"And a reception," Wilson added. "I'd like to have the wedding this weekend. We'll also need to do one of those engagement announcements in the local newspaper. I'm sure it will go national as soon as it hits the wires."
"We don't have a wedding planner, but if you want to throw a big party, Ma Blaecleah is the one to talk to. No one can throw a party like her. The church is already here, but it's kind of small, so if you're thinking of something big, you might want to have an outdoor wedding."
"An outdoor wedding would be nice. Don't you think, Jayden?"
Jayden tossed his hands up into the air. No one was really listening to him anyway. "Yeah, sure. Why not?"
"You'll need wedding rings," Joey said. "Mr. Jenkins in town owns the best jewelry store, so he can give you a good deal."
"What about the reception?" Wilson asked. "We'll need someone to help us with the reception on really short notice. Can it be done?"
"Chester can cater the reception. He's the best chef around. Harvey can help with the alcohol. Cory and Moose can help with the dishes. They own the local diner. I sing, so I can help with entertainment. We have a great sound system that we can transport pretty much anywhere. What else do you need?"
Wilson chuckled. "A wide diversity of guests would help. I'd like Hector and Will to be there, but they need to be able to blend in with everyone else. Some security wouldn't hurt either. I suspect a lot of media will show up for the big day."
"Sheriff Riley can help us wrangle some guys for security detail, so that's not a problem. And we have a lot of friends here in Cade Creek that would enjoy attending a gay wedding." Joey grinned widely. "You know us gays. We love to party."
Jayden didn't know if that was strictly true, but Joey seemed to have an answer for everything, so he couldn't say the man was wrong.
"Don't I get a say in any of this?" He was being tossed into the deep end with no life vest.
"Of course." Wilson smiled. "You can pick out the flowers."
* * * *
Two hours and a lot of planning later, Jayden found himself walking into Cade Creek Jewelers with Wilson. At this point, he still felt as if he was just kind of along for the ride. Wilson and the others did most of the planning. His opinion wasn't asked for a lot.
"Do you have a preference on what type of ring you'd like?" Wilson asked as they approached the counter.
"Not really." He'd never actually thought about wearing one. He'd never had anyone in his life who merited thinking about in long-term goals like that.
"I'd like gold bands with maybe a diamond chip in them, unless you'd prefer something else."
Jayden swallowed hard. "Wilson, I don't have the money to pay for something like that. After today, I doubt I'll have the money to pay my rent next month."
"Don't worry about that. I told you, I'm buying us a house here in Cade Creek. We just need to decide whether we want to live in town or out in the country. Lachlan told me he knows of a few places, including a horse ranch on fifty acres."
Jayden's eyebrows lifted. "That can't be a very big ranch." He wasn't a rancher, but he was pretty sure it took more than fifty acres to adequately care for horses.
Wilson shrugged. "I guess it depends on how many horses you have."
True.
"So, let's look at rings." Wilson was smiling like a giddy schoolboy. He even rubbed his hands together. When the older man behind the counter walked up to him, Wilson held out his hand. "Senator Wilson Khor II. My fiancé, Jayden, and I would like to buy some wedding rings."
Oh geez.
"I'm Angus Jenkins, the proprietor of Cade Creek Jewelers." The man shook Wilson's hand. "Do you know what kind of rings you're looking for? I have a wide selection."
"Gold rings with diamonds in the bands," Wilson said. "Elegant, but not too flashy." He shot Jayden a grin. "It has to show for the cameras."
Of course it did.
"I think I have just the set you're looking for." Mr. Jenkins opened a cabinet and brought out a small tray, setting it down on the countertop. He pulled out two rings and laid them down on a black velvet cloth.
Wilson picked one up and turned it back and forth in the light. "What do you think of these, darling?"
Darling?
