“You know Joanne…No, you don’t know her, but she’s the town matchmaker. If you’re single and look at even an apartment through her she’ll start looking for a companion for you. Her sister-in-law is a wedding planner, so it works out.”
“So how did fate work with you?”
“Greg chose me. Joanne and he had a long lunch, and she told him about all the many single women around here, and—”
“Including me?”
“No,” Sara said, then seemed to catch herself. “Sure, she must have.”
Jocelyn decided to ignore that slip. “So Greg chose you from what? Photos? I can understand that.” Today Sara had flowers in her long blonde hair, and her dress was of soft, cream-colored cotton with little rosebuds embroidered on the bodice.
“No. Joanne didn’t have pictures. She just told him about some women. Since Greg is a businessman, she first suggested Tess, but Greg said he didn’t think he’d like being around a woman who spent her life with lawyers.”
“Maybe Joanne told him the truth about Tess having a…What can we say? A somewhat difficult personality?”
Sara smiled. “You may be right. Whatever she said, I’m grateful to her, because he asked for my number and called me. We really did have a lovely time. We talked endlessly about everything. Don’t laugh, but he was even interested in my sewing. He says I should open a shop.” Sara took a breath. “I know it’s early, but I really think maybe he’s the one.”
“How wonderful,” Jocelyn said with a sigh. “Is he a good kisser?”
“The best.” Sara looked at Joce. “I know he’s my cousin, but how’s Ramsey in that department?”
“Oh, fabulous,” Joce said. “A truly great kisser. The man can’t keep his hands off of me.”
Joce’s words seemed to please Sara a great deal and she started to say more, but a noise from downstairs distracted both of them. It sounded as though something had happened, as they could hear children shouting.
“What in the world is that?” Joce asked, jumping up and running to the window to look down at the garden.
If she’d awoken that morning and thought, What is the absolute worst thing that can happen to me today? the answer would have been for one or both of the Steps to show up. Below them, surrounded by every guest at the party,
as though she were a queen and everyone had been waiting for her, was one of the Steps. As always, there were half a dozen hangers-on with phones stuck in their ears, and there was also a tall, emaciated woman with cut-glass cheekbones and a neck like a giraffe standing next to Bell.
“It’s them,” Sara said in a whisper. “Or one of them.”
“Bell,” Jocelyn said as she leaned back against the wall, and for a moment she banged her head against it. “I should have had Rams write them that I got no money, just a falling-down old house. I should have—”
“Who are all those people around her?” Sara asked.
“Her entourage. They spend her money faster than she can earn it.”
“One of them looks like…” Sara’s eyes widened as she stared harder at the scene below them. “Heaven help us! It is!” she said under her breath, then looked at Jocelyn. “I’m sorry,” she said as she put her hand on Joce’s arm. “Why don’t we get out of here and not see them? We’ll sneak out the garage door and make it to the cars and drive away. You’ll never even have to see her.”
“It sounds heavenly. Lead the way. I’ll be right behind you,” Joce said as she ran after Sara. “How’d she even know about this party?”
“There’s an Edilean Web site. Haven’t you seen it?”
“I guess I missed that section. Besides, I seem to see only what people are directing me to see, that is.”
Jocelyn followed Sara down the front stairs at a pace that almost made her trip. “Come on!” Sara hissed as she crouched down, then ran behind the big kitchen island toward a door.
Never before had Jocelyn seen this reaction to the idea of meeting the Steps. Usually people shoved her aside to get to the models. But Sara was keeping Joce from a meeting that was guaranteed to be unpleasant. What a dear friend she was!
Still crouching, Sara reached up and turned the doorknob that led into the garage—and was faced with a little boy about five. He gave Sara a saucy little grin, then bellowed, “Mom! I found her!”
“Just wait until you see what you get for your next birthday, Jamie Barnes, you little snitch!” Sara said.
“Mom! Aunt Sara called me—”
Sara clamped her hand over the kid’s mouth. “You tell and I’ll make you sorry,” she said into the child’s ear.