Caleb's Blessing(29)

“Look boss I was talking to Ms. Amanda a couple days ago and I got out of her that she’s always wanted a garden of her own but never had the chance...”

Just then she came slamming out the backdoor with her hair wild around her shoulders and her face pink from the heat in the kitchen.

“Look Ms. Amanda, we’ve dug the garden for you, all you have to do is put in your rose bushes, later the boys and I’ll get you some peonies and that other stuff you said you liked.”

“Oh Simon you did all this?”

Simon? What the fuck? I folded my arms and raised my brow at him the sneak, trying to steal my woman with fucking dirt.

“Come here Amanda.” My voice didn’t give anything away but still she looked at me with a surprised look on her face. It didn’t help that the assholes started laughing one after the other.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you wanted a garden baby?” I spoke softly so that our nosy audience wouldn’t hear.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know they would do this, I can put it back the way it was if...”

“Don’t be silly of course you can have your garden. Is there anything else you’re keeping from me?”

“No.” she relaxed and my heart hurt a little at the idea that someone had denied her something as simple as a garden.

“Are you sure sugar?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” She seemed so excited over such a small thing it made me wonder what else she’d been denied in her young life.

“You fools can get back to what you were doing, I’ll take it from here.” I’ll take care of their asses later for trying to show me up in front of my girl again.

“I have something to take care of before we get started, give me five minutes.” I kissed her forehead before heading inside.

I rolled my eyes as I punched in the number because I could already imagine how this particular conversation would go.

“Mama I need a favor. Now what we’re about to discuss doesn’t go any farther than the two of us until I say different, well except dad, you’re going to tell him anyway.

“What is it son, you sick?”

“No mama don’t freak, no this is good news. I need great grandma’s engagement ring.” I had to move the phone away from my ear at her scream. So much for keeping it quiet. I’m pretty sure she’d just alerted the whole household.

“When, who, oh my you have to bring her home to meet your dad and I.” She started rattling off all the things I had to do and I couldn’t get a word in edgewise.

“Mama calm down, I haven’t asked her yet, I plan to as soon as I get the ring. I don’t want what happened yesterday happening again ever...”

“Oh we’ll have a summer wedding, next year. It’s the earliest we can do with such short notice.”

“It’s summer now what’re you saying? That I have to wait a whole year before I can make her mine? That’s not gonna work. By next summer you’ll be holding one grandkid with another on the way.”

“Really Caleb Dunbar, the poor girl isn’t one of your breeding heifers. Did she agree to this?”

“Did dad ask your permission?”

“That’s different as you well know. Your dad and I are from another time, things are done differently these days.”

“I don’t think so, have Reeves run the ring over.”

“Oh but...”

“Not yet mama, I want her to be a little more confident when I let you lot loose on her. My ring on her finger should take care of that.

Not to worry mama, you’re going to throw her the biggest party this town ever saw, I want you to pull out all the stops. I’m gonna get some ideas from her, secretly of course, I want it to be a surprise but it must be soon, can you handle that?”

“Of course, but you know if I do up her engagement more than your sister in law’s there will be no peace in the family for quite some time.”

She said it almost jokingly but I heard the ring of truth in her words. “Whatever you did for her I want double for Amanda. It’s her right as the wife of the eldest son after all isn’t it?”

I said that shit playfully too, but my mom knows me, so I’m sure she knew I was serious as a judge.

I wasn’t about to let anyone make her feel like she did yesterday, ever again. As soon as I put my ring on her hand things are gonna change around here.

It’s not like we spend a lot of time in town, but it’s not like we lived a million miles away either. There were plenty of folks who’ve been dying to see the inside of my place.

I’m sure Amanda would love to throw some of those fancy parties mama’s known for. I just have to run it past the boys first, make sure they won’t shoot the guests on sight seeing as how they have no fucking manners.