The Keeneston Roses (6 page)

Violet let out a deep breath. Nadine was still a friend. And boy, did she need a friend who understood what she was going through right now. Violet laced her arm through Nadine’s and smiled at her. “Come on, let’s go get our grades and then do a practice run on our duck for tomorrow.”

Nadine smiled back, and while Violet’s heart was still broken, at least she had a friend to help her through it.

CHAPTER NINE

Violet hung the framed diploma in her new flat just outside of Paris. Today marked the one-year anniversary of culinary school graduation, and she’d just been promoted to saucier. She was now in charge of all sauces and sautés at the luxury restaurant where she worked. It was a huge accomplishment. If she worked hard, it was possible to make sous-chef in another couple of years.

With the title of saucier came a higher paycheck. She looked around at the packed boxes in her new flat and smiled. She’d immediately started her job in the restaurant at the winery after graduation. It was an amazing place to work, and she’d learned so much. The head chef was supportive and really enjoyed teaching her how to mix flavors and add the local wines to sauces to enhance the meal.

As she opened another box and started unpacking, Violet could admit to herself she was lonely. Yes, there were people all around her. And yes, she worked twelve-hour days, but she was alone. She’d tried dating, but her heart wasn’t in it. Instead she found herself flirting her way through life and then coming home alone. She knew it was strange being a single female who worked outside the home, but she didn’t care. Cooking was the one thing that brought her happiness.

Her newly installed phone rang, and Violet jumped across her bed to reach it. “
Allô
?”

“Listen to my sister speaking French now,” Daisy teased.

“Daisy! It’s so good to hear from you.” Violet sat up on her bed and smiled into the phone at her sister’s voice.

“It’s good to hear your voice, too. I have news.” Daisy was practically giggling over the phone.

“What is it?”

“I met someone.”

“Daisy, you’re on a campus full of thousands of people. Of course you met someone.”

“No, I met my soul mate. I just know it!”

Violet’s grin slid from her face. “How do you know it? How long have you been together?”

“We’re not together. At least not yet. But I met him when my sorority and his fraternity had a mixer. He’s a senior and is so cute.” Daisy giggled and Violet tried not to roll her eyes. She’d been this way before. So in love she was blind to the world. Well, not anymore.

“You don’t even know him. I think it’s a little early to be calling him your soul mate. Date him for a while first and stop simpering. He’s just a man and puts his pants on just like you and me.”

The line was quiet, and Violet regretted saying anything at all. “Daisy?”

“Just because you suffer from a broken heart doesn’t mean the rest of the world has to suffer, too. This isn’t about you, and I’m not you.”

Violet sighed. She felt horrible, but she couldn’t see where she was wrong. They weren’t even dating, and Daisy, who had never had a serious boyfriend, was head over heels in love with this guy already. But she didn't fight her sister on it. “I’m sorry. You’re right. Tell me about him.”

Violet sat back against her headboard and listened about this perfect man. She was jealous. That’s what it was. She was jealous Daisy could still be so innocent and so naïve about love. Violet wished she could be that way again. She and Lily had talked about it. Talked about how they acted their way through dates and flirting. It was just a way to keep control and keep their hearts safe.

“Violet? Did you hear me?”

“Yes, he sounds divine.”

“No, I asked if you were coming home for the summer. You haven’t been home in almost a year, and we’d love to see you.”

Violet’s lips thinned. She didn’t want to go home yet. It would take too much energy to act as if she were happy. “I don’t know my schedule yet. With my promotion it may be harder for me to get some time off.”

“Well, we miss you. I need to get to class, but promise me you’ll think about coming for a visit.”

“Of course.” Violet said her goodbyes and sat staring at the brown boxes that needed to be unpacked. She should go home but not right now. Now was her time to grow and explore in France. She was respected and gaining valuable knowledge. Plus she hadn’t had to hit anyone with a spatula or a crêpe pan in the past year. Maybe she’d get home next year.

The sound of a horn honking sent Violet scrambling off the bed and out onto her narrow balcony. Looking down, she saw tall, handsome Jacque. He was a waiter where she worked and had bragged about his new car the other day.

