“Would you?” Cedric asked. “The wife was pretty sad about that. She loves her trees, and truth be told, I think she’s sadderabout losing the willow that fell on our cars than she is about losing the cars.”
Cedric took them on a tour of the property, showing them all of the things that had been damaged in the storm. “Once we get our power back, that’ll make everything seem all right again,” Cedric said. “And we’ll get a tree removal service out here first, and then a tow truck to get rid of these cars.”
As they wandered, Delilah admired the beautiful property and simultaneously looked for ways in which she could help with the damage. Most of what she saw was damage to the landscaping—the freshly-planted young apple trees that had turned nearly onto their sides, and uprooted flowers, along with a destroyed raised vegetable garden bed.
“What’s that?” she asked curiously as they turned around the side of the house. In the back of the Turners’ property was a gorgeous red barn, surrounded by flowers and maple trees.
“That’s the barn,” Cedric said. “I used to do repairs in it, but I don’t use it any more now that the hardware store has grown and takes up all my time. It’s a beauty, isn’t it? That’s another spot that hasn’t been damaged by the storm, thankfully. Come on, I’ll show you around in there.”
Cedric led them inside the barn, pulling open the big door, which creaked pleasantly. Delilah took a deep breath as soon as she stepped inside the space, which smelled of wood and was clean and airy. She noticed that it had a wooden floor, and that there was a balcony that ran along the sides of the main room and then turned into a whole loft area at the far end of the barn. She noticed a couple of bathrooms in the corner of the room, and a row of gorgeous wooden tables lined against the far wall.
“Cedric, this is absolutely breathtaking,” she said, gazing around in awe. “And those windows! They let in so much light.”
“Kind of makes me feel like I’ve traveled back in time,” Cooper said. “It’s a really nice space, Cedric.”
“Thank you.” Cedric smiled at both of them. “I used to rent it out for events a few years ago, but you have to put out marketing for that sort of thing, and it kind of fell to the wayside. Eventually we want to have some big party for the whole town in here. Maybe a Christmas party, something like that.”
“I bet it works beautifully for events,” Delilah said. “You’ve got that gravel driveway leading straight to it, and I’m guessing that people can park on the lawn to the left of the barn?”
“That’s right.” Cedric smiled. “It’s really magnificent when it’s all decked out. We got a few electric fireplaces, and when those are placed around the room and turned on, it’s warm and cozy in here and it looks ‘absolutely charming’ as my wife would say.” He chuckled. “And we’d fill this whole area with tables and chairs—but I think the crowning glory was having strings of lights hung on this staircase and all along the banister. They twinkled like little galaxies. Some of the events also hung up fabric or greenery or both, and that was especially pretty.”
“Sounds gorgeous,” Delilah said, envisioning what he was talking about. “It would be so rustic and charming.”
“Absolutely. And speaking of rustic and charming, up there in the hayloft we still have some bales of hay, and that was perfect for weddings—bridal parties would take pictures up there, and with the light coming through the windows, those pictures turned out really nice.”
Delilah turned to Cooper, pursing her lips slightly in thought. An idea had been buzzing in the back of her mind ever since she’d stepped into the barn, and now it was fully formed. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
Cooper blinked at her. “Am I?” He appeared confused.
Delilah chuckled. Men never seemed to have weddings on the brain as much as women did. “I have a brilliant idea. We should use this space for Dean and Noelle’s wedding! That is, if you’re okay with renting it out again, Cedric.”
Cedric’s eyebrows lifted in an expression of delight. “Why yes, absolutely. I think that would be wonderful. Did something happen to Dean and Noelle’s current wedding venue?”
Briefly Delilah told him about the flooding that had ruined the young couple’s reception space. She had gotten coffee with the Owens women right after it happened, in the middle of all their preparation for feeding the community, and she’d learned about it then. She’d been absolutely heartbroken for Noelle, especially when she’d learned that she had also lost her beautiful wedding dress.
“That couple deserves to be happy,” Delilah said, shaking her head. “They’ve had to wait so long for this wedding. I just hate the idea of something getting in their way again. They shouldn’t have to wait any more to have the wedding of their dreams.”
“I’ve heard about them waiting because of Dean’s surgery.” Cedric shook his head. “I would love to help the two of them out. They’re more than welcome to use this space if that’s what they want.”
“Amazing.” Delilah turned to Cooper with a grin. “Do you think they’ll like the idea?”
Cooper nodded. “I do. I think they’ll be absolutely thrilled. They’ve already had so many setbacks when it comes to their wedding. This will come as an unexpected blessing. And I know they loved their other venue, but they’ve never seen this one before. I have a feeling they’re going to like this one just as much.”
Delilah smiled as they stepped back out into the sunshine. Her heart was dancing, and she couldn’t wait to bring the good news of Cedric’s wedding venue to Dean and Noelle.
CHAPTER NINE
Faith listened to the sounds of laughter and clinking dishes and smiled. She was sitting in the dining room of Vivian’s house along with the rest of the family, enjoying a delicious meal of Vivian’s famous sweet and sour chicken with rice. They were playing two board games while they ate, one on either end of the long table.
This has been such a fun, peaceful night,she thought to herself, feeling a glow of love in her heart.It’s such a blessing that we can be together like this even during this time of trial for the entire town.
Samantha let out a massive cheer as she drew a card that allowed her to make a major move in the board game they were playing. Everyone laughed, and she squinted at the board, announcing to the group that she needed a few minutes to plot out her best course of action.
“Have you two spoken to the wedding venue since they’ve started on the repairs?” Vivian asked Noelle and Dean. “Do they think they’re going to have everything repaired in time?”
Noelle nodded, setting down her fork and looking suddenly morose. “We did.” She shared a grim look with Dean. “Margaret is hoping to have everything fixed as soon as possible, but evenif her estimated timeline works out, we’re going to have to reschedule the wedding, probably to a date a few months from now.” Noelle’s tone sounded heavy, which was unusual for the cheerful, optimistic physical therapist.
Faith’s heart ached over the fact that Noelle and Dean were facing so much disappointment after already having to postpone their wedding. Murmurs of sympathy flickered around the table, but Cooper shook his head and smiled.
