The Keeneston Roses (10 page)

“So I’m not as good at it as y’all are, but I still enjoy it,” Daisy said, sticking out her tongue and pedaling away.

Violet turned serious as she and Lily pedaled after Daisy. “It’s because her heart hasn’t been broken. We are no longer invested in men the way she is. We can see their motives and look at them through jaded eyes.”

Lily nodded. “True. We know the signs to look for in the bad ones and the symptoms of those who are really in love. This makes me happy, though.”

“After tonight, I feel the same. I had been depending on flirting to control a man and make me feel good about myself, but this is a lot more fun. So, who’s next?” Violet asked conspiratorially as they hurried after Daisy.

“I think we need to keep an eye on Betsy’s best friend, Marcy. I heard she and Jake Davies were in jail together . . .”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Daisy couldn’t stop smiling. With all the tension and worry about the Vietnam War, this was a week to remember all the happiness and love in the world. After the skinny-dipping episode last year, Lily had told her and Violet about Jake Davies’s interest in Marcy Faulkner. They had decided to wait and see what happened between them. Before too long, the sweet young couple was ripped apart by the draft.

Facing the choice of moving to South Carolina with her family or staying with her love, Marcy had decided to stay in Keeneston and marry Jake as soon as she turned eighteen. One day after the wedding, her husband left for the war, and her parents moved to South Carolina. For the past year, Marcy had worked with Daisy and Violet at the Blossom Café, and they soon thought of her as their little sister. Each day was agony, waiting to see if Father James, the new priest at Saint Francis, would accompany a soldier to deliver a death notice to Marcy.

Daisy had seen too many deaths reach their small town. Everyday she gave thanks Robert was safe in the Philippines. He’d been made deputy ambassador and wouldn’t be forced to go into the hot zones. But this week, one of their own had been reunited with them.

Jake Davies was home with his wife, and Daisy had bet that in nine months there would be a little hazel-eyed Davies born. At least she hoped so. She pulled out the small notebook she carried and grinned at all the bets that had been placed recently. They had enough bets on weddings and births to fill one whole notebook.

Daisy pulled out her keys and unlocked the door to her house. She set her purse on the table and bent down to pick up the mail. She walked to the kitchen as she thumbed through the bills and letters. She almost missed it. It was so thin she thought it was a bill, but the extra postage gave it away. A letter from Robert. Not bothering to find her letter opener, Daisy tore it open.

Daisy-

I am sorry to have to write this, but I will not be returning to the United States. I have fallen in love over the years here. Today I have learned the woman I fought hard not to love is pregnant. We are to be married this evening. I tried to stay true to you, but I am sure you understand the temptations I was faced with and the desires a man has.

I still can’t believe it. I’m going to be a father! I know you send your congratulations, as I am sure over our long separation there is another man in your life by now. I am breaking our engagement to let you be with him. You’re welcome and the best of wishes for your future.

-Robert

Daisy folded the letter and put it in the middle of her copy of
Little Women
before closing the thick book and putting it away forever. Her heart was broken. The life she had planned was not to be.

Violet hung up the phone. That bastard. Daisy had sounded numb when she called to tell her it was over. Violet had asked what happened, but Daisy would only say that it was over. For years, she and Lily had pressed Daisy to break up with that user, but Daisy had been staunch in her support of their relationship.

Violet picked up the phone again, and using the rotary, called Lily. “Daisy just called. Robert ditched her.”

“That bastard,” Lily growled. “What happened?”

“I don’t know. She wouldn’t tell me. She just said she heard from him, and it was over. Her heart is broken.”

“We need to get over there. She shouldn’t be alone. We know how hard it is to suffer a broken heart alone.” Lily moved her hand to her heart and felt the emptiness that lived there.

“I’ll make some Arnold Palmer drinks and get over there right away,” Violet said and poured some lemonade into a pitcher of iced tea.

“I’ll grab something stronger. I’ll meet you there.”

Daisy felt disconnected from her body as she walked through her small, tidy house. She picked up college pictures of her and Robert from her fireplace mantel and looked at her smiling face and Robert’s smug grin. How had she been so stupid? The evidence was right in front of her. Her look of utter infatuation and his disregard were clear as day.

As she meandered through the house taking down pictures of Robert, she felt betrayed. She felt angry. She felt devoid of the love and trust she had constantly flaunted to her sisters. And deep down, she was embarrassed. Her blind trust in Robert had caused more than one fight between Daisy and her sisters. Now Daisy was going to have to face her sisters and tell them they had been right.

