Daniel had sweet talked the company providing the gazebos for the wedding and he and Aaron were wrestling with an array of poles and guy ropes. A groundsheet and a pile of sleeping bags sat nearby. She glanced across to where Richard had made himself comfortable in a garden chair, his Panama hat tipped at a jaunty angle. ‘You’re not going to give them a hand?’ she asked.
A broad grin creased the older man’s face as he waved the booklet in his hand. ‘I’ll give them another half an hour or so. It’s too much fun watching them struggle.’
‘You have a point.’ Kiki checked her watch. ‘Matty’s cake is in the fridge. Can you remind Aaron to take it out about half an hour before you’re ready to light the candles?’ She choked on the last word and fanned her face with her hand to try and ward off the silly tears which suddenly threatened.
Richard leapt from his chair and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. ‘He’ll miss you before the sun sets, wait and see.’ He kissed her temple.
Kiki gave a watery laugh. ‘I hope not. I don’t want anything to spoil tonight.’ She leant into the comfort of Richard’s shoulder. ‘He’s just growing up so fast.’
They watched the boys run around for a few more moments. When Richard spoke next, he sounded as emotional as her. ‘I wouldn’t wish on anyone what you’ve been through, but it brought you and the children into our lives. Whatever happens in the future, I hope you’ll always keep in touch with us.’
She raised a hand to pat his chest. ‘I’m in no hurry to go anywhere, believe me.’
‘Good.’ He squeezed her shoulder and they broke their embrace as Matty came barrelling towards them.
Kiki crouched down to receive a very damp hug, and ducked her head to avoid getting whacked with the squirt gun. ‘Mummy! Simon says I can keep the gun, that it’s my birthday present. Isn’t that cool?’
Gee, thanks, Simon. ‘Yes, darling, it’s very cool. Did you offer your guests a drink?’
Matty stepped back, a crease furrowing his brow. ‘I forgot.’
She chucked his cheek. ‘That’s okay, but all this exercise has probably made Christopher thirsty. Why don’t you ask him? And let Charlie know we’re leaving in five minutes.’ He gave her a sunny grin and zoomed away, yelling for his sister at the top of his voice.
She straightened up and almost bumped into Aaron, who’d appeared from nowhere. ‘Hey, steady now.’ He grabbed her arm and she couldn’t help but shy away. Things were growing easier between them, but she missed the easy, friendly contact. It was her own fault, but she couldn’t have him in her space without images of that bloody kiss threatening to overwhelm her.
‘Sorry.’ He stepped back and shoved his hands into his pockets.
‘It’s okay, you just startled me.’ She ignored the heat the lie brought to her face and turned away. ‘I need to get going. Can you round up Charlie for me?’ Not waiting for a response, she made for the relative safety of the house.
Footsteps creaked on the stairs and she called out as she finished zipping up her overnight bag. ‘Charlie, darling? I’ve left you some dry clothes on your bed. I’ll be with you in one second.’
‘She’s downstairs with Richard.’
Kiki closed her eyes and prayed for strength. ‘She needs to get changed, we’re going to be late. Can you fetch her?’
‘We need to talk, Kiki. Things can’t go on like this. You jump every time I come anywhere near you.’ His deep voice made things curl deep inside her and she cursed her own weakness for him. It wasn’t his fault, but anger didn’t make people rational and, damn it, she was so bloody angry.
Swinging around, she clamped her hands on her hips. ‘Poor Aaron. I’m sorry if I made things awkward for you and shattered your perfect little fantasy here.’
He took a step inside the room and pushed the door shut behind him. ‘They’ll hear you. You don’t want to upset the children.’
He was right, of course. They’d heard too many raised voices in the past and she’d sworn not to shout at or around them. Him being right just fanned the flames of her anger. ‘Don’t you tell me what to do about my own children. You don’t have the right.’ She lowered her voice to a hiss nonetheless. ‘We’re friends, Aaron, nothing more. You’re not their father, not their stepfather either. You’ve made it clear where the boundary lies, so stick to your side of it.’
His face paled, leaving him looking sick beneath his tan. ‘Kiki, I’m sorry I hurt your feelings. It was the last thing I intended. Can we just talk about it?’
