The Pursuit of Jesse by Helen Brenna Read Free Book Online

daisies.”
    “Then maybe the roses weren’t the best choice.”
    Oh, no. If Sarah had anything to say about it, the woman was not changing her mind on the focal flower in her cluster bouquet for the fifth time.
    “I still think the roses were the right decision,” Sarah said, easily keeping her voice steady and calm. “They match your color scheme and the style of your wedding, but before you decide, let me email you some pictures. I think you’ll absolutely love what you see.” She removed the pollen stamens from the open lilies with a tissue, ensuring the pollen wouldn’t drop and stain anything and everything in its path.
    She’d been working on the flowers much longer than she should have, but that was par for the course. Weddings and Flowers by Sarah hadn’t gotten one of the best reputations in the Upper Midwest for no good reason. Nothing—fresh or silk arrangements, potted plants or the like—left her hands until everything was just right.
    The flower shop’s front door opened, letting in a burst of cold air, and Sarah glanced up. Her best friend,Missy Charms Abel, who owned the gift shop next door, had, thankfully, stopped by to break up the monotony of her day. Smiling, Sarah put her index finger to her lips and then pointed to the phone.
    “Lunch?” Missy silently mouthed as she held out two takeout bags.
    “Yes!” Sarah mouthed back, nodding vigorously, and then spoke into the speakerphone. “So I’ll send you the photos of the design I have in mind?”
    “I insist on something unique, Sarah.” Megan’s voice echoed over the speakerphone and through the small flower shop like nails down a chalkboard. “Absolutely unique.”
    Missy rolled her eyes as she slipped off her boots and walked sock-footed across the tiled floor.
    “I promise I’ve never done this arrangement before,” Sarah said to Megan as she smiled at Missy. “I’ll email you those pictures as soon as we get off the phone. Let me know what you decide. No rush. Take your time.” Sarah disconnected the call before Megan could find something else to obsess over and glanced up at Missy.
    Her friend shook her head. “She sounds like a winner.”
    “Guess how old she is?”
    “To be that particular? Forty.”
    “Eighteen.”
    “You’re kidding. What’s her story?”
    “High-school sweethearts. He’s in the military. She’s just graduating from high school this spring. Around New Year’s, they found out Brandon was scheduled to ship off to Afghanistan on July first. That’s when they got engaged.”
    “So why wait? Why not just run out and get married?”
    “She insisted on a Mirabelle wedding. In spring. Period. She wants the perfect wedding,” Sarah added. “And Daddy’s made it clear that the sky’s the limit for his only child.”
    “I don’t know how you deal with all those crazy brides.”
    “Very carefully.” Sarah laughed, prepping an email to Megan. “Honestly, though, I don’t mind.” Her years of experience with stressed-out brides-to-be and their stressed-out mothers had taught her to take their wacked-out moods in stride.
    “Better you than me.” Missy set the bags on the counter.
    Sarah attached a photo of the arrangement she had in mind for Megan and sent the email. “There you go, Megan,” she said, breathing a sigh of relief.
    Only a second later, her computer pinged with received mail.
    “Is that her replying back that quickly?” Missy asked, looking surprised.
    “Yep. She thinks she likes this one. But she wants to make sure the bridesmaids’ bouquets are in sync with hers.”
    “I swear,” Missy said, shaking her head. “Your brides get more obsessive every year.”
    “Don’t tell anyone I said this, or I could be out of a job. But sometimes I think couples these days are entirely missing the point of the day.”
    “So what’s your idea of the perfect wedding? What’s your day going to be like?”
    A woman didn’t dream of her wedding day if she never expected to get