Eagle River (15 page)

Chapter Twenty

Girl Talk

~ Kjersten ~

Kjersten stood rigidly, staring skeptically at her reflection in the mirror. Schooling her features to be expressionless, she eyed the strapless, pleated, deep plum, chiffon bridesmaid dress.
It is Maggie’s day,
she mentally repeated to herself.

“You look lovely. There are no other words to describe it.” Irma, the stout seamstress oozed. “That dress was designed for exactly your build.”

It’s really not that bad.
It was just that her chest and shoulders felt very bare, and the skirt was super short on her long legs.

“Maggie, are you sure you won’t reconsider the hats? All of the girls would look so lovely in them. It would really help solidify the color scheme.”

Kjersten swallowed, one wore what one had to when one was a bridesmaid, but there were limits.

“No,” Maggie demurred, catching the looks of horror on the faces of Kjersten and the other bridesmaids. “I think we’ll just go with the dresses. Mom, are you absolutely sure that this is the dress?”

“Darling,” Serena Hellstrum cooed frostily from her arm chair. “Ripened cranberry is your color. Your blond petiteness will stand out so enchantingly with this color framing it. It will also look charming on Maddy and Sam,” she insisted, gesturing to where her two granddaughters sat. “You said that you wanted me involved. If you are going to undermine my every suggestion, well, then I...”

“No, Mom. I really do want you to be involved.”

Sam giggled and buried her Skittle stained hand in the folds of her full skirt. She smiled an enchanting eight-year-old gap toothed smile. Her far more sophisticated twelve-year-old sister, Madeline, sat demurely with her ankles crossed flipping through the latest preteen magazine.

“They do look adorable.” Maggie was clearly torn. “It’s just that I worry that the style of the dress is a little, I don’t know...” She waved her hands in front of her chest. “What do you girls think?”

Serena Hellstrum leveled her martial gaze at Kjersten and the two other bridesmaids who were present for the fitting. The corsets on the three girls had their bosoms cascading over the tops of their décolletage, particularly on Tami, who was a little heavy set.

“Whatever you want, Maggie.” Tami volunteered. “It’s your day.”

“I don’t know. It just seems to have gotten a little out of hand... I would really have preferred for the whole thing to have been a little less...” Maggie searched for the word.

“You certainly had `less’ the first time around. In fact, you had nothing at all. You went to the court house. Remember? It broke my heart. I just wanted this wedding to be special.” Serena sniffled. “You didn’t even invite your father and me to your first wedding. It still hurts to think about it. My only daughter eloping.”

Maggie rolled her eyes at Kjersten. “All right, Mom. We’ll do it your way.”

Serena rose with a triumphant smile. “There are some details that you and I need to go over. We need to talk about the music for the service and the flowers that the bridesmaids will wear in their hair.”

“Mom, I’m sorry to cut you off, but I’m having lunch with Kjersten today. She’s only going to be in town through the weekend.”

“Oh, all right then.” Serena looked irritated at having her plan disrupted, but she was too pleased with Maggie’s capitulation concerning the wedding plans to put up much of a fight.

“Can you take the girls, Mom?”

“It’s almost time for Power Rangers, Gramma. We gotta hurry.”

“Fine.” Serena beamed at her grandchildren. “We’ll have grilled cheese sandwiches, girls. And while you watch your program, I’ll work on the invitation list. Has Tom finished his?”

“I hope so,” Maggie answered. “Thanks for taking the girls, Mom.”

“Come with me, my little chickadees.” Selena claimed the two children after they hugged their mother.

Maggie turned to her bridesmaids and offered them a weary smile. “Thank you guys for being such sports.”

“Any time,” Tami, a childhood friend, responded with a smile.

“Are you kidding? I’m so excited,” the other woman, a teacher and Maggie’s coworker, agreed.

The women chatted back and forth as they changed back into their own clothes.

“Well, at least this is done and done is good.” Maggie commented to Kjersten after the others had left the fitting room. “Carrie is the only one who remains to be fitted and her dress will have to be shipped to her in Chicago. What a circus,” she exhaled slowly.

