Into the Storm (Signal Bend #3)(11)

Katie and Jordan were more or less local, coming from Springfield, so none of the guests were staying over, but the whole inn was booked with the wedding party, who’d all checked in the day before. The wedding was the next afternoon. Today was the main crush of setup, so she’d encouraged the bride and groom to take their respective parties out for the day. The men had opted for a hunt (Shannon hoped like crazy nobody came back to the inn with a dead deer, but she was ready if they did), and the women were going into town for shopping.

Now, though, they were all in the dining room having breakfast, and Shannon was standing out on the front porch, enjoying the sharp, almost frosty chill of the fall morning, drinking her second big cup of coffee. God was smiling down on this wedding. It was a beautiful, clear day, the weather forecast showed nothing but clear skies for a week, and the leaves had decided to take on their brilliant fall wardrobe as if especially for Katie. Their gorgeous garden wedding, with flowers still abloom, would have a background of vivid fall foliage.

Everything was perfect but one thing: the horse and carriage. Lilli had bought a lovely used carriage, and Badger had painted and polished it to a high black gleam. It could not be better. But the fancy harness Lilli had ordered had been defective, and they’d had to send it back. The replacement was not in yet, and the harness that had come with the carriage was not attractive. It was worn and workaday, and no amount of flowery garland was going to make it better. Katie had indeed nearly swooned when Shannon had told her she could make her entrance to the garden in that carriage, and Shannon would hate for it not to be perfect.

As she stood there, looking out over the grounds, watching the horses running off their night’s sleep in the paddock, she saw Show’s pickup crest the rise on the long drive and head down toward the barn. It was early, and he was in his truck, so that meant work. Dare she hope? There seemed to be something in the bed of the truck. Oh, she hoped. She walked to the steps and stopped, watching, as he parked and yelled for Badger.

Badger came through the main barn door, and they both walked back to the truck bed and pulled back a tarp. Yes! The new harness! This wedding was going to be perfect and put the Keller Acres Bed & Breakfast on the map! Shannon couldn’t help herself. She did a little happy dance, shimmying her hips and shoulders, as she giggled.

When she got that out of her system, she looked back over to Show’s truck and saw him and Badger both staring at her, rooted in place. That was embarrassing. Oh, well. She decided to own it, and she lifted her mug and grinned. The barn was a ways off from the house, but she saw Badger turn fast, as if he’d been caught being naughty. Knowing him, his face was beet red. But Show—Show was smiling. She was sure of it. He gave her a nod, and he and Badge carried the harness into the barn.

She’d made him smile.

She turned and went back into the house, through the parlor and into the kitchen. The cook staff of three, including Beth, her chef, were winding up the breakfast meal and beginning to prep for the wedding meal. Trying not to get in their way, she searched the rows of shelves for the big picnic thermos. She didn’t see it.

From behind her, she heard Beth’s deep, smoky voice. “What, Shannon? We’re busy here.” She looked like a lunch lady and acted like a drill sergeant, but she was an amazingly talented, elegant chef and baker— nothing that resembled haute cuisine, but wonderful food, beautifully presented. She was town, and Lilli had hired her on word of mouth reputation. She’d never run a professional kitchen before this one, but she’d worked as a waitress at the Chop House. More to the point, she’d raised and fed six boys and seemed to be born for this job.

Technically, Shannon was Beth’s boss, but in the kitchen, she was an intruder. She turned and smiled.

“Looking for the big thermos. I want to take coffee down to the barn for the boys.”

Beth wiped her hands on her apron and pushed Shannon aside, sliding open a cabinet under the prep counter. She pulled out the big pump thermos. “Here. S’pose that means you’re draining the pot, too, then.”

Shannon hadn’t thought of that. She’d only thought of an excuse to go down to the barn. She supposed the harness itself was excuse enough. “Hadn’t thought of that. Never mind, then.”

But Beth was already filling the thermos. “It’s fine. I’ve got the other pot brewing anyway. But tell Badger I know how many damn muffins I bake, so he’s not gettin’ away with nothin’ when he’s sneakin’

around up here.”

Laughing, Shannon took the full thermos. “I’ll do that. Thanks. You need anything from me?”

“I do not.”

Shannon nodded and turned toward the door. But Beth called, “Shannon?”

She turned around. “Yeah?”

“How they gonna drink that coffee, you think?” Beth reached up and pulled a stack of big, disposable coffee cups from a shelf. “Here. They’ll have to drink it black, though.”

Shannon felt herself blush a little as she took the cups. “Black is probably fine.” Beth nodded and went back to her work, dismissing Shannon with a wave.

Shannon took the thermos and paper cups down to the barn, glad again that, despite the inn full of wedding party, she’d dressed casually for this day of hard work—low-heeled boots, boot-cut jeans, and a cardigan over a white button-down blouse, left untucked. She’d caught her hair off her face with a narrow silk scarf. Traipsing across the gravel and grass of the inn grounds in pumps was a good way to sprain an ankle, and today was a day she’d be doing a lot of traipsing.