Page 46 of Kiss the Bride

They didn’t have long to wait for an answer. Mildred must’ve been watching for their arrival, because the moment they stepped foot on the sidewalk outside the floral shop, the door flung open. Wearing her standard dark green apron with the store’s logo embroidered on the bib, the silver-haired owner rushed out. Behind her came a line of three assistant florists pushing trolleys. Small mounds draped in white sat atop each cart.

Evelyn swung a sideways glance at Brianna. A mix of relief and interest swirled across the girl’s face. Holding her hand, Daniel looked completely at ease. So far, so good.

“Welcome! Welcome to Forget Me Knot Flowers,” Mildred said loud enough to make herself heard over the few cars that passed by on Bridal Carriage Way. As she spoke, two of her assistants poked long poles into the ends of the awning that provided shade for passing customers. At their touch, a banner welcoming the Wedding-in-a-Week couple to Heart’s Landing unfurled. Couples who’d been browsing along the sidewalk caught wind of the excitement in the air and wandered closer. Traffic slowed to a crawl, everyone eager to see what was taking place.

“I have no idea what comes next, but I have to hand it to Mildred—she knows how to draw attention,” Evelyn whispered to Ryan as people began to gather on the sidewalk. He nodded.

“Brianna and Daniel,” Mildred addressed the couple directly. “I’d love to have you visit my store. But, in the interest of Brianna’s health, we can’t risk it. So, today, we’re bringing our selections to you!”

With a flourish, the silver-haired matron pushed a button on a key fob. A second later, the thick shade covering a third of the shop’s front window rolled up smoothly. On the other side of the glass, wispy vines dripped from tall pedestals that held a stunning arrangement of white, green, and peach-colored flowers. Applause from the growing crowd joined with Brianna’s soft, “Oh!” as Mildred sidled closer to the window.

“If Daniel and Brianna choose this option, a dozen tall pedestals exactly like the ones shown here will line the aisle at their wedding.” Mildred pointed to another arrangement on a small table. “These same centerpieces will adorn every table at your reception. Your matron of honor and bridesmaids will carry bouquets of Gerbera daisies and gardenias, while this will be your bouquet.” At some hidden signal, one of Mildred’s young staffers stepped into the display holding a cascade of white orchids. This time, a few cheers accompanied the round of applause.

“To help you keep this option in mind while you make your decision, we’ve prepared this nosegay for you to keep.” Mildred nodded to another of her assistants, who took a miniature bouquet from the trolley and presented it to Daniel. The florist’s voice dropped. “All the blossoms you’ll receive today were flown in especially for you. We’ve taken extra care to avoid any cross-contamination with roses by assembling the smaller bouquets offsite. We’ll be just as careful with the flowers you choose for your wedding.”

Evelyn read pure gratitude in the look on Brianna’s face and wasn’t the least bit surprised when the bride-to-be bent over the small arrangement and took a little sniff. “These smell divine,” she declared.

Moving on, Mildred retracted the shade over the next choice. This one featured the most exquisite burgundy dahlias Evelyn had ever seen, surrounded by masses of purple iris and Queen Anne’s lace. The last selection included a mix of blue and pink hydrangeas, carnations, and large white lilies. By the time they finished, colorful bouquets filled the arms of the happy bride-to-be, and several eager shoppers had ducked inside the store.

As they shook hands at the end of the presentation, Brianna exclaimed, “I’ve never seen such pretty flowers. I want all of them. I have no idea how we’re supposed to make a choice.” She traced the outline of one of the blossoms. “Thanks ever so much. For all of this. Thanks for that thing with the roses, too.”

“My pleasure.” Mildred’s cheeks glowed. “Here in Heart’s Landing, we do our very best to meet the needs of every bride.”

Evelyn pressed one hand to her heart. She wasn’t getting married anytime soon. When she did, she wanted roses. Masses of them, picked straight from the bushes surrounding the Cottage. But she didn’t envy Brianna. Each of Forget Me Knot’s arrangements had been better than the last. Choosing between them would be difficult. She turned to Ryan. “Which one would you choose?”

