Cut to the Corpse Read Online Free Page A

it with polyacrylic to protect it from chipping. So start thinking about what color you want to use for your backing.”
    “I’m so glad I get to come back,” Tara said. She had chosen several ornate spoon cutouts, and Brenna noted that she had done a nice job with her layout. “Aren’t you, Mother?”
    Tiffany glanced at the plain plate in front of her. She had done nothing with it. “I don’t think that will be necessary.”
    A low buzz of conversation began amongst the students, while Brenna and Tenley began cleaning up after the night’s class.
    Brenna was carrying a tray full of white glue bottles into the break room when Tiffany Montgomery approached her.
    “I was wondering if I could speak to you, Brenna?” she asked.
    “Sure.” She motioned for Tiffany to follow her into the break room, where they also stored their supplies, while she checked the tops on the glue bottles and put them back on their shelf.
    “I had an inspiration during your class,” she said. “I’ve been trying to think of a clever wedding favor, Jordan almonds are just so last century, and while I was sitting in your class, it hit me.”
    Brenna wiped a spot of glue off of the tray and turned to give Tiffany her full attention.
    “I want to hire you to decoupage something brilliant for Tara’s wedding favors,” she said.
    “Okay,” Brenna said slowly, not wanting to appear un-receptive. “What did you have in mind?”
    “Well, we’re inviting three hundred people, and I’m sure they’ll all come, so it has to be something that you can do in the next two months.”
    “Three hundred wedding favors?” Brenna asked. “Wow.”
    “I know it’s a lot, but just think what a boost it will be for the shop and for your personal business,” Tiffany said.
    “I’ll have to talk to Tenley and see if she can help,” Brenna said.
    “Absolutely,” Tiffany said. “I’m willing to pay top dollar for your time. Since this is Tara’s first wedding, I want to go all out.”
    “First wedding?” Brenna asked.
    “Certainly,” Tiffany lowered her voice. “You don’t really think she’ll stay married to a mechanic, do you? We raised her to have higher expectations than that.”
    “But she loves him,” Brenna said. “In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen two people more in love.”
    Tiffany sighed. “Yes, she loves him today and probably for a year or two, but then, she’s going to want to have children, and she won’t want to raise them here in this limited suburbia. She’ll want to raise them in Boston where they can have every advantage. Don’t get me wrong, I like Jake. He seems like a fine young man, but I don’t see him leaving Morse Point, and I don’t see Tara staying.”
    “So, why throw such an elaborate wedding?” Brenna asked. “If you think it’s doomed to fail, why not encourage them to live together?”
    “Because a big wedding is what Tara wants,” she said, as if it were obvious.
    Brenna felt an ominous thumping behind her eye. She had been born and raised in Boston by parents not much different than Tara’s. Their life was a whirlwind of society events and exotic travel. They could no more see what a town like Morse Point had to offer than they could understand why some people preferred it.
    In their high society world, your value was equal to the sum of your bank statement and the worth of your personal possessions. In Morse Point, your value was based upon what you contributed to the local community and the sort of person that you were, hardworking or lazy, kind or cruel.
    Brenna knew she preferred to be judged by the latter and she also knew that her parents didn’t understand it, which was undoubtedly why they had yet to come and see her here.
    “I’ll see what I can come up with,” she said and was surprised when Tiffany gave her a gentle squeeze and an air-kiss.
    “Fabulous, I’ll pop in tomorrow and we can brainstorm some ideas,” Tiffany said.
    “Oh, okay,” Brenna said, feeling