Jason resisted the urge to bust out a laugh. “No shit. I assume that was a hard no.”
“Definitely a no. As if the zoo routinely rented out their precious babies like a commodity.”
Jason couldn’t imagine the balls it took to even ask for something like that. His guess was that it was either someone with a lot of money, or not a lot of common sense.
“And then someone wanted fair rides and a midway.”
“Nuh-uh.”
“Oh yes. With a Ferris wheel and games and booths and other rides. Oh, and goats.”
“Wait. Goats?”
She shrugged. “I didn’t ask, because we said no. Well, I said no. Honor tries to be more accommodating, but it was a definite no.”
“I’m glad.”
“And then there was the couple who asked if we’d dig up the property and install a pool and water slide, because they wanted a water-themed wedding.”
He just gaped at the ridiculousness of that request.
“I know. We told them we probably weren’t the right fit for them, and suggested they might want to consider renting out the water park for their reception.”
If he didn’t know Erin as well as he did, he’d think she was bullshitting him. “Do people even think about not only the cost of an endeavor like that, but also the fact that this is a vineyard and not an amusement park? Or a water park?”
She leaned against the tree and crossed her arms. “Tell me about it. I’m the one who has to present wedding couples with a proposed budget. And when they come up with outrageous ideas, and I calculate how much it’s going to cost them, I’m the one who gets yelled at because suddenly it’s too expensive.”
He didn’t like the idea of her clients getting mad at her, but it was her job and he knew she had it handled. “So they blame you because they’re spending too much money.”
“Exactly. But we always manage to come up with a way to make it work. Almost always, anyway. There are a few exceptions, of course, but we’ve only had a couple of occasions where a couple has canceled the venue because we’ve been unable to deliver what they want.”
“And here I thought that putting on a wedding was easy.”
She laughed. “Yes. So easy.”
He put his hand above her head, resting it on the trunk of the giant oak tree. “You work hard. It’s sexy.”
She arched a brow. “The work I do isn’t sexy, Jason.”
He wrapped his other arm around her waist and tugged her against him. “The hell it isn’t. You think on your feet, juggle numbers, come up with brilliant ideas. Tell me how that isn’t sexy.”
She breathed in and out, causing her breasts to rise and fall above the top of her dress, making him want to kiss the globes, then get her naked and taste her all over.
But she was working, and he knew as soon as the wedding ceremony was over, she’d get busy again. So for now he took the few minutes they’d have together to kiss her, to take her lips and dive inside her mouth and taste the sweetness of her. It was so easy to get lost in her.
The loud applause made Erin press her hands on his chest, a signal for him to take a step back.
She licked her lips. “I have to go.”
He nodded. “Yeah, you do.”
She swept her fingertips across his jaw. “We’ll take up this . . . discussion . . . later?”
He gave her a half smile. “I’ll be around.”
“Okay.”
She walked away, disappearing into the crowd that was exiting the vineyard and heading toward the barn for the reception. Jason made his way toward the house, where he knew he’d find food and beer.
Agatha greeted him at the door, her tail whipping back and forth with great joy.
“Hey, baby girl.” He gave her a few pets, then she wandered off down the hall.
He made his way down the hall toward the backyard, where Johnny and Maureen were, along with Finn. Clay and Alice had reappeared from the wedding, along with his other friends.
Jason grabbed a beer and settled into a chair next to Clay.
“How was the wedding ceremony?”
“It was good.”
“I don’t think paparazzi is in our future wedding plans, but I do so love the vineyard,” Alice said. “After all, this is where we met.”
“Is that why you want to get married here?” Maureen asked.
Alice looked over at Clay, then back to Maureen. “I couldn’t think of a more appropriate place for our wedding. And May