eggs.”
“Nope, nope, we have a rhythm going.” Edie backed her off. “Get some coffee and juice. Shoo.”
Lexi stopped dicing ham and grinned at Hope. “Just do as you’re told. Life’s easier that way.”
“Now there’s a smart girl.” Edie scooped up a handful of ham chunks from the bowl beside Lexi and dropped them into her skillet. “Thanks. That’ll go nice with the eggs.”
While Edie joined Rosie at the stove, Hope hovered by the coffeepot. “I feel like a prima donna, but thank you.” Sipping coffee would give her an excuse to gaze out the window. But although she took her time pouring and spent a while sipping, she saw nobody.
They were probably down in the meadow, setting up for the rehearsal. Having a wedding in front of a log cabin hadn’t made any sense to Hope until Phil had explained it. Last summer when Thunder Mountain Academy was in the planning stages, the decision had been made to add a fourth cabin to the three that had housed all the foster brothers years ago. Phil and Damon had met while working on the new cabin, so it was significant to them.
“The guys and Phil are setting up the tent,” Rosie said. She’d obviously guessed why Hope had been staring out the window. “They all ate earlier.”
“Sorry I’m such a sleepyhead.”
“No problem,” Edie said. “Right, Rosie?”
“No problem at all. Hope kept me company last night. We had a little bit of coffee and Baileys.”
“Oh, did you, now?” Lexi raised her eyebrows. “Have you found a new convert for your favorite beverage?”
“She has,” Hope said. “I’m ready to join the coffee and Baileys club.”
“Have at it.” Lexi shook her head as she continued to dice up ham. “It’s not for me, but when Chelsea gets here, you’ll have a quorum.”
Hope gazed at her. “How can you not like it? It’s like coffee on steroids.”
“Believe me, I tried for Rosie’s sake. I know how she loves that concoction, but it doesn’t work for me.”
“For me, either.” Edie came over with a plate full of eggs and a fork. “But if you were up with Rosie drinking coffee and Baileys, you need this. Now sit.”
Hope decided to do as Lexi had advised and follow directions. She sat and began eating her delicious eggs.
“I’m glad Phil’s down there with the guys,” Lexi said. “I hope she keeps an eye on Cade.”
“Why?” Mention of Cade immediately made Hope think of the condom he’d left. She wondered if Lexi knew he’d done it. “Is he likely to pull a practical joke?”
“Oh, he’s capable of that, too, but mostly I hope he doesn’t accidentally compromise the tent setup. We don’t want it coming down in the middle of the ceremony.”
“He means well,” Rosie said.
“I know he does, but that cowboy’s about as handy with tools as his cat, Ringo.” Lexi turned toward the gray tabby curled in his bed in the corner of the kitchen. “I take that back, Ringo. You’re probably better at it than Cade. I love that man, but I swear he doesn’t know a hammer from a hockey stick.”
“I do so!” The screen door banged, and boots clomped across the living room floor. “I also heard you say you love me.” Smiling, Cade walked into the kitchen and straight over to Lexi. “And in front of witnesses, no less. Any day now you’ll get down on one knee and ask for my hand.”
Lexi chuckled. “You’ll make me do that, too, won’t you?”
“You bet I will. I want this proposal done right. Whatcha got there?”
He reached toward the bowl, and she smacked his hand. “Nothing for you. Did you have a reason for coming in to bother us, or did they banish you from the work site?”
“I’ll have you know I’m the official messenger from the tent crew. They’re about to set up that latticed arbor thing we talked about as a backdrop for the ceremony, and we’d like both moms to come give us an opinion. Some of the guys are worried it’ll blow over if we get a good wind.”
Edie blinked,
“Nope, nope, we have a rhythm going.” Edie backed her off. “Get some coffee and juice. Shoo.”
Lexi stopped dicing ham and grinned at Hope. “Just do as you’re told. Life’s easier that way.”
“Now there’s a smart girl.” Edie scooped up a handful of ham chunks from the bowl beside Lexi and dropped them into her skillet. “Thanks. That’ll go nice with the eggs.”
While Edie joined Rosie at the stove, Hope hovered by the coffeepot. “I feel like a prima donna, but thank you.” Sipping coffee would give her an excuse to gaze out the window. But although she took her time pouring and spent a while sipping, she saw nobody.
They were probably down in the meadow, setting up for the rehearsal. Having a wedding in front of a log cabin hadn’t made any sense to Hope until Phil had explained it. Last summer when Thunder Mountain Academy was in the planning stages, the decision had been made to add a fourth cabin to the three that had housed all the foster brothers years ago. Phil and Damon had met while working on the new cabin, so it was significant to them.
“The guys and Phil are setting up the tent,” Rosie said. She’d obviously guessed why Hope had been staring out the window. “They all ate earlier.”
“Sorry I’m such a sleepyhead.”
“No problem,” Edie said. “Right, Rosie?”
“No problem at all. Hope kept me company last night. We had a little bit of coffee and Baileys.”
“Oh, did you, now?” Lexi raised her eyebrows. “Have you found a new convert for your favorite beverage?”
“She has,” Hope said. “I’m ready to join the coffee and Baileys club.”
“Have at it.” Lexi shook her head as she continued to dice up ham. “It’s not for me, but when Chelsea gets here, you’ll have a quorum.”
Hope gazed at her. “How can you not like it? It’s like coffee on steroids.”
“Believe me, I tried for Rosie’s sake. I know how she loves that concoction, but it doesn’t work for me.”
“For me, either.” Edie came over with a plate full of eggs and a fork. “But if you were up with Rosie drinking coffee and Baileys, you need this. Now sit.”
Hope decided to do as Lexi had advised and follow directions. She sat and began eating her delicious eggs.
“I’m glad Phil’s down there with the guys,” Lexi said. “I hope she keeps an eye on Cade.”
“Why?” Mention of Cade immediately made Hope think of the condom he’d left. She wondered if Lexi knew he’d done it. “Is he likely to pull a practical joke?”
“Oh, he’s capable of that, too, but mostly I hope he doesn’t accidentally compromise the tent setup. We don’t want it coming down in the middle of the ceremony.”
“He means well,” Rosie said.
“I know he does, but that cowboy’s about as handy with tools as his cat, Ringo.” Lexi turned toward the gray tabby curled in his bed in the corner of the kitchen. “I take that back, Ringo. You’re probably better at it than Cade. I love that man, but I swear he doesn’t know a hammer from a hockey stick.”
“I do so!” The screen door banged, and boots clomped across the living room floor. “I also heard you say you love me.” Smiling, Cade walked into the kitchen and straight over to Lexi. “And in front of witnesses, no less. Any day now you’ll get down on one knee and ask for my hand.”
Lexi chuckled. “You’ll make me do that, too, won’t you?”
“You bet I will. I want this proposal done right. Whatcha got there?”
He reached toward the bowl, and she smacked his hand. “Nothing for you. Did you have a reason for coming in to bother us, or did they banish you from the work site?”
“I’ll have you know I’m the official messenger from the tent crew. They’re about to set up that latticed arbor thing we talked about as a backdrop for the ceremony, and we’d like both moms to come give us an opinion. Some of the guys are worried it’ll blow over if we get a good wind.”
Edie blinked,
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