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    “Wow,” George said, stopping short so that I almost crashed into her. “This place is huge!”
    I peered around her. We were in the entrance to the ship’s main dining room, a cavernous space on one of the upper decks. It was plush and opulent, with crystal chandeliers glittering overhead and red-and-gold upholstery everywhere else. The smells of various types of food drifted toward us, along with the buzz of many conversations, the tinkle of glassware, and an occasional burst of laughter.
    When we stepped inside, Alan craned his neck upward. “Check it out,” he said with a grin. “Dinner beneath the stars—literally!”
    Following his gaze, I saw that there were several skylights between the chandeliers. Through the closest one, we could see a large swath of the evening sky—twilight blue washed with pink. Countless stars were just twinkling into sight, looking much closer than they did back home in River Heights.
    “Gorgeous,” I said, the view distracting me from my worries. At least for a moment.
    A smiling hostess hurried toward us. “You’re at table seventeen,” she said after checking our ship IDs. “Follow me, please.”
    Table seventeen turned out to be a large round table set for nine located near the center of the room. When we arrived, three women in their sixties or seventies were already seated there.
    “Welcome!” one of them said when she saw us. She was petite and tan, with short-cropped salt-and-pepper hair and wide-spaced blue eyes. “You young people must be some of our new dinner companions.”
    “Yes, we must,” Alan said with a smile as he pulled out a chair for Bess. “I’m Alan, and these are my friends Bess, George, and Nancy.” He pointed to each of us in turn.
    “Lovely to meet you,” the second woman spoke up.She was taller and a little older than the first, with a graying blond bun and a bright smile. “I’m Alice, and these are my friends Babs and Coral.”
    “You can call us the ABCs,” Coral spoke up with a titter. She was pleasantly plump and grandmotherly, with wire-rimmed glasses perched on her nose. “Get it? The ABCs—Alice, Babs, Coral.”
    “Nice to meet you,” I said as I sat down between George and Babs.
    “Yeah.” George reached for her water glass. “I didn’t realize we’d be sitting with other people.”
    Babs chuckled. “This must be your first cruise, then?”
    “Yes, it is,” Bess said. “And please don’t be offended by what George said. She just meant—”
    “It’s all right, dear.” Babs waved one wrinkled hand dismissively. “If it’s your first time, a lot of things must seem rather strange.”
    Alice nodded. “But don’t worry,” she added. “The three of us are experienced cruisers. We’ll show you the ropes.”
    “Really?” Alan said. “How many cruises have you been on?”
    “Oh, dear, I’m not sure I can count that high anymore!” Coral giggled. “Let’s just say it’s enough that we should be able to answer any questions you may have. Right, girls?”
    Alice nodded, but Babs was looking across the dining room. “I think our last two tablemates have arrived,” she said.
    I glanced over and saw the hostess approaching again. When I saw who was following her, I elbowed George. “Hey, it’s the honeymooners!”
    “Who?” Bess and Alan asked.
    “Um, just someone we sort of met earlier,” George told them.
    By then the newcomers were at the table. Vince and Lacey both appeared to be in a much better mood than they had been the last time we’d seen them. Lacey looked lovely in a soft blue gown, and Vince was handsomer than ever in his dinner jacket and tie.
    Soon more introductions had been traded. “Honeymooners, eh?” Coral said, winking at the rest of us. “Don’t worry, we won’t mind if you need to kiss between courses.”
    Meanwhile Babs was leaning forward, peering at Lacey. “You look familiar, my dear,” she said. “Doesn’t she, girls?”
    Alice glanced over. “Oh, yes!”