"Blue and Jenna."
"Oh that." January waved dismissively. "I called that weeks ago. In fact, you owe me ten bucks, Vonnie."
"You two were betting on me?" Jenna asked. "Your best friend?"
"Why not? There's not much else to do in a small town. And don't forget you called the January and Chase one and won ten bucks off me." Yvonne pushed the plate of cakes toward January. "How about I pay you off in éclairs?"
"Works for me." January happily helped herself. "Now before we talk about the catering, can I ask you both something?"
Jenna nodded and so did Yvonne.
"Would you be my bridesmaids?"
"Really?" Jenna squeaked. "Oh my God, I'd love that. Thank you."
"So would I." Yvonne leaned in and the three of them had a big squishy girly hug.
"I thought you were never going to ask," Yvonne said and Jenna rolled her eyes at January, who was laughing. "Seeing as Chase is a billionaire, can we go for some McQueen like at the royal wedding?"
"We can talk about that after we decide on the catering," January said firmly.
Jenna sipped her cappuccino. "I'm not sure how much help I'm going to be. I've never organized a wedding, and I'm a vegetarian."
"Which is exactly why I want your input." January patted her arm. "I need to make sure that my non-meat-eating guests-and that includes half of the commune folk who are coming with my mom-get properly fed."
"Mrs. Hayes at the hotel is lending me her kitchen," Yvonne said, "and I've asked a good friend of mine from catering college who works in San Francisco to come and help me with the savory stuff, so we're all set. All we need is a menu and a budget."
January opened her file and took out some papers. "Here you go. What do you think of this?"
* * *
"Have you got a minute?"
Blue looked up from the form he was completing and beckoned Chase to come in. He was sitting at his old desk in his bedroom, enjoying the view out over the barn and the rolling foothills of the Sierras.
"I'm just finishing up some paperwork about pensions and stuff like that. I think I'm nearly done," Blue said. "I have to go back for one last week, and then I'm officially separated."
"Do you have to go into the reserve?" Chase asked.
"I could, but I don't have to. My name goes on the IRR list, the Individual Ready Reserve, for five years, but unless aliens wipe out our entire military I'm unlikely to be called in. And if that's happening, we'll have bigger problems than me being redeployed."
Chase came and sat on his bed. "Will you miss it?"
"The Marines? Some of it." Blue shrugged. "Some of it not so much. I lost some good friends, but I wouldn't be the man I am now if I hadn't joined up." He closed the paper file and swung his chair around to face his brother. "What can I do for you?"
"I've got a verified address for Big Mike. How do you want to deal with this? I can send someone from the agency to question him about what happened to Mom and Rachel, or we could do it ourselves."
"You're getting married. Don't you want to wait until after that?"
Chase looked down at the floor. "With our luck, I'm worried that he'll be gone before we get to see him."
"What about the other guy?"
"Red Williams?"
"Yeah. The one who was in prison in Sacramento."
"Well, I thought that if you were considering going to see Daniel Lester, you might consider talking to Red as well."
"I don't know if seeing Lester would be a good idea. At the moment, I'd still like to kill him."
"But if you did go . . ."
"I'll talk to Red."
"Thanks. If Red agrees to see you, I can arrange all the permissions with the state and the authorities."
"But that still leaves the problem of Big Mike. Do you want me to go see him as well?"
"I'd rather we did it together." Chase's blue eyes, which were so like his, met Blue's. "I have a gut feeling that Big Mike is the one who's going to tell us what we need to know. Red Williams is just a possibility to be discounted."
"I agree." Blue shifted in his seat. "So when do you want to go down there? I'll have to be free and clear of the Marines just in case I lose it and end up in jail."
Chase grinned at that. "Makes sense. I know we've waited a long time to solve this mystery. I just want it to be over. I want to know the truth."
"Yeah." Blue hesitated. "You know that not everything is always cut and dried? Sometimes when I was on a mission people didn't come back, and there was no way of piecing together exactly what had happened to them or why."
"Intellectually I understand that, but emotionally?" Chase grimaced. "I'm still a little boy who wants to know what happened to my mom and sister."
Blue had nothing to say to that.
Chase cleared his throat. "We're having the engagement party next week and the wedding a few months after that. We're having trouble settling on a date that works for everyone. I suggest we try and get down to San Diego sometime in between the two events and after you get out of the military."
"Sounds good to me."
"There is one more thing." Chase rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. "I wanted to ask if you'd be my best man."
"Me?"
"Yeah."
"What about Matt and Jake?"
Chase shrugged. "You're family."
"That's . . . really unexpected."
"It's okay, you don't have to do it." Chase stood. "I get that we've had our differences, and that you might not feel-"
"Hold up." Blue put up his hand. "I would be honored to stand up with you."
"Really?" Chase's grin was infectious.
"Yeah." Blue went forward and wrapped his arm around his brother, his throat suddenly tight. "Really, bro. I would be thrilled."
Chase's arm came around him and they hugged each other hard.
"Thanks, little Boy Blue."
"You're welcome, Trampas Chase Morgan." Blue stepped back. "Now all I have to do is persuade the twins to like you again, and we'll be a real family."
"Especially if we locate Mom and Rachel."
Blue slapped his brother on the back hard enough to make him rock in his boots. "When Billy turned up sober I decided miracles can happen, so dream on, brother, dream on."
* * *
"Dave?"
"Hey, what's up, Jenna?"
Jenna smiled sweetly at her big cousin, who was sitting at the kitchen table typing in some notes on his laptop while eating a handful of chips. She sat opposite him and his expression changed to wary.
"What?"
"I was wondering if you were planning on going out this evening?"
"Not really. Mom and Dad are staying at the golf place tonight, so I thought I could slob out in front of the TV and watch some horror flicks."
"I'd really appreciate it if you went out."
"Why?"
She raised her eyebrows. "Because I wanted to cook dinner for a friend?"
"Hey, is Yvonne coming over? Because I'll stick around for that. She's super hot."
"No, it's not Yvonne."
"Well, it can't be Nate because he says he dumped you."
"He did not dump me! I dumped him."
"Anyways"-Dave made a dismissive gesture-"so who is it?"
Jenna took a deep breath. "Blue Morgan."
"Hell."
"What's wrong with Blue?"
"Nothing. It's just that if you want to hang on to him, offering to cook probably wasn't your best idea."
"I can cook."
"Horrible piles of veggie burgers and stinking tofu."
"Actually, I was planning on liberating something from Aunt Amy's freezer and just adding my own little touches like bread and butter and salad."
"Sounds like a plan. And I bet you'll claim you cooked it all as well. Sweet."
"I wouldn't do that."
He gave her a skeptical look.
"I wouldn't because I know the moment my back was turned you'd tell him the truth."
Dave pressed a hand over his heart. "Cos, you wound me greatly. You're family. I wouldn't rat you out."
She fixed her gaze on him and fluttered her eyelashes. "So you'll do it? You'll go out?"
"Hell, no."
"Dave."
He grinned at her. "I will, however, take myself upstairs and promise not to intrude or notice what time Blue leaves the house, okay? I'm worn out, Jenna. I've been out on call three nights in a row. Another night out, even a good one, will kill me."
"Okay."
It was his family house, after all. She was still the interloper.
"I promise I won't tell the parents."
"Thanks."
"But you owe me."
"Definitely."
She checked the time and shot to her feet. "I'd better start cooking. There's vegetable lasagna in the freezer, which would do nicely. And Amy has that organic lettuce and stuff in the refrigerator. I can make a salad dressing."