Dear God. Was she really feeling tearful? At a dogs’ wedding?
‘To know she was marrying the right man,’ Gertie said. ‘It takes two to tango, my angel, and marriage is definitely a dance. Or to put it in a more appropriate manner: ‘It takes two to paddle a canoe along the river of wedded bliss. Make sure you have the right man in your canoe, and that you’re both paddling in the same direction. You can ride any rapids if you are. Now come along. We have guests waiting.’
Ali smiled as Gertie took Bertie and his basket from the chauffeur and handed Bonnie and her basket to Ali.
A cheer went up amongst the guests as the wedding party approached the door to the Shimmering River Diner, and Mendelssohn’s Wedding March boomed out from inside. The interior of the diner was decorated as exquisitely as the outside and Ali glanced around at the various tables and the people standing beside them, clapping. She smiled at some; nodded and smiled at others. Waved and said hello to several, as they made their way to the main table outside on the deck.
The sight of it took Ali’s breath away. Four posts – two each end – held a white canopy trimmed with wild flowers, and sunflowers stood in ribbon-wrapped pots beside the posts. On the table sat little white baskets, similar but miniatures of the ones carrying Bonnie and Bertie at the moment. They were filled with colourful confetti in the shape of tiny bones. Cutlery glistened in the sunlight and glasses gleamed. Everything looked perfect. And then, she saw him – and he took her breath away. He was standing beside the table, dressed in a light grey morning suit, like a groom waiting for his bride, and she fought the urge to run to him as he slowly met her eyes.
‘Hello, Simon,’ she said, when she eventually drew level with him.
‘Hello, Ali,’ he replied.
‘Well,’ Gertie said, after they had stared at one another for several seconds. ‘Now that you two have got that warm welcome over with, let’s sit, shall we? I’m as hungry as a wolf and as dry as a desert.’
‘Ali, darling,’ Tabitha said, appearing by Ali’s side from amongst the crowd. ‘You look absolutely gorgeous, doesn’t she, Tom?’
Tom nodded, his arm firmly wrapped around Tabitha’s waist. ‘You both do,’ he replied. ‘And so do Bonnie and Bertie, I’m astonished to admit. You too, Gertie.’
Gertie smiled. ‘Let’s get this wedding breakfast started. The vicar won’t wait, you know, and then there’s a wedding anniversary bash to attend. Who’s got the champagne?’
‘Right here, Gertie,’ Josie said, carrying an ice bucket and a magnum of the stuff. ‘There’s more where this came from, so don’t you fret.’
‘I’m not,’ Gertie said. ‘I’m going to have a good time.’
Ali looked around at the throng of happy guests and then looked back at Simon and her smile slid from her face. He didn’t look happy.
‘If you’re looking for Aidan, I think you’ll be disappointed. I’m sorry, Ali, but I don’t think he’s coming.’
‘I wasn’t. I was looking at all the guests. Everyone’s so bright and cheerful. Everyone except you, that is. You look like a fish out of water.’
‘I haven’t got much to smile about. But I’m not being miserable. I wouldn’t dream of ruining this special day by being down in the dumps.’
She looked him up and down. ‘Where did you get that tan?’
‘It’s summer. Skin tans in the sun, you know.’
‘Don’t be sarcastic. You’ve been away.’
‘I’m surprised you noticed.’
‘Grace told me.’
‘Ah. That explains it. Excuse me.’ He walked away and disappeared into the crowd.
Ali chased after him but couldn’t see him in the crush. She searched everywhere for several minutes, wondering if he’d left, until finally she saw him. He was sitting inside. In what she was certain was the booth they had occupied the last time they were here together.
She marched inside and plonked herself down opposite him. ‘Why are you sitting in here on such a glorious day?’
‘What concern is that of yours?’
‘Simon. Stop behaving like a twerp. Don’t you think we should talk?’
‘What is there to talk about?’
