Love Is Gone, So Am I novel · Chapter 9 of 24

Chapter 9: The Open House

The Merriam House bridal open house was on Saturday.

I'd planned the last six of them myself.

"I'm driving," Gus said, when I told him. "Get in the truck."

He'd closed the jewelry shop on a Saturday in June. Avis told me he hadn't done that since his own wedding day.

I wore the gray linen coat over my good cream blouse. On my lap I held a fat green sketchbook.

Seven years of designs.

Every arch, every bouquet, every centerpiece.

Every page dated in my handwriting, with the bride's name and the hotel's order number in the corner.

The lobby of Merriam House was full of white chairs and brides in sundresses with their mothers.

Celia stood under the chandelier in pale blue silk, holding a glass of champagne, giving a little speech about tradition.

Davis stood beside her. Vanessa stood beside him with her hand on his arm.

Celia saw me and stopped mid-sentence.

Every bride in the room turned around.

I walked to the middle of the lobby and held up the sketchbook.

"Hi," I said. "I'm Willa Pinkham. Some of you got an email about me this week."

A murmur went through the chairs.

"I did the flowers at Merriam House for seven years. Every wedding. Every arch you saw on their website. Every bouquet in every photo that made you book this place."

I opened the sketchbook and turned it so the front row could see.

"This is the lakeside arch on their home page. That's my sketch, from three summers ago. That's my handwriting. That's the date."

I turned another page, and another.

The brides started passing the sketchbook along the rows.

"Mrs. Merriam told you I'm under investigation for theft," I said. "Nobody has called me. Not a lawyer, not the police."

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