by Nell Dixon
“I wish we could start all over again.”
His voice was so low she had to concentrate to hear what he said.
“Me too.”
He reached across the table to take her hand in his. His touch sent a tingle of excitement through her skin.
“I was talking to a friend of mine before I saw you down by the beach. I told him what had happened between us.” He caressed the soft skin of her hand with his thumb. His work roughened hand sensual on her soft flesh.
“What did your friend have to say?” Posy struggled to concentrate on the conversation; she was too busy enjoying the sensation of Noah’s hand holding hers.
This time Noah’s smile reached his eyes. “A lot of people think my friend is a bit slow. He isn’t, Brad's just focused on his sport. But sometimes he really hits the nail on the head.”
“Oh?” Posy’s pulse raced as she looked into Noah’s eyes.
He reached across the tiny table with his free hand and gently smoothed a stray lock of her hair back from her face. “He told me I was stupid, and that I should go and find you and tell you I was sorry.”
Posy swallowed. “Maybe he was right. He sounds like a smart guy.”
“I think so. I’m really sorry, Posy, for acting like a jerk. I don’t know what’ll happen between us in the future. Your life is miles away from mine.” A shadow passed over his face.
She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. “I’m not so far away, there are always the weekends and I might get used to camping.”
Noah’s smile broadened. “And you are here for the rest of the week aren’t you?”
Posy nodded and looked at him hoping he would read her feelings in her eyes.
“What?” His hand stilled.
“Well, kiss me, darn it!”
Noah’s smile vanished as he leaned forward to reclaim her lips with his. “Anything the lady wants,” he murmured.
NEW BAY WEDDING
Copyright © 2012 NELL DIXON
To Veronica Barry, my good friend and co-worker.
CHAPTER ONE
Emma gritted her teeth. Ever since her brother, Noah had announced his engagement to Posy she’d known this moment was inevitable.
“Obviously you’re my super-duper bridesmaid.” Posy beamed at her.
Emma smiled back. She had been more than happy to agree to the request. She loved her brother’s fiancée and was only too pleased she’d been asked, even if it had meant lots of extra work to help arrange a wedding at short notice. It was Noah’s choice of best man that had Emma wishing the happy couple would elope.
“And of course, Ian is my best man,” Noah said.
Emma stifled a groan and kept a smile fixed on her face. She’d secretly been hoping her brother would change his mind. Ian had been Noah’s friend ever since school days. He’d always been hanging around at Emma and Noah’s parents' farm. With his interest in animals it was no surprise that he’d gone on to become the town vet.
“Ha! There he is.” Noah waved at his friend across the crowded bar of the local pub where they were meeting for drinks and to finalise plans for Noah and Posy’s big day. A wedding that was less than three weeks away thanks to her brother’s decision to marry as soon as possible.
“I’ll go and get us some more drinks. Cider, Em?” Noah stood and collected the empty glasses from the table before going to meet Ian at the bar.
A small sigh escaped from Emma as she watched her brother walk away across the old flag-stoned floor of the pub.
“Penny for them?” Posy asked, her eyebrows raised in a gentle question mark.
“It’s nothing. I’m just tired tonight. The campsite is busy at the moment.” She wasn’t really lying. The campsite she ran at the farm was full, but that wasn't why she’d sighed and Posy knew it.
“Here you go, ladies.” Noah and Ian returned and placed fresh glasses of the local cider in front of them.
Ian took the empty seat next to Emma. A slight red flush stained his narrow face as he glanced in her direction.
“To our best man and chief bridesmaid.” Noah grinned at them and raised his glass to clink it against theirs. “Cheers!”
Emma dutifully lifted her drink for the toast. True to his usual clumsy form, Ian managed to knock her glass so hard with his that half of her drink slopped over the rim of her glass and onto the table.
“Oh, Emma, your jeans are soaked.” Posy pulled some tissues from her bag.
Noah bit back an amused grin.
“I’ll get a cloth.” Ian’s face turned a deeper shade of crimson and he jumped from his seat to beg a towel from the bar staff.
