Chapter 13
Five days had passed since Cami had sent Ben a text—not that she was counting. She settled into her seat inside the Frothy Monkey in downtown Nashville with her sister across from her for a latte and Danish. As they finished their chat, Annalise’s phone rang with a Vicki Carmichael song.
The moment Annalise answered, the singer began to cry.
“…spilled the beans…media everywhere…cancelled…two weeks away…wedding.”
The more Vicki went on, the more pale Annalise became. “Okay…okay…don’t worry. We’ll work it out, we’ll work it out.”
Annalise hung up and started for the parking lot. “Someone went to the media and revealed the location of the wedding. Vicki canceled her contract with the Oasis. The media is all over the place.”
Cami cleared the table of their trash and hurried out to meet Annalise, who stood next to the car.
“How can people be so heartless?” Annalise said.
“Obviously, it’s a breach of the non-disclosure, but now she needs a new wedding venue.
Worse yet, this ‘source’ has labeled her a bridezilla.
She’s not, and I feel bad I painted her that way in the beginning.
She’s just a bride wanting the wedding of her dreams.”
Annalise got in the passenger seat while Cami slid behind the wheel. “You’re the best wedding planner in Nashville—”
“I’m not, but thank you.”
“You’ll find something.”
“In two weeks? It’s going to be close to impossible.”
“Can she postpone?”
Annalise looked over at Cami. “Would you want to?”
If Cami found the right guy, she wouldn’t want anything to stand in her way. “Good point.” Cami turned out of the parking lot and headed down Avenue South.
“She’s looking for a location as well, but friends and family have already booked reservations. Cami, I’m gonna need your help.”
Cami slowed at the traffic light and peered at her sister. “Anything you need. Consider it my parting gift.”
“I take back everything I ever said about you.”
“Ha, no you don’t. Now, where can we have a lovely wedding in two weeks?”
Annalise jumped in her seat, stretching against the seat belt. “That’s it! You know the perfect location. Vicki will love it. The inn, Cami, the inn. Why didn’t I think of this sooner?”
The light turned green, and Cami stomped on the gas. The inn? Annalise was right, the inn was perfect, but Cami was not ready to see Ben.
They’d had their goodbye. She wanted to hang onto the sweetness of his final kiss. Seeing him would remind her all over again they’d never have more than a fleeting summer romance.
“The inn is perfect. Even if it does need a bit of fixing up.” Annalise was on her phone. “Vicki will die for the rustic, hometown charm. There, hit I-65 and head to Hearts Bend. Vicki, I found the perfect place. No, no, I’m not going to tell you until I visit the property. I’ll call you later.”
“Cami, call Ben. Tell him we want access to the barn and everything. When are you closing on the place?”
“The fifteenth.”
“The wedding is on the nineteenth, so it will be your property by the time of the wedding, so I don’t think he’ll object.”
But I object! She didn’t want to see Ben. She feared her heart would decide to fall in love at a glance.
Next to her, Annalise was making a list on her phone. “The barn is perfect for pictures. So country music. Right on brand with Vicki’s music. How’s the pond? If it’s not clean, we can get it cleaned up.”
“It’s clean.”
“Look at this, God is providing for Vicki through me. What do you say to that? Why aren’t you calling Ben?”
“Nope. I can’t call Ben.” Still, Cami merged onto I-65 toward Hearts Bend.
“Why not?” Annalise pulled Cami’s hand over the center console and laid it on her stomach. Wait, did she feel a tiny hint of a bump? “Not even for the baby?”
Cami swerved as she twisted toward her sister, and everything clicked into place. The bags under her eyes, the nausea, the weight loss, the happiness when she mentioned Steve, then suddenly looking bright and glowy. “You’re pregnant?”
“Yes, I am, Auntie Cami. So you have to help me. I’m already running on fumes. Who knew being pregnant was a full-time job in and of itself? There is no tired like pregnant tired.”
Excitement coursed through Cami. A baby. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was afraid of miscarriage. I had a scare really early on with some spotting. Steve’s sister miscarried four times, so we didn’t want to share the news until week thirteen.”
“Oh, Annalise! Just when I’m moving away! I’ll never forgive you for this.” But her tears were mixed with laughter. Finally, a baby in the family.
“So will you call Ben?” Annalise patted her middle.
Cami commanded her phone to call Ben Carter. “You’re shameless, Annalise, using your kid this way. How many times are you going to use your child to get your way?”
“From here on out, Aunt Cami. From here on out.”
Cami laughed just as Ben answered her call. “Ben, how about some company?”
Ben had thought seeing Cami would be awkward, but like always, he felt peace in her presence. When she and Annalise arrived, she was a bit formal and standoffish, but once they started touring the grounds, her stiff persona faded.
“You made this sound like it would be an intimate wedding.” Ben walked with Cami as they surveyed the small field next to the inn. Her sister stood in the shade of the inn, sketching on her iPad.
“It is. There will only be about seventy people, and I think this field will be perfect. We’ll set up a tent and chairs.”
“Seventy people? Cami, they’re not all going to fit.”
