“You’re right, but spuds aren’t as interesting.”
“So tell me, is wedding planning really better than being in the great outdoors, producing food for the world?”
“Well, when you put it that way . . . yes, I enjoy it. All the blood, sweat, toil, and tears leading up to the final event, and then the look on the groom’s face when his bride says, ‘I do,’ and then the kiss, the reception, the cake.”
“Oh, gag me.” Wes made choking noises, and Bryn giggled.
“Hey, better quit knocking the wedding business,” Mom piped up. “Adri might be able to use some of Jenna’s creations from our Mashed Potatoes and Crafts website, and those clients pay top dollar.”
Wes glanced at me and then at Jenna. “Really? That’s great, sis.”
“Belly up to the bar, folks. Soup’s on.” My dad brought the steaming dish of ham fried rice to the table, and Mom followed with the chicken and stir-fried veggies. In the Pyper household, you didn’t need to be told twice that supper was ready. We gathered around the oversized table. After Dad said grace, we dug in. Bryn focused on picking the peas out of her rice and examining each one before chewing it. The meal reminded me of how boring it is to cook for one person. It was hard to want to go to the effort of making a nice meal for myself.
“Oh, I almost forgot. Tony says hello.” I waved my fork in Wes’s direction.
He nodded. “Tell him to keep an eye on you. Can’t believe he let someone rob you on his watch.”
“I’ll be sure to tell him.” Wes and Tony had teased each other mercilessly as boys. Not much had changed.
“Seriously, though. Be careful, Adri.” Wes held a forkful of chicken in midair. “Tony said people often get a false sense of security in small towns.”
“It’s not like I left my doors unlocked, but I am getting a security system installed today.”
“That’s a good idea,” Dad said.
Wes leaned in for a second helping. “When are we gonna see a ring on your finger?”
Jenna smacked his arm. “He means, are you dating anyone?”
Unbidden, Luke’s face came to mind, and I frowned. Then I thought of Dallas and replaced the grimace with a smile.
“Must be something going on with that look,” Wes said and earned another jab from Jenna.
I had purposely left Dallas out of the conversations with my mother. If there was one thing that irked her, it was that her talented twenty-six-year-old daughter, who ran her own wedding planning business, had not yet planned her own wedding. If Mom caught wind of the dates I’d been on with Dallas, she’d hound me nonstop for the next level of commitment.
I decided I’d tell my family about Luke in hopes of throwing Mom off the trail. My family waited for me to spill the details of my pathetically single life like a cat watching a canary. I lifted one shoulder and directed my gaze at Wes. “I met this good-looking guy. He was really nice and fun, and he asked me for my number.” I paused, to increase the anticipation, and Mom leaned forward. I cleared my throat. “And then I found out he’s a divorce lawyer.”
“So?” Wes said.
“So?” I glared at my brother. “Wes, that would be like you marrying a John Deere tractor salesman while wearing your favorite Massey Ferguson hat.”
My dad laughed and slapped his knee. “She got you there.”
“Carl.” Mom set down her fork. “Wes has a point. Adri, you should give this guy a chance. Being a divorce lawyer doesn’t mean he’s against marriage.”
That was my cue and my perfect out of this discussion. I lifted my chin. “Actually, according to Luke, that’s exactly what it means. He made fun of my occupation and said he didn’t believe in marriage.”
Jenna gasped. “He didn’t.”
I nodded and gave Wes a sharp look. Of course my brother could never let a simple explanation suffice. He shook his head. “Maybe he’s just saying that. You have to admit there’s a little pressure for a guy who wants to date a wedding planner.”
“I agree,” Mom said around a mouthful of food. “Give this boy another chance.”
My shoulders slumped. And now I’d have to tell them about Dallas. Mom wouldn’t be satisfied otherwise. My plan for discretion had backfired again. “I don’t have to worry about Luke. There’s another guy, Dallas, who’s interested in me and my wedding business.”
Mom clapped her hands. “Well, why didn’t you say so earlier?” She squeezed my hand, her brown eyes sparkling. I suppressed a groan along with my explanation for why I hadn’t shared any dating details with her.
Jenna murmured, “Because she doesn’t like Dallas. She likes Luke.”
I felt heat rise in my cheeks. Jenna’s piercing blue eyes were dancing with laughter. She lifted her eyebrows and giggled.
“I like Dallas. He’s very sweet. He took me to see Sasha Cohen at the ice show Thursday.”
“I think it’s time for dessert,” Dad said as he tugged on one of Bryn’s pigtails. “What do you say, Your Highness? Is it time for ice cream?”
Bryn’s cheers effectively changed the subject. Dad grinned in my direction and then headed for the freezer. I jumped up to follow him. “I’ll help.”
Jenna’s words and the look on her face had me undone. I did not like Luke Stetson. He was rude and insulting. It took more than a Harley Davidson Road Glide and a dimpled chin to impress me, even if he did like Smokehouse BBQ.
We all went outside for a walk after the ice cream. Jenna decided to take Bryn home to bed. “I’m exhausted. I’ll see you in the morning, Adri.”
Bryn gave me a sticky kiss, and I waved as they drove away. It was nearly eight-thirty and the temperatures were dropping, cooling off the earth. The click-shush sound of the sprinklers that watered the corner of Dad’s alfalfa field soothed my mind. Let my family think what they wanted about my life. It didn’t
