Finding Hope at the Loch (Loch Lannick Book 7)

by Hannah Ellis

  “Is that enough time to organise everything?” Nick asked, looking sceptical.

  “I don’t think there’s much to organise. We’d need to send the forms straight away, but that’s not a problem. Then I’d need to buy a dress. And we need rings, but I think that’s about it.” She took in Nick’s blank expression. “We can wait a while if you want? It just feels a little odd to plan an elopement so far in advance. I’m not sure I can keep it a secret that long.”

  “Are we not going to tell anyone?”

  “That’s the idea of eloping, isn’t it? And it might be fun to keep it a secret. Plus, if we tell people, I’ll feel bad for not inviting them.”

  Nick nodded, looking thoughtful. “Okay, let’s do it.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I am if you are.”

  She nodded excitedly and Nick got to work filling in their information on the booking site.

  “I can’t believe we’re doing this,” Lexie said. “My dad’s going to flip out.”

  “Is that a problem?” Nick asked as he tapped away.

  “No. It’s like an added bonus!”

  He stopped abruptly. “You’re not doing this to annoy Angus, are you?”

  “No.” She nudged him to continue filling in the booking request. A moment later, she put a hand on his arm to stop him. “What about your parents?”

  “What about them?”

  “They’re going to be disappointed. Are they going to hate me?”

  “No. As long as we’re happy they’ll be fine with it.”

  “You’re really lucky to have such normal parents.”

  “I know.” He clicked through to the next screen. “That’s it. Now we wait for them to get back to us. In the meantime, we can start filling out the paperwork. Are you sure you don’t want any guests? Not even witnesses?”

  “Do we need to bring witnesses?”

  “No. It says the hotel can organise someone to witness it.”

  “Okay. I guess not then. It’d feel weird to just choose a couple of people to be there.”

  “Just us then,” Nick said.

  Lexie beamed. “I can’t wait.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Keeping the wedding to themselves turned out to be more difficult than Lexie anticipated. She was probably going to end up with jaw ache from all the time she spent clamping it shut. Whenever she saw Leana or her mum she wanted to blurt out her secret. Keeping her excitement to herself felt like torture.

  “Are we really going to do it?” Lexie asked Nick on Saturday evening. They’d had the same conversation about a hundred times over the week, but she still couldn’t quite get her head around it.

  “Yes. We’re really getting married in three weeks. And we need to get organised.”

  “I thought there was nothing to organise. That’s the beauty of eloping.” Lexie wriggled to get comfy on the couch. “We’ve already filed the paperwork. And the rings are organised.” They’d been to the jewellers in Portree during the week and chosen rings. They just needed to be re-sized. “All that’s left to do is find me a dress, but we said we’d do that next weekend.”

  “Did you research bridal shops?” he asked.

  “Yes, there are a couple in Inverness, so we’ll just drive over there for the day. We can visit Grandad while we’re at it.”

  “I didn’t know if you’d want to go down to Edinburgh or Glasgow. There’d be more choice.”

  “No. I’ll find something in Inverness. That’s less stress.”

  Gently, he rubbed the balls of her feet. “Are you sure you don’t want to tell anyone?”

  “I’m desperate to tell Leana. But then I’d feel bad about not telling Elspeth. I think it’s best to keep it to ourselves until afterwards.”

  Creases appeared on his forehead. “What about the shopping trip?”

  “How do you mean?”

  “Isn’t it going to be a bit depressing for you to go shopping for your wedding dress alone?”

  Lexie pulled her feet from his lap and sat up. “I didn’t even think about that.”

  “You should have someone with you,” he said.

  “Mum should be with me.” She’d also like to have Leana and Elspeth with her, but she really couldn’t imagine not having Mary with her.

  “Then let’s tell your parents,” he said.

  “I’ve been feeling bad about keeping it a secret from Mum. Leana too, but especially Mum. I kind of wish we could tell Mum and not Dad.”

  “I don’t think you can really ask Mary to keep it from him.”

