Blossom Street Brides (Blossom Street #10)(78)

“That was his original plan, but he flew back early.”

“To marry you?”

“Well, no, that just happened … Neither of us planned it.”

Elisa shook her head as if unable to assimilate what she was hearing. “People don’t accidentally get married, Lauren.”

“No, no, it wasn’t an accident. He showed up in Vegas after you left, and we realized we wanted to be together. Once we came to that conclusion, we couldn’t see any reason to wait. After all, we aren’t teenagers.”

Elisa reacted as if she’d been slapped, taking a step back.

Lauren was quick to apologize. “I’m sorry, that came out wrong. I didn’t mean it like that.” She hadn’t meant to compare her situation with Elisa’s daughter’s. Katie was a teenager, although technically an adult. Lauren was mature and well over thirty. Rooster, too.

“I was hoping to take a few days off,” Lauren continued, refusing to let her friend’s disapproval influence her feelings for Rooster or the choices they’d made.

“A few days?” Elisa repeated, almost as if she were in a trance.

“Yes. We flew back to Seattle together because I knew you needed me here. I’ve worked all week, waiting for your return. Now Rooster and I would like some time alone before he heads back to California.”

This, too, seemed to shake her friend. “Does this marriage mean you’ll be moving away now?” she asked, clearly concerned she was about to lose Lauren as an employee.

“I … I don’t know yet. We haven’t had much of an opportunity to decide that.”

“You’re actually married?” she asked again, and then, as if she suddenly needed to sit down, Elisa lowered herself onto the stool by the diamond-ring counter. Then, making light of the fact, she emitted a short laugh. “It must be something in the water.”

“It must be,” Lauren said, forcing a smile.

Elisa grew serious once more. “Does Todd know?”

Lauren wasn’t sure how her marriage involved Todd, but she answered anyway. “As it happens, Rooster and I ran into him earlier in the week.”

“So he knows?”

“Yes, we told him.”

“And what did he say?”

It was hard to understand why Elisa remained focused on Todd. This wasn’t a conversation Lauren was especially eager to share. “He was surprised.”

Elisa snickered. “I bet. My guess is he was as shocked as I am.”

That pretty much explained it. Todd, however, being Todd, hadn’t been willing to leave it at that. He accused Lauren of being so desperate that she’d married the first man who came along after their breakup. On the outside it might look that way, but in her heart, she knew differently. She loved Rooster, and he loved her. They were right for each other. Right together.

“I’ve never met him,” Elisa reminded her.

“I know … we only had that one weekend together before … but remember, we talked every day. He’s a good man, Elisa, and I love him. I know this seems sudden, especially on the heels of Katie and Dietrich, but I feel Rooster was the right choice for me.”

Elisa looked at her as though she didn’t recognize the woman standing in front of her.

“He’s thoughtful and tender,” Lauren continued, wanting to defend Rooster and her decision to marry him.

“You saw him only the one time?”

“No, it was more than that.”

“One weekend, then?”

“Yes, but even when he was eight thousand miles away we talked every single day.”

“But, Lauren, you can’t really know a person after such a short acquaintance.”

“I realize how this looks, I really do,” she said, and she was sincere. “If it was anyone but Rooster, I’d agree with you, but he’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a husband. We share so much in common. My parents met him—”

“Your family knows?”

“Of course. They flew in for the ceremony. My parents were concerned, too, seeing that we’d only known each other a short while. Dad insisted on having a background check done on Rooster.”

This tidbit seemed to rattle Elisa all the more. “And did you read the report?”

“No, there wasn’t time. But my father did, and he couldn’t find anything about Rooster that raised a red flag.”

“What about his family?” Elisa challenged.

Her friend was stretching, looking for something, anything, to prove what a terrible mistake Lauren had made, almost as if she was talking about Katie rather than Lauren. Patiently, not wanting to upset Elisa, Lauren explained, “Rooster is an only child, and both his parents are dead. Bethanne’s husband, Max, stood up for him as best man. Max and Bethanne are his family.”

Elisa continued to look shaken and unsure.

“Would it be all right if I took the rest of the week off?” Lauren pressed. The shop was due to open in a few minutes; Friday mornings generally had light customer traffic. If Elisa needed to call in someone else, she could.

“Oh, of course. I apologize if I’m being less than gracious over your news.”

“I understand; it’s a shock.”

“What I can’t understand is why you didn’t mention it much earlier.”