Page 26 of Save the Date
“That’s very… sweet,” Cara said, trying to tread carefully. “I guess he and Brooke must be very close?”
“At one time Brooke was an absolute daddy’s girl. Since the divorce, well, Brooke is conflicted. She feels loyalty to me, I think, and she’s still angry at her father. And her new stepmother.”
Marie’s eyes flickered with something resembling emotion. “We areallstill angry at Gordon. Nevertheless, Gordon is adamant that if he is to pay for this wedding he has to have complete veto power.”
“I see.” Cara had done lots of weddings for brides and grooms with divorced parents. It was never particularly easy, but the upcoming Trapnell-Strayhorn nuptials were already sounding like a major pain in the posterior.
“Would your ex-husband like to meet with me? Or would he prefer to wait until we come up with some kind of a proposal and a budget?”
Marie was fidgeting with her other earring now. “I should warn you, Gordon is interviewing other florists. He seems to think that’s how you plan a wedding. Brooke has tried to reason with him, but, well, Gordon does things his own way.”
“I appreciate your letting me know that.” Cara closed the photo album. “To be honest, Marie, I have a pretty busy summer coming up. I appreciate your honesty, and your interest in working with me, but if your ex wants to hire somebody else, well, maybe I’m not the right person for you.”
“No!” Marie’s voice was sharp. “You’re the exact right florist for our wedding. Please don’t bow out. I’ve seen your photo album, I was at Torie’s wedding. I know you’ll give Brooke something lovely and memorable. I’ll have Brooke look at your website, but I know she’ll love your work. And then, maybe she can talk some sense into her daddy. If he’ll listen to anybody, he’ll listen to her.”
“Of course,” Cara said. “Talk it over with Brooke. Have her look at my portfolio. But do keep in mind that time is really running very short for a July wedding. If I’m going to do a good job, I’ll need some kind of a commitment from you—by the end of the week. Does that sound reasonable?”
“Very reasonable.” Marie stood and straightened the nonexistent wrinkles in her dress.
Cara nodded. “Just out of curiosity—do you happen to know what other florists your ex-husband is interviewing?”
Marie chewed her bottom lip. “It’s just one florist. Somebody Patricia met at a wedding in Charleston. I don’t actually know his name. Just that he’s very well known, and considered very chic. I believe he’s just opened a shop here in Savannah. I think he and Patricia have become bosom buddies.”
“And Patricia is?”
Marie’s brown eyes narrowed. “Gordon’s new wife.”
***
As soon as the would-be new client left, Bert popped his head out of the back room, where he’d been getting hospital orders ready for delivery. He rubbed his hands together in the manner of a cartoon villain. “Oooh. Drama.”
Cara laughed. “Which I don’t especially need in my life right now.”
Poppy edged over to Bert and rubbed up against his legs.
“Hello, Miss Thang,” Bert said, obligingly scratching the dog’s ears. “When did you come home?”
“Yesterday morning. It seems her captor discovered his own dog at his vet’s office. He showed up here at eight yesterday morning, looking pretty embarrassed.”
“Good for him,” Bert said. “Poppy doesn’t seem any worse for the wear, right?”
“Guess not,” she admitted. “I had to give her a bath just to get rid of the smell of sawdust. And I don’t ever want to go through a night like that again.”
“Tell me about our new client. Obviously, I was eavesdropping from the back room. But I came in late. Who is she, and where did she come from?”
“Another of Vicki Cooper’s friends. Her name is Marie Trapnell, and her daughter is marrying one of the Strayhorns.”
“Big money marrying big money. Me likey,” Bert said. “But the ex-husband has to approve you? And he’s interviewing another florist? What is up with that?”
“Sounds like another control freak. Which I would just as soon avoid. Marie seems like a very nice person, but I honestly won’t mind when they choose somebody else.”
“Wait just a second,” Bert protested. “Why wouldn’t they choose you?”
“You heard the woman, right? The daddy wants some hotshot florist from Charleston. I guess this guy just decided to expand into Savannah.”
Bert moved over to the laptop, and his long, tanned fingers began to fly over the keyboard. “Hang on, I’m Googling.”
A moment later he looked up. “Well, his name is Cullen Kane, and from the look of his website, he has quite the business. Big-ass shop on Tradd Street, and he’s had lots of events published—Town and Country,Charleston Magazine,Garden and Gun, and on and on. He just expanded to Savannah last month. Opened a little outpost on Habersham Street.”