He rushed back with a small cloth towel and began to dab ineffectively at the wet patch on Emma’s thigh.
“Sorry, Em.”
“It’s okay.” She took the towel from him and soaked up as much of the spilled cider as she could. She could be pretty klutzy herself at times but somehow Ian still managed to top her.
How Ian had ever managed to become a vet she would never know. Whenever she met him he either trod on her or spilled something down her and, on one memorable occasion, he’d managed to set her hair on fire. He was a one-man walking disaster area and still her brother had asked him to be his best man.
Emma breathed a sigh of relief when Noah and Ian went off to play a game of pool, leaving her to chat with Posy.
“Oh dear, poor Ian.” Posy shook her head, a small smile playing around her lips as Noah and Ian walked away.
“Poor Ian!" Emma spluttered indignantly. "More like poor me! Did I ever tell you about when he set my hair alight?”
Posy laughed. “Yes, several times and it sounded like you were simply unlucky that he got the candles on the birthday cake so close to your hair.”
Emma took a sip from her glass. “I know it sounds funny now, but I think it’s given me a pathological fear of birthday cake. Honestly, Posy aren’t you a even a little bit worried that he might jinx your and Noah’s wedding?”
Posy raised her shoulders in a graceful shrug. “I’m sure everything will be fine. Ian is one of Noah’s oldest friends.”
“On your head be it, then.” Emma grumbled to her still smiling friend. It wasn’t that Ian was a bad person, or that he set out to cause chaos. It was simply that chaos seemed to find him.
“Anyway, have you ever noticed that Ian only seems to be disaster-prone whenever he’s around you?”
Emma fixed Posy with a hard stare. “What’s that supposed to mean? That he secretly likes me or something? You’re as bad as Noah.” Her brother was always hinting that Ian liked her but Emma had never seen any evidence of it. Usually, if anything, Ian tried to avoid her.
“Well, the idea had occurred to me. I’ve been out loads of times with Noah and Ian and he’s been fine when you aren’t there. It’s just that whenever you appear he turns into Captain Chaos.”
Emma wondered how much alcohol was in her friend's drink. It was crazy to think Ian might secretly fancy her. They had grown up together. He’d seen her with braces on her teeth, adolescent spots, and that really bad year when she’d tried to dye her black hair blonde. He’d never paid her any compliments or even suggested that he might want to date her.
She glanced across the room to where Ian stood next to the pool table, applying chalk to the end of his cue. Ian had changed a lot from his gawky teenage years. He still had a wiry frame, his arms were knotted with muscle and his skin was clear and tanned. He certainly never seemed short of female admirers although he didn’t date very often.
“I think this wedding is addling your brain. You want everyone to be as loved up as you and Noah.” Emma supposed Ian was okay. Well, more than okay if you liked intelligent men with short dark hair and sparkling green eyes.
Posy smiled. “Okay, if you say so. But I still think Ian has a bit of a crush on you.”
Emma took another peep at Ian. As if sensing the girls were talking about him, he looked in their direction and promptly dropped the chalk for the pool cues u
nder the table.
* * * *
“What are you doing down there? It’s your shot.” Noah waited for his friend to scramble to his feet.
“Dropped the chalk.” Ian stood the offending blue cube of chalk on the side of the table and brushed the dust from his hands by wiping them on his jeans.
Noah took a pull from his pint and watched as his friend took the shot. “Promise me you won’t drop the ring when you hand it to the vicar at my wedding. I don’t think Posy would ever forgive you.”
Ian straightened up and watched the progress of his pool ball across the green baize. “I won’t drop the ring.”
Ian wriggled his shoulders trying to ease the itch between his shoulder blades. He could feel the weight of Emma’s gaze resting on him as he bent to take the next shot. Being around her always seemed to bring out the worst in him. Typically, he missed the shot he intended to make, leaving Noah to take the lead.
“Your playing is getting worse,” Noah observed and potted three balls in quick succession.