The big guy only smiled and shook his head. “I’m bright enough to know that’s not really my decision.”

She chuckled. “When did you get so smart?”

Their driver, who’d thoughtfully parked down the street during the presentation, pulled to the curb.

“Dinner plans?” Evelyn asked the Wedding-in-a-Week couple.

“We’re meeting with the minister in an hour,” Daniel answered. “Do you think anyone would mind if we skipped the restaurant tonight and ordered in a pizza? We have so much to talk about—the flowers, the table settings. We need to compare notes.”

“I’m sure it’s fine,” Ryan assured the couple quietly. “We’ll take care of notifying your hosts for the evening.”

“Right. Alicia and Jenny.” Evelyn whipped out her phone and texted the pair. “They won’t mind making an early night of it.” Between the Wedding-in-a-Week festivities and picking up the slack in Jason’s absence, the event planners had been putting in a lot of overtime.

She wished the couple a happy evening, but when Brianna and Daniel had climbed into the car and sped off, she hesitated. She scanned the street, shifting uneasily from one foot to the other. The crowd had dispersed, some shoppers heading back to the inns and hotels scattered throughout Heart’s Landing, others ducking into various shops before the business day came to a close. A small sign in the window of the bakery next door announced that they’d sold out for the day and invited customers to return in the morning. She waved to Nick. His cupcakes had been a huge hit with the staff at the Cottage. He returned her greeting with a jaunty wave of his own and turned out the lights. She smiled. He’d probably already heard the news that Jenny was on her way home. She probably should be, too, but she wasn’t quite ready to say goodnight to Ryan. She sought his eyes while she slid one hand behind her back and crossed her fingers.

“What’s next?” Hope that he wanted to spend time with her welled in her chest.

Chapter Twelve

Ryan cleared his throat. “We were so rushed earlier, I didn’t have a chance to thank Mildred for all her help with Harbor View.” The owner had been busy with a customer earlier in the week when he’d returned the floral arrangements she’d lent him. “If you don’t mind waiting just a minute, I’ll walk you back to the Cottage.” He’d parked his pickup truck in the lot at the opposite end of the block, behind the White Dove Cafe, but he couldn’t pass up the chance to spend a little while longer with Evelyn.

“I’d like that.” Tiny lines around Evelyn’s eyes deepened when she smiled. “I wanted to pick up some flowers for Alicia and Jenny, anyway. It’s the least I can do to repay them. They’ve carried the load at the Cottage this week.”

“Okay, then.” Suddenly feeling as awkward as a teenager, he held the door for her.

Inside, the normally quiet shop buzzed with activity. He couldn’t be sure, but he thought more customers than usual discussed floral arrangements with Mildred’s helpers. He stopped to let the green fragrance of potted plants and cut flowers wash over him while he searched the crowded aisles for the shop’s owner. In answer to his question, a passing clerk told him she’d last seen Mildred in the workroom. Promising Evelyn he wouldn’t be long, he left her studying ready-made arrangements in the store’s two floor-to-ceiling coolers.

Sure enough, he found Mildred sorting through stacks of new orders and scribbling names and dates on a large whiteboard mounted on the workroom’s wall. He waited until she finished the one she was working on before he cleared his throat. “Mildred?”

Wrinkles wreathed the skin around the older woman’s smile. “I was hoping you’d stop by. This being your first year participating in Wedding-in-a-Week, I wanted to make sure you saw what it does for my business.” She fanned the stack of papers. “All these new orders? They’re from today.” A wave of her hand indicated the customers quietly speaking with her associates throughout the store. “They’ll more than cover the Wedding-in-a-Week entry fees.”

His chest seized. There were entry fees? The realization hit him. Of course there were. Running an event like Wedding-in-a-Week cost money. Just like renting a booth at the annual craft fair, vendors paid their share.

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