“My fair lady,” he called up and removed his sunglasses, looking up at her. “It’s a great day for a cruise around the hills in my new car.”

The sun was warm, a sexy Frenchman was waiting, and he had a convertible. “I’ll be right down,” Violet called, hurrying back into her bedroom.

She opened box after box until she found a scarf. Tying it quickly over her hair, she raced out of her flat. Violet might not be as naïve anymore, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t have a good time.

* * *

Daisy smoothed her dress and straightened her pearls before rushing down the stairs of her sorority house. Tonight was the best night of her life. Robert had stopped her on the way to class and asked her to dinner. She had spent hours getting ready, and now she looked perfect.

Robert was standing beside her housemother in the front entryway. He was so dreamy with his blond hair and blue eyes. His navy suit was pressed, and he held a bouquet of daisies in his hands. When he saw her coming down the stairs, a smile stretched across his face and went straight into her heart.

“Hi, Robert.”

“You look lovely, Daisy. I know it’s kind of cheesy, but I brought you some daisies.”

Daisy reached out and took the flowers with a smile. It was the first time a boy had gotten them for her. “Thank you; they’re lovely.”

“Here, dear, I’ll put them in water, and they’ll be in your room when you get back. Remember, curfew is ten o’clock,” Mrs. Fitzsimmons, a widow who had lived in the house for the past ten years, said with a smile.

“Thank you, and I’ll have her back at the house, safe and sound, by curfew.” Robert sent her a wink as Mrs. Fitzsimmons took the flowers and headed for the kitchen.

“I thought we could go to the drive-in movie tonight. I have a basket packed in the car, and we could make a night of it.” Robert held open the door for her as they left the sorority house.

“That sounds wonderful.” All Daisy could think about was the dark drive-in and the semi-privacy the car afforded them.

Robert closed her car door after she settled herself on the leather seat. She glanced into the back and saw a large picnic basket sitting on the seat. Daisy had always been overshadowed by her other sisters, but now a man was courting her. A man wanted to spend time with her, not the curvy Violet or the saucy Lily. She felt more alive than ever before.

The two years she had been in college had been life-changing. Daisy loved being a third of the perfect Rose triplets, but being in the middle, she always felt as if she were the invisible one. She missed her sisters—missed seeing Violet and missed having Lily across the hall from her—but she had grown. Daisy had discovered she loved business courses, and someday maybe she could manage her husband’s business. One of her sorority sisters left after her first year of college and was now keeping books at her husband’s furniture store. Another one of her friends had gotten pregnant and eloped. Now she was at home with their baby while her husband finished school.

Lily looked at Robert as he paid for the tickets and drove to an open speaker. He was handsome and already a senior. Could she be leaving school to get married and work with him by next year? The thought warmed her, but she also felt a pang of discontent. She wanted her own business. She didn’t want her husband to have to open a credit card for her. She didn’t want her husband dictating what she did with the money from her business. Would Robert do that? Maybe he’d want her to have a job outside of the home.

“So, are you excited about graduation?” Daisy asked when he put the car in park.

“I am. These past four years have been the best of my life. It’s hard to believe graduation is just in three weeks.”

Daisy felt the pitter-patter of her heart as Robert slid his arm along the back of the bench seat and rested his hand on her shoulder. “What do you plan to do after graduation?”

“My father owns RB Advertising. I’m going to join the family company.”

“That’s so nice. My sister Lily works with my father and loves it.”

“That’s nice of your sister to help out. I’m sure her husband wants her home, though.”

“Oh, she’s not married,” Daisy said, trying to hide her grimace. After what happened with Frank, she worried her sister would never trust a man enough to get married.

“Wow, that’s so progressive. Do you plan to do that, too?”

“What, work?”

“Yes.”

Daisy shrugged as the pitter-patter of her heart slowed. “I don’t know. Right now I just want to graduate college.”

Robert smiled down at her, and her heart sped back up, especially when he pulled her close to his side. “I would be proud of a wife with a college degree. Not many men can say that.”

