AllFreeNovel
Share Us
As soon as the chest’s heavy lid lifted, a swarm of flies divebombed my face, filled the cabin, and buzzed Rosie and Teddy.
The dog barked and snapped at the black flies.
I slammed the lid and thrashed my arms, fending off the pests, but their sheer numbers were overwhelming.
They attacked in droves, dodging my flailing arms and biting my exposed face, neck, and arms.
I slapped them as they bit, and my hand came away bloody. “What the heck?” Whistling for the dog, I called over my shoulder as I scrambled out the door. “Run, Rosie!”
“What’s all the commotion?” Luke sprinted from the warehouse.
“Flies.” I caught my breath. “When I opened the chest, they swarmed us like stuka dive bombers. We had to run outside to escape them.”
“They must’ve been breeding in the hope chest.” Rosie swiped at her cheek and smeared blood from a bite. “They’re like a biblical plague.”
Luke handed her a tissue. “You two wait here. I’m going to spray those flies and end this ‘plague.’ ”
I winced. “The insecticide won’t hurt the veil, will it?”
“No, it’s a non-staining formula. All it does is kill bugs.” Grinning as he entered the cabin, he spoke over his shoulder. “By the way, I like the dress.”
“Dang it, Luke!” Hands on hips, I huffed. “You weren’t supposed to see it until the wedding.”
Five minutes later, he emerged with the veil. “Here’s the culprit.”
I reached for it.
“Don’t touch it.” He pulled the tulle away. “It’s covered in fly eggs and crawling with maggots. I’m going to fumigate it outside.”
“I just bought it yesterday.” My shoulders slumping, I turned toward Rosie, telling her about the manufacturer’s number embroidered inside a heart, then turned back. “Can you show your aunt?”
As he searched the circular veil for the embroidery, maggots dropped to the ground.
“Gah.” My skin crawled. “I modeled that veil.”
“Here it is.” Luke stretched the fabric taut, making the number more visible.
“VIP01141899.” Rosie looked from one face to the other. “What’s it mean?”
“What if VIP stands for Valentina Isabella Perez?” I pointed as I read. “And if you add dashes to read 01-14-1899, that number looks like a date stitched inside a heart.”
Luke ran his finger across the digits. “Mateo married his second wife in January 1899.”
“Could this be Valentina’s wedding veil?” I searched Rosie’s face for confirmation.
“The idea’s far-fetched but not impossible.” Rosie’s reflective expression turned into a scowl. “But do you really want to wear this fly-infested rag at your wedding?”
I glanced at the veil alive with maggots. “No.”
“Then how about shopping for a new one in El Paso tomorrow?”
****
Rosie knocked on the door at sunrise. “If we leave now, we’ll be in El Paso when the store opens. Then we can stop for lunch, drive back, and be home by mid-afternoon.”
“Perfect.” As I poured coffee in the thermos, I shared the story about finding the engagement ring in the grounds.
“Maybe that was Valentina’s veil.” Rosie’s eyes narrowed. “What did you do with it?”