Daisy put the last picture into a box and closed the lid. She ran her hand over the box top and sighed. Robert may have destroyed her heart, but she wasn’t going to let him destroy love. She would prove love existed in every couple she matched up. They would be her heart from now on.

Her door flung open, and Violet burst in. Daisy tried to put on a brave face as Violet set down the drinks but when she wordlessly opened her arms, Daisy collapsed into them.

“I’m here,” Lily called as she rushed through the door. “And I brought reinforcement.” Lily looked to a tearful Daisy and opened her arms. Like Violet, she didn’t say “I told you so”—she simply held Daisy as she cried.

Violet mixed the Arnold Palmer drinks, and Lily set down the bottle of bourbon. “What happened?” Lily asked.

“I don’t want to talk about it. Suffice it to say, it’s over, and I don’t know if I’ll ever love again. I just want to forget the pain and the loss. Just for one night, I want to forget everything.” Daisy followed her sisters’ eyes to where they were staring at the bourbon sitting next to the drinks Violet was stirring.

With a mischievous grin, Lily stood and hurried to the counter. She picked the bourbon bottle up, gave her sisters a wink, and poured half the bottle into Violet’s pitcher. Violet stirred the bourbon in the tea and lemonade mixture, and Lily poured the concoction into glasses.

“To my sisters,” Daisy toasted.

Her sisters joined the toast, clinked glasses, and took a big sip.

“Add a little more bourbon,” Daisy suggested as she gulped down the evolving concoction.

“There,” Violet said as she finished mixing it. “That should do it.”

Daisy took another gulp and grinned. “Perfect. I hardly even remember Wobert’s name. Wobert? Rrr-obert,” Daisy said slowly. “I still can’t believe he did this to me.”

At the sound of a sniffle, Lily refilled Daisy’s glass. “Bottoms up.”

Daisy gulped it down and sighed. She had great sisters. They were getting her drunk and the whole time had never said "I told you so." But now things made so much more sense. She had tried to get Lily and Violet to date again to no avail. Now she understood. A traumatic injury to the heart was not something you easily recovered from. For now, she had her sisters, her café, and her town. Her heart could wait.

* * *

Daisy moaned and threw her arm over her eyes. The morning sun was blinding. She and her sisters had spent the night perfecting and sampling their new special iced tea. The last she remembered, they had finished off the entire pitcher, and she had stumbled fully dressed into bed. She hissed as a ray of light snuck through and blinded her. Her head throbbed, her mouth felt as if it were made of cotton, and her stomach was in a fit. As she ran for the bathroom, the last thing on her mind was Robert.

Lily felt as if she were rocking in a boat. Why would she be on a boat? But her stomach was rolling back and forth and there was a breeze in her hair.

“Dear me! Lily Rae? Are you alive?”

Lily felt Edna shaking her. “Oh, stop or I’m going to hurl.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” Edna sighed in relief. “What are you doing sleeping on your porch swing?”

“Huh?” Lily grumbled. She didn’t want to open her eyes. She had a feeling it would hurt, so she rolled toward Edna’s voice.

Lily fell from the swing, Edna screamed, and Lily’s eyes were forced open as she felt a draft where her miniskirt rode up. She was sprawled on the patio.

“Miss Rose. Mrs. Schniter. I was just heading to church to give my morning sermon. I believe it may be beneficial for you to join me this morning.”

“Oh hell,” Lily whispered in pain. “Is that Reverend Hamilton?”

“Uh-huh,” Edna murmured with a false smile pasted on her lips. The new reverend was notoriously uptight, and gosh knows what he was thinking with Lily sprawled on the porch with her skirt up, showing her panties to all who passed by.

“Good morning, Reverend. Watch out, there’s a very aggressive bee about. Lily had to dive for cover to keep it from stinging her. I thought I might have to pull out my gun and shoot it. Luckily, it was drawn away by the wonderful nectar of Lily’s prize roses.”

Reverend Hamilton made what sounded like a snort of disbelief, but Lily couldn’t tell for sure as she covered her head with her arms.

“He’s gone,” Edna said, leaning over and hefting Lily from the ground.

Lily took one look at the spinning earth and ran for the bathroom. What had they done last night? They’d created a recipe that should be outlawed. That’s what.

Violet awoke to the sound of church bells ringing. It felt as if they were ringing inside her skull and reverberating through her head. What was poking her? Was it raining? Why was she outside?

She opened her eyes, but all she saw was green. Green leaves surrounded her and damp green grass was beneath her. She rolled onto her back and looked up, but there wasn’t a cloud in the overly bright sky. The steeple of Saint Francis was above her, and its bells were ringing. The rain fell again and soaked her, but within seconds it was gone.