Daisy gulped at the feel of her body pressed against his, his warmth heating her. Now she fully understood how Lily could have thrown all caution to the wind with Frank. The movie started on the screen, but Daisy couldn’t tell which one it was. She was lost in Robert’s gaze, and when his eyes dropped to her lips, she stopped breathing. He slowly leaned toward her and smiled before placing his lips on hers. It was a short, sweet kiss that left her heart pounding.

“Let’s have dinner. I brought a nice bottle of wine for us to share,” Robert said as he released her. Suddenly Daisy felt empty as he moved away from her. He had to be the one. Her body recognized his.

Daisy brought the glass to her lips and the bold ruby liquid danced along her tongue before she swallowed it. The wine was nothing like the bourbon she and her sisters had snuck sips of from their father’s liquor cabinet. “This is excellent.” Daisy smiled and took a bite of her dessert.

“You deserve only the best. As soon as I saw you, I knew I had to get to know you. I know that sounds silly . . .”

“Not at all. I felt the same.” Daisy felt her cheeks heat and didn’t know if it was from the wine or their conversation. Either way, she felt happy. She loved feeling as if she were his sole focus.

“I don’t want to, but I did promise to get you back to the house before ten.” Robert took her now empty glass and placed it in the basket before starting the car.

“Do we have to?” Daisy asked as she laughed. She had enjoyed tonight so much she didn’t want it to end.

“I’m afraid so, but how about we meet tomorrow after class to study and then get dinner when we are done?”

“I would like that.” Daisy grinned as she started to think maybe she could have it all. She could have the man, finish college, and have a career. If what she felt tonight was any indication, she had been right when she saw Robert from across the room at their mixer—he was the one.

CHAPTER TEN

Daisy opened the porch screen door and looked around for her sister. The summer was almost over, and she couldn’t wait for the remaining days to pass. It had been hard being away from Robert so much. He was busy with his new job, and she was working in Keeneston. She lived for the twice-weekly dates they went on. He came to Keeneston every Wednesday night to have dinner with her family, and then every Saturday she spent the whole day with him in Lexington.

“There you are, Lily.” Daisy had been looking everywhere for her sister. She took a seat on the porch swing next to Lily and smiled.

“Why the goofy face?”

“Don’t tell anyone, promise?” Daisy looked around to make sure their parents weren’t around.

“Of course,” Lily said as she closed her notebook.

“Robert just got his own place and wants me to help him decorate it.”

“Okay . . .” Lily said with confusion. “And this is a secret because?”

“Because if he has his own place, then I am going to be alone with him at his apartment from now on. Things may become
intimate
.”

“Do you need the sex talk? I mean, I know Mom didn’t give it to us, but it’s pretty easy to figure out. A man has a penis and he sticks it . . .”

“Lily!” Daisy squeaked before lowering her voice. “This is serious.”

Lily rolled her eyes. “Fine. Do you love him?”

“Of course!”

“Does he love you?”

“I think so.”

Lily’s eyes widened. “You
think
so? He hasn’t told you?”

Daisy suddenly didn’t feel so giddy. “No, he hasn’t.”

“Well, it’s your choice. Do you have a condom? I can sneak you some from the pharmacy.”

Daisy turned bright red. “I don’t think I can do this.”

“If he loves you, he won’t make you do this until you’re married or ready.”

“You’re right. I don’t think I’m ready yet. Have you done this more than once?” Daisy asked suddenly suspicious.

Lily didn’t answer but instead reopened her notebook. Daisy leaned over and saw two names at the top of the list. “What are you writing about Roger Burns and Sue Atwater?”

Lily slammed the notebook shut. “Nothing.”

“You’re lying to me. I told you about maybe losing my virginity to Robert and you won’t tell me what you’ve been doing all summer with that notebook!” Daisy reached for the book and grabbed it out of Lily’s hands.

Opening it she found page after page with people’s names at the top. “Daniel and Diane, they got married last month . . . what is this?”

Lily let out a breath in frustration. “Fine. If you have to know, Miss Busybody, it’s my Cupid book.”

“Cupid book?”

“That’s what I said, isn’t it? After my incident with Frank, I discovered I have no interest in anything beyond casually dating a person. My heart is irrevocably broken. But, I also noticed that I can see love all around me.” Lily shook her head at Daisy’s disbelieving face. “I know it sounds strange, but I can see how a woman will lean closer if she’s interested, and I can see that spark in a man’s eyes when he is looking at someone he likes. All I do is play Cupid a little.”

