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?”
