Before You Say I Do

by Clare Lydon

  “I’ll be fine.” Jordan headed down the aisle.

  Abby gulped. She closed her eyes.

  A hand on her arm made her jolt. Abby opened her eyes, as the plane began to taxi.

  There went her stomach again.

  “You all right, love? I know this isn’t your favourite part.” Mum’s green eyes were kind, just like always.

  Abby nodded. “I will be, once we’re airborne. Plus, Jordan’s gone to get me a drink. It should help.”

  Mum twisted, looking down the aisle. “How did you ever cope without Jordan?”

  Abby wasn’t sure.

  Moments later, Jordan slid back into her seat, clipping her seatbelt into place. In the aisle, Gavin greeted them, then began going through the safety drills.

  Abby glanced her way.

  Another grin from Jordan as she slipped something into Abby’s hand. She leaned in, her lips stopping just shy of Abby’s ear. “I wasn’t sure what to get you, so I went for mini bottles of vodka and whisky. Both will give you a relaxing jolt that should settle your nerves. But you’re going to have to swig it secretly, as you’re not meant to be drinking right now.”

  Abby’s brain processed the words, and she nodded. She tried to ignore the whirl of her senses after Jordan’s hot breath had piped into her ears, but she didn’t quite manage it. She waited for Gavin to demonstrate blowing into the top-up tube for the life jacket, and how to locate your light.

  When he was finished, Abby gulped back the vodka, wincing as the neat alcohol hit her taste buds. Jeez, alcohol tasted bad on its own. She tried not to imagine the vodka stripping her insides like dried paint from her fingertips, and instead focused on the dull buzz that slowly began to seep through her. She pocketed the whisky in her handbag, and tried to recall how to wrap the life jacket ties around her waist. Who was she kidding? If the plane crashed, she was a goner.

  “Gavin, take your seat,” said Michelle over the PA. Gavin promptly disappeared.

  This was it, they were about to take off. Abby’s least favourite part of flying. She tugged on her seatbelt to make sure it was secure, then glanced Jordan’s way.

  Jordan gave her a smile, then took Abby’s hand in hers and settled their joined limbs on their shared armrest.

  Abby almost stopped breathing, fixing her eyes on their hands, before deciding it was too much. She snapped her eyes shut.

  “I hope everyone’s ready to fly, because the runway is within sight. Have a great flight everyone.” That was Michelle again, before the PA snapped off.

  There were whoops from behind.

  Abby couldn’t work out who they were from, and she didn’t much care. All she could hear was the roar of her heartbeat in her ears. The wobble of her body as every muscle she possessed clamped shut. She was on a plane and she was holding Jordan’s hand. The strangest part about it? It was having the desired effect.

  Jordan was a calming influence.

  As the plane gathered speed and lifted off the tarmac, Jordan squeezed her hand tighter still, and Abby put all of her focus on that, and not on the fact they were now airborne in a metal tube. Abby glanced across at Jordan, catching a glimpse of the outside world getting smaller as the plane climbed.

  Big mistake.

  She took a deep breath, pulling her eyes to the front. But all the while, Jordan didn’t let go of her hand, and didn’t say a word.

  The exact thing she’d always wanted a partner to do, and they never had.

  Jordan understood her.

  That wasn’t lost on Abby.

  Chapter 14

  They were staying at Villa Francois, and it was just as high-end as Jordan had imagined. Not that she was surprised. She’d been to Marcus’s family home. To Marcus’s house on the edge of their estate. Met his mother. Seen how well laundered Marcus’s shirts were. There was a precision and order to the Montgomery family. This wasn’t their house, but Abby had told her it was the house of some good friends who had a love for modern stylings. Those stylings had been very evident when their minibus rolled into the spacious driveway and the group saw the house.

  The villa sat in the hills of Super Cannes, the exclusive neighbourhood where all the rich people played. Close to Cannes and the beach, the property came with staff, along with floor-to-ceiling windows where it counted. Plus, of course, the back of the house, the pool and terraces overlooked the incredible Cote d’Azur, its wide expanse glittering below. The inviting pool was big enough to do laps in. There were multiple jacuzzis. There were enough striped, cushioned loungers underneath crisp white umbrellas for everyone. Jordan had no doubt the towels would be extra-fluffy, too. This was a hen do where no detail had been spared.

