Kresley’s phone dinged an incoming text and she and Cade watched a short video someone took of her sisters and Grace, all standing close together, clutching the two microphones on stage, looking into a TV screen in front of them, belting out “Like a Virgin”. Birdie leaned towards the phone camera and pointed a finger and said into the microphone, “This one’s for you Big Sexy! Cade and Kresley, forever.” The song ended and a new one began, which was Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’. Cade and Kresley died laughing. “My family is completely nuts.”
Kresley snuggled back into Cade’s arms, loving the feel of his hands stroking her, his breath sweet and hot on her neck, his lips soft as they left a trail of kisses behind and his love, wonderfully wrapped around her heart. Thank you, mama and daddy, for sending this man to me. He came at just the right time. Not just for me, but for all of us. Your girls are going to be okay. I promise.
Chapter Twenty
Kresley drove her car through downtown Atlanta, on her way back from a meeting she had with a future vendor for some wedding events for the area. Kres was excited about this new vendor and the future of Whimsy Events. It meant that they would have a new outlet to house future weddings and other events in a unique, modern setting. Kresley hated driving on I-285 at this time of day. So much traffic and so many people who had no clue how to drive. She could hear Francie in her head saying, “always watch the other driver Kresley. Don’t trust them. Only trust your own driving.” All of that was very true, unless you were riding with Gertie, who couldn’t drive worth a darn. So, riding with Gertie anywhere besides through the McDonalds Drive Thru was a gamble.
The ringing of her cell phone came across the radio of her car. Kresley paused to answer the call on her steering wheel. “Hello?”
“Hey baby. Where are you at?”, Cade asked. Kresley smiled, loving the sound of his deep, soothing voice through the speakers of her car. She needed to record him reading her a book or something so she could listen to him on drives like this. Maybe he needed to get a job with that meditation app, Calm.
“I’m just now merging on to I-285, heading back toward home. Traffic is awful today. This is a time when I wish I had my own helicopter or something. But your voice helps make it more tolerable. Sing something for me.”
“Sing? Seriously? Not going to happen sweets. But I’ll talk to you all day long if that’s what you want. Tell me what you thought of the venue? Is it big enough for you to use?”
“I think so. It can house up to 400 people without exceeding fire marshal code limits. So that’s a lot of bodies that can be in the same place for any major event. The kitchen is commercial grade, so perfect for any incoming caterer to use and the outside garden area is perfect for the smaller events. I’m excited and nervous. I mean, taking on bigger events than what we do now is a little daunting. What if I’m not enough to handle it?”, Kresley stated hesitantly. She hated when she doubted herself or her abilities. But there it was, all the same. Big bad, Red was a big pile of mess inside.
“Baby. You’ve got this. You and your tribe of women can easily take on the large events just the same as any other event company. I believe in you Kresley. You just need to believe in you, too. What if Birdie sat in front of you right now and put herself down in the way she takes photos? Her saying she stinks at it, that she doesn’t capture anything worthwhile? Would you let her keep talking or would you have already slapped her in the back of the head? Yeah, I don’t have to see your face to know what the answer would be. You wouldn’t put up with her saying stupid stuff like that, so I’m not going to put up with you saying ridiculous things about yourself that aren’t true. You are so smart, baby. And funny. Let’s not forget sexy as hell. But most of all, you’re genuine in your creative talents and how you make other people feel with the weddings that you put together. I’ve seen it first hand now and I’m always wowed by your talent.”
“Thanks, Big Sexy. You just made my day. No, my week. Probably my whole year. I don’t care what Birdie says about you, you’re a keeper”, Kresley stated, grinning as she waited for what Cade would say next.
Cade grunted, murmuring something probably horrible about Birdie. “Your sister, well, she’s one of a kind. I went by her apartment building today like she asked me to. I have no clue why she thinks I’m some kind of handy man that can fix what her landlord can’t get to yet. Like I know how to rewire electrical stuff. I’m law enforcement, not an electrician.”
“Listen honey, what you need to understand is that Birdie is a very self-sufficient, independent woman. She doesn’t really need you doing anything for her. She’d hire it done if she wanted to. What she’s trying to do is get you involved with her and the rest of the tribe. She wants to be sure you feel included and that your needed by females who are, for the most part, Amazon women who can do most things on their own. She may be the youngest and a relentless smart-ass, but Birdie feels things much deeper than any of the rest of us. She was hit the hardest when our parents died. She was daddy’s girl, the baby and when she abruptly didn’t have
