some of those bells of Ireland?” Aunt Laura asked as she pulled some delphinium out of a tub.
Lauren frowned at her aunt’s selection.
“Are you sure?” she asked, trying to visualize how the combination would look.
“Yes. Why?” The look that accompanied her aunt’s question told Lauren that she had noticed Lauren’s lapse and was wondering about it.
“Nothing. Just curious,” she said, giving a quick smile that dismissed her aunt’s curiosity. She didn’t want to get into a discussion about Vic with her aunt and her sister present. She knew exactly what they would think.
Lauren entered the back cooler, enjoying the rainbow colors of roses, forsythia, tulips and dozens of other flowers whose names she slowly recalled. There in one corner, she caught the distinctive green of the bells of Ireland. She grabbed the container, shivering as she closed the cooler behind her.
“Now I know these aren’t often put together in a bouquet,” Aunt Laura said as she tugged a few out of the tub and slipped them into an arrangement. “But I think it could look dramatic. What do you think, Jodie?”
“I like it,” Jodie said, but Lauren sensed she wasn’t enthusiastic.
Aunt Laura tugged some baby’s breath and wove it in.
“This might help,” she said with a hopeful note.
“That does soften it a little.”
But the forced smile told Lauren that Jodie had a different vision.
Lauren gathered up some of the discarded roses and lilies. She wove in some pussy willows and few hyacinths and added boronia, a cluster of small bell-like flowers.
“Oh, what’s that?” Jodie said, moving over to where Lauren worked. “That’s awesome.”
“Oh, I was just fooling around,” Lauren said, setting the bouquet on the table, self-conscious.
Her aunt looked from the flowers she had just put together, then at Lauren’s bouquet. “You always did have a good eye for composition. I remember when you worked here, I couldn’t keep up with the demand for your arrangements.”
Lauren wiped her hands on her slacks. “It’s fun. I just like trying different combinations.”
“What would you do for bridesmaids?” Aunt Laura asked.
“I was just experimenting. You’re the florist.”
“And you’re the one with talent. I’d like to see what else you would do.” Aunt Laura’s bright smile showed Lauren that she wasn’t hurt. In fact, she seemed interested.
“Okay. How about we do this.” Lauren reluctantly reached down to a tub of peonies and made a tight bouquet with them. She added a couple of the roses and some baby’s breath this time. “This is a rough idea. We could frame it with banana leaves or, if you want to go more girly, with a circle of tulle.”
“Oh, I like that,” Jodie breathed, suddenly more animated.
“See, you have the gift,” Aunt Laura said. “I think we should talk about you helping me out with the wedding flowers.”
Lauren wasn’t sure she would be able to help much. She would be in the middle of setting up her new business right before the wedding.
But as she looked over the flowers on the table, she felt a yearning she couldn’t ignore. “We’ll see” was all she said.
“And now I think we need to have tea.”
They followed their aunt up the back stairs to her apartment. A few moments later they sat around her dining room table, munching on sugar cookies.
The lights were turned low, and the classical music Aunt Laura loved played softly in the background. For the first time since she’d come back to Saddlebank, Lauren felt at ease. Comfortable. Relaxed.
“So, tell me, have you girls heard anything from Erin yet?” Aunt Laura asked, sitting down across from them, her gray hair cut in a bob, her eyes looking from one to the other.
“I tried to call her, but she didn’t answer her phone,” Lauren said. “She sent me a text shortly after, though. She’s been busy. At least that’s her excuse.”
“I’m just wondering why she won’t talk to us,” Jodie
Lauren frowned at her aunt’s selection.
“Are you sure?” she asked, trying to visualize how the combination would look.
“Yes. Why?” The look that accompanied her aunt’s question told Lauren that she had noticed Lauren’s lapse and was wondering about it.
“Nothing. Just curious,” she said, giving a quick smile that dismissed her aunt’s curiosity. She didn’t want to get into a discussion about Vic with her aunt and her sister present. She knew exactly what they would think.
Lauren entered the back cooler, enjoying the rainbow colors of roses, forsythia, tulips and dozens of other flowers whose names she slowly recalled. There in one corner, she caught the distinctive green of the bells of Ireland. She grabbed the container, shivering as she closed the cooler behind her.
“Now I know these aren’t often put together in a bouquet,” Aunt Laura said as she tugged a few out of the tub and slipped them into an arrangement. “But I think it could look dramatic. What do you think, Jodie?”
“I like it,” Jodie said, but Lauren sensed she wasn’t enthusiastic.
Aunt Laura tugged some baby’s breath and wove it in.
“This might help,” she said with a hopeful note.
“That does soften it a little.”
But the forced smile told Lauren that Jodie had a different vision.
Lauren gathered up some of the discarded roses and lilies. She wove in some pussy willows and few hyacinths and added boronia, a cluster of small bell-like flowers.
“Oh, what’s that?” Jodie said, moving over to where Lauren worked. “That’s awesome.”
“Oh, I was just fooling around,” Lauren said, setting the bouquet on the table, self-conscious.
Her aunt looked from the flowers she had just put together, then at Lauren’s bouquet. “You always did have a good eye for composition. I remember when you worked here, I couldn’t keep up with the demand for your arrangements.”
Lauren wiped her hands on her slacks. “It’s fun. I just like trying different combinations.”
“What would you do for bridesmaids?” Aunt Laura asked.
“I was just experimenting. You’re the florist.”
“And you’re the one with talent. I’d like to see what else you would do.” Aunt Laura’s bright smile showed Lauren that she wasn’t hurt. In fact, she seemed interested.
“Okay. How about we do this.” Lauren reluctantly reached down to a tub of peonies and made a tight bouquet with them. She added a couple of the roses and some baby’s breath this time. “This is a rough idea. We could frame it with banana leaves or, if you want to go more girly, with a circle of tulle.”
“Oh, I like that,” Jodie breathed, suddenly more animated.
“See, you have the gift,” Aunt Laura said. “I think we should talk about you helping me out with the wedding flowers.”
Lauren wasn’t sure she would be able to help much. She would be in the middle of setting up her new business right before the wedding.
But as she looked over the flowers on the table, she felt a yearning she couldn’t ignore. “We’ll see” was all she said.
“And now I think we need to have tea.”
They followed their aunt up the back stairs to her apartment. A few moments later they sat around her dining room table, munching on sugar cookies.
The lights were turned low, and the classical music Aunt Laura loved played softly in the background. For the first time since she’d come back to Saddlebank, Lauren felt at ease. Comfortable. Relaxed.
“So, tell me, have you girls heard anything from Erin yet?” Aunt Laura asked, sitting down across from them, her gray hair cut in a bob, her eyes looking from one to the other.
“I tried to call her, but she didn’t answer her phone,” Lauren said. “She sent me a text shortly after, though. She’s been busy. At least that’s her excuse.”
“I’m just wondering why she won’t talk to us,” Jodie
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