  The towels had been put away by the staff, and the hen party was now back at the villa after the first night out, which had been deemed a success. Relief slid down Jordan as she walked onto the terrace overlooking the pool, tastefully lit with low lights and candles. Below them, the exclusive neighbourhood glittered, and the French Riviera air wrapped itself around them. The air even smelled French, if that could possibly be a thing.

  “I don’t know about everyone else, but I’m stuffed.” Abby patted her non-existent belly as she approached the large outdoor table, where Jordan held out a chair for her. She was wearing cute culotte trousers, a green top and wispy chiffon scarf, not unlike a 1950s socialite. The effect wasn’t lost on Jordan.

  Abby gave her a smile as she sat. “Thank you, long-lost bridesmaid.”

  Jordan performed a curtsy. “Anything for the bride-to-be,” she replied. “Can I get you a drink?”

  Someone walked up behind her. “Did someone say drink?” Gloria’s Scottish accent had got thicker as the evening had worn on. “Have the staff gone home?”

  Jordan nodded. “They clock off at nine. Seeing as it’s after ten, we’re on our own. But as a bridesmaid, I’m at Abby’s beck and call.”

  “You hear that, Delta?” Abby shouted, leaning back in her seat. “Jordan is offering to get me whatever I want because she’s my bridesmaid.”

  A hoot of laughter from Delta as she appeared on the terrace, along with the rest of the hen party. “That’s because she’s paid…”

  Jordan’s stomach dropped as the words died on Delta’s tongue. She swivelled and eyeballed Delta, but she was pretty sure she couldn’t see her in the dim light. Was Delta going to give the game away on day one?

  Delta walked towards them, the rest of the hens behind her. “She’s paying the price for deserting you for all these years. I’ve got Abby a million glasses of wine in the intervening couple of decades that Jordan’s been absent. She’s got a lot of time to make up for.”

  Nice save, Delta. Jordan clicked a finger and pointed it in her direction. “She’s got a point. If I get white wine and some glasses, will everyone drink some?”

  Cheers from the group was Jordan’s cue to go to the kitchen.

  “Where’s Taran?” Abby asked. “She could help.”

  Gloria rolled her eyes. “She’s chatting to Ryan.” They’d only been away for 12 hours, but it was already apparent that Taran and her husband couldn’t go a couple of hours without speaking. “I’ll come with you,” Gloria added.

  They got to the kitchen, its shiny white surfaces cleared of this afternoon’s detritus.

  “God bless those wonderful staff,” Gloria said. “We must tip them well.”

  “Agreed.” Jordan busied herself getting white wine from the fully stocked wine fridge, while Gloria grabbed the glasses. They’d only been together a day, but Jordan and Gloria were already working as a well-oiled machine.

  “I just wanted to say, too,” Gloria added, as they put their goods on a couple of metallic trays. “Thanks for doing all you’ve done so far. I know you’ve really taken a weight from Abby’s shoulders and even made her start to enjoy the run-up to her wedding. A few weeks ago, I didn’t think that was ever going to happen.”

  Jordan didn’t meet Gloria’s gaze. “I’m just doing my job.”

&nbs
p; Gloria put a hand on her arm. “I know, but you’re doing more than that. You’re making Abby relax and that’s a rare thing. Before meeting Marcus, she was always so focused on her job. If it was one she loved, I’d be happy for her.” Gloria frowned, tilting her head to one side. “I was hoping she’d get excited about the wedding with time, but it’s only since you’ve come on board that she’s really started to have a sparkle in her eye.” She squeezed Jordan’s arm. “So thank you. Seriously. I just want to see my only daughter happy.”

  This time Jordan did meet her gaze. “That’s what I want, too.”

  When they got back out to the terrace, Taran had returned to the group and was talking about her recent wedding. “Abby was such a star on the hen weekend and on the wedding day when I was having a meltdown. I wanted to do the same for her, but it seems like she’s covered, with Delta and now Jordan who’s just materialised out of thin air!”

