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Authors: Donna Ball
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month.”
“And that’s another thing,” Derrick said. “Who plans a wedding in a month?”
“Worse,” Paul said, “we’ve got to plan an engagement party in twenty days.”
Purline said, “My mama does sewing. She could get it done for you in half the time.”
Paul gave her a smile that he hoped wasn’t too condescending. “Thank you, Purline. But … well. It’s Vera Wang .”
Derrick said, aghast, “Twenty days?”
Purline shrugged. “Suit yourself. But she made twenty choir robes in two weeks last year. Everybody still says that’s the best-dressed choir in the county.” Then she frowned sharply, “You’re not expecting me to cook for this party of yours, are you? I told you, I don’t do parties.”
“Of course not, dear.” Paul gave her arm a reassuring pat. “We’re having it catered.”
“On twenty days’ notice?” Derrick’s eyebrows lifted. “Good luck with that. The only person we know who could do a turnaround like that is Bridget, and I suspect she’ll be a tad busy with the wedding.”
“What about that young fellow who did our grand opening? He turned out to be quite remarkable, despite the debacle with the hummingbirds which, to be perfectly fair, wasn’t entirely his fault. And I’m sure he’d do us a favor. After all, we practically made his career.”
“We did make his career,” Derrick assured him, “not to mention his fortune—or at least his wife’s. They’re moving to Dallas to open their own restaurant, I’m sure I told you. They’re calling it Annabelle’s.”
“Dallas,” murmured Paul, disappointed. “That is rather far.”
“We got a lovely note from them. Didn’t you see it?”
“Actually,” Paul said a little hesitantly, “we might not know a caterer, but we do know someone who knows every caterer on the east coast.”
“Do you mean …” Derrick straightened up from refluffing the pillows and looked across at him, his eyes clouding with dread. “Harmony?”
Harmony Haven had become a more-or-less permanent guest at the Hummingbird House. To say she was eccentric would be to damn with faint praise, but she was eminently connected in the hospitality industry and, despite her many flaws, had a way of always coming through in a pinch.
“It’s not,” Derrick went on quickly, “that she didn’t completely save us from certain doom the last time, and no one can deny that she’s more than capable of getting the job done but … seriously? Must we?”
“You know we’re not going to be able to keep her out of it,” Paul explained practically. “We may as well put her to good use.”
“Well, if that woman’s involved,” declared Purline with a decisive snap of her gum, “you can leave me out of it for sure.” She took the throw off the bed before Paul could stop her, shook it out, and folded it into a square. She glanced toward the window at the sound of tires crunching on gravel. “Your folks’re here. Fancy car. Look like big tippers.” She started toward the door. “Guess y’all want me to set out the good wine.”
“It’s all good wine,” Paul muttered under his breath, because it was hardly the first time he had told her so, while Derrick said, more pleasantly, “Thank you, Purline. That would be lovely.”
Then, with one last critical look around the room, they went to greet their guests.
~*~
Chapter Three
Children and Other Disasters
TO: [email protected]
FROM: [email protected]
SUBJECT: Wedding News
Lori,
You won’t believe it! We have a real wedding date, with a spreadsheet and a countdown and a to-do list and everything. It’s October 25, 4:00 p.m., on the hill overlooking the vineyard, with a reception to follow in The Tasting Table. We haven’t quite ironed out all the details but this time it’s really on!
“And that’s another thing,” Derrick said. “Who plans a wedding in a month?”
“Worse,” Paul said, “we’ve got to plan an engagement party in twenty days.”
Purline said, “My mama does sewing. She could get it done for you in half the time.”
Paul gave her a smile that he hoped wasn’t too condescending. “Thank you, Purline. But … well. It’s Vera Wang .”
Derrick said, aghast, “Twenty days?”
Purline shrugged. “Suit yourself. But she made twenty choir robes in two weeks last year. Everybody still says that’s the best-dressed choir in the county.” Then she frowned sharply, “You’re not expecting me to cook for this party of yours, are you? I told you, I don’t do parties.”
“Of course not, dear.” Paul gave her arm a reassuring pat. “We’re having it catered.”
“On twenty days’ notice?” Derrick’s eyebrows lifted. “Good luck with that. The only person we know who could do a turnaround like that is Bridget, and I suspect she’ll be a tad busy with the wedding.”
“What about that young fellow who did our grand opening? He turned out to be quite remarkable, despite the debacle with the hummingbirds which, to be perfectly fair, wasn’t entirely his fault. And I’m sure he’d do us a favor. After all, we practically made his career.”
“We did make his career,” Derrick assured him, “not to mention his fortune—or at least his wife’s. They’re moving to Dallas to open their own restaurant, I’m sure I told you. They’re calling it Annabelle’s.”
“Dallas,” murmured Paul, disappointed. “That is rather far.”
“We got a lovely note from them. Didn’t you see it?”
“Actually,” Paul said a little hesitantly, “we might not know a caterer, but we do know someone who knows every caterer on the east coast.”
“Do you mean …” Derrick straightened up from refluffing the pillows and looked across at him, his eyes clouding with dread. “Harmony?”
Harmony Haven had become a more-or-less permanent guest at the Hummingbird House. To say she was eccentric would be to damn with faint praise, but she was eminently connected in the hospitality industry and, despite her many flaws, had a way of always coming through in a pinch.
“It’s not,” Derrick went on quickly, “that she didn’t completely save us from certain doom the last time, and no one can deny that she’s more than capable of getting the job done but … seriously? Must we?”
“You know we’re not going to be able to keep her out of it,” Paul explained practically. “We may as well put her to good use.”
“Well, if that woman’s involved,” declared Purline with a decisive snap of her gum, “you can leave me out of it for sure.” She took the throw off the bed before Paul could stop her, shook it out, and folded it into a square. She glanced toward the window at the sound of tires crunching on gravel. “Your folks’re here. Fancy car. Look like big tippers.” She started toward the door. “Guess y’all want me to set out the good wine.”
“It’s all good wine,” Paul muttered under his breath, because it was hardly the first time he had told her so, while Derrick said, more pleasantly, “Thank you, Purline. That would be lovely.”
Then, with one last critical look around the room, they went to greet their guests.
~*~
Chapter Three
Children and Other Disasters
TO: [email protected]
FROM: [email protected]
SUBJECT: Wedding News
Lori,
You won’t believe it! We have a real wedding date, with a spreadsheet and a countdown and a to-do list and everything. It’s October 25, 4:00 p.m., on the hill overlooking the vineyard, with a reception to follow in The Tasting Table. We haven’t quite ironed out all the details but this time it’s really on!
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