Unexpected Inheritance

14

The day of the wedding had arrived.

The barn venue was supposed to be set up exactly as they planned—rustic elegance, soft lights strung across the beams, wildflowers on the tables, and enough space for their friends and family to celebrate. But when they arrived, something was off.

The decorations weren't theirs. The table arrangements were wrong, and the color scheme was nowhere near what Ben and Miranda had agreed on.

Ben stood in the middle of the barn, hands on his hips, jaw clenched as he looked around at the mess.

"What the hell is this?"

One of the coordinators—a frazzled-looking woman with a clipboard—hurried over. "Mr. Warren, I—"

"This ain't our setup," Ben cut in, his voice sharp. "Where's our setup?"

The woman swallowed hard. "There's been a mix-up. The venue was double-booked."

Ben's jaw clenched. "Double-booked?" His voice was rising. "This is my wedding day, and you're tellin' me someone else is usin' our damn venue?"

Meanwhile, Rosalind stepped in, placing a hand on Ben's arm. "Ben let's not yell just yet," she said in a soothing tone. "Let's figure this out first."

Ben exhaled sharply, running a hand over his face. "There ain't nothin' to figure out, Roz. They screwed us." He turned back to the coordinator. "Fix it."

"We're trying," she said quickly. "The other party arrived first, and we didn't realize the conflict until—"

"I don't give a damn who got here first" Ben shot back. "This is our venue,"

"I know," Rosalind said calmly. "And we're gonna fix it. But right now, you're not helping."

The event coordinator winced. "I—I can try to find another solution—"

"You better do more than try."

Ben stormed into the house where Miranda was getting ready, his boots heavy against the wooden floor.

Callie, fixing the final touches on Miranda's dress, turned in surprise. "Whoa, cowboy. You're not supposed to be in here. Bad luck to see the bride before the wedding."

Ben barely spared her a glance. "Is it bad luck to have another couple using our damn venue too?"

Arizona, who was adjusting Miranda's veil, froze. "What?"

Miranda turned to face him "Explain."

Ben ran a hand down his face, still fuming. "Venue double-booked. Whole damn place is set up for someone else's wedding."

Callie blinked. "You're joking."

Ben threw his hands up. "Do I look like I'm joking? Our barn is set up for someone else's wedding. The tables, the flowers, the damn seating chart—none of it is ours."

Miranda exhaled slowly, standing up. "Alright. Where's the event coordinator?"

"Trying to come up with a 'solution,'" Ben said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

Arizona glanced between them. "Well, there's gotta be a way to fix this, right? What are they saying?"

Ben scoffed. "Not enough."

Miranda let out a slow breath, pressing her fingers to her temple. "And you barged in here to tell me this because...?"

"Because we gotta figure this out"

Miranda stared at him for a moment, then shook her head. "No, Ben Warren. You have to figure this out. I'm about to get married. I am not fixing anything in this damn dress. You wanted a barn wedding. I said let's go to the courthouse."