  “I know. I wouldn’t do that. It means I’m going to get a load more earache from Dad, though.”

  “Only for a few weeks,” Nick said. “Then we’ll be married and he’ll be forced to give up his protests.”

  “If we tell my parents, will you tell yours too?”

  “Aye. I’d like to. They’ll be excited for us.”

  “We can go over and tell my parents before the pub opens tomorrow,” Lexie said. “Then give your parents a call.”

  “I’m calling them now.” Nick shuffled to retrieve his phone from his pocket. “It’s been killing me not to call Mum and tell her.”

  “Is that the reason you wanted me to tell someone? Not because you were concerned about me shopping alone? If you were that keen to tell your parents, you could have just said so.”

  “I know. But it didn’t seem fair if you weren’t telling anyone.” He switched his phone to speaker and set it on the coffee table as it began to ring. “And I really was worried about you shopping alone. I don’t want you turning up in an ugly dress because you had no one to advise you.”

  “Would you change your mind about marrying me if my dress was ugly?”

  “Yes! Absolutely.”

  Laughing, she bumped her shoulder against his, then they both said hello at once when his mum’s voice drifted through the phone.

  Lexie woke the next morning with a vague feeling of discontent. Having a week of keeping their wedding plans to themselves had felt wonderfully exciting. She was fairly sure that bubble would break as soon as Angus heard about their plans.

  “What do you think the chances are that my parents will be as happy about our plans as yours were?” Lexie asked Nick as they walked over to the pub.

  “I think that would be difficult, to be honest.”

  “True. Your parents are the most positive people ever. They’re so lovely. I still think your mum was a bit upset that we’re not having a big wedding, though. She sounded tearful at one point.”

  “She just gets emotional about everything, but she was definitely happy.”

  “I’m nervous,” Lexie said, stopping outside the pub.

  “I think your mum will be fine with it,” Nick said, squeezing her hand. “You’ll just have to not worry too much about what Angus says. Considering he thought getting married next summer was fast, three weeks from now isn’t going to go down well.”

  “Let’s get it over with.” Lexie pulled out her key and opened the side door. She trudged up the stairs at the back of the pub, then knocked on the door to the flat.

  “This is a nice surprise,” Mary said when she answered. “We’ve already eaten breakfast, but I can make you something if you’re hungry.”

  “We’re fine, thanks,” Lexie said as they followed her mum to the kitchen.

  “Morning,” Angus said, folding his newspaper and putting it down on the table before removing his glasses. “To what do we owe this honour?”

  Mary gave him a quick flick on his shoulder. “They can visit any time they want. There doesn’t need to be a reason.” She patted Nick’s arm. “Sit yourselves down and I’ll make you both a coffee.”

  “There is a reason for the visit, actually,” Lexie said as she took a seat. It would probably be best to get straight to the point. “We’ve made a decision about the wedding and we wanted to let you know.”

  “Ooh.” Mary clasped her hands in front of her chest. “Have you picked a v
enue?”

  “Yes.” Lexie glanced at Nick, who gave an encouraging nod. “We decided to elope. We’re going to go to Gretna Green to get married. It’ll be just the two of us and no fuss.”

  Mary’s smile faded and the room fell silent.

  “Gretna Green?” Angus asked.

  “Yes.” Lexie tried her best to keep her voice steady. “We decided to skip all the stress and keep things simple. It’s all booked. We’re not telling many people beforehand, just you and Nick’s parents.”

  “So you’re not inviting anyone to your wedding?” Angus asked. “No family or friends?”

  “No. We just want it to be the two of us.”

  Mary nodded, but tears shone in her eyes. “When have you booked it for?” she asked.

  “Next month,” Nick said. Lexie’s mouth had gone dry and she struggled to speak.

  Silence fell again.

  Angus’s voice was low and gravelly when he finally spoke. “You’ve got to be bloody kidding.”

  “It’s what we want,” Lexie said, keeping her gaze on her mum, who was dabbing at her eyes with a tissue.

