by Holly Martin
What was lovely was that many of the villagers unexpectedly turned up at the hearing to celebrate the moment with them too. Afterwards, many of them passed their congratulations on to Leo as well as her, which helped to reassure him that many people wanted this for him as much as he did. Most of them had seen how Leo had been with her and Elliot over the last year and a half. Obviously, not everyone in the village thought he was a rotten apple after all and their support clearly meant the world to Leo.
Isla had sold Hot Chocolate Cottage and, complete with Elliot, Luke and twelve tons of toys and books, she had moved in with Leo. He had been overjoyed. She had used some of the proceeds from the house sale to pay back all of the money she owed and now they were celebrating their first Christmas together as a family, here at Maple Cottage.
The timer on the oven suddenly went off, disturbing her from her thoughts, and there was a collective cheer from everyone in the lounge. She smiled and looked over at her family. Everyone was there to celebrate the festivities. It had been Elliot’s suggestion that there should be a mince-pie-making competition and everyone had got into it with great gusto.
There was a mad dash into the kitchen and Elliot took Isla’s hand and dragged her in there too. She smiled as Tori waddled in, her gorgeous bump protruding out of her Christmas pudding jumper. At over six months pregnant now, she had a wonderful serene glow about her. It helped that Aidan was so doting towards her. He followed her into the kitchen now, a gentle hand round her shoulders, wearing a matching Christmas pudding jumper too. Their wedding had gone off without a hitch at the end of November. Well, almost without a hitch as the last hour of the evening had been interrupted slightly with Emily being rushed off to hospital to give birth to her beautiful daughter, Belle, who had been born at exactly midnight. Belle was asleep now, but it didn’t stop Stanley, Emily and even Marigold from checking on her. Leo’s mum Ruby had also flown in from Scotland to celebrate Christmas with her children and already she had spent many hours cuddling her new granddaughter.
Isla grabbed a pair of mistletoe-strewn oven gloves and removed the tray of misshapen mince pies from the oven. The sweet and spicy smells of the mincemeat filled the air. She placed the pies down on the kitchen top and everyone gathered round and ooohed and ahhed over the different pies.
Stefano and Agatha had insisted on making their pastry from scratch, as well as the filling. Stefano had said that he had been in the restaurant business all his life and his poor papa would turn in his grave if he knew that Stefano was using ready-made pastry. No one else had any issues with the roll-out stuff and were quite happy to just concentrate on making their own mincemeat from scratch. Agatha nudged Stefano now as she laughed at their lumpy-looking pie. That was probably the biggest surprise of the last few months, that those two had finally got together. After a few dates that didn’t exactly run to plan, during which they didn’t see eye to eye at all, Stefano seemed to fall under her spell. In fact, many people in the village thought she might literally have cast a spell, as they were poles apart, but he was clearly smitten and Agatha for once wasn’t gossiping about this relationship. Although that didn’t stop the villagers from talking about it.
‘So how should we judge which pie is best?’ Melody asked as Isla got a knife and started cutting a small quarter from each.
‘I think I should be the judge,’ Agatha said. Her new relationship had done nothing to soften her self-importance.
‘I think Elliot should be the judge,’ Isla’s mum, Carolyn, said. ‘It was his idea, after all.’
‘How will I choose?’ Elliot said, giving the pie he had made with Leo and Isla an affectionate poke.
‘You just choose the one that tastes the best,’ Isla said.
‘It has to be a blindfold test,’ Aidan said. ‘So Leo’s pie doesn’t get an unfair advantage.’
Isla smirked. Elliot’s adoration for Leo had not been dampened at all in the last few months since they’d moved in.
‘Are you accusing my son of being biased towards me?’ Leo said, in mock outrage.
‘What does biased mean?’ Marigold asked.
‘It means that Elliot might choose Leo’s pie as the winner because he loves him very much,’ Isla said, simplifying the explanation a little.
‘I do think our pie is the best,’ Elliot said.
Leo laughed. ‘Blindfold test it is then. We have to taste it first, buddy.’ He grabbed a Santa hat he had been wearing earlier and gave it to Elliot to put on. ‘Pull this over your eyes.’
