Page 76 of Filthy Twisted Devil

Tomorrow, I’ll have to spend the whole day with Luke. He promised to help me clear all the junk and boxes out of the old barn house so I better visualize the wedding layout. We’ll be there for hours, while I watch Luke haul around heavy boxes, his muscles flexing, sweat shimmering lightly on his brow. The whole time, I know I’ll be remembering my hand between my legs, fingering myself while his name echoed over and over in my head.

32

LUKE

“The seating would go here,” Eden says, gesturing to the five folding chairs standing in a row on the barn floor. “These match the size of rental chairs Brinley picked, so with rows on each side of the barn and a five-foot aisle, we’d have to knock down those old stable walls to accommodate the number of guests.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem,” Rose says. “They're practically falling down as it is.”

Rose and I follow Eden through the barn, listening as she points out how she plans to transform the space. She called this tour a “rough rehearsal” for the virtual tour she’ll do later with Brinley, even though calling any part of this “rough” would be a complete lie. I’ve sat through plenty of presentations for Twisted Devil events, and none of them were as polished and professional as Eden’s practice run.

It’s a treat, watching her be so casually excellent.

“The walls need to be treated, too,” Eden says. “They need new lacquer and a few holes patched up. I’d rather not pass that cost on to Brinley, since it’ll need to get done anyway. I’m not sure whether it’s in the ranch budget for the year, though.”

“Fortunately, I happened to give birth to three free laborers,” Rose says. “You pick out the varnish, and I’ll have the boys find a weekend to do it. As for the stable walls, you can have Reed knock them down tomorrow, if he’s not too busy.”

“He’ll definitely be too busy, getting up to some nonsense I don’t even want to know about.” Eden sighs. “Better ask Jasper instead.”

“I can help,” I offer. “I don’t have any technical expertise, but I can sling a sledgehammer if you need me to.”

“I don't think we're quite in sledgehammer territory, but I'm sure Jasper would be happy to hand you a pry bar,” Eden says, smiling. She turns back to her mom. “I was thinking of gathering wildflower bouquets to tie at the end of all the aisles. That way, when people walk outside and see the prairies in the background, it'll be like a continuation of the interior decor. We'd also hang the same large twinkle lights we use outside in here along the rafters.”

Eden walks us through her vision, a marriage of the rustic barn interior and the wild rolling fields outside. Even in the old dusty barn, her descriptions are so vivid it's easy to imagine them coming to life. I'm in awe watching her work.

Sometimes, when I'm deep in a project at Twisted Devil, I think to myself, this is exactly what I was meant to do with my life. That no matter what other mistakes I've made, I'm exactly where it was meant to be. I have a feeling that when she works, Eden often feels the same thing.

Other people would probably say that makes us workaholics. The truth is, we both built lives that we’re in love with.

I don't realize I've wandered off in thought until Rose asks, “Don't you think so, Luke?”

Quickly, I jerk back to reality. “Oh, yeah. Definitely.”

“So you think Brinley should come in on horseback?” Eden says dryly.

“Well, I can't think of a better ring bearer than Rainbow Sprinkles.”

“What you've planned is lovely, dear,” Rose says. “I'm sure Brinley will love it.”

“I hope so.” For the first time all night, Eden looks unsure. “She's been waiting a long time for a wedding. I'm sure she has a lot of expectations for me to live up to.”

“Hey. If she gives you shit, I’ll give her a noogie and make her smell my sweaty armpit,” I say. “That's what I used to do when she copped an attitude with me.”

“Oh, you are too much,” Rose says, laughing. “I’d better get back up to the house. If I don’t finish my mystery novel tonight, Jasper’s going to steal it before I find out who did it.”

Eden bends to kiss her mom on the cheek. “Good night, Mom.”

Rose starts turning around, but halfway through, her wheelchair jerks. “Damn it,” she mutters, shaking the left wheel slightly. “This damn wheel has been giving me trouble.”

“You should have said something, Mom.” Eden’s voice sounds alarmed, but as usual, Rose waves it off.

“I’ll have Reed take a look at it tomorrow,” she says.

“But this isn’t the first time something broke on it. We should⁠—”

“You should let me handle it,” Rose says. There’s an implicit command in her voice, the kind only a mother can convey. Eden ducks her head in reluctant acceptance, then turns to me.

“Do you have a minute, Luke?”