“Are the boys here?” Hannah asked, realizing that Shirley and Martin’s young sons were nowhere in sight.

“No, they’re with my mother. Babs and I thought it was best, since” — Shirley faltered slightly — “since Martin plans to be here with her.”

“Oh. That’s probably wise. I mean, the boys might not understand … “ Hannah’s voice trailed off as she spotted Martin Dubinski and his new wife entering the banquet room. For a new groom, Martin didn’t look very happy, and Hannah briefly wondered why. But that thought left her mind completely when she caught sight of the woman on Martin’s arm.

“Good heavens!” Hannah joined in the collective gasp that emanated from the throat of almost every person in the room.

Brandi Wyen Dubinski deserved a gasp and then some. She was drop-dead gorgeous. The auburn-haired beauty’s skin was flawless, her eyes were a delightful shade of sea green, her lashes were long, her hair was lustrous, and her figure was so remarkable, there was complete silence in the crowded banquet room. Martin’s new wife was tall, and she was obviously comfortable with her height, because he was wearing silver high-heeled boots that clung to her calves like plastic wrap.

“Wow!” Hannah breathed, blinking hard. The vision was almost too perfect to be true. Brandi was poured into a gleaming silver satin dress with a low neckline, and it was so snug it must have been tailored to hug her every curve. The smile Martin’s new wife gave to the assembled multitude showed incredibly white and even teeth. She was glamour personified, theatrical and stunning. Lake Eden had never set eyes on anyone of her magnitude before.

Hannah sneaked a quick glance at Shirley. Martin’s ex-wife was staring at her replacement with a slack jaw and a glazed look in her eyes. As Hannah watched, Babs nudged Shirley and whispered in her ear. Whatever Babs said, it worked. Shirley closed her mouth, sat up a little straighter, and pretended she was fascinated by the Christmas tree that sat in the middle of the room, and not in the least bit interested in the new Mrs. Martin Dubinski.

“Uh-oh,” Hannah said, under her breath, wondering what she could do to defuse the situation. The tension grew as Martin spotted his mother and started to bring Brandi over to her table. Then he noticed that Shirley was there and reconsidered. It was an awkward situation, with Martin and Brandi eyeing Babs and Shirley warily; mother and ex-wife seated at the table, and husband and new wife standing only a few feet away.

There was no way Hannah was about to let the tension grow any thicker. She looked around for Andrea, caught her eye, and motioned toward Martin and Brandi. Andrea, the quintessential politician’s wife now that Bill had won the race for Winnetka County Sheriff, caught on immediately and headed over to greet Martin and Brandi and show them to a table as far away from Babs and Shirley’s as the architecture of the banquet room would allow.