I hung up the phone to find Lydia staring at me.
“I think I want to be you someday. That was amazing,” she murmured.
“For all we know, Gavin is operating under a fake name and has cleaned out that bank account already. It might not come to anything,” I dryly mentioned.
“I think I’m starting to see what Lucy likes about you. Good for her,” Lydia gave me a pat on the back and walked away.
The DJ started another song, something upbeat. The noise rolled through the hall, muffled but steady. I looked through the doorway. The guests were still laughing, their faces bright under the garlands. Lucy stood near the dessert table, talking to Kitty, her eyes soft with relief that everything had gone well. She didn’t know yet. She deserved a few more hours before she did.
Chapter Twenty-Three: The Aftermath
Lucy
By the time the last song faded, the crowd had thinned to family and a handful of guests who couldn’t bring themselves to leave. I stood near the dessert table, collecting dirty plates and throwing out used napkins. The night had gone better than I imagined. Everyone had given us compliments, welcomed us to the neighborhood, and told us they looked forward to more dances here.
It really had been a success. I was very grateful for that and a little surprised that we had pulled it off in such a short time.
Lydia had disappeared twice during the last hour, each time returning paler and quieter. I thought she might be tired or overwhelmed. When I asked if she needed to sit down, she shook her head. “I just need to find Gavin. He went out to check something."
Her voice wavered on the word something, but I didn’t question it, figuring I could talk to her once the night was fully over. There were still guests to thank and trays to clear.
Mom and Dad were still chatting with the guests that stilllingered. Jane and Braxton were washing up in the kitchen as Kitty and Meri helped pack away the glassware that had been rented for the evening. Braxton kept finding reasons to tease her, and Jane kept pretending not to notice. I smiled as I set down the dirty dishes near Jane.
When the DJ started packing up, I walked over to thank him. He offered to book the inn again next year and I promised tothink about it. Behind me, the sound of laughter filled the room as Mom convinced a guest to take home a couple of leftover sweets.
Then I saw Dex come in through the side hallway. He wasn’t smiling. His expression was calm, but his jaw had that set look it gets when he’s annoyed about something. No that wasn’t it, I reflected with a frown. Dex was upset. Lydia followed behind him, her face blotchy and streaked from crying. The moment I saw her, my stomach tightened.
He caught my eye and nodded toward the office. “Can we talk?”
The tone of his voice was somber. I followed them both.
The office light glowed warm against the paper stacks and receipts that had taken over the desk. Dex stood behind it, sleeves rolled, his phone on speaker as he spoke to someone who sounded like they had been woken up.
“Yes,” he said evenly. “Trace the transaction, flag the account, and call me if it moves. Thank you."
He ended the call and looked at me.
Lydia’s hands twisted together.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“What happened?” I slowly asked, feeling uncertain.
Her voice trembled. “Gavin’s gone.”
“Gone where?” I looked at Dex.
“We don’t know." Lydia shrugged.
“He took the cash box. Everything collected tonight, and the ticket payments from the website,” Dex gravely told me.
My breath caught. “No, that can’t be right.”
“His car is gone. He’s been out of contact for over three hours now." Dex’s eyes were full of sympathy.
I stared at him, waiting for the part where this would turn into a misunderstanding. I had to have heard him wrong. “He took the money?”
“All of it,” Dex confirmed.
