Ada flees the building to the safety of her car. She’s backing out of the parking space when Casey appears at the passenger window.
Ada puts the car in park and rolls down the window. “My head is spinning. Did I just get shanghaied into a large wedding?”
Casey sticks her head into the car. “Daniel tried to shanghai you, but you stood your ground. You haven’t committed to anything yet. Don’t let him bully you, Ada. I have a feeling he’ll concede to a small wedding.”
Ada stares down at her steering wheel. “I shouldn’t let him get under my skin. Especially when he’s . . .” Her voice trails off as tears well in her eyes.
“I know you’re overwhelmed, and I’m happy to help. If you need to bounce ideas off of me or want me to go wedding dress shopping with you. Maybe someplace closer than New York.”
Ada looks up at her. “Thanks. That means a lot coming from you.”
An impish smile crosses Casey’s lips. “Does this mean we’re friends?”
Ada laughs. “It means we’re entering friendly territory. We’re far from being besties.”
“I consider that progress,” Casey says, stepping away from the car.
The tension eases from Ada’s body as she drives off. After everything that’s transpired between them, is it possible she and Casey could become friends? Ada certainly hopes so. She could use a friend right now.
When she arrives at the equestrian center and parks her car at the stable, Bud is standing at the arena railing, staring at a spot off in the distance. He’s so preoccupied, he doesn’t acknowledge her presence.
She sidles up to him and says, “Are you okay, Bud?”
He startles, his hand gripping his chest. “Ada! I didn’t hear you.” He angles his body toward her. “I just heard some distressing news. It’s about Daniel. I’m not sure if it’s true.”
Ada sighs. “It’s true. He broke the news to us last night. How’d you find out?”
“Ruthie overheard one of her customers, a staffer at Love-Struck. Daniel and I have had our differences in the past, but I would never wish this fate on my worst enemy. How’s he handling it?”
“Surprisingly well. He’s determined to make the most of the time he has left. That includes hosting my wedding at Love-Struck.”
His face falls. “I see.”
“It’s been a stressful morning. Any chance I could trouble you for a cup of your lavender tea?”
“Of course. Let’s go inside.” He steps aside, motioning for her to walk ahead of him.
When they reach the house, they cross the porch and enter the open french doors to the kitchen. Ada takes a seat at the counter, watching as Bud fills the tea kettle and places it on the stove. He is the only man she knows who drinks hot tea, let alone makes his own special brew. But his is the best she’s ever tasted and works wonders at calming her nerves.
Ada plants her elbows on the table and clasps her hands together. “I haven’t forgotten about your generous offer to host my wedding. But I’m feeling caught in the middle. Ever since I was a small girl, Daniel and I have dreamed about my wedding day.” She snickers. “I no longer care about that fairytale. But it seems so important to him. I don’t know how I can turn him down.”
Bud scoops loose tea into two stainless steel pods and places the pods in mugs. “This is your wedding, Ada. Don’t let Daniel use his disease to coerce you into anything you aren’t ready for.”
“I’m totally ready to get married. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what kind of wedding I want. Having three hundred virtual strangers witness my most intimate moment seems intrusive. Enzo wants to elope to a tropical destination. I was against the idea at first. But now it seems so reasonable, a wedding and a honeymoon all tied into one neat package.”
“An elopement would certainly solve your problem with Daniel,” Bud says, returning the kettle to the stove.
“We’ll see. I’m hoping he’ll agree to scale down the guest list. I haven’t agreed to anything yet.”
“If you decide to go through with it, just make sure I’m on the guest list,” Bud says, wagging his finger at her.
She smiles at him. “I will, for sure.”
When the tea finishes steeping, they take their mugs outside to the rockers on the porch. They sit for a minute in silence. “I’m sorry, Bud. But with planning a wedding and opening the wine shop, now is not the best time for me to commit to working for you.”
“I totally understand, and I’ll manage fine on my own. I mainly wanted to show you the ropes in case something happens to me. Which doesn’t seem such a far-fetched idea given Daniel’s diagnosis.”
“Nothing is going to happen to you.” Ada inhales a deep breath. “But since you mentioned it, I’d like for you to remove me from your will as heir to the farm. Everything has happened so fast. Maybe we can revisit the issue in a few years when we’re more comfortable with our new family dynamics.”
“If you’re sure that’s what you want,” Bud says without hesitation.
“It’s best for everyone involved,” Ada responds, even though it’s not at all what she wants. It’s what Stuart wants. Ada had anticipated more pushback from Bud, even had her argument ready.
An awkward silence settles over the porch while they drink their tea. Finally, Ada stands. “I should go. Enzo and I need to decide about this wedding.”
Bud remains seated. “Don’t be a stranger.”
“I won’t.” After returning her cup to the kitchen, she hurries away from the house, feeling as though she’s leaving a piece of her heart behind.
* * *
Ada is surprised to find Sheldon’s pickup truck in Enzo’s driveway. When she enters the house, loud voices draw her to the kitchen where Enzo and Sheldon are cooking fajitas. She stands in the doorway watching Sheldon slice peppers while Enzo cooks chicken in a grill pan on the stove. They’ve grown closer since Enzo’s been working for Ollie. Watching them now, they seem like old friends.
