Bed of Roses (Bride Quartet #2)(108)

"With the flowers, no. Everything came in, and looks good. The bride wanted ultracontemporary, with a touch of funk. Green calla lilies, the cymbidiums-which are very cool in a yellow-green shade-with some white Eucharist lilies to pop the colors, in a hand-tied bouquet. Her ten, yes ten, attendants will carry three hand-tied Green Goddess callas. Small bouquet of Eucharist lilies, and a hair clip of orchids for the flower girl. Rather than corsages or tussy-mussies, the MOB and MOG will each carry a single orchid. Vases for all will be on the tables at dinner and reception."

Emma scrolled down on her laptop. "We have the Green Goddess again for the entrance urns, with horsetail bamboo, the orchids, trails of hanging amaranthus and . . ."

She tipped the top of the computer down. "I need to step out of business mode for a few minutes. First just to say I love you, and I don't know what I'd have done without all of you the past week or so. You must've gotten sick of me moping and whining at first-"

"I did." Laurel rose her hand, waved it, and made Emma laugh. "Actually, your moping is substandard and your whining needs considerable work. I hope you'll do better in the future."

"I can only strive. Meanwhile, I'm done. I'm okay. I have to assume, since Jack hasn't dropped by, hasn't tried to call me, or e-mail or send up a smoke signal, you warned him off."

"Yes," Parker confirmed, "we did."

"Thanks for that, too. I needed the time and distance to work the whole thing out and, well, level off. Since I haven't seen a sign of Del either, I'm going to assume you asked him to steer clear for a while."

"It seemed better all around," Mac said.

"You're probably right. But the fact is we're all friends. We're family. We've got to get back to being those things. So if you've worked out an all-clear signal, you can send it. Jack and I can clear the air, if it needs to be cleared, and we can all get back to normal."

"If you're sure you're ready."

She nodded at Parker. "Yes, I'm sure. So, moving to the foyer," she began. 





JACK SLID INTO A BOOTH AT COFFEE TALK. "THANKS FOR MEETING me, Carter."

"I feel like a spy. Like a double agent." Carter considered his green tea. "I kind of like it."

"So, how's she doing? What's she doing? What's going on? Anything, Carter, just anything. It's been ten days. I can't talk to her, see her, text her, e-mail her. How long am I supposed to . . ." He trailed off, frowned. "Is that me?"

"Yeah, that's you."

"Jesus Christ, I can't stand to be around myself." He glanced up at the waitress. "Morphine. A double."

"Ha-ha," she said.

"Try the tea," Carter suggested.

"I'm not quite that bad. Yet. Coffee, regular. How is she, Carter?"

"She's okay. There's a lot of work right now. June is . . . It's insane, actually. She's putting in a lot of hours. They all are. And she spends a lot of time at home. One of them usually goes over, at least for a while, in the evenings. Her mother came over, and I know that was pretty emotional. Mac told me. That's the double-agent part. Emma doesn't talk about any of this with me. I'm not the enemy, exactly, but . . ."

"I get it. I haven't gone by the bookstore either because I don't think Lucia wants to see me. I feel like I should be wearing a sign."

Caught between annoyance and misery, Jack slumped back in his seat. "Del can't go over there either. Parker decree. God, it's not like I cheated on her or smacked her around or . . . And yes, I'm trying to justify. How can I tell her I'm sorry if I can't talk to her?"

"You can practice what you're going to say when you can say it."

"I've been doing a lot of that. Is it like this for you, Carter?"

"Actually, I'm allowed to talk to Mac."

"I meant-"

"I know. Yes, it's like that. She's the light. Before, you can fumble around in the dark, or manage in the dim. You don't even know it's dim because that's the way it's always been. But then, she's the light. Everything changes."

"If the light shuts off, or worse, if you're stupid enough to shut it off yourself, it's a hell of a lot darker than it was before."

Carter shifted forward. "I think, to get the light back, you have to give her a reason. What you say is one part, but what you do, that's the big one. I think."

Jack nodded, then pulled out his phone when it signaled. "It's Parker. Okay. Okay. Yeah?" he said when he answered. "Is she-What? Sorry. Okay. Thanks. Parker-Okay. I'll be there."

He closed the phone. "They opened the door. I have to go, Carter. There are things I need to-"

"Go ahead. I'll get this."