  “No,” Angus said. “No way. You can’t just decide to get married in a few weeks.”

  “We can,” Lexie said, swallowing the lump in her throat. “And it would be nice if you could be happy for us.”

  “No.” Angus pushed his chair back as he stood. “It’s not happening. End of story.”

  For a moment Lexie stared at him, then laughter bubbled inside her. Her hand shot to her mouth in a fruitless attempt to contain it.

  “What the hell is funny?” Angus growled.

  Her shoulders shook and she felt slightly manic. “You just reminded me of when I was thirteen and wanted to get the bus to Inverness with Leana to go shopping. You wouldn’t let me.”

  “Aye. Because it’s dangerous for two young lasses to go off to a strange city alone. You were young and naive and I knew better.”

  “Maybe,” Lexie said, with a rush of pity for her dad. “But I’m not thirteen any more and you don’t get to decide things for me.”

  “I’ve got to open the pub,” he grumbled. “I don’t have time for your crazy notions.” His eyes flicked to his wife. “Talk some sense into her.”

  The door to the flat banged behind him.

  “That actually went better than I expected,” Nick said.

  “What were you expecting?” Lexie asked. For her it had been the exact disaster she’d anticipated.

  “A black eye,” Nick said. “Maybe two.”

  Mary puffed out a breath. “He’s full of hot air. Once he gets used to the idea he’ll be okay with it.”

  “I’m not sure that’s true. But we never expected him to be okay with it.” Lexie shifted in her seat to look squarely at Mary. “What about you? What do you think?”

  She pressed her lips together and tilted her head. “Once I get used to the idea I’ll be fine with it.”

  “I wanted something else too,” Lexie said sadly. “But I don’t want our wedding to be overshadowed by negativity and family drama.”

  Mary came to sit at the table with them. The coffee had been forgotten. “I could talk to Angus again,” she said gently. “Tell him to stay out of things and we can organise a big wedding for next summer like you wanted. You could have it here, and I’ll tell Angus he has to reach out to Wesley beforehand.”

  Lexie was almost tempted to agree. Angus might come around to the idea of having his brother at the pub if the alternative was them eloping. Except it wouldn’t stop her worrying about whether Angus and her grandad could manage to be in the same room together without causing a scene. Or whether Stephanie might finally reach out to her.

  “We just want to get married,” she said, clearing her throat. “And we’re set on the idea of eloping. It’s what we want.”

  “Okay.” Mary put her hand on Lexie’s. “If you’re sure it’s right for you. I only want you to be happy.”

  “Thanks, Mum.” Leaning over, Lexie gave her a quick hug.

  “It’s very soon, though,” Mary said as they parted. “What do you need to organise?”

  “We booked a hotel package where they organise everything for you. We already went shopping for the rings. So all I need to do is find a dress. I was hoping you might help me out with that.”

  Laughter lines appeared at Mary’s eyes when she smiled. “I’d love to.”

  “Are you free next weekend for a shopping trip? We thought we’d go to Inverness and call in on Grandad while we’re there. Is that okay?”

  “Aye.” Mary nodded happily. “I can’t wait.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  When Elspeth saw Isla heading for the cafe, she quickly moved one of the cakes from the display case into the kitchen. It was decorated with a thin layer of buttercream and a variety of sugar flowers in various sizes. The cakes in the cafe were often decorated with delicate flowers now that Elspeth was practising her skills for Isla’s wedding cake. She was definitely improving, but the flowers still leaned towards amateurish; they were nice, rather than stunning. They weren’t good enough, even though Elspeth had been spending every evening honing her skills. She definitely didn’t want Isla catching sight of them.

  “What do you need?” Elspeth called to Isla at the sound of the cafe door opening.

  “Nice welcome,” Isla replied.

  Elspeth wiped her hands on her apron as she walked back out into the cafe. “Well, you only usually come over here when you want something. You may as well get straight to the point.”

  “Is everything okay with you?” Isla asked, taking a seat at a table by the window.

  “Fine. Why?”

