Margaret looked at her daughter. “What do you think?”
“It’s a great idea.”
“And to the best of my knowledge,” Claire added. “No one else has used balloons like this at a wedding.”
“Let’s do it,” Beverly said. “What’s next on the list?”
Hannah crossed off the doves and moved to the next item.
As each issue was dealt with, there was a definite lightness in the air. Everyone seemed relieved that the wedding was on track and going to plan.
After a small adjustment to the seating arrangements, Margaret sighed. “I’m impressed. I thought it would be a nightmare this close to the wedding, but everything is moving along nicely.”
“It has been a team effort,” Hannah said as she slipped Margaret’s list into a folder. Without Beverly’s support, today’s meeting would have been one of those nightmares Margaret was speaking about. “Would you like another cup of coffee?”
Margaret looked at her watch. “I’d love one, but we don’t have the time. Beverly and I have an appointment with the hairdresser in twenty minutes.”
Beverly picked up her bag and smiled at Claire and Hannah. “Thank you for everything you’ve done. It will be exciting seeing our plans come together.”
“It’s going to be an amazing day,” Claire agreed. “If you have any questions before we meet again, just give us a call.”
Beverly stood and gave them a hug. “We will. I’ll see you next Wednesday.”
Hannah nodded and followed Margaret and Beverly to the front door. “Drive safely.”
After they’d gone, she returned to the living room. Claire was taking their cups and plates through to the kitchen. “That went well.”
Claire smiled. “It did. Thank goodness Beverly asked her mom to trim her list. Did you see how many things were on the piece of paper?”
“I thought it was very restrained of Margaret to stop at thirty items. I was expecting a lot more questions. I’ll let Brett know we’ve finished.”
“Ask him if he wants a cup of coffee before we head back to the ranch. I can make a fresh pot.”
Hannah turned on her phone. “Do we have any mini cheesecakes left?”
Claire laughed. “I thought I was the only one who noticed how interested he was in the box you were holding.”
“He has a sweet tooth.”
“In that case, he’s in luck. I bought more than we needed.”
Hannah smiled as she called Brett’s number. If she weren’t careful, he’d want to pick them up each time they came into town—especially if cheesecake was on the menu.
***
By the time Brett and Pat arrived at Hannah and Claire’s home, it was nearly one o’clock.
“Don’t forget the sandwiches,” Pat said as he lifted two bags off the back seat.
Brett opened the passenger door of his truck. “I’ve got them.”
Instead of visiting Ida at the retirement village, they’d spent the morning with her at the hospital. Overnight, her flu symptoms had become so bad that she’d been taken to the hospital in an ambulance. After several tests and a chest scan, she’d been admitted to a ward with pneumonia. It had been a stressful few hours but, hopefully, once the antibiotics did their job, Ida would be feeling a lot better.
On their way across town, Brett had stopped at a bakery. Even though Hannah and Claire were staying on the ranch, it would be good to have lunch with them in their home. For a short period of time, he could almost pretend they didn’t have so much happening in their lives.
He rang the front door bell and waited for someone to answer.
Pat stepped closer to the window. “Hannah’s coming.”
