“A lot of that is accounted for.”
“But not all. Why not build a storage shed?”
“Some of us aren’t made of money,” I snapped.
An expression flashed over her face, just for half a second, enough to tell me my comment got to her. I wasn’t sure quite what I’d seen—regret? Shame? Sadness?
I shrugged it off. I didn’t have it in me to worry about her feelings.
“You could look into renting a portable storage unit for a few months until you’ve booked a few weddings to finance a permanent one,” she suggested.
It was a plausible idea.
“Using your venue square footage for storage would be a dumb move,” she said, and my scowl returned.
“Kind of like making false accusations that get people fired?”
She whipped around and faced me with fire in her eyes. “I didn’t make false accusations,” she said with venom.
“My mom didn’t steal your precious ring,” I bit back.
Magnolia narrowed her eyes. “You can pay me two hundred an hour to bicker about the past, or you can pay me to help you figure out your precious barn.”
Damn. I hadn’t meant to go there. I didn’t need her to know how much her careless actions had devastated me.
“Right. I still need to know what to do about the first-look area. Then you can go.”
“Just to clarify, I can go whenever I choose to go. I’m doing you a favor.”
I let out a sardonic chuckle. “Damn expensive favor, but fine. Let’s do this so we can be done. What would you suggest?”
She paced toward the far end, her arms crossed, fist on her chin. I watched her, taking in her fit body, the curves of her hips, the slight messiness of the long ponytail going down her back. Her body had matured since high school, filled out to be more womanly, alluring. She was admittedly a beautiful woman on the outside, but I was not affected by her looks.
“For couples who want a special first-look location,” she said from the other end of the barn, “we could make sort of a backdrop along this wall here.”
I couldn’t help noticing she used the word we, as if she and I were in this together, which we absolutely were not. Not if I could help it. And that was the quandary, wasn’t it? I wasn’t aware of other event planners in Dragonfly Lake who weren’t affiliated with a specific venue like the Marks. She was it until you got to Nashville. So if I wanted to get wedding business, I might need Magnolia’s referrals.
“What kind of a backdrop?” I asked as I walked that way.
“One of the other barns I just started working with has a wall of greenery and floral arrangements that makes a gorgeous background. I was thinking of something with rustic wood in a neutral color with string lights, some flowers, possibly even a sign with the bride and groom’s name and the date.”
“You work with another barn? For weddings?” When I’d gotten this idea months ago, I’d searched online for similar venues in the area and hadn’t found any. If there was a competitor out there, I wanted to know about it.
“Yes,” she said nonchalantly. “And I’m meeting with a third one next week. It’s smaller than yours but has an upper level too. Anyway, outdoors is really preferred for the first look when the weather’s nice. You’ll want to consider that once you get the inside done.”
Hell. Two competitors I hadn’t known about? All my dad’s naysaying rattled through my head, chipping away at my confidence. Was I making a mistake? This wasn’t a small commitment, financially and otherwise.
If Magnolia was in fact the only planner in Dragonfly Lake and possibly even in Runner and the surrounding area, and she recommended these other two barns before mine—because why would she recommend mine when we couldn’t stand each other and didn’t like working together?—this endeavor could crash and burn fast.
Fuck.
Insecurity rushed over me like a tidal wave. What the hell did I know about event hosting?
I had vague plans to hire someone to run the event business if it got to be too much work, but if Magnolia avoided recommending my barn, would I even get business?
I peered up at the dramatic rafters I’d been in awe of since I was a kid. This might be an old barn, but the architecture was cool as hell. I believed in my bones it would make a spectacular place for weddings and receptions.
I knew lots of people in town, got along with most of them. I could get a marketing expert to help me promote my barn. I could reach out to wedding planners in Nashville, start making connections in the industry just like Magnolia was.
