreed to extend the invitation to him.  I hoped she’d spend one evening with a truly decent man and realize the creature she was about to walk down the aisle with was nothing but a snake trying to pass himself off as a human being.
    The dinner invitation was a stroke of luck.  It would give me a chance to snoop around and see what I could find out about Diane.  We drove around the La Jolla neighborhood, searching for the address Pamela gave me.  The homes were gorgeous.  Views of the Pacific were spectacular. 
    “Parker’s business must be doing well for him to keep his home here,” I said. 
    Craig pulled into the driveway and set the brake.  “You’re not kidding about that.  These are some expensive places.” 
    I wondered about the trouble with his business, mentioned in Diane’s letter, and how he managed to recover so quickly.
    Pamela answered the door and let us into the house.  “Hi.  Come on in.  You must be Craig,” she said, holding out her hand.
    “Nice to meet you,” Craig replied, shaking her hand.
    She led us past the entry, where I picked up the scent of garlic cooking.  We followed the wonderful smells through the living room and into the kitchen, where she was putting the final touches on a German Chocolate cake.
    “I love German Chocolate cake.  Can I help with anything?” I offered.
    “Nope.  Everything is just about ready, believe it or not.  I can’t plan a wedding, but I can cook like Emeril ,” Pamela boasted.
    Bradley strolled into the kitchen carrying a brandy snifter half full of the amber liquid.  Pamela flashed him a huge smile.
    “This is Devonie and Craig, sweetie,” Pamela said.
    I put my hand to my chest and put on a look of total surprise.  “Well, we meet again.  What a coincidence.  I didn’t know you were engaged to Pamela.”
    Pamela gawked at the two of us.  “You’ve met?” she asked.
    “I applied for a job today with your fiancé’s company.”
    “Wow.  What a small world,” Pamela said.
    “Isn’t it?” Craig replied.  He winked at me.  I’m sure h e enjoyed this little game , even if he didn’t want to admit it . 
    Bradley forced a smile.  “Hello,” he said, regarding me with a look I would almost have called irritation.  He offered a hand to Craig and shook it like a boy being forced to shake hands with his enemy after getting in trouble for fighting.  He never offered to shake my hand.  I guess that’s an honor only extended to other men, certainly not to women who threaten his underhanded