  There wasn’t a hint of disbelief in her voice, which allowed Jordan to breathe easy.

  It wasn’t everyone else she had to worry about believing their story.

  It was Delta blowing their cover.

  “I’m just thrilled we reconnected in time.” Jordan put her tray on the table. “When we were little girls and talking about getting married, we always promised we’d have each other as our bridesmaids. But after nearly three decades apart, I never thought it would happen.” Why did this story seem more real than the others Jordan had taken part in?

  Jordan poured the wine, passed the glasses around, then sat beside Gloria.

  “I’m thrilled you did, too. You always were a good influence on Abby.” Gloria patted Jordan’s hand.

  Jordan was pretty sure Gloria wouldn’t be saying that if she knew the full extent of Jordan’s thoughts over the past couple of weeks. When Jordan glanced up at Abby, her cheeks were flushed, and when she caught Jordan’s gaze, she looked away. Why was Abby looking shifty, too? She had nothing to look shifty about.

  “Mind you, Abby’s always been a model daughter, which just goes to prove, the apple does sometimes fall very far from the tree.”

  The group laughed at that.

  “I dunno, Gloria,” Delta said. “You should have seen her in her 20s. She was a bit of a hellraiser. Especially at uni.”

  “That much is true!” shouted Erin, her face split with a grin.

  Gloria shook her head, waving a hand in the air. “There are some things a mother should never know, and what their daughter got up to at university is definitely one of them.”

  When Jordan glanced at Abby again, she was shaking her head, shooting Delta an evil look. Jordan chuckled. She’d like to have seen Abby as a hellraiser.

  “As for me, unlike Abby, I didn’t get my choice of husband right first time. I was flattered by my first husband’s attention, and he was a lovely man. Also, I was pregnant, and it was what you did. I had a miscarriage before we got hitched, but we still went through with it. Then we had Abby. It took me a year to work out that behind his dazzling smile and his money, we didn’t have that much in common. Second time around though, there’s never been a minute when I doubted him.

  “Martin and me just click. When that happens, everything that’s gone before is suddenly cast aside. I’d be lying if I said that when I met Marcus, I didn’t have my doubts. Because he’s got money, and he’s got charm. The two things I fell for with my first marriage. But what Marcus has also got is heart. A big one. He’s generous, kind, and I know he loves my daughter. As a mother, I couldn’t ask for anything more.” She held up her glass, waiting for everyone else to follow suit. “A toast to what’s going to be a fabulous weekend. To Abby, and to Marcus who is currently wandering the streets of Dublin on his stag do.” Her eyes roamed the group with a devilish grin. “We know who won out on location, don’t we, ladies?”

  Clapping all round.

  “But seriously. May your smiles be wide and your worries small. Abby and Marcus!”

  A chorus of ‘Abby and Marcus!’ rang out in the air.

  Taran turned to Jordan. “I’m interested, though. Has Abby missed the boat on your wedding, Jordan? Could she still be your bridesmaid, and then both your childhood dreams could really come true?”

  Jordan ground her teeth together. She’d been asked this before at previous weddings with previous brides.

  “She hasn’t missed the boat,” Jordan replied. “I’m still single, so I’d be honoured to have Abby as my bridesmaid when the time is right.”

  Their gazes met one more time, but this time, Jordan didn’t look away.

  Abby held up her glass, licking her lips. “I look forward to being at your beck and call sometime in the future.”

  Two hours later, and most of the party had gone to their rooms. Abby was clearing glasses, even though Jordan had told her to leave it.

  “I honestly can’t believe Mum and Delta have both gone to bed this early on night one.”

  “It’s a marathon not a sprint, like they said.” Although Jordan was surprised, too. She’d never seen a first night where everyone was in bed at just gone midnight. It was a modern-day hen weekend miracle. She would have to write this one up in her journal. If she had a journal.

  When they’d taken everything to the kitchen, Jordan came out to do a final sweep of the terrace. Satisfied it was clear, she walked to the edge, stopping at the glass wall that came up to her hip. She leaned her arms on the top, and admired the view over the water once more. After such a full-on day, it was nice to soak in a few moments of solitude. Seconds later, Jordan’s skin prickled with sensation. Her solitude was short-lived. Not that she minded. Not when the one piercing her bubble was Abby.

