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Abbi folded her arms on the table and rested her chin on them. “Good lord, what about Destiny?! She’ll have twenty more people to feed!” She buried her head in her arms.
“Ma...” Lane reached out his hand and shook his mother’s arm, when she looked up at him, he said, “I’ll help her with the food and I’m sure Luke will too. If we need more, I’m sure there are high school kids that will help. Just throw some cash at them.”
Abbi nodded. “Fine, yes that will work. But you and Lane are ushers and walking me down—”
“Ma. Stop worrying, we can manage both.”
Abbi instantly sat up. “Wait. Mark, Ava said she’s closing the spa today until after the wedding, right?”
“Yeah, that’s the plan anyway. Why?”
“What if you and her stay in one of the spare rooms there?” She turned and looked at her son. “And Lane, I hate to do this but... you too.”
“Abbi, no. You can’t make people move out of their homes for strangers,” Ben said, sitting a steaming cup before Lane.
“Do you have a better solution?” she asked.
“Let me see the list.”
He sat at the table and Abbi handed him the sheet of paper. “Okay so this isn’t so bad. Three of these are my cousins and their families. That’s fifteen people there. They could each have a bedroom; the kids will have to camp on the floor. Two are aunts, sisters, who will share a room. And the other three are my grandparents.”
He looked so proud of himself Abbi didn’t have the heart to bite his head off. Counting to ten, she finally said, “And your point?”
“This is a 7-bedroom house. If Lane will go for it...” he looked at Lane and said, “...believe me you don’t want to be here, he can stay at the spa or at Mark and Ava’s. You, Annabelle, and I will stay in the suite we have reserved at the inn.”
Mark smacked his hands together. “Now that’s an excellent idea!”
Abbi wiped a hand across her brow. “But... What will they do?”
Lane spoke up, “Who cares? Fill the fridge and bar, toss a few blankets on the floor, and let them have at it! They can’t expect anything more.”
“Exactly. They weren’t even invited. Not to mention the wedding isn’t for three weeks,” Ben picked up his cup and took a sip. “They clearly are taking advantage of a free vacation at our expense. There is no way in hell I’m paying for their stay at a 5-star hotel too.”
Abbi looked at her son. “Are you okay with staying at Mark and Ava’s?”
As far as Lane was concerned, he was okay going back to Windsor but didn’t say it. Instead, he looked at Mark, “No offence, but I’ll stay at the spa so I’m not in your and Ava’s way.”
Mark waved his hand, “Pfft, don’t worry about it. You’re welcome to stay wherever you want.”
Abbi smiled for the first time since printing the list off the computer. She threw her arms around Ben’s neck and kissed him repeatedly on his face, all while saying thank you over and over again.
She then jumped out of her chair and said, “I gotta call Kim and go pack.” With that she was gone from the kitchen.
“They aren’t coming for four days, what’s the hurry?” Mark asked, joining Ben and Lane at the table.
“She’s a woman, who knows what the hurry is,” Ben chuckled. “I’m just relieved, that she is, Abbi’s been under enough stress.”
Lane tapped the sheet of paper; he’d been reading it, and something didn’t add up. “This list. These people aren’t related are they Ben?”
A slow smile spread on Ben’s lips.
“Nope.” Then he laughed, “I don’t even remember them. Well except my grandparents and aunts.” He stopped for a minute then said, “Remind me to lock up the valuables with those two around.”
“Wait.” Mark, looked between the two of them. “How did you know, Lane? And how are you going to explain that to Abbi, Ben?”
“Easy, most of the ‘families’ all have different last names,” Lane said, sliding the paper in front of Mark to see.
“I’m not,” Ben answered. “And don’t either of you let on that you know if she asks.”
