Chapter 16: A Seat by the Kitchen

Casey's POV

Denise held her send-off dinner on Saturday night at a country club on the north side of Columbus.

Dexter had told me the time and the room, and I walked in with Kurt on one side and Rosalie on the other.

Kurt owned exactly one jacket. It had a small embroidered marlin on the pocket.

"Nobody will notice," he said.

"The marlin is looking at everyone," Rosalie said.

About fifty guests stood in the lobby with drinks.

They were the local half of the list: cousins, church friends and neighbors.

Every head turned when I came in.

Denise crossed the carpet with both hands out.

"Casey, honey! We have been so worried."

She kissed the air beside my cheek.

"Thank you for having me," I said.

"Of course. You're family." She leaned in and lowered her voice. "I put you at table nine. It's quieter."

Table nine stood beside the kitchen door.

Every time a waiter went through, it swung into my chair.

Rosalie picked up the place card, read it, and set it back on the plate very gently.

"I'm going to enjoy this so much," she said.

At the head table sat Dexter in a charcoal suit, and Lindy in a pale green dress.

Denise took the seat between them.

An easel stood beside the table with a poster on it.

It was the old photo of Frank on the dock in the gray bucket hat, his hand on Lindy's shoulder.

Across the bottom, in gold script: Our Family.

Kurt went still beside me.

"Don't," I said under my breath.

"I wasn't going to."

"Your hand is a fist."

He opened it, slowly, and laid it on my knee under the tablecloth instead.

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