Why was she so cold? Violet went to wrap her arms around herself and gasped. Her eyes widen as the sound of cars arriving, doors slamming, and people talking reached her ears. What the hell happened? She was next to the church . . . naked . . . and in the bushes. And why was it raining on her again?

Rolling back onto her stomach, she crawled forward slowly, trying not to make the bushes all around her move. Slowly she pushed a branch aside and looked out. She saw a sprinkler, a statue of the Virgin Mary, and the church parking lot. Double hell. She was naked in the bushes of Father James’s little parish house.

“Daisy! Open the door! Hurry up!” Violet pounded against the back door.

Daisy groaned and pushed away from the toilet, feeling the world spin. “Don’t yell so loud,” Daisy whispered as she made her way out of her bedroom.

She stumbled and looked down at the clothes scattered about. Were those hers? Daisy looked down and stared at the hot pants and blouse. Nope, those weren’t hers.

“Dang it, Daisy! Open the door!”

Daisy started forward again and kicked aside a bra that was definitely not hers. She flipped the lock to her back door and flung open the door. “What?”

The question died on her lips as she took in a naked Violet, trying to cover herself with a single leafy branch. Violet pushed past her sister and ran inside.

“My clothes! What are they doing on your living room floor?” Violet asked as she quickly dressed.

“What happened to you?” Daisy was so confused.

“I have no idea. But . . .” Violet turned and pointed at the empty pitcher, “. . . that is a very special drink.”

“Sure is. I haven’t thought of Robert since you all arrived.”

The front door opened and Lily stumped in. “What did we put in that drink? I woke up on my front porch with my skirt up to my waist and flashed Reverend Hamilton on his way to give his morning sermon.”

“That’s nothing. I woke up naked in Father James’s bushes,” Violet grumbled as she zipped up her boots.

“We need to destroy that recipe,” Lily grumbled and headed toward the counter.

“No!” Daisy and Violet yelled as they leapt forward.

“Why not? Look at what it did to us.” Lily pointed at their disheveled hung-over state.

“Yes, but what if we use it for the power of good?” Daisy asked.

Violet nodded. “Small doses of that could be helpful in our matchmaking. And I know just the couple to try it on.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Several years later . . .

The years in Keeneston passed before Lily’s eyes. The war ended, their boys came home, and matchmaking was in full force. Daisy never mentioned Robert’s name ever again. As time passed, they all forgot their own heartaches; they were too busy focusing on matchmaking.

Lily wiped the kitchen counter clean for the night. The muffins for her guests were ready to be put in the oven first thing in the morning. She walked through the living room, her bell-bottoms swishing, and across the entrance hall to her private den. An entire bookcase was now full of notebooks. Those pages contained so much love. Lily smiled and took a seat on her couch. The ringing phone interrupted her reaching for the latest notebook.

“Hello?”

“Miss Lily, it’s William. Betsy is in labor! We’re on our way to Lexington, but she said we had to call you before we left,” William’s panicked deep voice said over the phone.

“A baby! Oh William, I am so excited for you both. Go! We’ll see you at the hospital where you can introduce us to your son or daughter.” Tears filled Lily’s eyes as she hung up the phone. She might never have had children of her own, but all the babies of the couples she had gotten together felt like hers.

Lily picked up the phone and called her sisters. Within minutes, they happily entered the kitchen of their old home. Just like when they were children, they sat on the counters with mixing bowls in hand. Lily sat at their kitchen table and crocheted as fast as she could.

“I wonder if it will be a girl or a boy?” Violet asked for the tenth time.

“I don’t know, but I can’t wait to hold another Keeneston baby,” Daisy said, joy radiating from her smile.

“I think it’s wonderful. First Betsy and William, and I’ll bet you Marcy and Jake will have an announcement to make any day now. Did you notice she seems a little rounder in certain places?” Lily asked, working on the last couple rows of a baby blanket.

“I sure did. And I saw that goofy look on Jake Davies’s face about three months ago,” Daisy said as she poured the batter into the cake pan.

“Me too. And this time we know it before John and Rhonda,” Violet joked while whipping the chocolate frosting. “Although it may take me a little while to get used to this trend of waiting to have children. It’s messing with my bets.”

“There. All done,” Lily smiled, holding up the baby blanket for her sisters to examine.

“Perfect. Taste this, I think it’s ready, too.” Lily leaned forward and accepted the spoonful of chocolate frosting.

“Yum. This is delicious.”

“Vi, do you ever miss France?” Daisy asked as she cleaned up the kitchen.

