Blue Dahlia

thought we might have to hack it out with a knife. But we didn't.'

'Whew, that was close. We'll go put some antiseptic on it.'

'Logan did already. And I didn't cry. And we had submarines, except he says they're poor boys down here, but I don't see why they're poor because they have lots of stuff in them. And we had Popsicles.'

'And we got to ride in the wheelbarrow,' Gavin took over the play-by-play. 'And I used a real hammer.'

'Wow. You had a busy day. Isn't Logan coming in?'

'No, he said he had other stuff. And look.' Gavin dug in his pocket and pulled out a wrinkled five-dollar bill. 'We each got one, because he said we worked so good we get to be cheap labor instead of slaves.'

She couldn't help it, she had to laugh. 'That's quite a promotion. Congratulations. I guess we'd better go clean up.'

'Then we can eat like a bunch of barnyard pigs.' Luke put his hand in hers. 'That's what Logan said when it was time for lunch.'

'Maybe we'll save the pig-eating for when you're on the job.'

They were full of Logan and their day through bath-time, through dinner. And then were too tuckered

out from it all to take advantage of the extra hour she generally allowed them on Saturday nights.

They were sound asleep by nine, and for the first time in her memory, Stella felt she had nothing to do. She tried to read, she tried to work, but couldn't settle into either.

She was thrilled when she heard Lily fussing.

When she stepped into the hall, she saw Hayley heading down, trying to comfort a squalling Lily.

'She's hungry. I thought I'd curl up in the sitting room, maybe watch some TV while I feed her.'

'Mind company?'

'Twist my arm. It was lonely around here today with David off at the lake for the weekend, and you and Roz at work, the boys away.' She sat, opened her shirt and settled Lily on her breast. 'There. That's better, isn't it? I put her in mat baby sling I got at the shower, and we took a nice walk.'

'It's good for both of you. What did you want to watch?'

'Nothing, really. I just wanted the voices.'

'How about one more?' Roz slipped in, walked over to Lily to smile. 'I wanted to take a peek at her. Look at her go!'

'Nothing wrong with her appetite,' Hayley confirmed. 'She smiled at me today. I know they say it's just gas, but—'

'What do they know?' Roz sprawled in a chair. 'They inside that baby's head?'

'Logan asked me to marry him.'

She didn't know why she blurted it out—hadn't known it was pushing from her brain to her tongue.

'Holy cow!' Hayley exploded, then immediately soothed Lily and lowered her voice. 'When? How? Where? This is just awesome. This is the biggest of the big news. Tell us everything.'

'There's not a lot of every anything. He asked me yesterday.'

'After I went inside to put the baby down? I just knew something was up.'

'I don't think he meant to. I think it just sort of happened, then he was irritated when I tried to point

out the very rational reasons we shouldn't rush into anything.'

'What are they?' Hayley wondered.

'You've only known each other since January,' Roz began, watching Stella. 'You have two children. You've each been married before and bring a certain amount of baggage from those marriages.'

'Yes.' Stella let out a long sigh. 'Exactly.'

'When you know you know, don't you?' Hayley argued. 'Whether it's five months or five years. And he's great with your kids. They're nuts about him. Being married before ought to make both of you understand the pitfalls or whatever. I don't get it. You love him, don't you?'

'Yes. And yes to the rest, to a point, but... it's different when you're young and unencumbered. You can take more chances. Well, if you're not me you can take more chances. And what if he wants children and I don't? I have to think about that. I have to know if I'm going to be able to consider having another child at this stage, or if the children I do have would be happy and secure with him in the long term. Kevin and I had a game plan.'

'And your game was called,' Roz said. 'It isn't an easy thing to walk into another marriage. I waited a long time to do it, then it was the wrong decision. But I think, if I could have fallen, just tumbled into

love with a man at your age, one who made me happy, who cheerfully spent his Saturday with my children, and who excited me in bed, I'd have walked into it, and gladly.'

'But you just said, before, you gave the exact reasons why it's too soon.'

'No, I gave the reasons you'd give—and ones I understand, Stella. But there's something else you and

I understand, or should. And that is that love is precious, and too often stolen away. You've got a chance to grab hold of it again. And I say lucky you.'

* * *

She dreamed again of the garden, and the blue dahlia. It was ladened with buds, fat and ripe and ready

to burst into bloom. At the top, a single stunning flower swayed electric in the quiet breeze. Her garden, though no longer tidy and ordered, spread out from its feet in waves and flows and charming bumps of color and shape.

Then Logan was beside her, and his hands were warm and rough as he drew her close. His mouth was strong and exciting as it feasted on hers. In the distance she could hear her children's laughter, and the cheerful bark of the dog.

She lay on the green grass at the garden's edge, her senses full of the color and scent, full of the man.

There was such heat, such pleasure as they loved in the sunlight. She felt the shape of his face with her hands. Not fairy-tale handsome, not perfect, but beloved. Her skin shivered as their bodies moved, flesh against flesh, hard against soft, curve against angle.

How could they fit, how could they make such a glorious whole, when there were so many differences?

But her body merged with his, joined, and thrived.

She lay in the sunlight with him, on the green grass at the edge of her garden, and hearing the thunder

of her own heartbeat, knew bliss.

The buds on the dahlia burst open. There were so many of them. Too many. Other plants were being shaded, crowded. The garden was a jumble now, anyone could see it. The blue dahlia was too

aggressive and prolific.

It's fine where it is. It's just a different plan.

But before she could answer Logan, there was another voice, cold and hard in her mind.

His plan. Not yours. His wants. Not yours. Cut it down, before it spreads.

No, it wasn't her plan. Of course it wasn't. This garden was meant to be a charming spot, a quiet spot.

There was a spade in her hand, and she began to dig.

That's right. Dig it out, dig it up.

The air was cold now, cold as winter, so that Stella shuddered as she plunged the spade into the ground.

Logan was gone, and she was alone in the garden with the Harper Bride, who stood in her white gown and tangled hair, nodding. And her eyes were mad.

'I don't want to be alone. I don't want to give it up.'

Dig! Hurry. Do you want the pain, the poison? Do you want it to infect your children? Hurry! It will

spoil everything, kill everything, if you let it stay.