Ian snuck a quick glance back at Posy and Emma’s table. It was always the same whenever she was there. It was no wonder she was convinced he was some kind of jinx. He’d seen the look on her face when Noah had told her he was to be best man. The mixture of horror tinged with resignation had been clear in her dark blue eyes.
“You know, you could just ask my sister out.”
Noah’s voice made him jump.
“And you know she’d never in a million years ever say 'yes'.” Ian knew his friend had been aware of his admiration for Emma for a long time.
Noah chuckled and slapped him on the back. “Fair enough.”
Ian sighed. They both knew that she didn’t see him in any kind of romantic light. Even when Noah had dropped hints the size of elephants that Ian might be keen on her, Emma smilingly dismissed the idea with a swish of her ponytail. She appeared to see him as nothing more than an annoying and clumsy friend of Noah’s.
“Your shot.” Noah stepped away so Ian could take his place at the pool table.
Ian couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t been in love with Emma. He'd felt this way ever since he’d first met her all those years before, when she’d been an awkward teenager and he’d been the shy, nerdy guy who’d hung around with her brother. He’d dated other girls, obviously. Especially when he’d been away at university and gaining the experience he’d needed to return to New Bay to set up his own veterinary practice. Somehow none of those other women had matched up to Emma.
He scowled at the memory as he prepared to take his shot, forcing himself to try and concentrate on the game. Noah still managed to win by a comfortable margin and after collecting fresh drinks from the bar they went back to join the girls.
Posy folded away a copy of Brides magazine as they approached the table.
“You two been plotting and planning?” Noah asked as he resumed his seat.
“We were looking at bridesmaids’ dresses.” Posy smiled adoringly at Noah.
Ian wished Emma would look at him the same way. Right now the only look he was receiving from her was one of mild exasperation when he stepped on her toe as he sat down.
“I refused to be dolled up like one of those knitted crinoline toilet roll dollies,” Emma said.
“As if I would ever suggest it. That was Noah’s idea.” Posy grinned.
Ian sat quietly as the banter swirled around him. Emma would look good in whatever Posy chose.
“To get Em in a dress of any kind will be a big enough challenge. What do you think Ian?” Noah nudged him, breaking his reverie.
“Definitely. Unless they do denim bridesmaids dresses.” Emma loved her jeans.
She frowned at him. “I do wear dresses sometimes. I wore one to Meg and Adam’s wedding.” Her tone was indignant.
Ian remembered seeing Emma at the church a few months before, wearing a fitted pink dress and shiny black high-heeled shoes. She’d looked amazing. The outfit had shown off her long slim legs to perfection. Unfortunately she’d been accompanied by Matt Greening of Dalloway’s Farm, so at the time, that had been that.
“Are you sure you don’t want to elope, Posy?” Noah smiled at his fiancée.
“Mum would kill you. Both of you, she’s looking forward to this wedding so much,” Emma said.
“I can’t believe it’s only a few weeks away now.” Posy snuggled up to Noah. “Oh, that reminds me. Did either of you want to bring someone to the wedding? I promised Noah’s mum I’d have the lists finalised by today so we can finish the table plans.” She wriggled upright again and delved in her bag fishing out a notepad.
Emma’s cheeks flushed a delicate pink. “Oh, you don’t need to bother for me. Matt and I finished ages ago.”
Ian tried to stifle the surge of delight that he felt at Emma’s news. He’d guessed she and Matt had stopped dating but he hadn’t been sure. “I’m okay, too.”
Posy tucked her notebook back inside her bag. “Fine, that was easy. I guess you two will have to keep one another company at the wedding then.” She smiled happily at them.
Ian noticed Noah’s mouth twitch with amusement at Posy’s statement. Emma feigned an interest in the design of her beer mat. At least at this wedding he would get to dance with Emma. The best man always had at least one dance with the chief bridesmaid. Although knowing his luck he’d probably manage to stand on her feet then too.
