Page 18 of A Future in Blossom

Liam stepped up and opened the door. He whispered something to her, and she whispered back in a loud voice, something about, “...and she’s wearing red cowboy boots under that wedding dress.”

Liam whispered back to her. Jaime wasn’t sure what he was saying, but she could tell it was just the right thing to soothe her. Mrs. Zimmerman’s shoulders relaxed, and she turned to him with a sheepish look, then a smile. Not a huge smile, but a smile nonetheless.

That man! He had such a way about him.

Liam helped Mrs. Zimmerman climb out of the bus in her formal dress and very high heels. When she noticed Jaime standing there, she glanced at her with a frown.

“Y’ must remember m’ colleague, Jaime Harper.”

“Must I?” Mrs. Zimmerman said sourly. But then her gaze shifted to the greenhouse, shimmering in the late afternoon light, and her whole countenance shifted. “Why, it’s a botanical garden. Just like I had planned for her last spring!”

Jaime and Liam looked at each other, shocked. The first wedding venue had been the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx. As they set to work to transform the greenhouse, they’d completely forgotten the venue of the first wedding. The Opposite Wedding wasn’t really opposite at all.

Well, it was what it was. Jaime clasped her hands together. “Liam, would you mind taking Mrs. Zimmerman to her special seat?”

On cue, Liam held out his elbow for Mrs. Zimmerman, and they started down the path to the greenhouse. As soon as they were halfway down the path, Jaime rushed over to the Airstream and told the caterer, “The ceremony begins in two minutes. I’ll give you a heads-up as the vows are being exchanged so you can start the reception with champagne for the guests.”

Jaime hurried down the path to where the bride waited with her father, outside the greenhouse. She had an odd, uncomfortable look on her face as she gazed at the bridal bouquet in her hands.

Jaime sidled over to Claire to whisper, “The bouquet turned out beautifully.”

Claire whispered back, “Then why doesn’t the bride look happy?”

Honestly, Jaime didn’t know. Maybe ... it should’ve been simpler. Three or five long-stemmed sunflowers, perhaps.

The bride’s father took a few steps over to Jaime. “Can we move things along here?”

Good grief. Was he kidding? The bridal party had been twenty minutes late, which created all kinds of problems for the caterer, taxed the guests’ patience, and stressed the event planners. This family had a history of complicating weddings! But she only smiled at him and deferred to Liam, who had just returned to the wedding party after seating Mrs. Zimmerman.

“Indeed we can, Mr. Zimmerman.” He signaled a cue to the banjo player up front and turned to the bride. “Lass, yer a vision to behold.” He opened the door. “Yer groom awaits you.”

A look of relief filled the bride’s face, outshadowed only by her father’s relief. He grabbed her arm and started down the aisle, so quickly that the bride stopped in her tracks and whacked him with the beautiful bouquet Claire had made, sending petals of flowers onto the dark green center roll of carpet.

“Daddy!” she shrieked. “Hold your horses! Slow down. I can’t move that fast.”

And on that shrill note, the wedding ceremony began.

thirteen

In the garden of love, flowers don’t die.

—Nitya Prakash

TESSA

Tessa and Dawson remained hovering nervously near the greenhouse until the wedding ceremony was over. She wanted to be available in case Jaime or Claire needed anything brought back from the flower shop. Dawson hung around in case something went horribly wrong with the greenhouse, like a space heater conked out or the electricity went wonky. So far, from where they were standing by the Airstream, this event was a success. The sun was setting, and the dinner service had just started, and this portion of the evening belonged to the caterer. Tessa was starting to relax. When the staff had left the Airstream to deliver dinner plates, Tessa popped inside to get two cups of just-brewed coffee out of the percolating coffeemaker.

She came back out to join Dawson. He was leaning against the Airstream, one ankle crossed over the other, hands in his pockets, a pleased look on his face.

He took the cup she held out for him. “Thanks.”

She stood beside him, looking at the greenhouse in the setting sun. “It’s amazing, isn’t it? All that’s happened in just a few weeks.” Inside the greenhouse, guests were laughing and enjoying themselves. “I might have imagined fields of flowers, but I had never imagined this.” She took a sip of coffee. “Liam wants us to consider keeping this as a venue site and not use it as a greenhouse.”

“Yeah,” Dawson said. “He told me the same thing.”

“But that’s ridiculous, right? We need the greenhouse for the flowers. That’s what this flower farm is all about.”

Dawson remained quiet, which wasn’t unusual, but this quiet went on for way too long. She pivoted to face him. “Something’s up.” A spike of fear trickled through her. Maybe he’d been so insistent about the greenhouse so that he could leave with a clear conscience. The flower farm had a solid base, it had the patronage of Rose’s Flower Shop, Tessa had her friends back ... and now he could get a real job. Elsewhere.

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