Elliot did as he was told, giggling as he did so.
‘First up is team A,’ Isla said, giving him a tiny sliver. This was Carolyn and Trevor’s pie. Isla still couldn’t get used to the fact that her mum had a boyfriend now after so many years spent alone after her dad had left. And Trevor was so serious too, but it seemed that they were having a mellowing effect on each other. Her mum seemed happy.
Elliot pulled a face as he chewed. ‘It’s very sticky.’
Trevor laughed as Carolyn gasped in horror at the slur on her pie. Elliot giggled at their reaction.
‘This is team B,’ Isla said, giving him Leo’s mum’s piece of pie.
Elliot nodded thoughtfully as he chewed. ‘Very sweet,’ he said, eventually.
He went through each slice of pie, giving his verdict on each one.
‘So… who’s the winner?’ Tori asked as Elliot removed his hat.
‘Team C,’ Elliot said decisively. ‘Because I think that’s mine.’
Everyone laughed.
‘Actually, team C was Melody and Jamie’s pie,’ Isla said.
‘We won?’ Melody said in surprise. ‘Really? We never win anything.’ Jamie and Melody high-fived and Jamie gave her a hug.
Isla smiled at them. Melody and Jamie had moved in with each other a few weeks before. They had practically lived in each other’s pockets since they’d started dating back in July, but now Jamie had made it official. He had made her an advent calendar with a surprise behind each door and the first door had held the key to his house. Melody had packed up her things and moved in within a matter of days. Although she was sad to leave her cottage on Sunshine Beach, it did make sense that, with five dogs between them and a crazy turkey, they moved to the slightly bigger house at the top of the hill. Isla also knew that behind door twenty-four there was an engagement ring, but Jamie was going to wait until midnight when they were alone to let her open that one. Isla couldn’t be happier for them.
‘Do we win a prize?’ Jamie said.
‘The knowledge that you’re the best,’ Leo said.
Isla grabbed the tin of Roses and offered them one each, which they took with a grin. Then everyone started trying each other’s pies for a few minutes, with mixed results all round.
Leo looked at his watch. ‘Right guys, we better go.’
Suddenly there was a flurry of excited activity as everyone pulled on coats and woolly hats over their best clothes and goodbyes were quickly said as their families left them alone.
Leo lifted Elliot up onto his hip. ‘Right buddy, let’s go and get ready.’
He carried him up the stairs and Isla watched them go, her heart swelling with love for them.
She followed them and went into the one and only spare room, now that Elliot had commandeered her old room as his toy room. She closed the door behind her and slipped into her silver dress. It was a halter-neck gown that swept the floor and sparkled with sequins all over. She slipped on her ruby sparkly heels, which reminded her of the ones Dorothy wore in The Wizard of Oz. She grabbed the silver velvet maxi coat she’d found in a charity shop, which was perfect for the occasion, but she didn’t put it on yet.
She left the room to find Leo waiting for her. His face when he saw the dress was something she would never forget. He had a complete look of love in his eyes.
‘You look… magnificent,’ he whispered.
Leo was wearing a smart black suit with a red tie to match her shoes. He filled the suit in all the right p
laces.
‘You’re looking pretty incredible yourself.’
He grinned and placed a sweet kiss on her cheek.
Elliot came rushing out of his bedroom fiddling with his red tie. He had chosen to wear a suit tonight because Leo was wearing one.
‘Here buddy, let me do it for you,’ Leo said, squatting down to give him a hand. Elliot watched carefully as Leo tied the perfect knot and then gently slid it up to his throat.
‘Thanks Leo,’ Elliot said.
He didn’t always use his name, he alternated between Leo and Daddy, and sometimes Daddy Leo as he experimented with the new title. Leo didn’t push him either way. Mummy had seemed to come a bit easier for him, probably because Isla was the only mum he’d ever known. But, like Leo, she didn’t mind either way.
Elliot looked up at her and his face broke into a huge smile. ‘You look beautiful.’
‘Thank you, and you look very smart too.’
