Darkness at the Edge of Town (Iris Ballard #2)(17)

“Dutch, Britt, this is Carol,” Megan said.

“I know you from somewhere, right?” Dutch asked.

“I thought the same thing,” Helen said. “Probably from in town, right?”

“I don’t think so,” Dutch said.



“I-I don’t know how else you would,” I chuckled nervously.

“Well, all that matters is the universe brought us to her now,” Megan said. “Loads more stops to make. I’m gonna introduce her around. Excuse us.”

We made the rounds to the next few clusters, and thankfully no one else seemed to recognize me. I did, however, sense someone’s eyes on me almost the whole time. I glanced several times over at Dutch, but he’d gone back to his conversation with Helen. On the third round of introductions, I finally caught the culprit. The hunk singing The Doors. He’d apparently lost interest in his fan club and kept staring at me with a sexy smirk. When I first saw that smirk, it caught me so off guard I felt myself blush. Thank God it was dark. But he was our next stop. The smirk never left his pouty lips even when I narrowed my eyes at him. I certainly saw his draw. He was gorgeous, with thick brown hair, large brown eyes, and an air of charisma some are just blessed with. “Hey Megs,” he said, or really purred, as we came closer. “Was wondering when you’d finally get around to introducing your beautiful new friend here.”

“Carol, this is Carly, Hannah, Lisa, and of course the flirt is Paul,” Megan said.

“Hi,” I said, purposely avoiding Paul’s gaze.

“I knew there was a reason the universe guided me here tonight,” Paul said.

“The universe is good,” Carly said.

“The universe is right,” Hannah said automatically after Carly.

“Always trust its will,” Lisa concluded.



A momentary chill rippled up my back as they said that. How I kept my smile on I don’t know, but I did. Perhaps I didn’t do that great an acting job, though, because Megan maneuvered me away from that group to the next without another word. But those big brown eyes remained on me.

After I’d met everyone, with only two more people commenting that they thought they recognized me, my tour guide finally led me to a free seat at the fire pit. “Everyone’s great, right?”

“They all do seem…great.” It was true. Besides that one Manchurian Candidate blip, nothing set off my radar. I did wish I’d gotten a few last names, but there was never an opening. I had to create an avenue to my objective. “It’s just…nothing like my cousin Gia and Billy described.”

“Who?” Megan asked.

“Gia Cantone and Billy Ballard. I knew I’d heard of your organization before and it dawned on me on the ride home where. I think they mentioned you all once or twice. Do they still come here? I haven’t talked to them in a couple weeks.”

“Well, I never got to know Gia very well, but Billy is such a sweetheart. Always willing to pitch in, to listen to others.”

At least she was using the present tense. “I know. My cousin’s a lucky girl.” Megan suddenly shrank in on herself a little as people do when they’re uncomfortable. My nerves returned. “What?”

“Nothing, it’s just…and please don’t let this color your impression of us, but…I think Billy and your cousin are no longer together.”

“What? Why do you say that?”



“Because yesterday I attended a joining of him and Betsy.”

“Wait. Joining as in…marriage?”

“They are so in love. They have been for weeks. Everyone could see it. Plus she’s…pregnant.”

Thank God I didn’t have to hide my shock, because I couldn’t even if I’d tried. Mom was going to lose her fucking mind. Not to mention the situation had just gotten a hundred times more complicated. “God. I had no idea. Poor Gia.”

“No doubt it’s going to sour her perspective of him. Of us. But I’m certain neither Betsy nor Billy planned what happened. It was just the will of the universe.”

“Still. It’s shocking. Billy never seemed the type.”

“Did your husband?”

“My husband? My husband never—” I caught myself. Carol’s husband did. “I didn’t think so. He swore it was only the once and that it would never happen again. I told myself it was because we were having problems, we weren’t communicating, then after a bad day at work it just…happened. We both made concessions. We both promised to put our all back into the marriage so it would work. And I did. I was willing to do anything to save my marriage. But it was all for nothing.”

Megan put her hand over mine. “One thing Mathias has shown me, shown us all, is that the universe makes no mistakes. Everything good, everything we perceive as bad, is just part of our journey. Everything happens for a reason. It’s all about the ripples. Without all our experiences, we’d never get to where we’re meant to be. You loved him, but he’s gone. Yet without him, without what you shared both good and bad, you wouldn’t be here. You wouldn’t be on the right path to finally meet the man you’re truly meant to spend the rest of your life with. Have children with. Carol, you just have to realize that and recognize the signposts the universe places as you continue your journey. Like you did today by following the impulse to stop here.”