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up to Kansas City and ask Divinity who shot her boyfriend.”
    “But that’s just it,” Dotty said. “Divinity says she didn’t see anyone around before Bryant was shot, but there was some hunter up there they ran into at the campground who was toting a bow. The cops are trying to find him now. Only they don’t want Divinity to leave until they do, even though the hospital says she’ll be ready to go by this afternoon. And…” Dotty’s voice was rising higher and higher, her eyes beginning to brim with tears as she pulled anxiously at the hem of her T-Shirt, on which was written “Because I’m the Bride, Bitches” in rhinestone-encrusted script. Chrissy handed her a tissue and she dabbed at her eyes. “And Taffy and Tilly won’t come back until they let Divinity go, and Marty won’t come without Taffy, and that’s pretty much half of my wedding party right there, other than Soorat and Rashita and Mrs. Rangarajan, who, by the way, I’m having a devil of a time explaining all this to, and—and—”
    Dotty gave up the battle and erupted into sobs, and Stella hugged her friend tightly and made all kinds of soothing sounds, all the while exchanging meaningful glances with Chrissy, who was drawing her finger across her throat and making silent gagging motions. Not on your life , Chrissy was telegraphing; her assistant’s reluctance was only one of the reasons this was one of the dumbest ideas to roll down the pike in a while.
    “But, sweetie, what if we all pitch in and find you a backup? There has to be someone else around here who can do the ceremony.”
    “No, it has to be Tilly. I mean, this is like her preaching debut, you know? And since Mom and Dad passed, I want family up there with me, and I ain’t got anyone else. I mean, you’re family to me, you know that, but Tilly’s blood and… well…”
    “What is it?” Stella prodded gently when her friend hesitated.
    “Well, it’s Mrs. Rangarajan. I mean, I love her and all… I mean I’m sure I will love her once she warms up to me a little… but I got to say, she is just barely on board with Kam marrying me.” Tears welled up in her eyes and she dabbed harder.
    “Oh, Dotty, you never said anything!”
    “Well, I just thought if I kept being sweet to her, she’d get used to me, and maybe get to likin’ me more, but I guess I just ain’t what she had in mind for Kam. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I think she’s trying, too, but she’s always asking me about my family, and with me being an only child and all, I feel like she thinks Kam’s getting the short end of the stick. I mean, he’s got like three hundred cousins back in India. All’s I got’s Taffy and Tilly, and if I try to get married without them showing up, well, Mrs. R’s like to disown me before I make it back down the aisle.”
    Stella frowned. “She’s lucky to be getting you,” she said with feeling. “She’ll come around, I just know she will.”
    “I just…” Dotty sniffled. “It’s Kam, too. He’s so sweet, he always takes my side, but he’s anxious to have it done. That’s why we’re getting married so quick, is he feels like once it’s done his mom won’t be all over him so much. If we could have got married months ago I think he would have. I just didn’t think it was decent, is why we waited until now, but I can’t make that man wait one second more.” She drew a deep breath. “So that’s why you got to go up there and figure out what happened so Divvy can get here in time for the wedding.”
    Stella sighed, but she was remembering that afternoon on Mrs. Edwards’s parlor floor, when she and Dotty had staged a Barbie wedding and promised to be there for each other’s special day, no matter what.
    No matter what.
    “Okay, honey,” she murmured, grabbing a tissue for herself. “We’ll do it.”
    “ We? ” Chrissy protested. “Hey, I got an appointment for a bikini wax this afternoon.”
    “Ain’t nobody going to see your special area