Come Home To Me (Wild Creek Ranch Book 1)

Chapter Thirty-Five - Gearing Up For The Big Day

The next day, Adelaide sat with Rhett's family to plan the decorations. Uncle Kendrick suggested a popular decorator whom he knew and called him over. They finalized the guest list and busied themselves with the invitation cards. Granny called River and her brothers, who promised to arrive three days ahead of the wedding.

Seven days ahead of the wedding, they planned the pre-wedding parties with a lot of enthusiasm. Rhett's granny and mom hosted Adelaide's bridal shower party and invited her friend Stacey Fischer and Ember too. In the evening, granny Stacey arrived with Ember, who looked angelic in a white fleece dress, paired with boots, her hair tied up in her signature bun. "Hey, Ember. Thanks for coming," said Adelaide, glad that she hadn't opted out as she had feared. After that last outing to Helena, she hardly got any opportunity to talk to Ember.

Ember smiled with a helpless shrug. "Granny dumped this dress upon me and pulled me along with her." Adelaide grinned at granny Stacey, who winked at her and she instantly remembered their last conversation. She welcomed granny Stacey and escorted her inside towards granny Emma who had also come along. The three of them apparently knew one another and immediately sat planning and plotting together.

They were hosting the event in the empty barn where she and Rhett had a date five years back before she left for New York. It was a special place that brought back sweet memories of the evening they had spent in each other's arms. The whole place was lit up with beautiful lights and balloons and there was food served on rustic tables, music, seating arrangements, a dance area in the corner, a drinks bar, everything. The moment they switched on the music, the girls hit the dance floor, all except Ember, of course. She just watched everyone with a small smile playing on her lips.

They all showered Adelaide with gifts, and the three grannies blessed her with lots of babies, much to her embarrassment. There was music, laughter, food, dancing, and they all had their share of fun. Ember walked out of the barn into the darkness, feeling out of place amongst all this. It brought back bitter memories of another wedding, one that she wanted to forget! Feeling claustrophobic, she walked along the grassy meadows, but she felt a strange restlessness. She was sure that someone was following her.

The party went on till ten o'clock at night. Afterwards, the guests left, and the women returned home to see everyone sitting in the living room, looking stressed and worried.

"What happened?" asked aunt Katherine.

"We've found Sawyer. He's in Mexico. He isn't well and dad, Keith and I are going tomorrow morning to bring him home," said uncle Kevin. A sob escaped aunt Katherine while Renée ran to her room. Closing the door, she sank down to the floor as uncontrollable sobs escaped her mouth.

Rhett drove granny Emma and Adelaide home. Everyone was worried about Sawyer and prayed for his welfare.

The next day, they brought Sawyer home. It was already late when they arrived, but they had to summon a doctor, as Sawyer's condition wasn't hopeful. It seemed Sawyer had pneumonia from overworking himself under harsh weather. The doctor immediately advised them to admit him to Fordsville hospital, and they rushed him in the middle of the night. Rhett and uncle Kevin stayed back with him at the hospital. It took Sawyer three days to regain consciousness and get better. When they finally brought him home, his eager eyes searched for only one person whom he was dying to see. He was too weak to do anything but sleep in his room and the whole family came to see him and spend time with him except the one person who he really wanted to catch a glimpse of.

Renée didn't go to meet Sawyer even once, being upset that he suddenly left her and went away. For years, she lived a life devoid of any enjoyment, like a corpse neglected by the one she loved the most. She had learnt to live with her unrequited love and wouldn't burden him with her unwanted feelings. He didn't want her and she wouldn't show her wretched face to him. She roamed around half-heartedly, all enthusiasm having drained out of her body.