“You’re matchmaking?”

“Yes, and very successfully if I may say so. I have fourteen couples married so far, and Mr. Burns and Miss Atwater are my next targets. Miss Atwater works at Mr. Burns’s law office, and she comes to the soda fountain every day to pick up his favorite drink. All she can do is gush about how great he is.”

“So, she’s interested, but is he?”

“That’s what I am trying to find out.”

“I want to help,” Daisy said with excitement. What a way to end the summer—helping two people find the love she felt for Robert.

“Really? You don’t think I’m silly?” Lily looked down at her notebook. Daisy was struck by how alone her sister really was.

“No. I think it’s wonderful.”

Lily’s face lit up with excitement, making Daisy feel reconnected to her sister. This was going to be fun and help pass the time until she was back at school for her junior year. “What do we do first?”

* * *

Daisy and Lily crept down the narrow alley of the old building on Main Street. Because the town was built over a hundred fifty years ago, only a foot or two separated the buildings. Roger Burns’s law office was painted a dusky blue, and Daisy was sure her shirt was now that color as they brushed the side of the building.

“We’re almost there,” Lily whispered.

A window appeared on the corner of the building, and they smiled at each other. She hated to admit it, but Lily was right about coming down the alley as opposed to walking through the open parking lot in back of the building. There would be nowhere to hide if he looked out the back window of his office.

Lily and Daisy stopped side by side below the window. The alley was on one side of them. The garbage cans blocked them from the view of anyone in the back parking lot. Acting as one, they slowly rose up and looked inside. They saw Sue sitting and taking dictation while Roger looked over documents as he talked. Sue nodded, her hand flying over the page. Finally, Roger set down his papers and looked up.

Sue smiled at him and set down her pad and pencil. “Oh, she’s so into him,” Daisy giggled in a whisper.

“But is he? Look, he’s unsure about himself,” Lily commented as they watched Roger fidget with his tie, stand up, and walk around his desk.

Sue blushed and batted her lashes. Roger leaned against the desk and knocked over the container of pencils, scattering them on the floor.

“This is not going well,” Lily muttered.

“Look, they’re nose to nose, picking up the pencils,” Daisy said excitedly. “Kiss her!”

“Shh,” Lily said, but not soon enough. Roger and Sue both stood up and looked toward the window.

Lily and Daisy jerked back and stumbled right into the two large metal trashcans. Their arms pinwheeled as they reached for each other to no avail. They fell to the ground in a
crash
of metal, hitting pavement and squishing discarded food.

“Get up,” Lily urged Daisy as she scrambled to her feet ignoring the smushed, week-old cake on her bottom. She reached for her sister and hauled her from the trashcans as they ran up the alley, darted across the street, and disappeared down another alley.

“Do you think they saw us?” Daisy asked, catching her breath. “And,
eeeew
, what is this?” She pulled something unidentifiable from her hair.

Lily pulled her lip back and cringed at the goo in Daisy’s hair. “I don’t think we want to know. Come on, let’s sneak home and change before anyone sees us. We need to regroup.”

Hiding in the doorway of the courthouse, Daisy looked at her watch. She had a good view of the law office a block away. Through the large windows of their father’s drugstore across the street, she saw Lily trying to usher their father out. After what seemed like hours, he finally left Lily in charge of closing up and headed for home.

When Lily gave her the signal, Daisy walked up the street toward the law office. She took a deep breath and pushed the glass door open. The bell overhead chimed, and Sue looked up from her desk to smile at the newcomer.

“Hiya, Daisy,” Sue said cheerfully as she set her purse back down. Phew, Daisy had timed it just right. They were getting ready to leave the office for the day.

“Hi, Sue!” Daisy stepped closer to the hallway that led to the offices and called out, “Hi, Roger!”

