Maddy’s Christmas Wedding (Little Duck Pond Cafe #37)

CHAPTER EIGHT

It was the night of the Sunnybrook Christmas tree lights switch-on and I had butterflies in my stomach with excitement as I stood on the village green awaiting the big event.

To be fair, the butterflies weren’t strictly because of the buzz of festive excitement that was going on around me. (It seemed like the whole village had turned out to witness the big annual event – a mingling of people all ages, from one to eighty-one!)

I wasn’t actually a huge fan of the seasonal celebrations – not after the events of the previous Christmas, which had included walking in on my then-fiancé Gavin cheating on me. No, the excitement I felt was almost solely due to the imminent arrival of my gorgeous new boyfriend, Josh, who I’d arranged to meet here, straight from his job at Radio Daydream, the local radio station. We’d spent time together practically every day since we’d got together last month. But Josh had been away for the weekend visiting his parents so I hadn’t seen him for a whole four days, which to me seemed like a lifetime!

Josh was laid back, kind and funny, and he was always finding little ways to prove to me how much he cared – the complete opposite, in fact, of my scumbag ex-fiancé. I’d had a lucky escape there, as it turned out. What I’d done to deserve a lovely man like Josh, I really wasn’t sure, but I certainly wasn’t complaining.

I spotted Jack, Maddy’s fiancé, standing on his own looking deep in thought so I went over to join him. ‘Hi, there. I guess you’re waiting for Maddy?’

He was somewhere faraway in his head and it took a few seconds for him to register I was there. He grinned. ‘Hi, Laurel. Yes. She’s a bit late.’ He glanced at his watch.

‘Well, I’m sure she’ll be along at any moment. If I know Maddy, she won’t be wanting to miss any of tonight’s excitement.’

He nodded. ‘Waiting for Josh?’ Glancing around, he smiled. ‘Isn’t this him now?’

I looked over and my heart gave a leap of joy at the sight of him. Tall and darkly handsome, he was easy to spot. He’d seen me and was smiling, weaving his way through the little gatherings of people towards me.

‘Hey, you.’ He slipped an arm around my waist and gave me a quick kiss. ‘Missed you,’ he whispered, before turning his attention to Jack.

I stood there in the warm crook of his arm, loving the solid feel of him next to me, listening to him chatting to Jack about the forthcoming wedding. Josh always made me feel so protected and safe after everything that had happened. He represented a brand-new start for me and I was loving it so far.

‘I saw photos of it in the local paper,’ Josh was saying, talking about the Moonbeam Castle Hotel, which Maddy and Jack had booked for their wedding reception. ‘It looks great.’

Jack nodded. ‘A few last-minute tweaks apparently and they’ll be ready to go.’

‘How lovely, getting married on Christmas Eve.’ I smiled. ‘Are you nervous?’

‘Actually, I’m not. Surprisingly. I can’t wait to get married. Never thought I’d be saying that but it’s true.’ He grinned a little bashfully. ‘I just wish Maddy could relax a bit more about the arrangements. I mean, I get that she wants the day to be perfect. But . . .’ He shrugged. ‘Never mind. It’s probably perfectly normal for the bride-to-be to be preoccupied in the weeks before the big day.’

‘Oh, absolutely.’ I grinned. ‘Perfectly normal. We’ve all heard of bridezillas. Not that Maddy is in that category. She’ll just be anxious to make sure that your wedding’s the best day of your lives.’

And she’ll be worried about her dad, of course.

‘I wonder where Marcus is,’ said Josh. ‘He had a meeting but he said he’d come and join us afterwards. I’ll just give him a quick call and let him know where we are.’

‘Yes, of course.’ I smiled up at him.

‘He hasn’t been himself recently,’ Josh added, ‘but I was thinking maybe tonight’s ceremony might cheer him up a bit. He loves a bit of drama does Marcus!’ Smiling down at me, he squeezed my waist and let go reluctantly. ‘I’ll just find somewhere quieter to call from. Back in a mo.’

