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Jill fitted the larger of the two crowns around her head, and this one had delicate pink flowers nestled among tan and nearly white sprays of what looked a lot like fur. They were really very thin and delicate pine needles that had been colored and secured in the band of the crown. Tiny twigs adorned the wreath as well, and it fit the country theme of Jill’s wedding perfectly. She looked like a woodland elf, and that was definitely Hannah’s favorite.
The other crown made her look more like a hippie, and it clashed with her blonde hair.
“Pink,” Hannah said at the same time Emma and Jess said, “Yellow.”
“I knew this would happen,” Jill said with plenty of exasperation in her voice. “I’d choose pink too. It’s a tie.”
“It’s your wedding,” Emma said. “Pick the one you want.” She bounced her baby and smiled at Jill in the mirror. “You know what? The yellow flowers aren’t that great with your hair color.”
Jill held the string of flowers up to her hair, and Hannah widened her eyes and nodded. “Okay,” she said, meeting Hannah’s eyes in the mirror. “I’m going with the pink one.” She turned and handed it to the saleswoman. “This one, please.”
“We’ll put it in your file and have it ready when you come to pick up the flowers.” She smiled in the most professional way possible, and Hannah was glad she didn’t have a job in customer service. She wasn’t sure she could keep the smile in place for hours on end.
The bell on the door chimed, and Hannah automatically turned that way. Jill’s sister walked in, and she looked like a tornado about to touch down. “Incoming,” Hannah muttered, and then she got out of the way.
Haven barely glanced at Hannah and Jess, her gaze going right back to Jill. “Jill,” she said. “You’re done already?”
“Yep,” Jill said, signing something on the counter in front of her. “I told you it would be fast.”
“Mom and I wanted to see the crowns.”
Jill turned toward her sister. “How did it go with the announcements?”
“Fine.” Haven waved behind her. “Mom’s putting them in the car.”
“You left her to put three hundred announcements, plus envelopes, in the car?” Jill asked. “By herself? There has to be several boxes.”
Hannah’s attention swung back to Haven, and she felt like she was watching a really bad game of tennis. “You said you’d be a few minutes.”
“No,” Jill said. “I said it would onlytakea few minutes.” Jill shook her head and practically slammed the pen down on the counter. “You know what, Haven? This ismywedding, not yours. It’s annoying and a little pathetic that you have to make everything about you.” She marched away from her sister, and Hannah silently cheered for her friend.
“So…lunch?” Jess said brightly, stepping over to Haven. “I hear you make an amazing pot of chicken and dumplings. Is that true?”
Haven blinked a couple of times and then softened completely. “It is true.”
“My husbandadoreschicken and dumplings, and I need a really good recipe,” Jess said, starting toward the door and somehow working some sort of Pied Piper magic to get Haven to go with her. “I’d love to try yours.”
Hannah met Emma’s eyes, and the two of them dissolved into giggles before following everyone out of the florist shop and onto the quaint Main Street in Sweet Water Falls.
