He swallows the lump in his throat and blows out a breath. “You’re a tough chick.”
I smile broadly. “I am, so start moving this damn plasterboard before I hurt you.” I smack his behind. “Now!”
It’s 5:00 p. m. when I finally take one last look around Pemberley. Cameron and I have cleared the family room and half of the downstairs today. We’re exhausted.
Owen has climbed trees and gotten into everything. The three of us are filthy dirty.
We walk down to the barn to get our things, and as Cameron loads himself up and disappears outside I stop and inhale my surroundings.
I love this stone barn. I love everything about it.
A thought crosses my mind and I go outside to look at the surrounding paddocks before I come back into the barn. It’s big enough, sitting at about thirty meters long and about fifteen meters wide, but… no, it couldn’t be possible.
Could it?
Cameron reappears through the doors.
“Cam.” I bite my bottom lip nervously. How do I say this? “I think I know where I want to get married.”
“Where, Bloss?” he mutters, distracted.
“Here. In this stone barn.”
His face falls in horror. “You can’t be serious.”
I smile, hopeful. “Completely.”
He shakes his head. “You’re obviously having some kind of dust-induced delusional episode. Get in the car.” He picks up the last of our bags. “Owen, get in the car, please,” he calls. “Where is he?”
We walk outside to see Owen sliding down a tree trunk at full speed.
Cameron’s eyes widen. “Be careful!” he calls in a fluster.
“Look, Cam.” I grab his hand and lead him back inside. “Just listen to me for five minutes, please. Just five minutes.”
He rolls his eyes.
I point to the back of the barn. “We could put a beautiful bathroom at the back for the guests.” I point to the front. “We could put a carpeted clearing at the front where we could stand and get married. There could be a carpet down the center to create an aisle, or we could get married outside under the big oak tree.” I run to the front of the barn as I try to pitch it to him. “We could rent beautiful seats, candles, lighting, and we could have musicians and fairy lights, too. Maybe circular tables with white chairs? We could employ caterers and hire a cocktail bar to put out on the lawn under the stars.” I look around in excitement. “Lots of fresh flowers.” I bounce up and down on the spot. “It could be so amazing.”
He stares at me blankly.
“And the gardens… we could have a working bee out there with potted plants and a decorated entryway. It would probably cost the same as those swanky places you looked at.” I shrug.
He looks around and exhales heavily. “Our guests won’t want to come all the way out here, Ashley.”
“The ones who matter will, and if they don’t want to come then good riddance to them anyway.”
I take his hand in mine. “Cam, I know you don’t like this farm yet…” My eyes search his. “But you will. I promise, you will. And I want to get married somewhere that’s sentimental to me, to us. Somewhere we’re still going to love in fifty years’ time.”
“Marrying me isn’t a big enough sentiment?”
I smile sadly. “Of course, it is.” I look around and exhale. “You’re right. It’s okay if you don’t want this.” I shrug. “I understand.” I smile and pick up the last of our bags. “It’s got to be a joint decision, Cam. This is your wedding, too, and if you want to then we can just keep looking for a venue.”
I walk out to the car and throw the bags into the trunk, then I strap Owen into his car seat. Cameron stays in the barn and I hold my breath. I know he’s walking around, considering what I said.
Please, please, please.
He walks down the pebble driveway and looks around as I sit in the car, watching him.
“What’s Dad doing?” Owen sighs. “Can we get McDonald’s on the way home? I’m starving. I want nuggets.”
I smile as I watch Cam doing his internal assessment. “Yes, baby. I’m getting a Big Mac,” I reply.
Cameron finally gets into the car and slams the door, and his eyes flick over to me. “You’re a pain in my ass, Tucker.” He sighs.
“That’s not a no.” I smile hopefully.
He starts the car. “It isn’t a yes, either.”
Cameron
I fasten the buttons on the white shirt I’m trying on. It’s Wednesday afternoon and I’m in a menswear boutique looking at suits for the wedding with Joshua and Adrian. This was the only time the three of us could coordinate the same time off work in the next few weeks. Jenna is dropping off Owen soon.
