The corner of Gigi’s red lips lifted in a small curve, the best she had for a real smile. Something Juliette rarely witnessed. “Très bien.”
“And rumor has it they need a photographer.” Anne-Sophie winked at Adrienne. “So I slipped them your card.”
Juliette watched in stunned silence as her sisters and mother were swallowed up in a bubble of chatter. The discussion ranged from types of flowers needed for a June wedding, to the best places for bridal photos, to the inevitable launch of Mystic Florals as a premier provider of wedding flowers. Their excitement billowed, building like a wave ready to crash against the shore, but Juliette was stuck out at sea. She was lost in the swell of conversation because, for whatever reason, Anne-Sophie had decided to completely shut her out.
As soon as there was a lull in their discussion, Juliette jumped in. “Where was the birthday party?”
Four sets of eyes focused on her, like they suddenly remembered she was standing there.
Anne-Sophie stiffened and rolled her lips. Her words were sharp and short. “On a yacht. On the Chesapeake.”
Classy and sophisticated. And expensive as well. “Who were you there with?”
This time her sister’s eyes turned bitter cold like the winter skies. “No one you know.”
Taken aback by the verbal slap, Juliette said nothing.
“Charity should be in touch soon, Mama.” Anne-Sophie blew a kiss. “I have to get back to Virginia Beach. I have some work obligations to take care of, but I wanted to deliver this news in person.”
Gigi took her youngest by the arm and walked with her out to her car, while Juliette remained frozen in place. Confused and hurt, defeated by the absolute callousness of Anne-Sophie’s unnecessary cruelty.
“What was that all about?”
Adrienne looped her camera strap over her shoulder, then adjusted her black sweater. “Soph took it really hard when you left.”
Sure, she’d left town abruptly and without much notice, but she’d said goodbye to each of her sisters. It wasn’t as though she’d up and abandoned them, they weren’t left to fend for themselves. Anne-Sophie had been seventeen at the time, and the twins stayed local to Mystic Cove, so it wasn’t like she’d been forced to grow up alone. Why she was so furious with Juliette for leaving was beyond comprehension.
“Don’t worry.” Vivianne slipped her cell into the back pocket of her jeans, then started packing up her laptop for the night. “I’m sure she’ll get over it. Eventually.”
Juliette wasn’t so sure. Anne-Sophie looked as though she had years of pent-up anger bubbling beneath the surface of her pretty face.
Adrienne reached out and squeezed her hand. “Are you sure you won’t come up to the house tonight?”
“Leave her be, Adrienne,” Vivianne chided softly, her smile full of sympathy. “She’ll come around when she’s ready.”
“Thanks, Viv.” Juliette hugged her sisters.
She watched as the twins and her mother left for the night, leaving her to lock up. She tied up a few more things around the shop after they were gone, but once she was finished, she turned her attention to the front window display. It was a hodgepodge of flowers and empty tin buckets, all lined up beneath a cluttered chalkboard display.
It made her eye twitch.
She switched the music, filling the space with nineties grunge instead of crooning jazz, and got to work.
Juliette took down the chalkboard display and wiped it clean. She pulled the long rectangular shelving display away from thewindow and placed a workbench on each side. She filled the tin buckets with water, and since it was still January, she opted for more wintry-inspired hues for the flowers. Plum scabiosa and burgundy astrantia, wine-colored tulips and creamy white roses. She placed wooden barrels on each end of the bench and loaded them with sprigs of eucalyptus and long-stemmed ferns for greenery. Once she was done with the setup, she completely redesigned the chalkboard sign using a mix of calligraphy and swirls.
Without warning, the bell above the front door jingled. A cold gust of air swept through the shop, and Juliette spun around, coming face to face with her mother.
“I forgot my clipboard in the cooler and needed to make some changes to…” Gigi’s voice faded as her sharp gaze landed on the display.
Juliette froze, the chalkboard sign clutched in her hands.
Gigi’s lips thinned and she looked through her glasses perched on the tip of her nose. “What is this?”
“Oh, it’s a flower bar.” Juliette suddenly felt the need to defend her creation. It was like being a child all over again, being forced to justify her every action and decision. “It’s a concept I read about where customers can create their own custom bouquets. They can grab as many stems as they want, and the cost of the bouquet will vary depending on the flowers they choose. Then they bring them to the register where we can bundle them with kraft paper, ribbon, and twine. It’s a great way to use some of the extra stems and flowers you have laying around so they don’t go to waste.”
“I can see that it’s a flower bar.” Gigi’s face remained impassive. Void of all emotion. “But why is ithere?”
Juliette bit her bottom lip. She hated the way her mother watched her sometimes. Hawkish. Too keen for her own good. It made her skin crawl with unease, with self-preservation. “Ithought your front window display could use a makeover. A fresh design.”