  “You’re usually nicer,” Isla said, giving her a sympathetic look. “Why are you so snappy?”

  On a sigh, Elspeth sank onto the chair opposite her sister. She was being snappy. And without any good reason. “I’ve been doing an online course for cake decorating in the evenings. I’m just tired.”

  “I didn’t want you to stress yourself out so much over the wedding cake,” Isla said.

  “I know. But if I want to expand the business I’ll need to get used to working more hours.”

  “You always work a lot anyway. I’m not sure how you’re going to do more without running yourself ragged.”

  “It’ll be fine. Everything is just a bit manic at the moment. I’ve also been organising games and activities for Arran’s birthday party tomorrow.”

  Isla’s lip curled. “How many kids are coming?”

  “Fifteen. Thankfully it looks as though it’ll be dry tomorrow so they can be outside.”

  “That’s good.”

  “Aye. Is Arran still at your place or has he gone to Mum and Dad’s?” Arran had been hanging around the cafe after nursery until he’d seen Logan come home, then he’d headed over there.

  “He’s watching TV with Logan.”

  “Don’t tell Rory! He’s only supposed to watch TV at weekends now. I’m not sure if the rules apply at other people’s houses.”

  “It is the weekend,” Isla pointed out.

  “Friday evening doesn’t count as the weekend according to Rory. Not when it comes to Arran watching TV anyway.”

  Isla smiled. “Rory’s getting all strict, is he? How’s that going down with Arran?”

  “Surprisingly well actually. Rory sat him down and had a chat with him about only watching TV at the weekend and how it’s not okay for him to scream if he doesn’t get what he wants. I thought Arran would be a nightmare about not being allowed TV during the week, but after a couple of days he stopped asking.”

  “You don’t sound very happy about it,” Isla said.

  Elspeth rubbed the back of her neck. “It’s just annoying how Rory seems to be better at parenting than I am. He’s so patient and calm. He makes me look bad.” She smiled, realising how pathetic she sounded.

  “You seem stressed,” Isla said. “Maybe you should take some time off. Close the cafe and have a week of doing nothin
g. It’d probably be good for you.”

  “Maybe I will. In a few more weeks, business will really slow down and then closing for a week wouldn’t make much difference.”

  “Just don’t wait until you’ve run yourself into the ground,” Isla said, standing.

  Elspeth pursed her lips. “Why are you being so nice? And what did you want? I really don’t believe you came in to see how I am.”

  “I saw a couple leaving with one of my paintings,” Isla said through a smile. “I wanted to see which one they’d bought.”

  “The one that was on the wall, there,” Elspeth said, pointing at the empty space.

  “What was it of?”

  Elspeth grimaced as she tried to recall. “I think it was one of a loch … with mountains in the background …”

  “That doesn’t narrow it down much,” Isla said lightly.

  “I think there were purple flowers in the foreground?”

  Isla nodded. “I know the one. I’ll bring a few more over soon.”

  “Thanks. I’ll finish up here, then come and get Arran.”

  By the time she’d got Arran home, Rory was just arriving from work.

  “Do you feel like going out tonight?” he asked Elspeth in the kitchen.

  She screwed her nose up. “Not really. Why?”

  “A few of my colleagues are going out in Portree. I thought it might be fun to join them.”

  “We’ve got fifteen kids coming over for the party tomorrow and I’ve still got loads to prepare.”

  “Okay.” Rory picked Arran up and rubbed his nose against his.

  “You can go if you want,” Elspeth said.

  “No, it’s fine. I’ll stay and help you.”

  “I’ve just got to decorate the cake and bake some buns. I’ll probably be quicker alone.”

  “My dino cake?” Arran asked.

  “Yes. Your green dino cake!” She’d bought a cake mould and the cake was already made, she just needed to ice it. “Go and meet your friends if you want,” she said to Rory. “I don’t mind.”

  “If you’re sure? I won’t be late.”

  She really was better working alone. Once she’d got Arran settled in bed, she got to work on his cake and enjoyed working without interruption.