“Well, what was so bad about it?” Adrian asks through the door.
“You should see this farm, Murph. You’ll have a fucking conniption.”
“It can’t be that bad.”
“Yep. This suit is good,” Joshua calls out from his changing room.
“Leave it on. I want to see it,” Murph tells him.
“It’s worse than bad, it’s…” I shake my head as I try to find a word bad enough, but there isn’t one. “It’s bulldozer material.”
“And Ashley seriously wants you to do this up?” Adrian asks, surprised.
“Yes.” I roll my eyes as I pull up the suit pants and zip them up. “Something about us working hard for something and it being a family project or some crap.”
“Gray ties first, please,” Adrian calls.
I shake my head and retrieve the gray tie from the chair. “She thinks it will be good for me and Owen,” I reply.
The both stay silent as they dress.
“She says that just because Owen has a dad with money, she won’t let him become spoiled, and she wants to him appreciate non-materialistic things… or something.” I wrap the tie around my neck, frowning as I look at it. “How does this tie go again?” I ask.
“Ha,” Adrian cries. “I love that girl, and it’s a cravat. Hang on. I’ll tie it.”
“Yeah, well, if you love it so much then you get married in this bad version of Old McDonald Had a Farm!” I snap. “I get why she likes it, but seriously, this is going too far.”
I hear Joshua chuckle in his changing room. “Blake loves that song,” he snickers.
“Now she wants to get married in the barn…” I continue. “And I know how much she loves it so, obviously, I feel bad if I don’t let her have it there.” I shake my head in disgust. “I’m getting fucked up against the wall here…” I mutter. “Damned if I do and damned if I don’t.”
“What was the old lady’s name? The one who left her this house?” Joshua asks.
“Gloria,” I answer.
Joshua laughs. “So, effectively, Gloria left you a glory hole and you’re the receiver.”
Adrian chuckles. “Good one.”
“Fuck off,” I snap. “Although it’s completely true.” I pull my jacket on over my shoulders. “Ass-fucked. And there’s another problem…” I add.
“What now?” Adrian asks.
“If we do have the wedding at the farm… where will we have our wedding night?” I shake my head at my predicament. “I want to take her someone nice for our first night together. I’m not spending my wedding night on a damn blow-up airbed in some barn.”
They both laugh at my misfortune.
“Well…” Adrian thinks for a moment. “You could do up the master suite.”
I frown as I process his suggestion.
“Oh my God. Yes. Do it up for her yourself in secret and surprise her with it on the wedding night as a gift.”
I raise my eyebrows at the possibility.
“Huge brownie points. Fucking huge,” Joshua says. “She would go ape if you did that for her.”
“I wouldn’t even know where to start, though,” I reply.
“Happy wife, happy life, Cam…” Joshua murmurs.
Hmm. I guess that would be kind of cool to do for her. She would love it.
We all open the changing room doors at the same time and step out into the store to stand in a line in front of the mirror. Adrian smiles broadly, and Joshua slaps me on the back. “This is it, big boy.”
Adrian secures our cravats and we all look at our reflections again. “Vests or no vests?” I ask.
“Vests,” Adrian replies as he fusses with my tie. “But yours will be white,” he adds.
I scrunch up my face. “I’m not a fan of a white vest, I’ll feel like a pigeon. I think black.”
“Black vest, black bowtie,” Adrian replies.
“Okay, so where are the bowties?” I ask.
“Dad!” Owen calls as he runs into the store and jumps into my arms.
“Hey, buddy.” I laugh as I catch him and kiss his perfect little head. “You ready to try on your suit?” I ask as I tickle his ribs.
“Uh-huh.” Owen smiles goofily. He slaps hands with Joshua and Adrian in a greeting.
“Hey, big guy.” Joshua rubs his hair affectionately.
Jenna’s hands go to her mouth in excitement as she sees me. “You look gorgeous, Cam.” She smiles.
“Hi, Jenna.” I smirk as I lift the little black suit hung on a hanger from the back of my changing room door. “We going to try this on, Owen, so we can be ready for our wedding?”
“Yes!” Owen cries out in excitement. “Mom’s going to love us in these.”