“Sure they will. We’ll have the altar here.” Cami walked forward and stretched her arms out. “An arch, with twinkle lights. The folding chairs will go…” Cami took several steps and stopped. “Here.”
Ben surveyed the area again. She was right. It would fit, with room to spare. He had a lot of experience with weddings and receptions, corporate events and parties, but they’d all taken place on a VJR property, which had a separate event staff.
“The cloth runner could start here, under another arch.” Cami gestured her arms to show the arch, and for one moment, Ben could see it.
The arches, the chairs, the runner, even the bride in a white dress.
But the bride walking toward him was the woman he saw in front of him.
Her dark curls hanging over one shoulder, a bouquet of Tennessee wildflowers in her hands, and a smile meant just for him.
“Cami, it’s perfect.” Annalise waved from the shade. “Vicki loves it. I sent some mockups to her along with some pictures. I bet she—” Annalise’s phone rang. “That’s her now.”
“Ben, thank you for letting us descend on you like this.”
“No problem. It’ll be your property by the time of the wedding. I’ll do what I can to help, but after the closing, I really must head down to Sydney.”
The talk was so formal and cordial, as if they’d never had any feelings. Cami started down the future center aisle, and Ben fell in step with her.
“How have you been?” He tucked a loose curl behind her ear. Her dark eyes looked up into his, searching. She stepped back and secured the curl he’d just touched.
“Busy with Indy. I sold my place, but I’m hiring a packer and movers. Working on ideas for the inn renovations. And oh, Annalise just told me I’m going to be an aunt.”
Ben glanced to where Annalise sat on the porch steps laughing and charming Vicki. “I thought she glowed a little. Congratulations.”
“Thanks.” She leaned closer. “I am banking on a girl, but I know Steve will be pronouncing the baby a boy.”
She laughed, and Ben loved the carefree feeling it invoked.
“Hey,” she said, grabbing his hand then letting go. “Sorry for all the mix-up about the inn. I will be overseeing the project. I walked into Dad’s office and told him this place was mine to manage. He relented, albeit grudgingly.”
“I appreciate that, Cami. I trust you.” Ben looked toward the crooked, faded shutters and the roof that needed new shingles. “Do you really think an up-and-coming singer will want to get married out here?”
“Of course. What’s not to love about this place, Ben? The exposure will help the inn and—”
“Darn, I should’ve locked in on a higher sale price.”
“If it were up to me, I would offer you more. I did add covering the bank loan into the deal, so I guess I did offer more.”
“It’s all good. What means more than the money is that you will be the inn’s guardian angel. Granddaddy and Granny are smiling down from heaven.”
“Great news!” Annalise approached with her arms wide.
“Vicki loved the pictures and the sketches I sent her. She’s requested we book all the available rooms for family and the wedding party.
Most of the guests have booked Nashville hotels.
They can just drive over for the day. The caterer is on her way to check out the facility.
She’ll need access to the kitchen, Ben.”
He looked at Cami just as she turned to him. “Walt,” they said in unison.
“Maybe give him the day off,” Cami said.
“Or the entire week.”
“This is going to be perfect.” Annalise let out a big sigh. Her dark eyes, so like Cami’s, smiling. “Thank you, Ben! Vicki wanted to know where to send the deposit money.”
“What deposit money? Have we decided on a price?”
“Fifty thousand was my estimation. Is that enough?”
Ben choked. “Fifty grand for this place?”
“Well, you are going to have to pretty it up with some paint and clean up the grounds a bit. But yes, fifty thousand.”
“Um, tell her to send it to the inn’s PayPal.” Ben rattled off the email address, feeling a bit like he’d stepped into an alternate reality. “And for fifty grand, I’ll have this place spit shined and ready for inspection.”
“Ben,” Cami said, “let me offer some Akron resources. After all, the inn will be ours at the time of the wedding.”
“Thank you, but let me do this for Granny. She loved having weddings here, and I think this is the perfect send-off from one family to another.”
Cami’s eyes glistened. “I am so going to miss you,” she whispered.
“Ditto,” he said.
Cami’s phone rang. She glanced at the screen. “Indy’s calling.” She wandered off as she answered her phone.
He wasn’t ready to go. His mind told him to let go, but his heart kept hanging on. He’d be fine once he was back on the job.
He’d been praying more, sitting at Granddaddy’s desk. He’d actually started to sense a presence.
Okay, God, I’m listening.
“Ben.” Annalise stepped closer and lowered her voice. “Vicki loves the cottages and wants to use the larger one as a sort of bride’s suite. It’s Cottage Three.” She glanced back at Cami. “I told her I wasn’t sure. I don’t want to upset Cami.”
“What about you?”
“I miss my mother every day, but I wasn’t here when she died. I seldom stayed in the cottage, so it doesn’t bother me as much.”
“It needs some work, but I’ll fix it if that’s what the bride wants. But please tell Cami, okay? I wouldn’t want her blindsided.”
“You love her, don’t you?”
“Have a nice evening, Annalise,” Ben said. “I’ll see you next week.”