Black Rose

minute, honey, check on your daddy.”
    “Okay.” Stella waited until Jolene scurried out. “I was going to be mad and upset that my mother refused to come. Too much trouble to make the trip—not like it’s my first time—and she wasn’t going to sit around in the same space as that woman, which she continues to call Jolene even after all these years.”
    “Her loss, isn’t it?”
    “It is—and my gain, really. It’s Jolene I want today anyway. And you, and Hayley.” Stella lifted her hand to touch the sapphires in her ears. “They’re so perfect.”
    “They do the trick. Look at you.” Feeling a little misty herself, Roz stepped closer to study her friend.
    The dress was simple, a pale, pale blue with narrow straps, a straight bodice and a long skirt with a slight bell. There were two dahlias pinned in her curling red hair. One white, one blue. And her face was luminous, as a bride’s was meant to be.
    “I feel absolutely beautiful.”
    “You should. You are. I’m so happy for you.”
    “I’m not nervous anymore, not even a little jump in the belly.” Stella pressed a hand to it as she blinked tears back. “I think about Kevin, my first wedding, the years we had together, the children we made together. And I know, in my heart, I know he’s okay with this. Logan’s a good man.”
    “A very good man.”
    “I made him wait almost a year.” She let out a laughing breath. “Time’s up. Roz, thank you for all you’ve done.”
    “You’re welcome. Ready to get married?”
    “I’m absolutely ready.”
    It was sweet, Roz thought, and it was lovely. The man and woman, the young boys, coming together in the gardens of the home they’d share. Logan, big and strong and handsome in his suit, Stella, bright and beautiful in her bride dress, and the children grinning even when Logan kissed the bride.
    The guests broke into spontaneous applause as Logan swept Stella off her feet and spun her in a circle. And Harper topped off the moment by popping the first bottle of champagne.
    “I don’t know when I’ve seen a happier couple,” Mitch commented, and tapped his glass to Roz’s. “Or a prettier family. You do good work.”
    “I didn’t do anything.”
    “It’s like a family tree. These two come from one of your branches. May not be blood, but it comes to the same. It’s their connection to you that brought them together. They did the rest, but the connection started it.”
    “That’s a nice thought. I’ll take it.” She lifted her glass, sipped. “There’s something I want to talk to you about a little later. I wanted to wait to bring it up until after Stella had her day. A wedding day, by rights, belongs to the bride.”
    “What’s it about?”
    “I guess you could say it’s about connections.” She rose on her toes to kiss him. “We’ll talk about it after we go home. Fact is, I’ve got to run back real quick. With all this commotion I forgot the special bottle of champagne I have back home for the bride and groom and their wedding night.”
    “I can run get it.”
    “No, it’ll be quicker if I do. I’ll be back in fifteen minutes.”
    As she got to the car, she stopped as Hayley called her.
    “Roz! Hold up. Is it okay if we ride with you?” A little breathless, she stopped at the car with a crying Lily in her arms. “I’ve got a cranky girl here, needs a little nap. But she won’t go down. Car ride’ll do the trick. We can take mine, it has the car seat.”
    “Sure. It’s going to be a quick run, though.”
    “That’s all right.” She walked to her own car, battled an objecting Lily into the seat. “Rides always calm her down, and if she goes to sleep, I can just sit out here with her until she wakes up. Then we’ll both have a better time at the party.”
    As advertised, the crying stopped, and Lily’s head began to droop before they were down the lane to the main road.
    “Works like a charm,” Hayley said.
    “Always did with mine, too. She looks so sweet in her pink party dress.”
    “Everything looked so beautiful. If I ever get married, I want it to be just like that. Springtime, flowers, friends, shiny faces. I always thought I wanted a big church extravaganza, but this was so romantic.”
    “Just right for them. It’s nice to—Slow down. Stop the car!”
    “What? What’s the... oh, my God.”
    They looked over at In the Garden. Roz had closed for the day so everyone could enjoy the wedding. But someone, she could see, had been there.