CHAPTER TWO
Emma said goodbye to the last of the children who’d been helping her collect eggs and feed the chickens. She enjoyed taking the children who were staying on the campsite around the farm to meet some of the animals. Today there had been five children to help her, three small girls and two boys. She steadied the tray of fresh brown eggs on her arm ready to take them into the kitchen to be packed. Later the eggs would go on sale in the campsite reception area.
“Emma!”
She turned around to see Posy waving at her from the door of the farmhouse. Bright spots of colour lit Posy’s pale cheeks and her hair was securely pinned back in a tidy knot.
“You look smart. All set for the interview?” Emma asked.
“Argh, I’m so nervous. I really want to get this job.” Posy smoothed down the fitted navy skirt of her suit and fussed at a bit of lint.
Emma smiled, hoping to reassure her.
“You’ll be great. You have tons of experience and your boss has given you a great reference.” She was sure her friend would be brilliant at her interview for the vacant journalist’s post at the New Bay News. Until Posy’s move to New Bay she had been a feature writer for a leading leisure magazine.
Posy huffed out a breath. “I’d better get going. Don’t want to be late.”
Emma watched her clamber inside Noah’s ancient green and cream Land Rover. “Knock them dead!”
“Thanks, Em. See you later; we can go through some of the wedding plans when I get back.” Posy waved as she started the engine.
“Hey, Emma!” Noah called to her from somewhere at the top of the track. “Could you give us a hand for a minute?”
Emma sighed and placed her tray of eggs in the kitchen. She had a lot of work to get through and it looked as if it was going to be one of those days where nothing went according to plan. She set off up the track towards her brother, wondering what he wanted.
She pushed open the metal gate to the field and turned to latch it behind her. The sound of sheep bleating met her and a few of the more curious members of the flock gambolled towards her. She looked around trying to spot Noah.
“Over here.” He was crouched down close to a drainage ditch that ran alongside the dry stone wall at the edge of the field.
Emma hurried across and discovered Ian was already inside the ditch, with both men struggling to hang on to one of the sheep.
“What’s happened?” Emma dropped to her knees on the grass next to Noah.
The sheep continued to bleat its distress.
“Stupid ewe wandered into the ditch, which would have
been fine if she hadn’t decided to stick her head inside the metal drainage grill.” Noah muttered a curse under his breath as the sheep bucked in his arms. Foul smelling mud came splattering up from the anxious animal's efforts.
Emma peered in more closely. Ian had a set of bolt cutters and was trying to free the animal from its metal collar.
“I didn’t know there was a grill in this ditch.” Her view of Ian was blocked by Noah’s arms as he wrestled with the sheep.
“It covers where the water from the ditch runs out to the main drain under the road. There’s a grill to stop debris from blocking it or any of the lambs getting stuck.” Ian’s voice sounded muffled.
Noah shook his head in an attempt to shake off some of the muddy droplets clinging to his face. “If you could help me to keep her back legs under control then Ian can get her free. I’m worried she’ll pull back and cut herself. The metal is really sharp where she’s stuck her head.”
Emma braced herself and stepped down into the narrow ditch. Her wellingtons sank into the inch of mud that covered the bottom of the ditch.
“You wouldn’t think it would still be so wet. It hasn’t rained for days.” She bent forward and took hold of the ewe.
“Watch her, she bucks,” Noah warned.
“I’d noticed.” Emma struggled to help Noah hold the sheep still while Ian continued the delicate task of freeing the ewe from the drain. She held her breath as he carefully cut the metal bars and bent them away from the animal.
“Okay!” With the last one cut Ian finally gave them clearance to begin to move the sheep.
Emma helped Noah lift the ewe out of the ditch so Ian could get a better look at her head and neck where she’d been stuck.
“No injuries. Just a few scratches on her face,” he said.
Emma relinquished her hold of the animal with a thankful sigh. Her arms ached from where she’d been struggling to keep the sheep still. Ian straightened up and rubbed the small of his back. He grimaced as he moved and she wondered how long he’d been crouched in the ditch. His navy blue coveralls were coated with mud and a streak of dirt marked his cheek.
