Ain't She Sweet (Seven Brides for Seven Mothers #2) - Whitney Dineen Page 0,12
heck more knowledgeable than I am.
I let that thought fuel me as I put the dessert specials together. I would never admit this out loud, but there’s something about James Cavanaugh that, despite how much he irritates me, makes me want to impress him with more than just my looks.
Chapter Six
Ruby
Sitting in the great room at the lodge, Ruby daydreams that all her motherly machinations will result in happily-ever-afters. Picking up her phone, she calls Brogan again. “I really do feel bad about all those pranks I played on you when you were home,” she announces as soon as he answers.
“Mom,” Brogan laughs, “we just talked this morning. Why are you really calling?”
After sighing like she’s trying to blow up a party balloon across the room from her, she answers, “Your brother is going out of his way to be difficult and I know he’s going to call you and complain about me.”
“So, you’ve changed your mind and you want me to tell him how happy Addie and I are? You want me to tell him that you’re the best matchmaker in the world?”
“NO!” Ruby shouts so loudly she waves to nearby guests to assure them she’s not being robbed at gunpoint or having a stroke or something equally traumatic. “I want you to tell James that he should do whatever I ask him to do and not give me a hard time. Tell him the garden is the perfect distraction for me. Remind him that I’m grieving for your father.”
“Mom,” Brogan says gently, “how are you doing with that?”
His tone is so caring, Ruby feels tears start to pool in her eyes. In order to keep from blubbering, she jokingly answers, “I haven’t started online dating, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“It’s not. I only meant to ask if you’re feeling any better?”
Ruby wants to tell her son that she’s doing great and that he shouldn’t worry about her, but she can’t make the words come out of her mouth. “I’m about as good as you’d expect after losing the love of my life. Although, I take great comfort in the fact that I spend every day doing the same thing your dad did when he was alive. Taking care of the lodge and the people here is a real balm for my spirits.”
“You’d tell me if you needed me to come home sooner, wouldn’t you?”
“Of course, I would,” Ruby lies. There’s no way she’s going to do anything that will take Brogan away from Addie. Her desire for them to make her a grandmother far outweighs any comfort she’d take in having both of her sons nearby.
“Okay,” Brogan says, “other than guilting James into doing your bidding, can I help with anything else?”
“I’d like a wedding to plan.” Ruby looks around the great room and visualizes her son and her best friend’s daughter saying their vows right here by the grand fireplace.
“Addie and I have only been together for two months.”
“But you’ve known each other your whole lives,” Ruby hurries to point out.
“We have, but we’ve only recently started to like each other. Do me a favor, don’t mention weddings to me for another six months and I’ll go above and beyond to help get James and Tara together. Deal?”
“Pony up with this help you speak of and we’ll talk,” Ruby tells her son. “In the meantime, I’m going to start planning your wedding.” She hangs up before he can argue.
James
Driving through town to the hardware store allows enough time to reflect on how nice it is that I’m not sweating out half of my body weight in a blistering hot field. I look forward to the winter months when all I have to do is repair outbuildings and machinery, take care of the animals, and prune the orchards. Being that very little money comes in during this time of year, exotic vacations are never on the agenda, at least they aren’t for me.
Last January, I managed to drive down to Southern Oregon and spend the weekend at a winery. I’d been thinking about adding Pinot noir grapes to my property, but after talking to the vintner, I realized they’d need more care than I have time to give them.
This year, I’d hoped to sneak away for a week to Hawaii or Mexico, but that dream got dashed when my hay baler broke. I did manage to win five thousand dollars on a bet with my brother over the summer, but I still need at least that much more