Cassidy spent the next twenty minutes outlining the events for the upcoming weekends, and she wrapped up with the long string of requests from Britt.

  “Yep. That sounds like that girl,” Aileen interjected. “She had to be the queen of everything.”

  “More like the queen of mean,” Kate interjected. “She and her brother used to come to Dr. Kellam’s office regularly when they were kids. She’s a piece of work. Can you say ‘spoiled’?”

  “She married her high school sweetheart, Mac Gibson, right after graduation. The parents put on quite a show wedding. Too bad it didn’t last,” Roxie said.

  “She didn’t want him to go away on a football scholarship and date college girls, so she insisted on a wedding right after graduation. Too bad he blew out his knee in practice the summer before his freshman year, and the rest of the college thing didn’t work out for him,” Aileen added. “He’s been working at his father’s tow company ever since.”

  “Britt married Vince Mahoney a couple of years ago, and she’s doing quite well for herself. Haven’t you seen her zip around town in that flashy red Cadillac? And I heard Vince left his wife Margaret for the younger Britt. It was quite the scandal,” Ruthanne whispered.

  “That’s Britt’s style. She caused quite a kerfuffle at the high school when she stole Mac from her friend. What’s her name? Kip Young’s daughter,” Aileen said.

  “The pushy girl—Anastasia,” Kate added.

  Cassidy’s eyebrows shot up under her red bangs. “They must have made up. Anastasia was with her today.”

  Kate’s eyes widened. “Who says there’s not a lot going on in small towns? Speaking of that, I heard at the last council meeting that they’re budgeting for a third stoplight to slow people down at the end of Main Street, where it merges into the residential district.”

  “Where all the bed-and-breakfasts are popping up?” Aileen asked.

  Kate nodded. “Can you believe it? Three stoplights in Ivy Springs. And I heard a new couple from Roanoke is restoring one of the Victorian homes near the Baptist church. That’ll make three B and Bs when they’re all done and spruced up,” Ruthanne said.

  “More places for our guests to stay. That’s always good,” Cassidy said.

  “Besides Sid Pro Quo’s no-tell motels out by the highway,” Roxie added, rolling her eyes.

  “You would know,” Kate said with a grin.

  Roxie gave her a friendly poke in the ribs. “Oh, y’all don’t act all innocent. We’ve been around each other for so long, we know everybody’s secrets. So don’t try to pretend you weren’t part of the action back in the day.” Turning to Cassidy, she added, “It doesn’t look like we have much to do until setup tomorrow. Anything you need, Cassidy, before I hightail it home and get ready for my date tonight?”

  “Who’s the lucky guy this time?” Ruthanne asked.

  “Karl. He’s from out near Natural Bridge, and he and his son own a racing team.”

  “Varoom. That sounds exciting,” Ruthanne said. “I’m going to skedaddle too. Aileen, Kate, and I have our knitting group tonight at Spin a Yarn. Are we meeting for dinner first?”

  “Yes on dinner, before Operation Knit Stuff,” Aileen giggled, looking at Kate and Ruthanne.

  The three gal-pals exchanged glances and followed Roxie to the lobby. Aileen stopped short again. This time, Ruthanne—not as quick to catch herself as she had been earlier—ran into the back of her, making a loud “umph” sound.

  “What now?” Roxie asked, reaching for the doorknob.

  “I forgot to ask Cassidy if she ever called that cute deputy and asked him out to dinner. He was hanging around here quite a bit last summer.” All eight eyes turned to focus on Cassidy.

  “You know, the one who arrested the rock ’n’ roll murderer,” Roxie said.

  “And don’t forget the kidnapping. We helped him solve that too,” Kate added.

  Cassidy’s face flushed, and she nodded in agreement with Roxie and Kate. “He’s all business. I haven’t seen much of him since he got promoted. We’re both super-busy, and I’m not interested in dating anyone right now.”

  “He’s a detective now, not a deputy,” Kate said, wiggling her eyebrows. “And he wasn’t just here for his investigations. It wasn’t all murdery business last summer. He liked you. We could tell.”

  “I’m sorry he had to be here because of the awful murder,” Aileen said.