“Better you than me,” Kjersten teased.

“Oh, it’ll be you one day. You’ll suffer.” Maggie smiled and, as always, Kjersten found it contagious. Maggie was the kind of person who was always bursting with energy, with plans. She lit up every room she entered.

“So, how long have you and Coach been together?”

“Well, the girls and I came to Eagle River six years ago when I got the job at Eagle River High. We didn’t get involved for the first three years. I was still going through my divorce, but then,” she hesitated.

“The attraction proved irresistible,” Kjersten teased.

Maggie took Kjersten’s arm. “I’m so glad that you are back in town. I’ve missed you, girl. And it’s so fun that you’re all grown up now.”

Kjersten smiled, too. “I’ve missed you, too.”

“I don’t know about you, but I’m famished,” Maggie said. “I would much prefer running a marathon to this wedding stuff.”

The two had made their way to Green Eggs and Ham, Gene’s diner.

“Hey there,” Gene greeted them from behind the register. “Be right with you folks.”

“We’re in no hurry, Gene.” Maggie called back.

They took a table facing the street in the glassed in front of the diner. Maggie groaned. “I was hoping that it would be prettier outside, maybe some flowers up. It’s just so dreary,” she groaned.

“It’ll be a beautiful day,” Kjersten asserted. Don’t worry.

“I just hope that everything goes smoothly. I want Tom to enjoy it, and it’s gotten to be such a big mess what with my mom taking over.”

Kjersten squeezed her friend’s hand. “Everything will be fine. Just approach it like a volleyball game. I remember that you always told us to focus on the game, but remember that it was just a game, an hour out of our lives. The wedding is just a day, your day, but only a day. Besides, Coach Murray adores you.”

“When did you get so wise? I’m supposed to be the mature teacher type. That university must be doing you some good.”

“Ladies,” Sal’s booming baritone interrupted their conversation as he appeared tableside. “You two ladies ready for the big event?”

“Just about, Sal. How about yourself?”

“I’m just getting all the loose ends together.” Sal wore a guilty expression.

“Sal, you know that Tom and I agreed that a stag party is out. You had better not be planning anything like that.”

Sal was now obviously chagrined.

“If I hear that you have strippers down at your place, I guarantee that I will personally storm the place with some of the most anal members of the PTA, without their husbands, and you know exactly which ladies I am talking about. You’ll lose half of your Monday night football crowd.”

“Aw come on, Maggie. As the best man, I have to organize something. It just wouldn’t be right for old Tom to finally get hitched without a proper send off.”

“I’m serious. I don’t want any funny stuff, nor does Tom.”

“Would you agree to me getting some of the guys together for a couple of beers in the evening? Maybe a little poker? Just close friends, more like family. I was going to invite Tom to golf with me in the early afternoon. There won’t be any funny stuff going on. I know that you could make my life a living hell, what with you and Mary being friends and all.”

“You’re making me sound like a shrew.”

“You know I think you’re wonderful. Can’t think of anyone I’d rather see Tom hitched to. But I also know that you don’t take any shit... I just want to make my intentions clear.”

“That sounds fine to me,” Maggie agreed.

“Well, good then... Kjersten, it’s good to see your pretty face back in town.”

“Thanks, Sal. It’s good to be back.”

“I’ll leave you ladies to each other. I got a couple of roast beef sandwiches that are demanding my attention.” Sal returned to his stool at the lunch counter.

“Sal’s a good guy,” Maggie observed with a grin. “But you have to give a man clear black and white limits, or they will walk all over you.”

“I think you’re right about that one, Maggie. That’s a lesson that I’ve had to learn the hard way.” Kjersten fiddled with the salt shaker on her table.

“Don’t we all. I never realized how much planning a wedding would be.” Maggie groaned as she rubbed her hands nervously together.

“It’ll be wonderful. Don’t worry. By the way, I know who your bridesmaids are, but you haven’t told me who Coach chose as groomsmen.”

