Chesney Anderson didn't know anything about wedding venues or getting married but we had a venue in our family for generations. My mother ran it until she passed away unexpectedly and I was left to make people's wedding dreams come true.
With it nee...
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"Nice to meet you Stone but I still don't know who you are." I laughed.
"Oh sorry I talked to your brother at the gas station and he said you were needing a contractor."
"Yes! Oh, that's you?" I laughed.
"At your service." He chuckled.
"I'm sorry I am all over the place." I waved my arm.
"It's ok I only stopped because I saw a car as I was driving by."
"Yeah, I just got here and haven't even gone inside. I have only been to the venue and I could see some things needing fixed."
"Hazel and I had talked about it maybe a month ago but she kept putting off when to start but maybe we should go over things?"
"Got time? We can go inside and go over them now or you can stop by tomorrow." I said.
"Well I have a full plate tomorrow but I have my workbook with me and we can go over what she suggested." He shrugged.
"Sure sounds good."
Am I really letting a stranger in the house? Well, this isn't New York so I'm sure he's fine.
I unlock the door and he follows me in and there is the gardenia smell again.
I flip on a light and my breath kinda leaves me for a second.
"You ok?"
"Yeah, it's just weird." I sighed.
"I am sorry about your mom she was always nice to me."
"That makes one of us," I said.
He rubbed his hand across his face. "She always talked about you."
"I wish she would have talked to me. Do you know if she was sick?"
"If she was she didn't tell me." He shrugged.
I waved my hand in front of my face. "Never mind I'm sorry! Show me what you have?"
He pulled out a yellow piece of paper and started reading off what he had.
"I am sorry but that is all foreign to me." I laughed.
"How about I stop by sometime this week after the job I'm on and we can go over things?"
"That sounds more like it and I may add or change some things if that's ok."
"Yeah, that's fine with me. We will have the venue looking good as new."
"I appreciate that Stone." I sighed.
"I know this is all overwhelming Chesney."
The way he says my name makes my panties wet.
"We never saw eye to eye and for her to just die and be like here you go is a crock of shit but that's not your problem and I'm sorry that I said anything."
"It's ok. It's better to vent to a stranger than to hold it all in."
"Thanks! Clay doesn't seem to understand because none of this is on his shoulders and from what I understand there is a wedding this weekend."
"Well Whitney is good at her job and she will guide the way for you."
"I sure hope so."
"Whitney is my cousin."
"Small world right?" I laughed.
"You could say that." He chuckled and stood up.
"Thanks for stopping by Stone. Here take my number in case you need to get ahold of me."
He called so I would have his number.
"Have a nice night Chesney."
"Thanks in this creepy place surrounded by my mother's things." I rolled my eyes.
He laughed shaking his head as he walked back to his truck.
I stepped out on the porch and watched him leave and set down in a chair.
What a fine mess you have yourself in Chesney.
I scroll through my phone trying to see if that pizza place I love is still open but I can't remember the name so I text Clay.
📱 Clay that pizza place I love is it still open? 📱 Yeah sis they are inside my gas station now. 📱 Oh! Can I get the number or can I order online? 📱 Online but I will go place your order. Same thing you always got? 📱 Please pepperoni and pineapple. 📱 I will do it and I will bring it. 📱 Thanks, Clay. 📱 No problem sis.
I sit on the porch and just look around and realize it's so peaceful here but weird without mom talking ninety miles a minute.
The house we grew up in sold after dad died and I moved out and she moved here with Clay and he moved out the following year.
It wasn't long until Clay pulled up carrying a pizza smiling.
"Thank you so much Clay! I can't remember when I ate last."
"How can you forget to eat?" He laughed.
"It's easy when you live alone and work at night."
"How was the library at night on campus?"
"It was good. I got to read whenever I wanted basically."
"Nerd." He laughed.
"Asshole! Ohh speaking of that some strange guy drove up and scared me."
"Stone? Yeah, he's a nice guy."
"You could have warned me but we went over stuff mom had planned out to be fixed."
"He's good at what he does and not expensive."
"Good that's what we need. Oh, Clay where are her ashes?"
"At the Venu. I mean it was her happy place."
"I was just wondering."
"Are you going to be alright sleeping here?"
"I am not sure Clay."
"You know she died in her bedroom."
"Clay! I didn't know. How can I stay here?"
"Didn't think so. Follow me to my house you can stay with me."
"Are you sure?"
"Promise. Even I wouldn't want to stay here." He chuckled.
We cleaned up our mess and I grabbed my bag and took it out to the car and followed Clay to his house.
We pull up at his house and I laugh getting out. "You bought our old family home?"
"I sure did and Stone redid it for me. Come on in and see if you recognize anything."
When I walked in I was shocked. It looked nothing like I remembered.