The air caught in her lungs and she sat heavily on the edge of the bed. ‘I don’t want to talk about it. I’m so bloody tired of talking about everything. I just wanted one uncomplicated thing in my life, and I thought you were it.’
‘Kiki…’ He took a step closer, but she shook her head.
‘No, Aaron. I don’t have it in me right now to make you feel better. You made up your mind about us without even giving me a chance.’ She threw her hands up. ‘If you didn’t feel the same way about me as I do about you, then I could get over it. A little embarrassment, a few new bruises to my ego, nothing I’m not already an expert at dealing with.’
‘Don’t do that. Don’t compare me to him.’ Aaron’s voice cracked and he slumped back against the wall to cover his face with his hands. ‘This isn’t what I wanted.’
It wasn’t what she’d wanted either. ‘What we want and what we get aren’t always the same things.’ She picked up her bag, stood and crossed the room towards the door. Pausing beside him, she glanced down. ‘You should talk to someone, Aaron. Just not me. Not right now.’
She fiddled around, putting her bag away in the boot, double-checking the bag of toys she’d put together to keep Charlie amused at her sister’s. Once she knew she could keep her composure, she fixed a bright smile on her face and returned to the kitchen. The boys were sitting at the table with glasses of fizzy pop so pink she had to bite her lip against a protest about e-numbers. Richard glanced up and she snorted at the sight of a pink moustache curling from the corners of his lips. ‘Cherryade?’ she guessed.
‘Strawberry ice cream soda, nectar of the gods,’ he said with a beatific grin.
She shook her head. ‘You’ll never sleep.’
‘That’s the plan, right, guys?’
He held out both his hands and received a high-five slap from each boy and an affirmative ‘Right!’
‘And that’s definitely my cue to go. Where’s Charlie?’ Kiki stood on tiptoe to peer out of the window. Daniel was crouched down, his face a picture of concentration as her little chatterbox explained something to him. She tapped on the window. ‘Come on, poppet, let’s go and see Aunty Mia’s dress.’
Two glasses of champagne, a large slice of lime cheesecake and a whole lot of giggles later, Kiki finally relaxed. She stroked the hair back from Charlie’s forehead and pressed a kiss to her cheek. ‘Is she asleep?’ Mia whispered from the open doorway.
‘Out like a light.’ Kiki rose from her crouch and drew the door partially closed behind her. ‘Oh, Mimi, you look amazing.’
The champagne-coloured lace brought a glow to Mia’s skin, even under the harsh light of the hallway. The neckline cut straight across, leaving the tops of her shoulders bare. Kiki’s eyes traced the delicate flower pattern of the lace down to the wide silk band circling her waist and over the simple chiffon fall of the skirt.
Madeline stepped out of the bedroom opposite, a couple of pins stuck in the arm of her shirt. ‘Hold still.’ She straightened Mia’s shoulders then bent to place the pins in the back of the gown. ‘Almost perfect. Just a couple of adjustments here and we’ll be cooking on gas.’ She smoothed her hand over the chiffon skirt. ‘Just don’t lose any more weight, dearest.’
Mia twirled around, letting the skirt flare out. ‘I love it, Mads. I love it so much.’
‘It’s beautiful. You look radiant.’ Kiki caught her sister’s hand and held it. ‘I’m so happy for you.’
Mia gav
e her a misty grin. ‘Thank you.’ She shook her head. ‘No tears, no tears! Let me get changed and we can have some more champagne.’
Kiki grinned. ‘And cake. Madeline’s worried about you getting too thin, after all.’ Halfway down the stairs her phone started to ring. Expecting it was Matty calling to say goodnight, she pulled it out of her pocket and answered without checking the screen.
‘Hello, Kiki.’
Her knees gave out and she sat on the stairs with a thump. ‘Neil.’
‘I’m home. Imagine my disappointment to find you not here.’
She bit the inside of her cheek and counted to ten. Footsteps creaked behind her and she held up her hand to silence whoever was approaching. ‘You had my solicitor’s letter. I wasn’t bluffing. It’s over.’ Soft fingers touched her shoulder and she reached up to grip them tightly. The raised edges of a large ring told her it was Madeline and she clung to her hand like an anchor.
