Fed up

his head. “Nah. That was sort of trendy for a while. Some flowers are edible, but I never got into that. Seriously, nobody wants to eat a flower.”
    I’d had nasturtiums in salad that had been pretty good, but I felt unqualified to argue flavor with two chefs, so I kept quiet.
    Digger pointed his fork at me and spoke with his mouth full. “Flowers belong in a garden or in a vase, if you ask me. Just don’t make me grow ’em for you. I’ve never touched a garden in my life.”
    By the time I finished my entrée, lasagna con coniglio brasato (braised rabbit and crispy polenta lasagna with shaved raw mushrooms, thyme, and gremoulata), I was so stuffed that I didn’t know whether I’d be able to eat dessert. As usual, though, my appetite returned quickly, and I managed to squeeze in a ricotta cheese tart with Marsala sauce.
    When Digger went to the bathroom, Josh reached across the table and took my hand in his. “I’m sorry I was so snappy earlier. Really.”
    Since Josh looked so genuinely apologetic, I squeezed his hand back. “How early are you working tomorrow?”
    “Not that early.” Josh winked at me.
     

 
    “IT’S not possible that I got bigger since Friday!” Adrianna’s yell shot through my phone’s receiver. “What in heck made me think it was a good idea to alter my own wedding dress?”
    “I don’t know,” I said helplessly. “I wish I could do your alterations, but I’m not particularly adept with a needle and thread. Do you want me to come over anyway and see what I can do?”
    Adrianna had bought a discount wedding dress for herself in a much larger size than she normally wore. The supposed point was to alter it to fit her pregnant shape.
    “Yes, I want you to come over and help! Can’t you hear the anxiety in my voice? Get over here!”
    I told Bridezilla I’d be over in a few minutes.
    Even though Josh and I had more than made up the previous night, things between us still felt strained. That stress, combined with the experience of having Francie die in front of me and my so-far-unsuccessful investigation of the murder, left my spirits low. I worried that my mood might rub off on Adrianna. She was already nervous enough about the wedding, the baby, and her future in general, and it was supposed to be my job to calm her down. I’d need to muster every ounce of cheer I could.
    As I was about to head out the door, Robin called. “I’m so glad I caught you. I really need to get my phone back. Can I stop by and get it this afternoon? Around three?”
    “Absolutely.” I gave Robin my address and directions, and promised to be home.
    When I arrived at Adrianna’s, she had her wedding gown half on. It was inside out, and most of the material was gathered around her middle, where her waist had once been.
    With despair on her face and in her voice, she said, “I can’t deal with this right now, Chloe. I can’t.”
    “Calm down. Let me help you.”
    I pulled the front of the dress up over her chest, which had practically doubled in size, and tied the halter top around her neck.
    “No one told me I was going to get Pam Anderson boobs,” she seethed. “I look trampy. I can’t wait to hear what my idiot mother has to say about it.”
    “Here,” I said handing her a box of pins. “Start pinning and stop whining. You can do this. Just pin and sew, okay?”
    “Okay.” Ade started pinning the sides of her dress. I helped in the spots she couldn’t reach. “This is not exactly the image I had of how I was going to look on my wedding day,” she said with a sniff.
    “What? You didn’t picture yourself beautiful? Stunning? Radiant?”
    “No,” she barked at me. “Stressed out, bloated, huge, and busty like a porn star.”
    “Ade, stop,” I said firmly as I pinned the hem. “Everything is going to work out perfectly.”
    “Your mom has her dress all set, right? And your dress is ready?” I nodded, petrified about how she might have reacted if I’d said no! Ade continued. “I have to call today to confirm the arrangements for renting the tables, chairs, and linens. Oh!” She snapped her fingers. “And I have to finalize the flowers.” She exhaled deeply.
    “I’ll do all that for you. Just give me the numbers. You don’t need to do anything except finish the dress and then rest. My mom is taking care of the tent, and the company is going to set it up on Thursday afternoon. You’ll be able to see it Friday at the rehearsal dinner.”
    The rehearsal itself