Invites

I'm pushing my scrambled eggs and grits around on my plate in front of me the next morning when Ryan spins around from the sink and says, "Not hungry?"

I drop my fork and look to him.

"Not really. I was thinkin..."

"Uh oh."

I scowl and reply, "Before I brought you Arthur's information, who were you thinking did it? I know Mason has me on his list, but who else?"

Ryan shakes his head.

"You know I can't tell you what our leads have been."

He takes my plate away from me and I hold down my coffee cup as he attempts to take it too. He smiles at me and I say, "Come on. Just give me a little bit. I won't tell."

He eyes me after he closes the dishwasher and says, "We were looking into her and her parent's financial situation. Life insurance policies, bank accounts, that route. We figured her lack of finances played a role in her death."

I nod in agreement.

"That's what Gus, Annabeth and I thought too. We thought maybe she owed money to someone and couldn't pay up. Or she tried to obtain funds illegally and someone did her dirty."

Ryan leans against the counter and says, "I don't know how many people knew about the Penderghast's situation. From what we've gathered, not many."

"Did you ever suspect her parents?" I ask and I can tell I am walking a fine line. There is only so much he'll tell me. He looks to me while his jaw grinds his teeth together and then says, "As of now everyone is a suspect."

I frown

"Not me though, right? Mason cannot really think I did this."

Ryan shifts his weight as he gazes to the floor. He gives a slight shake of his head and then says, "Mason does think you have a motive and opportunity. If he starts to believe you are the prime suspect, then I know I will be removed from the case."

Something Mason said to me flashes across my mind and I look to Ryan.

"Were you in the room when Mason took Jackson's statement?" He nods and I continue, "Is it true that Jackson told Mason he's still in love with me?"

Ryan stares into my eyes but he doesn't say anything. Sometimes his silence weighs heavier than words.

I bite my lip and reply, "Mason thinks I killed Poppy so I could get back with Jackson. But if Jackson is still in love with me, then why kill her? I could have just asked for him back."

"That's not what seemed suspicious to Mason," Ryan says. "Jackson's statement seemed to be protecting you and not throwing you under the bus to solve Poppy's case."

"So, Mason thinks Jackson was trying to cover something up for me?" I ask and Ryan nods. He pushes himself off the counter and I can tell this conversation is over. He strides over to the kitchen table and pulls his leather jacket off the chair it was hanging on. I watch him shrug it on and I step away from the breakfast bar. He grabs his phone and then stuffs it into the inside pocket as he says, "So you are doing the invitations with Margot and Annabeth today?"

"Yeah, thanks for letting us take over your kitchen to get it done."

He closes the gap between us and kisses my forehead.

"I'll call you when I am on my way home. Have fun."

I watch as he disappears down the hallway and I drop into a kitchen chair. I gaze out the sliding back door and think about everything we've learned in Poppy's case. I wonder how they are going to go about questioning Arthur and I frown knowing I need to stay out of it. I think about how he was able to do it and I realize Arthur Huxley is a golf pro- who once told me he has a strong drive.

That information alone tells me he had access to the club after hours and can probably deliver a forceful blow. I quickly grab my phone and text Ryan: Arthur is a golf pro at the club. He has access to the club after hours.

I drop my phone on the table and moments later, I hear a knock at the door. I quickly stride down the narrow hallway and spot Annabeth waiting on the porch. She's casual in jeans and a red cotton t-shirt with her dark hair piled on top of her head. I swing the front door open and I pull my friend in for a hug. She laughs as I hold her and she says, "Has it been that long?"

I pull away from her and reply, "I haven't heard from you after...well you know. You have a lot to tell me."

I watch her gaze glide around the room and then back to me, "Is Margot here yet?"

I shake my head.

"No, she's getting the invitations from my momma. She should be here soon." She nods and I pull her hand to lead her back into the kitchen. I glance toward the counter and ask, "Coffee? Tea? Water?"

"Probably shouldn't have caffeine."

I slap my hand to my forehead.

"Of course. I'm sure Ryan has some herbal tea you can have."

I start rummaging around in his cupboards and quickly find a box of herbal tea that is caffeine-free. I put a small red kettle on the stove and once I light the flame, I spin back around to face Annabeth. She's sitting at the breakfast bar with her hands folded on the counter and I ask, "So? Did you tell Gus?"

She nods slowly and says, "Yeah, but unfortunately Molly Hamilton found him first. She opened her big mouth, so he already had a heads up when I told him."

I watch her face fall and I shake my head at Molly. I frown as I reply, "What did he say?"

She pops her shoulder up and says, "He's a bit freaked out. We haven't been together long you know? But he said he's going to come with me to the doctors when I go next week."

The kettle starts whistling and I quickly spin around to pull it from the heat. I drop a tea bag into a small blue coffee cup and quickly fill it with boiling water. After carefully carrying the cup over to A.B, I watch as she blows on the steam rising from the mug. I walk over to the kitchen table and she quickly follows. After she settles into her chair, I ask, "Have you told your parents?"

She quickly shakes her head.

"No. I am going to wait until it's confirmed."

I'm not able to ask anything else because I hear the front door open and seconds later, Margot calls out, "Yoohoo! Anyone here?"

"In the kitchen, Margot," I call out to her and I stick my tongue out at Annabeth. She laughs as she swats her hand towards me. We both watch as Margot comes strolling into the kitchen holding onto the brown paper bags from the craft store. Even though it's early, she looks runway ready with a perfect blowout and sundress. She pulls her tortoise-shell cat-eye sunglasses off her pretty face and tucks a piece of blonde hair behind her ears. She dumps the bags on the table and replies, "Sorry I am late. Mrs. Sweeney wanted me to remind you about the correct way to address an envelope, so she wrote out multiple examples for you."

