by Jenny Kane
Amy and Jack danced slowly. They knew that this was when it ended; this was when they let go of each other properly. Amy wasn’t sure if she felt sad, happy, or immensely relieved as she let silent tears fall freely down her smiling face.
By the time Kit and Jack were to dancing to the perfect, melodic sounds of ‘God Only Knows’ by the Beach Boys, the whole room was on its feet, swaying around the café, each person eager to hear the tune that Jack had chosen for them.
EPILOGUE
In which we say goodbye…
October
Three Years Later
In spite of the optimistic forecast, it was drizzling, and the sky was grey. To Amy, though, it was a beautiful day. Her dress hung expectantly against the wardrobe door. Cream, simply cut, and stunning.
Rob had already popped in to see her, a visit to wish her luck and lots of love, and to deliver a single red rose from Paul, before he dashed off to perform his best man’s duties.
Kit and Debbie were downstairs with Amy’s parents, fussing over their five children in their bridesmaid and pageboy outfits, checking there were enough buttonhole flowers, and generally worrying about anything and everything.
Amy, content to escape the chaos, walked over to her bedroom window. The view looked pretty much the same as it had the first time she’d stared down at Richmond’s back streets almost four years ago. Damp, dull, but somehow full of hope. Full of future.
Peggy and Scott would be busily preparing last minute items for the buffet, which was to be held at Pickwicks when the simple ceremony was over.
Phil had left Reading Nature in the care of the newly-appointed Saturday girl, and was currently helping Chris to clean their cars, which were to be used to ferry the bride and bridesmaids to Richmond’s registry office.
She thought of Jack. Alone again. Toby and Jack’s initial happiness had begun to wane for reasons that Jack was, beyond quoting a couple of obscure song lyrics at Amy, keeping to himself. He’d taken Toby’s defection a month or so ago, to a charismatic assistant bank manager, surprisingly well. Amy hadn’t liked to point out to him that Toby seemed inexplicably drawn to men with money. It wouldn’t have helped.
Jack wasn’t coming today. He’d said, honestly and openly, that he couldn’t watch her get married, not even to a friend. He just couldn’t, and hoped Amy wouldn’t mind and could understand. She minded very much, and hadn’t understood at all. It wasn’t even as if he wanted her for himself. Still, Amy told Jack, he should do what was best for him. So he’d gone to stay with his dad and Jane for a while, and thought that maybe he’d come home and do something with the horticultural qualification he’d worked for at college over the past two years. Or perhaps he’d travel some more, try America or Australia? He wasn’t sure really. He’d come back, though; he always came back.
Amy glanced at the clock. She had two hours of being Miss Amy Crane left. After that she would be Mrs Amy Donahue. It felt strange as she played her future title around her tongue.
Excitement gripped Amy as she headed towards the kitchen.
Her ‘new job, new home, new life’ plan was complete. It was time to get ready for the first day of the rest of her new life.
‘But first,’ she told her wedding dress, ‘I’m going to grab one more cup of coffee …’
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Copyright © Jenny Kane 2013
The right of Jenny Kane to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
ISBN 9781909840874
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the publishers: Accent Press Ltd, Ty Cynon House, Navigation Park, Abercynon, CF45 4SN
The stories contained within this book are works of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the authors’ imaginations and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental
