“We’ll be there,” Henry replied. “Is there anything else I should know?”
We sketched out the basics for him: the roses, Alice’s shove, the busted stitches. Then we filled him in on the bigger worries:the trashed lodge that needed cleanup and Harris potentially feeding Vivian intel.
“I told him I’d fucked things up with Chrissy,” Ben told Henry, his voice hardening. “He asked me about wedding preparations, and he never mentioned to me that Chrissy had come looking for us. Twice.”
Henry went quiet a beat.
“He deliberately chose not to give you information that could have led to you reconciling with Chrissy sooner, which tells me he’s rooting for Vivian to take everything.”
“Logical,” Ben said. “We need to clear the staff out of the house and send Harris on some kind of wild goose chase so no one knows about me and Chrissy getting married today. Put everyone on paid leave through New Year’s, and put Harris in charge of cleanup at the lodge. Make him feel important, and get him the hell away from Ashgrove House until we’ve handled what we need to handle today.”
“Agreed,” Henry said. “Skeleton crew only, just me and Lucia. Everyone else will be gone by the time you arrive.”
I leaned into Ben’s good side. “It’s going to be a super small wedding. Just us four... and one guest, if we can make it work.”
Ben glanced at me, curious.
“Granny Irene,” I said. “That’s my only request. We’ll check her out of Bayview for the day so she can give me away. Henry and Lucia will be our witnesses.”
“Cara, yes. We’ll handle everything, don’t you worry.”
Henry cleared his throat.
“Done. Where in the house?”
Ben thought a moment.
“As much as I hate to say it, I love the idea of doing it in the solarium, like Harris suggested. It’s at the back of the house with all those big windows, and the plants from Mom’s old collection. Sunlight pours in this time of year. It’ll be intimate, like our own private chapel.”
Henry hummed approval.
“Perfect. It’ll be beautiful. The officiant I’ve had on standby is very discreet. He won’t say a word to anyone about the wedding taking place. I’ll confirm he’s ready for whenever we say go.”
“And Vivian?” I asked.
Ben’s arm tightened around me.
“She’ll show up tomorrow thinking she’s won.”
I smiled as an idea struck me.
“I think I’ve got a plan on how we can use it to our advantage. Something that will make sure that she pays for everything she’s done, to you, your dad, tampering with your brakes, the works, if we play it right.”
Ben chuckled and nuzzled my cheek.
“That’s music to my ears, baby. When are you going to let me in on this plan of yours?”
“Later,” I said, giving him a mischievous grin. “First things first, though, let’s get married and ensure that the clause plays out in your favor, not hers.”
“I trust you,” he murmured. “I’m sure your plan is brilliant.”
“See you soon,” Henry said, and the call ended.
Ben pulled me close again, careful.
“The solarium’s beautiful this time of year. You’ll love it.”
“I already do,” I whispered. “Because it’ll be ours.”