‘Really, Kiki, how foolish of you to believe so.’ She shuddered. Calm, seemingly reasonable Neil was so much worse than furious, ranting Neil. Calm Neil was the one who hit her, who vented his anger with fists rather than words.
‘Why can’t you accept this and move on? I’m settled here, and the children are happy.’ Her voice started to waver, so she clamped her mouth shut. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of her fear.
‘Speaking of the children, I’d like to talk to Matty and wish him happy birthday.’ Oh God.
‘It’s late, Neil. He’s in bed.’ She crossed her fingers against the lie, a childish habit she’d never grown out of.
‘He’s my bloody son! Get him on the phone, or you’ll be sorry!’ The change in his demeanour was as swift and ugly as a squall rolling in from the sea.
There was no way she’d let him speak to Matty like this, even if she could. ‘You can talk to him in the morning.’
‘Are you denying me access to my child?’ Calm Neil. Sly Neil. Her stomach rolled as a sense of dread struck her.
Stay strong. ‘Not at all. As I already said, you can speak to him in the morning.’
The jaws on the trap snapped closed. ‘And why exactly can’t I speak to him now? It’s Friday night, not even an hour past his usual bedtime, on his birthday. My solicitor will be keen to hear the exact details of your unreasonable behaviour.’
Shit! ‘He’s having a sleepover with some friends. I’m at Mia’s for the evening. She’s getting married in a couple of weeks so we’re having a celebration.’ It was too much information, but mention of his solicitor set her fear running like a hare from the trap. She placed her free hand on her chest to try and calm her racing heart. Madeline squeezed her fingers and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, but didn’t speak.
‘A celebration?’ Neil paused so long, if she hadn’t heard his breath in her ear she would’ve thought they’d been cut off. When he spoke again, she wished they had been. ‘Let me get this straight. It’s my son’s birthday and you’re out drinking with your sister? If neither of you are with him, then who the hell is looking after my children? Where’s Charlotte? Christ, I always knew you were unstable, just like your mother.’
There was no way she was letting him get away with that. ‘Charlie’s here with me. She’s asleep upstairs and absolutely fine. I’m nothing like my mother, Neil, and you damn well know it!’
‘I don’t know anything of the sort. You’re irrational, you’ve clearly been drinking in front of my daughter, and you’re neglecting my son. It’s just as well I’ve decided to sue for custody. You’re obviously incapable of taking care of them.’
The rolling in her stomach ramped up to full-blown nausea. ‘You can’t be serious. You haven’t spared them a thought for the best part of three months while you soaked up the sun with your new girlfriend. There’s no court in the land that’ll let you take them from me.’
‘What’s going on?’ Kiki shook her head at the sound of Mia’s voice; she couldn’t afford to be distracted now. She felt Madeline’s warmth leave her and the two women moved further up the stairs and began whispering to each other.
Neil gave an exaggerated sigh. ‘So, that’s what all this nonsense is about? There’s no need to be jealous, Kiki. Emily is a colleague who developed a bit of a crush on me, nothing more. Come home and we can sort this out.’
The blatant lie fed her anger and she stoked it further, feeding every slight, every slap, every putdown he’d given her into it. The anger gave her strength and she stood up, not willing to crouch before him even if he couldn’t see her. ‘I’ve seen the emails. I’ve copied the emails and given them to my solicitor. This is my home, here with people who love me. Who treat me with kindness and respect.’
‘You’ll be sorry for this,’ he spat. ‘I’ll make you pay for defying me, you stupid bitch.’
A bitter laugh cracked from her mouth. ‘I’m already sorry. Sorry for the years I wasted on you. I’m done paying. You’ll get nothing more from me, you bastard. Not another tear, not another flinch, and definitely not my children. I’m never coming back, so get used to it!’
She dragged the phone from her ear. The adrenaline flooding her body made her hands shake and it took her two attempts to end the call. Footsteps clattered on the stairs and she found herself enveloped in two sets of arms. Resting her head on her sister’s shoulder, Kiki breathed deeply, refusing to cry. She’d told Neil he wouldn’t get another tear from her and she bloody well meant it.