  Jordan breathed her in, her pulse beginning to sprint, even though externally she was calm. She hadn’t drunk anything tonight, because this was work. She’d had a glass at all times, and she’d played the part of the tipsy bridesmaid, but the glass had remained full. She was glad she had a clear head.

  “Gorgeous, isn’t it?” Abby’s smoky voice thrummed through her.

  “It really is.”

  Jordan looked to her right.

  Abby’s dark eyes flashed at her. “What are you thinking about?”

  You. How you make me feel. The excruciating heat of you standing next to me. That’s what Jordan wanted to say. But she didn’t.

  “Just soaking all this in. It’s a gorgeous place to be for the weekend.” She glanced at Abby again. She’d taken her scarf off, exposing her neck and cleavage.

  “Even if it is work? I’m sure this is nothing out of the ordinary for you.”

  Jordan gave her a smile, a spark lighting inside her. “You’re anything but ordinary.” Then she looked away swiftly. She hoped she hadn’t overstepped the mark.

  “I could say the same about you,” Abby replied.

  Jordan’s muscles clenched, then unclenched as she flicked her eyes to Abby. What did that mean?

  “Have you left anyone behind this weekend who’s missing you? You don’t seem to have anyone special in your life, but then again, you might not have told me.” When Jordan looked her way, Abby raised an eyebrow. “You did say I could ask you anything about your life, so this is me playing that card, by the way.”

  Jordan had said that. She shook her head. “There’s nobody, it’s just me. I haven’t had a girlfriend for a long time. This job keeps me too busy.” Jordan had never discussed this with a bride before. Most brides were too busy thinking about their wedding and themselves.

  Abby was not most brides.

  “Plus, I’m not sure many girlfriends would be all that happy about me disappearing for weeks on end. Or spending so much time with beautiful women and getting close to them. It’s enough to test even the most secure of relationships.” She’d never admitted that to anyone before, either. If she wanted a relationship, she might have to give up this job. From March to September, it owned her.

  Abby twisted her body around, frowning at Jordan. “Wait, you’ve been doing this three years, and yo
u haven’t had a relationship that whole time?”

  Jordan shook her head. “Nope.”

  “And before that?”

  Jordan stilled, flicking through the cards of her life. When it came to relationships, they weren’t stacked in her favour. Anna, Queen of Hearts. Yvette, Queen of Pain. Brianna, the Joker. She’d given months, sometimes years to those relationships. None of them had worked. All of them had left her heart on the floor.

  “I haven’t had the best luck with women.” She said it like it meant nothing. “Let’s just say that.”

  “It sounds like we’re not so different when it comes to love. Before I met Marcus, I hadn’t had a partner in a few years. I hadn’t had my heart trampled. In fact, anything but.” Abby shrugged. “Every man I got together with, the spark was never truly there. I always finished it in the end. But then I stayed solo for a few years, and everyone was getting on my back to meet someone.”

  “So Marcus came along at just the right time?”

  Abby gripped the glass wall with both hands, taking a small step back and dropping her head. Her hair fell forward. “He did. When he turned up at my office, I did a double-take. Then after we went out for dinner, it just happened. No drama.” She shrugged. “Getting together with him was easy. There were no fireworks, no grand gestures. We just fell into each other. Our wedding felt inevitable.”

  “That’s a good thing, right?”

  Abby lifted her head and ran a hand through her hair. She didn’t look so sure. “I guess so. But we don’t have a relationship like Taran and Ryan. We live apart, and I don’t have to speak to him all the time. Sometimes I wonder if I’m settling. That it’s just my time of life to get married. If I’ve taken the easy road.”

  This conversation was a well-worn theme among her brides. “If Marcus is the easy road, perhaps it’s one worth travelling?” She turned and leaned her bum on the glass wall, staring at Abby. Damn, she was beautiful. “He loves you, you love him, and you come from a basis of friendship. I’d say that counts for a lot.”

  Abby sucked in her cheeks. “So everyone tells me.”