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“Of course, that’s what I was thinking, too. China and silver from Gus’s kitchen, right?”
“Yes, he told me that Reginald will lay the tables, as usual.”
“Perfect. When will the cake be delivered?”
“Tomorrow in the late morning,” Jenna said. “That will give us time to add the flowers and the cake top. We’ll store it in the big walk-in refrigerator, which will be perfect because it will keep the cake and the flowers fresh.”
“That’s a good idea since we won’t have much time to do it the morning of the wedding. We’ll all be busy getting dressed and doing any final touches to the decorating before the final guests arrive. I keep forgetting to ask if you confirmed the final details with the minister,” Caitey said.
“Yes, Logan and I met with him last week. He’s the family minister, going way back since Mr. and Mrs. Hearst were children.”
“He must be ancient?” Caitey asked, raising one eyebrow in a humorous arch.
Jenna laughed, shaking her head. “I guess he was fairly young when they were kids, so he’s about seventy-five butnotninety yet!”
“Hey, I’m going to head out to check my car and make sure nothing was overlooked when the guys brought in the decorations yesterday. Nothing left hiding under the seat or in a dark corner of my trunk.”
“I’ll go with you. Two pairs of eyes are better than one, as they say.”
Jenna linked arms with Caitey and squeezed her hand. “I am so happy you’re here to dothis with me. It means the world. It feels like one of those adventures we used to make up when we were eight years old.”
“So true!”
A couple of minutes later, they reached her car parked in the lower garden near the fence line, where the lawns became dirt before the woods began.
Caitey popped open her trunk and rummaged around, but it was stark and empty. Then she opened all four doors, and the two of them looked under the seats and inside the seat pockets.
“Found something!” Jenna cried.
Caitey lay sprawled across the back bench seat, sticking her hands underneath to feel in the darkness. “What?”
“A picture frame of you and me when we were kids . . .” Jenna said slowly. “I’d forgotten about it. Weren’t we adorable back then? But why is it in the car?”
Caitey felt a blush rise along her face. “It’s not for the wedding, of course! I brought it to remind me to check and see if you wanted to put up some pictures of you and Logan on the table with the guest book. I found one that’s really beautiful. It wasn’t on the official list but consider it an early wedding gift.”
“Oh, that’s a great idea. I have an album of pictures from the past couple of years of dating. Never thought about putting up photographs.”
“We could create a collage against a background. Wedding guests always like to see the happy couple evolve in their relationship. Plus, it’s fun when there’s a couple ofsilly or goofy photos along with the professional studio shots.”
“I’ll put it together before I go to bed” Jenna said. “Won’t Logan be surprised?”
All at once, a chill wind rose from the northeast. The oaks and firs trembled in a sudden gust. The driver’s door slammed shut with a loud bang.
Caitey popped her head up again, sitting up in a hurry. “What was that?”
Jenna pulled the passenger door closed and gave a slight shiver. “Just a sudden burst of wind. Like a microburst. But gusting—and turning colder. Well, chilly, at least. After such a beautiful autumn, it’s hard to realize that winter is coming. But it usually doesn’t gethereon the mountain until closer to Christmas!”
Caitey closed the rear door where she was sitting and peered through the windshield. “Look at the trees moving,” she whispered.
The tops of the pines swayed as if a giant was shaking the branches, then suddenly stopped.
“I guess that’s our cue to go back inside,” Jenna laughed. “But what if that happens on my wedding day?”
“It won’t,” Caitey said quickly to reassure her. “I looked at the weather on my phone this morning, and it’s predicting the same nice autumn weather. Cool mornings and evenings, warm afternoons. Until closer to Thanksgiving—which is still three weeks away. Just one of those freakyCalifornia things.”
“California can be pretty freaky,” Jenna said as they reached the back door to enter by the kitchen. “But New Orleans runs a competitive second. Logan and I decided to live in New Orleans—at least for the next year while my second Coffee Loft is built.”
CHAPTER 12
