Waiting and Watching (29 page)

“I hear you, my friend. Let me know your travel arrangements and we'll pick you up at the airport. Connie, Andrew and Sylvia all send their love and are anxious to see you.”

When Julio hung up the phone, he finally chuckled over the Karaoke thing. Shaking his head, he said, “He's coming. Are you joining us for dinner, Andrew?”

“Why not? We could use some good laughter after these last few days, but we'll be making an early night of it,” Andrew said. Julio smiled knowingly at Connie and she blushed.

Julio, Connie, and Andrew drove over to pick up Sylvia.

On the way over, Julio said he talked to Max who'd finally located Beth Vreeland. “Max said she's on a European River Cruise with some man who owns all the strip joints in Miami. I can't wait to tell Sylvia. She's going to love that.”

Sylvia was waiting for Julio in the lobby, and for once, she wasn't dressed in anticipation of the Mardi Gras coming to Coral Gables.

“Good news, Sylvia. Earl says he's up for the trip. Plus, I have a surprise for you. Connie and Andrew are in the car and joining us for dinner. Afterwards, we will drop the love birds at their hotel and then meet Otto and Patrick for a drink. I want to fill them in. But no going to The Lower Level,” Julio said.

“Always the downer,” Sylvia said, laughing. “But not to worry. Otto, Patrick, and I now go to The Down Under. And the first round's on me,” she said with a wink.

Darcy Darvill

Darcy Darrell is the pseudonym for three authors, all sisters. Sybill contributes a vivid imagination which she commits to words, while Jill tempers the thoughts into sequence, and Gretchen adds the humor and editing. They all grew up in a community much like the one they write about, idyllic and privileged. After high school, each went their separate ways, experiencing the joy, love and tears of careers, marriage and children. Years later, finding themselves all living in California, they were able to bring to fruition a long-held desire to write a novel together.

We continue to thank our parents for providing us with innocence as children, great education in our teens and early twenties, and freedom as adults. They always believed in us with humor, love, and a strong martini.

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