Her eyes opened wide. ‘What is there to talk about? Well, lots of things. About the centre and what can be done to save it. It concerns you just as much as it does me, you know. And then there’s the question of who owns this mysterious piece of land. You must’ve heard about what’s going on, even if you’ve just got back from wherever it is you disappeared to. And then there’s the issue of whether or not there’s any chance of the village clubbing together and purchasing the land back from the Rourkes. And that’s just for starters.’
‘Hasn’t your boyfriend told you? Or did he vanish without a word? You don’t have to do anything to save the centre. It’s already saved. And the Rourkes won’t own it for very much longer. I can assure you of that.’
‘What? Firstly, if you’re referring to Aidan – which you obviously are – he’s not my boyfriend. He never really was. Yes, I fancied him. Yes, I was a little infatuated with him. But I didn’t love him, I haven’t had sex with him, and I couldn’t care less if I never see him again. What do you mean, the centre’s already saved? Who by? When? I only heard all this yesterday. And what makes you so sure they’re going to sell? Oh my God! You’re not going to tell me that it’s you who owns that piece of land and you’ve kept it a secret from me for all these years!’
He tilted his head to one side and the merest hint of a smile curved his lips. ‘No, I’m not.’
Ali let out the breath she was holding.
‘Josie and I own it, via a company she and my dad set up, many, many years ago.’
‘What?’
‘The Rourkes’ lawyers really messed up. They’ll be sued for a fortune, I don’t doubt. But anyway, without our piece of land, no development can go ahead. And Josie and I will never sell it. No matter how much we’re offered. The Rourkes can’t even expand the centre because the deed granting rights of way is pretty restrictive. They can’t encroach on our land with any building whatsoever. Our land completely surrounds the centre, so it doesn’t give them much scope. They can retain the centre and continue as it is, but I can’t see them doing that. There’s no money in it for them, and the Rourkes are all about the money. Josie and I, and another local company have made them an offer. A fairly good one, all things considered. I’m pretty sure they’ll take it.’
Ali stared at him with her mouth open.
‘Why didn’t you tell me any of this, Simon?’
He shrugged. ‘Because it’s not important. Well, it is now, but it wasn’t. We didn’t know that the centre was being sold, otherwise we would’ve bought it at the time, and then I would’ve told you.’ He grinned. ‘Partly because then I would’ve been your boss. Sort of. That was the one sensible thing Aidan did. Make you manager. That’s what we would’ve done. But I didn’t tell you because money isn’t everything, Ali. Why does it matter what I own or don’t own? It doesn’t change who I am, or what I think or feel. I’m a Maths teacher, who loves messing around on the water.’ He shrugged again and rested his forearms on the table.
Ali shook her head. ‘I’m not sure I can take all this in. You might need to explain it all to me again sometime. But there’s something else we should discuss.’
‘What’s that?’
‘Simon.’ She slapped his forearm with her hand. ‘The things you said before you disappeared. The things you did.’
He looked confused.
‘That kiss, you twerp. And the fact that you said you loved me.’
His eyes narrowed and he stared into hers. ‘As far as the kiss is concerned, there’s not very much to talk about, is there? Other than the fact that I’d give anything to do it again. And I do love you, Ali. I suspect I always have. I’ve simply been too much of a jerk to realise it. But I know you don’t feel the same, so it’s clearly my problem and I’ll have to learn to deal with it. The best wa
y for me to do that, is for me to avoid seeing you, or talking to you, or having anything to do with you, as much as possible, that is.’
‘It’s my problem too, if it means I’ll hardly ever see you.’ She leant forward and smiled as the cheers and laughter and music grew louder outside. ‘But I think I have the solution to both our problems. Marry me, Simon. It makes perfect sense.’
He blinked several times and his mouth fell open.
‘That’s not funny, Ali,’ he finally said.
‘It wasn’t meant to be. You may be a twerp, but I love you. I really, really love you. I think I always have. I was just too much of a stubborn fool to see it. But if you’ve got an aversion to marriage, we could simply live together. I don’t care what we do, as long as I’m with you.’