  Ruthanne let out a heavy sigh. “We finally got to meet the Weathermen. I’m still brokenhearted about Johnny Storm’s murder.” Her voice trailed off as she wiped a stray tear from the corner of her eye.

  “I’ve been busy with my volunteer business council work and this place. You gals know how much goes into keeping our event calendar fully booked.” Cassidy paused and added, “And I appreciate all the help from you. I couldn’t run this place without such a great team.” The Pearly Girls do help me, even if I have to bail them out of trouble from time to time—and be their tech support.

  The four surrounded her and Elvis for a group hug. The mutual admiration fest broke up when Cassidy’s phone alerted her with a string of texts.

  “You on some group chat?” Kate asked.

  Cassidy shook her head and glanced at her screen. “Nope. It’s Anastasia with some new demands from Britt for the Rockin’ Reunion festivities.”

  “That’s our cue to go,” Roxie said. “Come on, gals, and try not to get in any trouble with the wild knitting crowd.”

  “You never know what we’ll do next,” Ruthanne giggled, and the fab four disappeared out the front door, leaving Elvis at his people-watching spot by the front window.

  “Six texts in under a minute with—count them—twenty-one new things for me to check on. Come on, Elvis. It’s going to be a long couple of weekends. But if we do all the planning, the party should go smoothly. Right?”

  2

  EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING

  Elvis tugged on the leash and dashed across the dewy grass. Shivering in the early morning breeze, Cassidy followed the tiny dog to the edge of the serenity garden, where he had raced to check out his fish friends in the koi pond. Shaking off the memories of the dead rock star she had found floating amongst the lily pads last summer, she tried to focus on the remaining items she needed to take care of this morning before Britt and her bunch arrived.

  After the chihuahua had sniffed every blade of grass and Levi’s fall flowers, the pair headed to the office to get a jump on the day’s tasks. As they rounded the corner, Elvis’s ears perked up, and he let out a low growl.

  Anastasia Young was heading toward them, tugging on a rolling cart and fumbling with two large bags on her shoulders.

  “It’s okay, Elvis. She’s a client. And she’s here awful early for their afternoon setup,” Cassidy whispered. Then, louder, “Hey, let me help you with that.” She headed toward the other woman, who was dressed in a navy suit with red heels.

  “I’m good. I wanted to start dropping stuff off and getting everything prepped before Britt gets here. She likes everything to be just so.”

  “You’ve got your hands full. Let me take your bags, and Elvis and I will let you in the barn.”

  “Thanks,” Anastasia said quietly. She dragged the black canvas cart behind her as they walked down the path to the converted red dairy barn. “It’s a nice place you have here. I’ve been here a couple of times over the years with my parents for events. It was somebody’s wedding.” She paused in the grass and glanced around. “Your grandma did a nice job with the amphitheater and converting the old barn. It’s a cool place. If I ever get married, I’d like a spot like this.” Her voice trailed off as she stared at the weathered barn.

  “What have you been up to lately?” Cassidy asked. “Since the move back, I haven’t done much reconnecting. I’ve been so busy with the events here. I know I need to get out more.”

  “It’s not all it’s cracked up to be,” Anastasia replied. “Most people have moved away. A few of us stayed here. I moved back in with my mom after my dad died. She needed someone to take care of the house, so we’re still in the place on Clover Lane.”

  “I love all those old Victorian houses in town that look like something out of a picture book. When I was little, I thought they were dollhouses,” Cassidy said.

  “Yep. Ours is the pale pink one. It’s a lot to maintain, though. I’m trying to talk my mom into selling it, but she won’t hear of it.” Anastasia paused and looked out at the mountains. “Sometimes I wish I’d left for a life in the big city. There’s not very much excitement around here.”

  They approached the large sliding doors. Cassidy unlocked the barn and typed in the security code on the keypad. “Here we go,” she said, flipping the switch. The overhead lights and the twinkles in the rafters and the loft area popped on.

  “Wow. It looks magical in here. It’ll be perfect for tomorrow’s dance. Britt ordered a bubble machine and a laser light show. It should be something,” Anastasia said, gazing around at the large room with a bar and the loft overlooking the dance floor.