A horn sounded outside the front.
‘Taxi’s here,’ Leo said.
He moved round behind Isla and helped her on with her coat, his fingers grazing the back of her neck in the gentlest yet sexiest of touches, and then they went downstairs. Leo scooped up Luke, who was already wearing his collar and tie, and they stepped outside.
Waiting outside was not the taxi she was expecting but a beautiful white Silver Ghost Rolls-Royce, complete with a bow and ribbon on the front of the car.
She looked at Leo in confusion as Elliot ran forward to admire the car.
‘I know you wanted a low-key small wedding but you had to arrive in a proper wedding car,’ Leo shrugged.
She smiled and kissed him on the cheek. ‘This is perfect, thank you.’
The chauffeur tipped his hat for them as he held the door open, which made Elliot giggle, and then they all got in.
‘I’m excited,’ Elliot said, sitting between them with Luke on his lap. ‘And nervous.’
The chauffeur negotiated through the narrow lanes, the snow dusting the trees and sparkling as they drifted past the glowing fairy lights.
‘Why are you nervous?’ Isla asked.
‘Because… what if I forget what to say?’
Leo smirked. ‘You only have two words buddy, you know what they are.’
Elliot nodded. ‘Everyone will be watching.’
‘Everyone that loves you very much,’ Isla said.
They had deliberately decided to keep the ceremony small; the only people who were going to be there were their families who had been at the house that afternoon.
They had hired a small room up at the Golden Bridge for the event. Leo insisted that they were going to have their special night up there as they had missed out on it last time, but other than a few bottles of champagne, and hot chocolates with maple syrup, they had decided to hold their celebrations at home prior to the big event with the people they loved the most. It had been the most unconventional but loveliest wedding day, playing silly board games, watching Christmas movies. They’d had a big celebration meal earlier in the day, which Elliot had decided should be pizza from Stefano’s restaurant. Everyone had sat around on sofas and chairs, helping themselves to the different slices. It had been relaxed and happy and just perfect.
As they arrived at the Golden Bridge, Isla’s heart started racing with excitement. They were really going to do this, in a few minutes she would be Leo’s wife. She looked over at him to see what he was feeling and couldn’t help smiling at the fact that he had the biggest grin on his face.
The chauffeur held the door open for them. Elliot shook his hand on the way out, much to the chauffeur’s bemusement.
Once inside, Isla smiled at the huge Christmas tree in the reception area, twinkling with tiny white lights and golden glittered orbs hanging from the branches. They were shown upstairs and Isla quickly hung her coat up on the hooks outside, before taking Elliot’s hand and walking into the conservatory with Leo. Their family was waiting for them in a room strewn with flowers, candles and sparkling lights, but it was the view outside the window that caught her attention momentarily, the snow floating past the window over a moonlit-covered sea. The evening was magical.
Their family was sitting in a circle and the registrar was waiting for them in the middle. Nicholas was an elderly gentleman with rosy cheeks, half-moon gold glasses and a white beard. Elliot was convinced he was Santa Claus and she had to smile that, although Nicholas hadn’t gone for a full-on Santa Claus costume, he was wearing a red suit. He high-fived Elliot as they walked up to him. They had already met Nicholas for the second time a few days before to go over the ceremony and what they were going to say, but they had deliberately chosen him because of how laid-back he was about the ceremony. Elliot had even given him a few things that he wanted Nicholas to say in the wedding and Nicholas had been more than happy to oblige.
The chatter died down and it was as if the room was holding its breath.
‘Thank you all for coming today. It’s a beautiful night and I can’t think of a more loving couple to marry here this evening,’ Nicholas said.
Leo took her hand, holding Elliot’s hand too, so they formed their own little family circle. God, she loved this man so much.
‘Let’s get the legal stuff out the way first,’ Nicholas said, casually, as if he was not just about to change their lives forever. ‘Are you, Isla Rosewood, free, lawfully, to marry Leo Jackson?’
‘I am,’ Isla said.
He repeated the question to Leo and he echoed her answer.