“Tom has a bunch of old football playing buddies that he wants in the wedding party. Sal’s the best man. And I already told you that Galen Odgers and Cam Fawst are going to be the ushers. I am sorry, I know that it may be awkward for you, but Tom has always been really close to both of them. They are like sons to him.”

“I’ll be fine,” Kjersten reassured Maggie, despite the sinking feeling in her gut. “It’s all ancient history.”

“Tom will keep both of them in line. You sure that you’ll be okay?”

“I can handle it.”

“I wanted to ask you about something, Kjersten,” Maggie said, hesitantly toying with the edge of her place mat. After a moment, she raised her eyes decisively. “You knew Galen’s mom, Jessica?”

“Yes. Sure. I spent a lot of time at the Odgers’ farm when Galen and I were... when we were kids,” she finished lamely.

“What was she like? Jessica Odgers?”

“What do you mean?

Maggie was embarrassed. “I’ve heard a lot about her. I’m just curious.”

“I liked her. She was kind of like you, tough and strong, able to stand on her own two feet. She was very pretty with all of this red gold hair. She was a lot younger than Mr. Odgers. She worked the farm by herself with the kids after her husband’s accident. You know about all that, right?”

“Yes. But what was she like?”

“Mrs. Odgers wasn’t a normal mom type at all. She was really alive. She was very outdoorsy, into hunting and fishing. And she was a hard worker. The grounds of the farm were always immaculate, even though the house was always a mess. It used to drive Sandra crazy. She’s a very tidy person, you know, everything in its place. Mrs. Odgers didn’t care about the indoors. She always wanted to be outside, doing something. I think she was a little frustrated. No, actually I know she was really frustrated with her husband. I remember she said that she got married really young, before she knew what she really wanted from life. But she loved her kids. They were her life... Is this the sort of thing you wanted to know?”

“That is exactly what I wanted to hear.”

“I remember when I was about fifteen, it was a snow day, so we were off from school. As you know, school is almost never called off in Eagle River.”

Maggie nodded.

“But that night the temperature stated to fall. It went to minus thirty degrees. Something happened with the pipes at school. They exploded, I think. When I found out that we had the day off, I had my mom drive me over to the Odgers.

“I remember that it was unbelievably cold outside and the sun was incredibly bright and blinding off the snow. Galen and I had talked about going sledding when we spoke on the phone, but then, when I got to the farm, he said it was too cold to go, but I still wanted to.”

“You’ve always been so flexible,” Maggie teased.

“I know, I know. I’m a work in progress. Anyway, when Mrs. Odgers came in from milking the cows she said she would go sledding with me. In the woods behind the Odgers’ house is this almost sheer drop that leads down to a creek. There are pine trees all over this thing and you have to dodge trees when you sled, but you can really get some speed going down. When you hit the creek, it’s frozen on top, so you shoot right across it. It feels like you’re flying. That day, Galen stayed inside while Mrs. Odger and I went sledding.

“It was such a rush. I remember that the icy air burned and we went so fast that I was blinded with tears. We went down again and again, though snow got into our boots and our faces went numb. Eventually, Galen came out and joined us. Finally, when I had lost sensation in both my hands and feet, we went in. But that’s the kind of person that Mrs. Odger was... I don’t mean to babble on. I’m sorry.”

“Oh no. I’m interested. You are the first person who has given me any idea of what she was really like.”

“She was the kind of person that people felt strongly about, but why are you so interested in her?”

Maggie gazed at her young companion. “You know how close Galen and Tom are. I believe that Jessica Odger’s death was one of the things that really drew them together, so I was curious about her.”

Kjersten studied her friend, but decided not to push the subject. She had always been close with Maggie when she’d played volleyball for her. They’d grown closer still because Kjersten had often babysat her girls. Once Kjersten was in college, their relationship had grown into a true friendship. Maggie was open, definitely not the sort to keep things to herself.
If she was not being forthcoming, she probably had some worthwhile reasons.