Violet looked contemplative for a moment. “Yes and no. I miss the ambience of Europe and the chaos of a fully staffed kitchen. But then I’ll go to the hospital, hold this new precious baby, and know real happiness. I had a hand in its parents finding love and will have a hand in this little child’s life. That gives me more joy than cooking in France ever did.”

Lily and Daisy leaned forward and wrapped Violet in a hug. “Our lives sure haven’t turned out the way we thought, but I don’t know if I would change a thing about them,” Lily whispered.

“I know I wouldn’t. I’m exactly where I should be.” Daisy smiled as the timer dinged.

The sisters jumped apart. “No, where we should be is at the hospital. Let’s get this cake frosted and go meet this little one,” Violet said as she wiped a stray tear from her eye.

On the drive to the hospital, they took bets on whether the baby was a boy or girl, how big he or she was, and possible names for the little one. The sky was dark and the stars twinkled as they drove through the countryside. The dark figures of cows could be seen in the pastures surrounding them, but all too soon the pastures gave way to city lights. Lexington, while not big by city standards, was huge compared to Keeneston.

“There’s a parking space.” Daisy pointed to the open spot and Violet pulled into it.

“I wonder if the baby has been born yet,” Lily said, clutching the blanket tightly to her chest.

“I hope so. I can’t wait to meet the little one,” Violet said, pressing the elevator button.

When they walked off the elevator, a nurse sitting behind a desk greeted them. The maternity ward was hopping at five in the morning. Lily looked around, taking in some men waiting in the lobby. She didn’t see William so maybe that meant the little one had arrived.

“May I help you?” the nurse asked.

Lily stepped forward. “Yes, we’re here for Betsy Ashton.”

“Name?” The nurse asked.

“We’re the Rose sisters.”

The nurse nodded her head. “They told me you were coming. It’s not visiting hours, but when that handsome man smiled at me I couldn’t say no.” The nurse sent them a wink as she looked at her master list. “Ah, here she is. Room 405A.”

“Thank you,” Violet said before hurrying toward Betsy’s room.

The sisters walked excitedly down the hall, counting off room numbers. Finally they came to Betsy’s room and heard the soft sounds of a baby coming from inside. Lily felt her heart swell and pushed back the tears that threatened to spill free. “Knock, knock,” she said loud enough to be heard but not so loud as to startle the baby.

“Come in,” William called out.

Lily and her sisters walked through the door to find Betsy sitting up in bed with a blue-blanketed bundle in her arms. She smiled and looked up at them as they came to stand beside her.

“It’s a boy,” she said with a serene smile.

“Oh, he’s so handsome,” Lily whispered, running a finger down his downy cheek.

“We brought you a cake to celebrate. No nasty hospital food for our new mother,” Violet said.

“See, I told you it was a good idea to call them,” Betsy teased William, who practically drooled over the cake. “Now, why don’t you introduce your son to three of the most important women he’ll ever know?”

William leaned over and carefully took his son from his wife. He pulled back the blanket so they could all see his face. “Ladies, please meet William Ashton, Jr. Will, my young man, meet Miss Lily, Miss Daisy, and Miss Violet.”

William stepped forward and held Will out to Miss Lily. Lily held him close to her. He smelled like baby powder and milk. He looked up at her, and Lily smiled down at him. “Hello, young Will. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Before Lily knew it, the morning sun was streaming in through the windows and there was a soft knock at the door.

“May we come in?” Marcy Davies, their former waitress and Betsy’s best friend, asked.

“Of course. Come meet Will,” Betsy said as Lily showed him to Marcy and Jake.

“He’s so small,” Jake whispered. “Aren’t you afraid of dropping him?”

Lily laughed. “You better get used to it, and fast,” she said with a pointed look to Marcy’s stomach.

Marcy gasped. “How did you know?”

“You’re pregnant?” Betsy practically shrieked.

“Yes, I’m fourteen weeks along, but no one knew,” Marcy stammered.

“And you didn’t tell your best friend?” Betsy sounded hurt but was also too excited to stay hurt long.

“You had so much going on with little Will being born—”

“Oh, who cares? Get over here and give me a hug,” Betsy ordered, holding out her arms for her best friend.

Daisy sniffed beside Lily as Violet pulled out her handkerchief. Lily looked down at the round face in her arms and smiled at him. “Well, Will, it seems we have a whole new generation of children to see to. I’ll be looking forward to the great things you accomplish. And never worry, we’ll be here, helping you along the way.”

She passed Will to her sister and stepped back. The room was full of joy and new beginnings. It seemed it was time to start a new chapter in their lives—one filled with happiness, matchmaking, and babies.