We had a little more to discuss."Mom, how many people are invited to the wedding?" We're at a little over seventeen hundred, but I don't think there w...ill be more than another hundred to add." Really. Only eighteen hundred guests. Aren't we going to feel lonely?" Where did you learn that sarcasm, young lady?" In my defense," said Jeff, "she had the full complement of sarcasm when I met her."We were both startled. I knew Jeff was still there. It just hadn't occurred to me he would participate in. She'll never believe that we're not screwing him," Connie said turning to her closet. Then, "I wonder what Jeremy is going to wear?" You've got to be kidding. He's a man. He'll wear jeans to anything other than church or a funeral." But I don't want to wear jeans to meet his mother," Connie whined. "But if we dress up and he wears jeans, it will be worse," she finished, turning to her closet.Denise started to grin at her friend until it dawned on her that she was in the same boat. "Oh, shit,". The sheriff sat across from a woman he didn’t recognize.“Morning.” Walters greeted him with a nod, then pushed a mug of coffee across the table. He scooted over, making room for Darren to sit. Darren cast a wary eye at the woman, suddenly worried that he was looking at Louise.“Ma’am.” He accepted the coffee, letting it warm the knuckles of his fingers.“Morning.” Louise had a mostly eaten plate of food in front of her. “You must be hungry. Let me get you something.”“I’ll manage.” He sipped his. One or two asked me how Massimo was doing. I admitted that I hadn’t seen him in a while. I did my best not to think about Christina. And failed. The next Bridge Club was held the second week of January. At Christina’s house. It was excruciating. She and Markus spent the whole evening close together. She frequently reached out to touch him on the arm, or the hand, and smiled at him non-stop. I could handle that. Mostly. Christina had never once given me a dirty look, or uttered an unkind word.