A minute later Roger stepped from his office to see who was calling him. Roger was a little older than she and Sue, but age was just a number. Roger was one of the most eligible bachelors in Keeneston. All the Belles were after him. He was a well-respected attorney, and his family had long held top political positions in the town. That alone would send the Belles bouffant hair spinning. Add in that he was twenty-six years old with a killer smile and twinkling eyes, and they were just uncontrollable around him.

“Daisy, this is a surprise. What brings you here?” Roger asked as he stepped closer to Sue.

“Well, Lily sent me. They held a drawing for a free dinner and sundae for two at our soda fountain from a list of our most loyal customers. Lily drew Sue’s name. I was hoping Sue was free tonight to claim her prize.”

“Really? Wow, that’s so nice of y’all,” Sue said excitedly. “But, I don’t have anyone to share it with. I don’t have a beau right now.”

Daisy felt horrible at the way the smile slid from Sue’s face. “Oh, that’s too bad. The prize is for two.”

Daisy didn’t say anything for a moment and then snapped her fingers. “Roger, why don’t you be her date so Sue can claim her prize?”

Roger put his hands in his pockets, and Daisy saw he was trying very hard not to smile. “Well, if it helps Sue. Sure. Let me go get my coat.”

Sue, on the other hand, was over the moon. She pulled out her compact and checked her makeup before giving her neck a spritz of perfume. “Thank you so much. Do we just go down there now and claim our prize?”

“That’s right. Well, congratulations. Enjoy the dinner and dessert, you two.”

Daisy made it out the door before a huge smile broke free. She had done it. Now the rest was up to Lily.

Lily skipped home that night. Her heart had been full, watching Sue and Roger fumble through their first date. But it was when the date ended and their eyes locked that Lily knew there would be another wedding soon. Tonight she had made up her mind to not bother trying to find her “one” but to help others find theirs. And with Daisy helping, she felt like she could fix up the whole town.

“How did it go?” Daisy asked from the porch steps.

“They have another date planned for Friday.” Lily and Daisy gave each other a high-five and took a seat back on the steps.

“What’s so exciting?” their neighbor, Edna Schniter, asked as she cut across the yard to join them on the steps.

“You can’t tell anyone, but we played matchmaker tonight.” Lily grinned as Edna smoothed out her dress and took a seat next to Daisy.

Over the summer, Daisy and Lily spent most of their time with Edna. Her husband was so rarely home, and it seemed right for the three of them to be together. While no one could replace Violet, it was comforting for Lily and Daisy to have a third person around.

“I can’t believe you’re leaving us again,” Edna said as she put a cigarette in her mouth and pulled out a gun.

“Do you always have to pull out that gun?” Daisy asked and shook her head.

Edna pulled the trigger and Lily gasped. “It’s just a lighter.” Edna chuckled. “My husband gave it to me the last time he was in town.”

Daisy let out a sigh. “I am so glad I’ll be closer to Robert soon.”

“Why aren’t you all hitched yet?” Edna asked as she took a puff of her cigarette, causing Lily to cough.

“He has to do a lot of wining and dining for his job as an advertising exec, and I think being single helps with that. No wife to have to hurry home to. Plus I want to finish college.”

“I wish I had done that,” Edna said. “Don’t take me wrong, I love my husband, but there’s so much to learn out there. I just think it would be neat.”

“It is. I’d be happy to lend you any of my books if you want them. Lily’s read them all and has them anytime you want them.”

Lily understood what Edna was feeling. She felt it, too. But she didn’t feel good about Robert. Of course she’d warned Daisy, but all that did was cause them not to talk for two weeks. So now Lily kept quiet and hoped it was just her fear and mistrust of men in general coming forward. She hoped Robert wasn’t giving off some silent signal that would someday cause Daisy heartbreak. She knew firsthand that when you became blinded by love you didn’t see the signs that were flashing “danger.”

“Well, speak of the devil,” Lily said, pasting on a fake smile. Robert’s new car drove up their street and parked.

Lily watched Daisy glow under his stare as he walked toward them. “Good evening, ladies.”

Edna and Lily murmured their hellos, and Daisy stood up and grabbed her purse. “I’ll see y’all later.”

“Have a good night,” Lily called as she watched her sister walk away with what she hoped wasn’t the biggest mistake of Daisy’s life.