‘That’s good.’ Nicholas bounced on the spot. ‘Always have to check about those pesky skeletons. Now, let’s get on to the good bit. Do you, Leo Jackson, take Isla Rosewood to be your lawfully wedded wife?’
‘I do,’ Leo said, giving her hand a little squeeze.
‘And do you, Isla Rosewood, take Leo Jackson to be your lawfully wedded husband?’
‘I do,’ Isla said, not taking her eyes off Leo for a second.
‘And Elliot, do you take Leo to be your awfully wedded dad?’ Nicholas asked, giving Elliot a little wink.
Their family sniggered.
She and Leo had spoken to the registrar without Elliot and had said how important it was to them to make him part of the ceremony too. Nicholas had been chilled out about it all and said that as long as the legal declarations and contractual words were said at the beginning, they could do whatever they wanted with the rest of the ceremony. Elliot had suggested this part and Nicholas was more than happy to do it, even using Elliot’s exact wording of awfully instead of lawfully.
Elliot was taking this very seriously. ‘I do.’
‘And Leo, do you take Elliot to be your awfully wedded son?’
Their family laughed again.
‘I do,’ Leo said, a smile lighting up his beautiful face.
Isla’s heart swelled with love for her little family. It was a nonsensical, silly, meaningless part of the ceremony and of course there was nothing legally binding about it, but it meant the world to her and she knew that Elliot and Leo appreciated it too.
‘Do we have the rings?’ Nicholas asked.
Aidan stepped forward with Leo’s ring and Jamie stepped forward with Isla’s.
Leo took Isla’s ring and slid it onto her finger. ‘I give you this ring as a token of my love and friendship. I promise to love and respect you, to always be there to listen, comfort and support you. Whatever our lives may bring, we will face it together. I promise to share happiness and laughter, good times and bad, to be your best friend, forever.’
Isla swallowed down the ball of emotion in her throat as she took the ring for Leo. ‘I promise to love you, now and always. You have filled my life with so much happiness. You are the joy I didn’t know was missing from my life, you are the strength that I never thought I needed. You are everything to me, my rock, my harbour, my lighthouse, the sunshine and the moonlight. And I promise to spend the rest of my life trying to give you the same. Today I gain not only a husband and a best friend, but a f
ather to my children. As a family, we will create a home filled with laughter, love and understanding and I can’t wait to take this next step in our life with you.’
He smiled as she slid the ring onto his finger.
‘Leo and Isla,’ Nicholas said. ‘You have expressed your love to each other through the promises you have made and the exchanging of rings. You are no longer simply partners or best friends but it gives me the utmost pleasure to now declare you husband and wife. So you may kiss the bride.’
Leo smiled and bent his head and kissed her, a sweet kiss that was filled with so much love and promise. Everyone clapped and cheered and Leo broke the kiss to swing Elliot into his arms and envelop him in a group hug. Isla held onto Leo, kissing Elliot on the head and for the briefest of moments, Leo rested his hand on her belly, an acknowledgement of his love for her, Elliot and their unborn child. No one else knew yet that she was pregnant. Not even Agatha and her omnipotence. They wanted to tell Elliot tomorrow on Christmas Day before they announced it to everyone else.
The next few minutes passed in a haze of people hugging them and giving their congratulations, signing certificates, having their photos taken, then Leo was passing Isla her coat and bundling her outside onto the balcony.
‘What’s going on?’ Isla asked, shivering a little in the cool night air.
‘What kind of husband and pyrotechnician would I be if I didn’t have fireworks for my wife on our wedding day?’
An explosion of gold filled the night sky and Isla tore her gaze from her husband to gasp at her very own fireworks filling the skies above the sea with a riot of colour, glittering amongst the light snowflakes that were still dancing through the inky air. The colours were amazing like nothing she had ever seen before; lilac, silver, rose, cranberry, blueberry and buttercup blazed through the darkness, several love hearts filled the night sky, fountains of gold cascading down towards the waves. It was incredible and rendered all the more special by the fact that this was just for her. As the finale set the sky on fire, she leaned up and kissed Leo. Darkness fell over their little group and their families cheered and clapped the wonderful display.
