Erin grinned.“Excellent idea.”
“Not sure why she couldn’t do it.”
“You really expect Stormy to take the blame if the food is awful?”
“Well said.”Around Erin, he freely spoke about his mother.Neither Connor nor Nathan had ever said a negative word about her.On the other hand, none of them had ever discussed her involvement in the business, either.The Colonel had spoken fewer than a hundred words to her in over thirty years, and Stormy said she preferred it that way.When Cade’s father had gotten her pregnant, she’d been offered a significant amount of money to go away quietly.If she’d been the type to do that, no doubt his father wouldn’t have fallen in love in the first place.
“Do you have anyone lined up yet?”
“A new bakery opened in town, a couple of doors down from the pharmacy.So I stopped in.”
“And?”
He’d never felt more helpless.Give him a complex piece of machinery to repair or a steer to brand and he had complete confidence.But when two women had started smiling and shoving food at him, flipping through pictures of weddings and birthdays, offering him tiny plates filled with bizarre concoctions, he’d been overwhelmed and speechless.“Buffalo chicken wing cupcakes?”
“Were they good?”
“I don’t know.I couldn’t bring myself to pull it out of the frosting.How the hell do you eat something like that?”
“I see your point.I guess she was going for something sweet and savory in the same bite.”
“Cupcakes should be sweet,” he said.
“The whole world isn’t black and white, big brother.”
“I have rules, Erin.”
She grinned.“Got it.Cupcakes are sweet.Women are spicy?”
“Don’t you have someone else you can bother?”he asked pointedly.
“Seriously, Cade, you don’t have time to put an event together.You need a company to manage it, invitations, decorations—”
“Decorations?”
“Absolutely.Flags.Bunting.Maybe a take-home memento, like a Christmas ornament or something.”
He blinked.
“Flowers,” she continued.“And entertainment.Perhaps a band.Live music is always good.People will come just for that.Oh, and a bounce house for kids.Margarita machines, for sure.You’ve only got a few months.”
Until now, he’d figured he’d need about ten minutes to put it together.Throw some burgers on the barbecue, smoke some brisket, maybe get some of the ranch hands to roast a pig… But with the scowl on Erin’s face, he saw he’d made a huge miscalculation.
“Have you sent out a save-the-date announcement?”
“To whom?”
“Seriously?”She rolled her eyes.“Ask Granddaddy and Grandmother for their guest lists, and Connor.Better yet, ask Connor and Thompson.Thompson has Connor pretty well organized.He’ll know who’s who.Don’t forget Nathan.My mother may want to invite a few of her friends.”
He hadn’t considered that.But it made sense.Though he’d never spent much time with Angela, she had been married to his father.
“Do you want me to ask her?”
“That’s thoughtful of you.But no.I’ll do it.”Or find someone else to do it.
“I have a few people I’ll want to invite.And we’ll need to contact the cousins.Granddaddy’s the best person for that, too.”
“Are you sure all of these people have to come?”