  Cassidy nodded. “The bubbles and the lights should be fine. There are plenty of outlets for your DJ and all the equipment. Just no smoking or any pyrotechnics inside.”

  “Don’t give Britt any ideas.” Anastasia wrinkled her nose. “The caterers will be here this afternoon, and they’ll take care of serving. I’ll work on the registration tables and figure out where the photo booth should go.” She walked over to the area below the loft and stared into the dark area on the first level. Anastasia took several tentative steps in, and then backed up like she had seen a ghost.

  “We use that for extra space. I had seating under there, but Britt didn’t like it,” Cassidy said, pointing to the dark, empty area.

  “Yep. She has a vision of how things should be.” Anastasia looked lost in thought as she continued to peer into the empty open area under the loft.

  Cassidy set the two bags down on the nearest table. “We arranged the tables and chairs around the stage to match Britt’s drawing. Let me know if you need help with moving any of them.”

  Anastasia twirled and waved her arms as she looked around the room. Her frizzy blonde hair rivaled something from an ’80s rock band and stood out in all directions. “I think we’ll be okay. Let’s move those two tables over here for registration. And I think the photo station will go over in that corner. They may need a table or two for their props.”

  “I’ll get you two more and a couple of chairs,” Cassidy said.

  “Cool. I’m going to snap some quick pics and send them to Britt, so she can see it before she gets here this afternoon. I know she’ll have feedback on everything. She wants this event to set the tone for the weekend.”

  After locking the long tables’ legs in place, Cassidy said, “There you go. Call or text me if you need anything else. Elvis and I will be in the office.”

  “We’ll be fine as soon as Britt takes her happy pills. She’s in a tizzy because she’s not sure the caterer’s tablecloths will be the right shades of fuchsia and teal. She wants the ambiance to be perfect.”

  Cassidy nodded and picked up Elvis’s leash. “Call us if you need anything. My team will be here this afternoon if you need more helpers.”

  Anastasia held her phone up and started narrating her walk around the venue as Elvis and Cassidy slipped out the door.

  Back in the office, after filling a mug with the strongest coffee she could find, Cassidy settled down at her desk to send emails to local businesses about possible events for next spring. Elvis circled his puffy bed several times and settled in for a morning snooze, uninterested in the business calendar.

  Around ten o’clock, a roar in the parking lot sent Elvis and Cassidy scurrying for the front window.

  Britt’s giant Cadillac zoomed in and took two parking spaces in the first row. She slammed the door and stomped across the grass in her stilettos, heading toward the barn. Before Cassidy could say anything, a Volvo pulled into the spaces beside Britt’s car, and Kelly climbed out, adjusting her sunglasses.

  “Stay here, Elvis. I may need to do some firefighting. If the Pearly Girls show up, let them know where I am.”

  Bored with the drama, Elvis strolled to his bed, rolled over, and kicked all four legs in the air.

  Cassidy dashed off a group chat to her team and hurried after the former cheerleaders.

  Britt’s shrill voice drifted out of the barn as she barked orders at Kelly and Anastasia. Cassidy stepped out of the way as Levi helped the gals move the round tables and chairs closer to the stage. Before Cassidy could comment, Kelly said, “Britt, dear, they were set up according to how we drew up the plans.”

  “I know,” she snapped. “But it will be better this way, and if the tablecloths don’t match, the caterer will have to replace them with black and white. The balloon arches will be here by three. Everything needs to match. They will be our focal point for the entrance and the stage. This is going to be the best reunion ever and the talk of the town for years to come. I need to be out of here soon to get home to get dressed for the gala.” She clapped her hands like it would make the work go faster.

  “What can I do to help?” Cassidy asked.

  “Nothing. They’ve got it. They’re moving the first three rows of tables for a big entranceway.” Britt threw her arms wide open. “Kelly and Anastasia will ensure that the caterers and balloon people are ready to go. And they’ll be back here to make sure the volunteers are in place for registration and the other stuff before the guests arrive.”

