Back on Blossom Street (Blossom Street #4)(99)

The minute Alix caught sight of Colette, she flew across the grounds. “I can’t believe you’re here,” Alix murmured, throwing both arms around her. The last Alix had heard, Christian still hadn’t been located. Colette had kept a vigil with Christian’s aunt since his disappearance became known, and Alix hadn’t expected her to come to the wedding.

“I wouldn’t miss it,” Colette assured her, hugging her back.

“Christian?” Alix whispered.

Colette shook her head. “Nothing new.” She looked tired but seemed to have found some measure of peace.

“I’m so glad you came,” Alix said. “It means a lot to me.”

Colette smiled at her. “Oh, Alix, you’re going to be a beautiful bride.”

“I’m about to be married.” Alix giggled with happiness and headed toward the house, where Jacqueline and Reese were waiting for her. Family drifted in and out; someone had brought a large coffee urn and Jordan’s relatives came in to help themselves to cups of coffee. Someone mentioned that Grandma Turner had decided to rest for a while. Alix didn’t want to disturb her.

“The hairdresser’s here,” Jacqueline announced, ushering Alix into the house.

Alix glanced at her warily.

“Don’t worry.” Jacqueline must have read the look in her eyes. “It’s not Desiree.” Early in their friendship, Jacqueline had taken her to an expensive hairstylist named Desiree; this was the famous makeover disaster they still laughed about. “Desiree said I couldn’t pay her enough to work on your hair again.”

Alix grinned. Desiree wouldn’t want to hear what she thought of her, either. “Just as long as I have final approval.” She wasn’t about to go through her wedding looking like one of the boys from that 1970s TV series, The Brady Bunch.

Jacqueline nodded and led her to the bathroom. In short order her hair was washed and blow-dried, curled and sprayed. Alix stared at her ref lection and decided she rather liked this more mature version of herself.

“Is Grandma Turner still resting?” she asked. Any number of people had been in and out of the house all morning.

No one seemed to know. Her bedroom door remained shut. Alix had brought over her wedding dress earlier in the week and Grandma had insisted on hanging it on the back of her door.

Still in her housecoat and slippers, Alix approached the bedroom. Her knock went unanswered. If Grandma Turner was sleeping, it was time to wake her. The photographer would be there soon and Alix wanted Grandma in the pictures.

After knocking a second time, Alix quietly opened the door, to see Jordan’s grandmother sitting in the rocking chair by her bed, her Bible in her lap. The shawl Alix had knit was draped around her shoulders. It looked as if the old woman had been reading her Bible and fallen asleep.

“Grandma,” Alix whispered, trying not to startle her.

Sarah Turner didn’t respond.

Kneeling in front of her, Alix reached for Sarah’s hand and swallowed hard when she discovered the fingers were stone-cold.

Alix knew that Grandma wasn’t asleep.

She was dead.

She’d died that morning, reading her Bible and wearing her prayer shawl.

Sobs filled Alix’s chest and she laid her face against Grandma’s lap as she struggled for composure. When she could breathe evenly again, she lifted her face, gently touched the old woman’s cheek and rose to her feet.

Alix stepped quietly out of the bedroom, closing the door behind her. The first person she saw was Jacqueline.

“Please find Jordan for me,” she whispered brokenly.

“What’s the matter?” Jacqueline asked.

“Just get Jordan. Please.”

Jacqueline started to tell her it was bad luck for the groom to see his bride before the wedding, but Alix’s expression obviously stopped her. “I saw him a little while ago. I’ll look around.”

She left, returning with him a few minutes later. Jordan frowned when he saw Alix still wearing her housecoat and slippers. He was in his tuxedo. “Is something wrong?”

Alix nodded and took his hand. Together they entered his grandmother’s bedroom. Jordan knew instantly.

“I think she’s been dead a couple of hours,” Alix told him. Her voice faltered, and when she could speak again, she asked in a hoarse whisper, “What should we do?”

Jordan sat on the edge of his grandmother’s bed and lowered his head as the realization hit him. “My grandmother loved you, Alix. I don’t know why the Lord chose to take her home this morning, but He did. Everyone’s here. It seems to me that this was exactly what Grandma was waiting for—to see us happy and to have all her family around her. We’re getting married today. Grandma would want us to. Her love is here.”

Jordan stood and wrapped his arms around Alix, then briefly buried his face in her shoulder. “I’ll tell my parents.”

While Jordan went in search of his family, Alix removed her wedding dress from his grandmother’s door and slipped into it. She went out into the kitchen, beckoning to Jacqueline and Tammie Lee. They found a private corner, and while she explained the circumstances, Tammie Lee fastened the buttons in the back of Alix’s dress.

Larry and Susan Turner rushed into the house and Jordan brought them to the bedroom, where Alix joined them a few minutes later. Jordan’s mother had dissolved into tears.