Ada drops her bag on the counter and hugs Enzo from behind. “I thought you had to work.”
Enzo cranes his neck to kiss the top of her head. “I finished early, and Sheldon wanted to see the wine shop.”
“And then I got hungry, so here we are.” Sheldon hunches his shoulders up to his ears like a naughty little boy feigning innocence.
Ada pokes her brother in his belly. “You’re always hungry.”
“It’s worse since now that we’re eating for two,” he says, crunching a slice of yellow pepper.
Ada rolls her eyes. “You’re ridiculous. When did you learn to cook?”
“Since I married Ollie. She’s a disaster in the kitchen.” Sheldon wipes his hand on a towel. “I enjoy your fiancé’s company. I approve of your marriage.”
Ada rests her head on Enzo’s shoulder. “Did you hear that? Sheldon approves of us. We can get married now.”
“I heard,” Enzo says, flipping the chicken breasts over. “Speaking of weddings, how was the meeting with Daniel?”
Dropping her arms from his waist, Ada retrieves a lemon LaCroix from the refrigerator and sits down at the counter. “There are two dates available. I lobbied for Thanksgiving weekend, and he insisted on the end of October. He agreed to reduce the guest list to three hundred, but that still seems huge to me. I told him I needed to think about it. I’m still not convinced this is the right thing for us.”
Sheldon tosses his sliced vegetables in a saute pan. “I missed something. I thought you two were waiting a year to get married.”
“We’ve been talking about moving the wedding up. Obviously, we’d like to do it on our terms, not Daniel’s,” Ada says and explains about their father’s dying wish.
Sheldon turns off the heat, slides the pan to the back of the stove, and comes around to Ada’s side of the island. “I used lunch as an excuse to come over and check on you. I admit, I can’t believe Dad invited you to the meeting yesterday, after the way he’s been treating you.”
“He’s had a change of heart. He wants me back in his life.” A thought occurs to Ada. “Which makes perfect sense now that I think about it. He’s atoning for his sins. With terminal cancer, he must be wondering where he’ll land in the afterlife.”
“So your forgiveness is his ticket to heaven,” Enzo says, placing a platter of fajitas and three plates on the counter in front of them.
“Something like that,” Ada says.
Sheldon reaches for a flour tortilla. “In his defense, discovering you’re not his biological daughter has been hard on Dad. Although, I agree, he had a funny way of showing it. He wants you back because he loves and misses you.”
“Ha. He wants me back because he’s jealous of Bud. He can’t stand for anyone else to be my father.”
Sheldon adds chicken and vegetables to his tortilla, rolls it up, and takes a bite. With his mouth full, he says, “You must feel like a yo-yo being pulled in so many directions.”
“You have no idea. Bud and I were just figuring out how we fit into each other’s life when . . . Never mind.” Her relationship with her father is none of Sheldon’s business.
Sheldon gobbles down his fajita and reaches for another tortilla. “This wedding could be a great thing for Dad. The planning will occupy his mind, and the event itself will bring the whole family together one last time.”
“Geez, Sheldon. Do you have to be so morbid?”
“I can’t help it,” Sheldon says. “The situation is morbid.”
Ada eyes the plate of food, but she has no appetite for fajitas. She slides off her stool and goes to the refrigerator for a container of blueberry yogurt. Standing across the counter from them, she says, “You’re quiet, Enzo. What do you think of all this?”
He looks up from his plate. “I’ve already told you. I’ll marry you anytime, anywhere.”
Ada drags her spoon around the yogurt container. “I’ll go along with it, if Daniel will agree to a small, informal affair.”
“That’ll never happen,” Sheldon says. “You know how Dad loves to throw a party. There are worse things than being a princess for a day.”
She glares at him. “Easy for you to say. You don’t have to be the major attraction at the circus.”
“What are you talking about? I just got married two weeks ago.” Sheldon lifts his left hand, showing off his wedding band.
“It’s different when you’re the bride.” Ada slams the yogurt container down on the counter. “All right! I’ll do it! But only because I’ll feel guilty for the rest of my life if I don’t.”
Sheldon’s expression is solemn. “That’s true. You will.”
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” she asks Enzo.
“Absolutely,” Enzo says. “I’m great with this. All I care about is being married to you.”
Ada blows him an air kiss. “You and I are going somewhere far away with white sandy beaches and plenty of glorious sunshine on our honeymoon.”
Enzo beams. “Now you’re talking.”
“Looks like I’m going to Washington, wedding dress shopping, tomorrow.”
“I’ll go with you,” Enzo volunteers.
“No, you won’t either. You can’t see my dress until our wedding day. I’ll get Casey to go with me, since she volunteered.” Ada grabs her phone and thumbs off a text to Casey.
“Yes,” Sheldon says, punching the air. “I knew the two of you would one day become friends. Dad will be thrilled.”
“I’m not doing it for Daniel. I’m doing it for me.”