She’d also told him she was never going back, but she knew the truth. There was no way to fight him from a distance, and he would do everything in his power to make things as difficult for her as he could. Knowing all too well how charming and persuasive he could be, she couldn’t afford to be so far away. Her visit to Butterfly Cove had helped her heal, given her strength and repaired the ties to her family.
It was time to go back. But not to him.
Chapter Nineteen
Aaron slid the air con switch in Kiki’s little car all the way to the right and rested his head back against the seat as icy cold air blasted in his face. The past week had been hellish, not least because of the spike in temperature. Luke’s train wasn’t due in for another quarter of an hour, but there was no way he was going to pass up the chance to sit in the cool air for a few extra minutes. From the filthy look Daniel had thrown his way when he’d left him stringing fairy lights through the trees, his friend knew exactly what he was up to.
Holding a wedding in the beautiful gardens at Butterfly House had sounded idyllic when Daniel had told him about it. It was a terrific spot, and between the beach and the lush grounds, there would be no shortage of spots to take memorable photos of the wedding party. From the comfortable rooms at the guest house to the gorgeous setting, Mia’s idea of branching out into hosting weddings made perfect sense. Unless you were the poor saps trying to erect the marquees in the middle of a heatwave.
The installation company were brilliant, fielding their bombardment of questions with good humour and endless patience. Aaron had been fascinated by how sophisticated the set-up was, especially the flooring. The main marquee had a laid wooden and carpeted floor, with a special section set aside for dancing. They’d also erected a handful of smaller, round marquees—some with coconut matting and others with carpet directly on to the grass so they could test out how the different surfaces faired over the evening. It might be Daniel and Mia’s special day, but they were taking the opportunity to do some market research for their future business enterprise.
Thunderstorms were predicted overnight, which everyone hoped would break the worst of the heat, but after that the weekend weather promised to be fine and dry. They’d consulted every forecasting service known to man bar sacrificing a chicken and reading its entrails, but there were no reports of strong winds so the marquees were going up regardless. There would be too much to do on Friday as it was. The lower floor of the barns was stacked high with tables, chairs, boxes of cutlery, tableware and all the other ‘essenti
als’ needed for Saturday.
He closed his eyes with a sigh. The white noise of the fan whirring couldn’t drown out the thoughts spinning through his brain. Groping for the radio, he cranked the volume and an obnoxious pop song filled the interior. It didn’t help. He’d been on autopilot for the past few weeks, ever since Kiki had walked through the door the morning after Matty’s birthday and told him she would be leaving Butterfly Cove. Knowing he’d been right not to rush into things with her did nothing to ease the gaping hole in his heart, nor the sense he’d let the most precious gift slip through his fingers. Too late now. He had no choice other than to play the hand he’d been dealt. Be the friend he’d told her he was, and help make her return trip as pain-free as possible.
Going back was the right thing to do—he knew that; they both knew. Neil had decided to play dirty so Kiki would need to keep her wits about her. Her dad had offered to take them in, and they were travelling back together after the wedding. Which meant Aaron had to hold his brave face in place for another seventy-two hours. Poor Matty had been beside himself until they’d been able to make him understand that going back didn’t mean going home to live with Neil again. Charlie had grown increasingly clingy, attaching herself to Aaron the moment he walked through the door. Feeling pretty damn needy himself, Aaron had indulged her need for comfort, and his own as well.
The song ended, and Aaron sat up to switch off the radio as the local DJ blathered on about making the most of the gorgeous weather and enjoying the calm before the storm. He hoped, for the guy’s sake, Mia wasn’t listening or she’d probably unleash a curse on him for the reminder. Climbing out of the front seat, Aaron stared up at the wide expanse of Wedgewood-blue sky. Maybe the forecasters had got it wrong, because there was barely a wisp of white to be seen. He shoved the car keys in his pocket and strolled across the patchy gravel car park towards the tiny station which served Orcombe Sands.
Wedding Bells at Butterfly Cove Page 18
