“It was a Christmas present. Were you able to order more supplies from Jake?”
“All done. Did you organize all of this?” Not only was there some kind of beef dish in the oven, but a green salad and two loaves of garlic bread sat on the counter.
Matthew took their one and only tablecloth out of a drawer. “Ashley’s working so I thought we might as well have a decent dinner together.”
Sean’s eyebrows rose. “That’s not like you.”
“I’m turning over a new leaf.”
“I’d believe that a whole lot more if you didn’t look so guilty. Did you reverse into something again?”
With a flick of his wrists, Matthew opened the tablecloth. “Not today. You’d better peel the potatoes. Otherwise, they won’t be ready in time.”
“While I’m doing that, you can tell me what this is really about.”
“Can’t I cook my brother a meal?”
“You haven’t baked anything apart from spaghetti Bolognese and barbecued meat since you were a teenager.” Sean picked up a potato. “You didn’t agree to adopt more of Sally’s animals, did you?”
“She called me about a litter of pigs someone dropped off. I told her we’re happy with Frank and Mildred.”
At least he could be grateful for that. Their sister volunteered at the local animal shelter. Her mission was to rehome as many abandoned, unloved, or sheer desperate animals as she could. Their entire family had reached the limit of what they could take, but Sally kept calling them for emergency placements. Unfortunately, the temporary shelter often turned into something a lot more permanent.
Grabbing a saucepan, he filled it with water and put it on the stovetop. As Matthew took some cutlery out of the drawer, he glanced at his brother. “How was your dinner with Ashley?”
“She’s still upset with her stepmom.” Matthew ran his hand around the back of his neck—a sure sign that something bigger was coming. “I was thinking about our wedding.”
Sean peeled another potato. “In what way?”
“Ashley’s stressed beyond belief. She’s even talked about eloping. Mom wouldn’t be impressed, but it would make things easier. I had another idea this morning.”
This should be interesting. Matthew wasn’t the type of person to worry about much. He’d always acted first and thought about it afterward. For him to put a lot of thought into what was happening must mean things were worse than Sean thought.
“I thoughtyoucould organize our wedding.”
His hand slipped and he nearly peeled half the skin off his thumb. “I’ve never been married. I don’t know the first thing about weddings.”
“Sure, you do. You helped Sally and Todd when they got married. You’re the most organized person I know. If anyone can pull this off, it’s you.”
He didn’t know whether to be flattered or alarmed by Matthew’s confidence in him. “Organizing a few tables and hanging decorations is completely different from doing everything. And even if I did help, Ashley might hate everything I’ve chosen.”
A dangerous smile lit Matthew’s face. “Ashley said she’d be happy if someone else organized the whole thing. I’ve got something that will make it easier. Wait here.”
While his brother ran upstairs, Sean took the casserole out of the oven and tested the meat. It was delicious and tasted remarkably like Amy’s favorite recipe.
Matthew skidded around the doorframe. “Take a look at this.” He took the spoon out of Sean’s hand and gave him a scrapbook. “Since I asked Ashley to marry me, she’s kept pictures of all the things she likes. You can’t go wrong if you use this book as your guide.”
Sean opened the scrapbook to the first page. “You’ve been engaged for a year. She might have changed her mind about what she’d like for her wedding.”
“Not Ashley. When she gets fixated on something, it’s in her head forever.”
“Sounds like someone else I know.”
“What can I say? We’re a match made in heaven. What do you think?”
Sean skimmed through a few of the pages. There were pictures of barrels full of flowers, arches covered in white roses, and hundreds of fairy lights wrapped around the rafters of barns. “They’re pictures of weddings.”
Matthew groaned. “They’re Ashley’sperfectweddings. She wants a French country theme—whatever that is. To me, it looks like a typical barn wedding with lacy tablecloths and lots of flowers and candles.”
