Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
Faith listened to the sounds of laughter and clinking dishes and smiled.
She was sitting in the dining room of Vivian’s house along with the rest of the family, enjoying a delicious meal of Vivian’s famous sweet and sour chicken with rice.
They were playing two board games while they ate, one on either end of the long table.
This has been such a fun, peaceful night, she thought to herself, feeling a glow of love in her heart. It’s such a blessing that we can be together like this even during this time of trial for the entire town.
Samantha let out a massive cheer as she drew a card that allowed her to make a major move in the board game they were playing. Everyone laughed, and she squinted at the board, announcing to the group that she needed a few minutes to plot out her best course of action.
“Have you two spoken to the wedding venue since they’ve started on the repairs?” Vivian asked Noelle and Dean. “Do they think they’re going to have everything repaired in time?”
Noelle nodded, setting down her fork and looking suddenly morose.
“We did.” She shared a grim look with Dean.
“Margaret is hoping to have everything fixed as soon as possible, but even if her estimated timeline works out, we’re going to have to reschedule the wedding, probably to a date a few months from now.
” Noelle’s tone sounded heavy, which was unusual for the cheerful, optimistic physical therapist.
Faith’s heart ached over the fact that Noelle and Dean were facing so much disappointment after already having to postpone their wedding. Murmurs of sympathy flickered around the table, but Cooper shook his head and smiled.
“There’s no reason for you to postpone your wedding,” he said with a knowing grin. “You have another very good option.”
“We do?” Dean said in surprise. “Last we checked in, all the other venues in town are either booked solid or also got damaged.”
“Not all of them.” Cooper shook his head, his lips quirking upward.
“What do you mean?” Dean asked. He exchanged another look with Noelle, and both of their expressions were intrigued and hopeful.
“I was going to leave this news to Delilah, since she was so excited for you to know, but I’m sure she’d want me to tell you in this moment.
” Cooper smiled. “We went out to the Turners’ place with some food, right?
And Cedric was showing us around the grounds, mostly to give me a tour of all the damage to the landscaping.
I wanted to know what happened so that I could give him a repair estimate that much sooner—although I think I’m going to talk with my boss about giving everyone whose landscaping was destroyed by the storm a discount for repairs.
They shouldn’t have to pay twice, it’s not their fault the sky decided to play nasty. ”
Julia cleared her throat, since Cooper had gotten distracted and not noticed the way Noelle and Dean were squirming in their seats with impatience.
“Oh, sorry.” Cooper grinned. “Well, while we were there, Cedric showed us inside his barn, and it turns out he used to host events there. It’s still fully functional and gorgeous. He said he’d be more than happy to let you use it for your wedding if that’s what you wanted.”
“Oh my gosh.” Noelle squeezed Dean’s hand, looking overjoyed. “That’s… wow. I mean, we did really love that other venue, but—”
“This is a relief,” Dean finished for her, since she seemed to be struggling to find her words. “What do you think? Would you want to do that?”
“I adore the idea of not waiting,” she said. “But I guess… well, do you think we could really make it everything we’ve been hoping for? It’s a very different venue from our original pick.”
“I’m sure you could,” Faith said eagerly.
“I’ve been to a few barn-style weddings, and they were all gorgeous.
I mean, most of your decorations were centerpieces, right?
So those you can have anywhere. And I’m sure you’d be able to hang fabric and lights from the barn ceiling just like you wanted to do at your other venue. ”
“I’m sure you could.” Cooper nodded. “Cedric also said that you could hang lights and greenery or fabric on the staircase and along the balcony that surrounds the main room. I’m sure that would look amazing.”
“Oh, that sounds magical,” Julia said eagerly. “I’ve also been to a wedding that had the reception in a barn. It was just gorgeous—you’re right that it would be a different vibe from the place you originally picked, but I think you might end up liking it just as much or better.”
“And I’m definitely willing to compromise in order to marry you that much sooner,” Noelle said, turning to Dean with a radiant smile.
“And I’m more than willing to help you in any way I can,” Faith assured them. “We can work together to make sure this is still the wedding of your dreams.”
“Me too,” Julia said, and Vivian nodded eagerly.
“This sounds like the answer to your problem,” Vivian said, placing a hand on her heart. “I’m so glad you have this other option.”
“Me too,” Hazel said, who had been listening intently even though she was part of the board game on the other end of the table. “I’m here for anything you guys need.”
The rest of their table chorused their agreement, even Samantha, who seemed to have forgotten all about making her move in the game.
Faith’s heart filled with joy as she listened to the words of her family.
I love them so much, she thought, looking around the table at the faces of the people she loved most in the world. I want them to know how much I care about them, and how grateful I am to be a part of this family.
A flutter of excitement filled her chest as she wondered if there was a way in which she could truly demonstrate what they meant to her.
She pondered the idea as they continued to discuss Dean and Noelle’s wedding reception, and her mind tried to come up with a plan as they all moved to the living room for more board games and a delicious dessert of blackberry pie with ice cream.