  “I laid out the badges and the welcome packets at the front two tables,” Anastasia said, pausing to wipe the perspiration off her brow.

  “I see,” Britt said. “When you’re done over there, come here, and I’ll show you how the registration table should be arranged.”

  Kelly snickered under her breath as she moved two wooden chairs.

  Anastasia pursed her lips and swallowed whatever remark she was about to make. She headed to the table where all the badges were laid out in neat rows.

  Cassidy nodded to Levi, who dusted his hands on his jeans. His face twitched with a wry smile.

  “Levi, do you need any help?” Cassidy asked.

  “Nope. I’m headed outside to knock down the tall grass before our guests arrive. Y’all let me know if any more furniture needs to be rearranged again.” He headed out the back door before Britt could comment.

  “I hope he doesn’t stir up dust and pollen before the dance. I have allergies, and we don’t need a mess,” Britt said, moving all the badges to the side and starting an arc pattern on the table. “Like this and in alpha order,” she snapped at Anastasia.

  “I thought it would be easier for the volunteers if the tags were in rows.”

  “Nope. I like this better. Thanks for fixing it for me.” Britt snapped her fingers and pointed to the table. “Okay, this seems to be under control. Kelly, make sure the caterers know what to do. Annie and Austin will be here at three. Maurice, the balloon guy, will be here about two. Balloon arches at the entrance and at the back of the stage. They should fit the doorways precisely. I want the color to pop in here. And tell Annie I’m going to be really disappointed if I come back and find white and black tablecloths. She was supposed to have checked the dye lots with the samples I gave her. I want color everywhere.” Britt splayed her fingers and waved her arms around. “Oh, I almost forgot. I need photos of the before-and-after. I promised my followers they’d get a sneak peek.” Britt whipped out her phone and took several shots. Then she made everyone stop what they were doing for a happy group picture.

  “There. That was fun. I’ll post these later with the ones of the decorations,” Britt said. “See you this evening. Byeeeee, everyone.” She blew air kisses as she sashayed out the door.

  Wow. She’s over the top.

  Cassidy slipped out of the barn to get Elvis while Britt’s team scurried around to attend to the last-minute changes. Cassidy and Elvis enjoyed a long, quiet walk around the amphitheater.

  After exhausting every possible stall tactic, Elvis finally gave up on his quest to find the ever-elusive squirrel and followed Cassidy across the grassy area. With no burning tasks that had to be done for her business, she trotted upstairs, with Elvis hot on her heels. She replenished his water bowl and slipped him a couple of snacks. “You’re in charge. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  Changing her mind about returning to the office, Cassidy hustled back to the barn to check on things. Inside, a large balloon arch greeted visitors at the entrance. Its twin took up most of the room on the elevated stage in the back. Annie and her helper, dressed in all black, zipped around the kitchen and serving tables. The tablecloths were white. I’m sure Britt will have something to say when she arrives. Hopefully, she’ll have other things to keep her occupied, and the linens won’t cause any drama.

  Before Cassidy could check out any more of the decorations, Britt breezed in the front doors. “Love the balloons. Maurice outdid himself. Not happy about the tablecloths, but I’ll deal with that later. Oh, Cassidy, just the person I wanted to talk to. Would it be a problem if I trucked in a couple loads of sand for next week’s events? I want to switch it up to a beach theme for next Saturday. We all have great memories of beach week. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it earlier. It’ll be a blast.”

  “Inside?” Cassidy asked, hoping that her smile looked sincere. “We will have to adjust the cost for the change and the cleanup.”

  “Well, I guess we could put the sand outside if it’s a problem,” Britt said. “Let me think about it, and I’ll text you. I want to create our own little beach party. Fabulous, huh?”

  Cassidy nodded, wondering what she’d do with the makeshift beach after the party and how she would break the news to Levi.

  Interrupting Cassidy’s thoughts, Britt said, “Oh, I forgot to tell you. We’re going to open the doors at five for a meet-and-greet for the VIPs and the volunteers. I told the caterer, and she said she could make it work. I know we didn’t plan to start that early, but it’s okay with you, right? The guests should be arriving for cocktails between five and six.”