She slides a piece of paper toward me and I smile back to her.

"Thanks for going to get everything for me. I figured it would be quieter to do these here than at her house."

Margot drops into the chair next to me and glances inside one of the bags as she says, "Your mother was disappointed that she wasn't able to help."

I roll my eyes.

"No, she was disappointed that she wasn't able to micromanage."

I pull the other bag towards me and Margot and drop all of the supplies onto the counter. I look to both of them and reply, "Thanks for helping me. I have a list of guests to invite and if we divide them equally, we'll each have to write out fifty addresses."

I catch Margot's grimace and quickly add, "They don't all have to be done today. I can mail them out in waves."

I slide a gold calligraphy pen to each of them and a stack of maroon envelopes. I put the guest list at the center and I watch as their eyes glide down the list. Margot twists her face up and says, "Ew, do we have to invite Georgina Draper? She is always a drunken mess."

"If we have to invite LulaBelle Anders, we have to invite Georgina Draper. Anyone that donated to the restoration fund gets invited. No matter how much we dislike them."

Margot still looks disgusted as she continues to scroll down the list. She finally looks back up to us and says, "It looks like the usual, plus a few Oxford and Sommerville folk."

"Well, we have to hope that only seventy-five percent of the list decides to come. Our budget is tight, so the less people, the better," I tell them.

"How can it be a tight budget? I was at the fundraiser, Austin and Ryan donated ten thousand alone. How does that not get you a decent party fund?" Margot asks with a bit of attitude and I know I do not need to discuss Arthur and his greediness.

I quickly change the subject.

"Here are the correct addresses with the correct heading for each invite." I slide them another sheet of paper and I watch as Margot uncaps her pen. She practices her handwriting on a scratch sheet and I frown when I see that even her calligraphy dominates mine. Annabeth follows her lead and we each get quiet as we practice.

Margot takes the first envelope from the stack and I watch as she addresses the Anders' envelope. It comes out stunning and as much as I don't want to admit it, I am glad she's helping.

After scribbling in silence for a few more minutes, Margot suddenly says, "Oh, I didn't know Ryan's last name was Hart." I look up to her and I see her finger lingering on Ryan's name and his donation amount on the spreadsheet. I want to laugh at her ignorance seeing Austin refers to Ryan as Agent Hart when he's in work mode. I told my momma I would play nice so I keep my snarky laughter to myself. I nod and she says, "Sawyer Hart. Would you take his last name if y'all get married?"

I look to her and decide to take the opportunity. She was the one that brought it up after all.

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind being a Hart. What about you? Would you be Margot Sweeney?" I ask.

She giggles and swats her dainty hand at me.

"Oh no. I'd hyphenate it if I marry Austin."

I think of Momma and I know she'll scowl when she finds out her beloved Margot isn't willing to drop Hamilton from her name. Margot Hamilton-Sweeney doesn't sound terrible though.

Annabeth beats me to the question before I can say anything.

"Do you see you and Austin getting married?"

Margot is back to neatly addressing the Hemming's invite as she says, "I think so. He's definitely a fine suitor."

Annabeth catches my annoyed look and I can't believe Margot is really using words like "fine suitor." Who is she? The Princess of Mississippi? Are men from foreign lands coming to ask for her hand in marriage?

Margot then looks to Annabeth.

"Will you marry Gus now that you're carrying his child?"

I pull my eyes away from my own envelope and look to her as she says, "I wouldn't mind being a Blackwood. I do adore his parents and I know I'll definitely have a sense of security."

Her answer rubs me the wrong way so I ask, "Well you love him, right? And not just because he's from a founding family."

She glares at me as she replies, "Of course. I'm not that shallow, Sawyer."

I shrug but I don't fully believe her. She probably thinks she hit the jackpot. Margot looks to me and asks, "Will Mrs. Sweeney allow you to marry someone that's not from a founding family?"

"It's not really up to her at this point," I say and decide to instigate a bit. "The only reason I'd want Ryan to have my momma's blessing is so she'll allow him to have my grandmother's ring."

Margot is now addressing Arthur Huxley's envelope as she asks, "What's so special about her ring?"

So, Margot doesn't know about the gorgeous heirloom. Maybe if she knows I want it, she won't accept it.

"It's just been in our family for ages. This beautiful, emerald-cut, vintage ring. I always imagined I'd wear it and pass it along to my daughter. Have it continue down the female line. I just adore it," I say with a smile. I hope I planted the seed and when Austin proposes with it, Margot will ask for a different ring.

"I know what you mean," Margot replies and I quickly look to her as she says, "My mother has this ring she's dangled in front of Molly and me forever. She said whoever gets engaged first can have it. Molly is worried Austin will snatch it up before she gets a chance. It's the only ring I want though."

Annabeth cuts in.

"Is Molly still with Theo Rigsby?"

Margot finally looks up from her envelope and nods.

"Yeah. But to be honest, I don't think Theo will be settling down anytime soon."

Hopefully, Margot wants her mother's ring more than she'll want Tilly's ring. Her reaction to receiving the ring will tell me what kind of relationship I can expect from her.

She snatches another envelope from the pile and I realize this is the most Margot and I have ever spoken to each other. She's staring intensely at her careful cursive as her hand glides across the envelope and I wonder if I am going to know her for the rest of my life.

Ryan is right, I'm going to have to learn to live with her and I'm glad I invited her over today.