A bee buzzed around them and bashed its head against the glass. Simon stood, opened the window further than it was, and let the bee out. Then suddenly he burst out laughing – a cheery laugh, full of warmth and fun and even a little passion.
‘Me? Have an aversion to marriage? You’re the one who hates the very thought of it.’
‘Apparently not, it seems. Provided it’s to you.’ She stood up and walked around the table to stand in front of him. ‘In fact, I rather like the thought of it. I’ve been thinking of very little else for almost two weeks. Now about that kiss.’
‘Forget that kiss,’ he said, pulling her into his arms. This is the kiss we’re both going to remember for the rest of our married lives. And then we have a wedding breakfast and a wedding to attend.’ His lips came slowly towards hers.
‘And an anniversary party,’ she mumbled, a second before he kissed her.
She suddenly pulled away from him. ‘Wait. Did you say, “married lives”?’
He nodded. ‘Uh-huh. As you said, it is the answer to all our problems. Living together just wouldn’t work for me.’ He grinned and winked at her. ‘And I’m not sure my mum would like it. It has to be marriage. It really is the only solution.’
‘I completely agree,’ Ali said, smiling at him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. ‘I don’t understand what some people have against marriage. I want to be married. I want to be your wife. And the sooner the better, I think.’
A Note from Emily
Thank you for reading this book. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. A little piece of my heart goes into all of my books and when I send them on their way, I really hope they bring a smile to someone’s face. If this book made you smile, or gave you a few pleasant hours of relaxation, I’d love to hear from you, via social media, on your blog if you have one, or by email. I’d be incredibly grateful if you have a minute or two to post a review. Just a line will do, and a kind review makes such a difference to my day – to any author’s day. Huge thanks to those of you who are happy to do so, and for your lovely comments and support on social media. Thank you. A writer’s life can be lonely at times. Sharing a virtual cup of coffee or a glass of wine, or exchanging a few friendly words on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram is so much fun.
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I’m working on my next book right now. Let’s see where my characters take us this time. Hope to chat with you soon.
To see details of my other books, please go to the books page on my website, or scan the QR code below to see all my books on Amazon.
Contact
If you want to be the first to hear Emily’s news, find out about book releases, enter competitions and gain automatic entry into her Readers’ Club, go to: https://www.emilyharvale.com and subscribe to her newsletter via the ‘Sign me up’ box.
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Also by Emily Harvale
Highland Fling
Lizzie Marshall’s Wedding
The Golf Widows’ Club
Sailing Solo
Carole Singer’s Christmas
Christmas Wishes
A Slippery Slope
The Perfect Christmas Plan
Be Mine
The Goldebury Bay series:
Ninety Days of Summer – book one
Ninety Steps to Summerhill – book two
Ninety Days to Christmas – book three
The Hideaway Down series:
A Christmas Hideaway – book one
Catch A Falling Star – book two
Walking on Sunshine – book three
Dancing in the Rain – book four
Hall’s Cross series
Deck the Halls
The Starlight Ball
Acknowledgements
My grateful thanks go to the following:
Hastings Borough Council – planning department. Thank you for answering all my questions regarding planning applications and for explaining the ins and outs of pre-planning meetings. Should I ever wish to build a housing development, I’ll know exactly what to do.
The RYA and British Canoeing Organisation. I once belonged to a rowing club in Putney but things have changed a lot since then. Thanks for telling me everything I needed to know, whether or not it appears in this book.
Christina Harkness for her patience and care in editing this book.
My webmaster, David Cleworth who does so much more than website stuff.
My cover design team, JR.
Luke Brabants. Luke is a fabulous artist and can be found at: www.lukebrabants.com
My wonderful friends for their support and friendship. You know I love you all.
My Twitter and Facebook friends, and fans of my Facebook author page. It’s great to chat with you. You help to keep me (relatively) sane!
Last, but most importantly, thank you to all my fabulous readers.
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