The Yellow Rose Beauty Shop (Cadillac, Texas #3)(84)

Agnes was sitting in Charlotte’s chair getting her roots touched up. Piper was busy trimming Alma Grace’s hair and Stella had just finished shampooing Trixie’s hair. They all six stopped and watched the bouquet come up out of the plastic by degrees.

“I never had a wedding,” Irene said. “When I married Charlotte’s daddy, we just went to the courthouse and came home to a tiny little garage apartment down south of town. I wanted a bouquet or a corsage, but we barely had the money for the marriage license after we paid a month’s rent. What do you think?”

“It’s beautiful!” Alma Grace squealed. “That is spectacular.”

“I thought about making it out of real flowers, but if she has silk, then she can keep it forever.” Irene beamed.

“That’s a hell of a lot of work,” Agnes said.

Stella couldn’t take her eyes off the arrangement of pink hydrangeas, three lovely silk roses, baby’s breath, ferns, lace, and satin. It was a work of art but she was still glad that she and Jed had decided to go the courthouse when they got married.

“Oh, Mama, it’s beautiful,” Charlotte gasped.

“Really? You aren’t just saying that?”

Charlotte left Agnes in the chair and hugged her mother. “No, Mama, I mean it. It’s the prettiest bouquet I’ve ever seen. You did an awesome job on it.” She reached out to gingerly touch a bit of lace. “I love the little touches of lace and satin you’ve tucked into it. And is that Grandma’s cameo on the stem?”

Irene’s smile lit up the whole shop. “Yes, it is. Here, you hold it. See how it feels in your hands. Pretend you are walking down the aisle with it. Is it too heavy?”

Charlotte took the bouquet from her mother and carried it all the way back to the door, then she turned around and nodded at Stella. “Music, please.”

Stella began to hum the “Wedding March” and Charlotte held the bouquet at waist level and slowly strolled across the tile floor to her station. “It’s not too heavy, Mama. Real flowers would have weighed a lot more. Now can I keep this one or do we have to make a dozen more?”

“Oh, hush.” Irene wiped her eyes. “You looked like an angel carrying that, but when you are coming in the church, walk a little bit slower. Boone needs time to catch his breath. If you go too fast, he’ll still be stuttering when you reach the front.”

Charlotte handed the bouquet back to her mother. “Yes, ma’am. Now, why don’t you sit down and wait until I get done with Agnes and then I’ll pamper you a little bit today. How about a haircut, shampoo, and set?”

“With real rollers and the hair dryer?” Irene carefully tucked the bouquet back into the plastic bag. “Put this in the back room. We don’t want anyone else to see it.”

“Miz Irene, I thought I wanted real flowers for my bouquet, but after seeing what you’ve done, I’ve changed my mind. Would you make me one of those?” Alma Grace asked. “And smaller versions for my bridesmaids? Maybe you could go with me to buy the flowers and give me some ideas?”

“What would Sugar think?” Irene asked.

“You’ve got to show her that bouquet. She’s going to love it. And when my wedding is over, I’m going to have a shadowbox made for mine so I can hang it on the wall above the credenza in the foyer. Pink and silver are my colors. I want lots of bling, so be thinking along those lines. Will you do it for me?” Alma Grace begged.

“I would love to,” Irene said.

“You want a cup of coffee?” Piper asked. “It’s brewing in the back room and there’s what’s left of a pan of brownies back there.”

“I’d love both,” Irene said.

Charlotte leaned down and whispered into Alma Grace’s ear, “That was so sweet.”

“Sweet nothing!” Alma Grace exclaimed. “We’ve searched and searched for silver flowers and pink only comes in roses and gladiolus. I want something unique that no one else has ever had or will ever have. Your mama is a genius.”

Piper poked Charlotte on the arm. “Did you know that about your mama’s wedding?”

Charlotte shook her head. “But from now on this one is hers to do with what she wants. I want to be married. The wedding isn’t as important as the marriage. Nancy taught me that.”

Irene carried a brownie on a napkin in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. She sat down at the table at the same time Stella wrapped a towel around Trixie’s head and the two of them went back to Stella’s station.

“Well, Trixie, I didn’t know that was you over there,” Irene said. “How is your mama? I always loved Janie. She always had a lovely smile for everyone, no matter who they were.”

“She has good days and bad days. Seems that lately the good ones are few and far between,” Trixie said.

“I need to go see her. We grew up right next door to each other. Played paper dolls in my front yard lots and lots of days. Do you think she’ll know me?” Irene asked.

“Seems like she knows folks from that time more than those she knew in her twenties or thirties,” Trixie said.

“There was less stress in those days,” Irene said.

“But still just as much scandal and gossip,” Trixie said.

“Some things never change, honey.” Irene nodded. “But I always admired your mama for doing what she did. She might have thought that boy was her soul mate when she left town with him, but when she figured out he wasn’t, she didn’t just marry him because you were on the way. Town might always remember her for that, but me, I remember her pretty smile.”