I watched him weaving through the crowd, then I turned back to Jack.

‘I’m hoping tonight might cheer Maddy up as well,’ he murmured with a frown.

‘Really? It’s that bad?’

He looked at me, hesitating, as if he was wondering whether to say anything. Then he sighed. ‘Honestly, Laurel, I’m really worried about her. She’s not been herself recently and I’m beginning to think it might be me. I might be the problem.’ He shrugged. ‘Maybe she thinks I haven’t been helping enough with the wedding arrangements. I mean, it’s a huge thing to organise, isn’t it? A wedding?’

‘It is,’ I conceded. ‘But she’s got her mum, who’s only too happy to help with everything. I honestly don’t think she’s annoyed at you for not helping enough.’

‘You think not?’

I shook my head. ‘Definitely not.’

He heaved another sigh. ‘Well, there is something wrong. I’m sure of it. I just wish she’d tell me. Maybe she’s just exhausted. Or . . . maybe she’s going off the whole idea.’

‘Off the whole idea of what?’

‘Marrying me. Cold feet, you know?’

‘What? No!’ Alarmed, I rushed to reassure him. He looked so down. ‘Of course she’s not getting cold feet!’

‘You think not?’

‘Definitely not. But . . . well, you know what it’s like when one of your parents isn’t well. You just can’t stop worrying. And waiting for the results of the tests must be so stressful.’

He frowned. ‘Parents? Which parent?’

‘Well . . . her dad? Barry?’ I gazed at him uncertainly.

My stomach swooped uncomfortably as I realised my terrible gaffe. It was clear from his bemused expression that Jack had no idea about Barry . . .

‘Her dad’s not well?’ Distractedly, he pushed his hair back from his forehead. ‘I mean, I know he hurt himself at Sylvia’s party but the gash on his head was nothing to worry about. I mean, that’s what Maddy told me, anyway.’

My heart was in my mouth, seeing his bewilderment.

For some reason, Maddy mustn’t have mentioned to Jack about the tests Barry had been having!

Horrified at having put my foot in it so disastrously, I forced a smile and tried to backtrack. ‘Maybe I got the wrong end of the stick. Barry’s probably fine now.’

Jack nodded slowly, although I could tell he was still confused.

And then I spotted Maddy, waving at me and rushing over. Her eyes were gleaming and she looked happier than I’d seen her in a long time.

‘You’ll never guess!’ She arrived out of breath and linked Jack’s arm. ‘I thought Dad was seriously ill when he had to have all these tests. I was even worrying he might not make the wedding. But I was just exaggerating it all in my head and even though he’s got this condition that affects his balance, there’s things they can do so it’s not nearly as bad as I was afraid it might be.’

Jack was staring at her.

I jumped in to fill the silence. ‘That’s great, Maddy.’ Her news was fabulous and I was so pleased for my friend, but with Jack standing there looking so non-plussed, I felt I couldn’t react with joy the way I wanted to.

‘It is, isn’t it! I can hardly believe it.’ Maddy beamed from Jack to me and back again.

I nodded, horribly aware that Jack was probably wondering why on earth I knew about Barry’s tests but he didn’t. ‘I’m so pleased for him, Maddy. Give him my best, will you?’

Josh arrived back at that moment and I smiled at him in relief. He slipped his arm around me again and I moved closer, craving comfort. There was no sign of Marcus. ‘Maddy’s had good news about her dad,’ I told him, painfully aware that as yet, Jack hadn’t uttered a word.

Maddy smiled. ‘The wedding’s going to be perfect, after all.’

‘That’s great,’ said Josh but his glance was a little uncertain. He tightened his hold on me and I could tell he’d picked up on the tension I was feeling.

Jack still hadn’t said a thing since Maddy made her happy announcement. And Maddy herself seemed so full of joy, she hadn’t even noticed.

‘Where’s Marcus?’ I asked Josh.

‘He decided to head home instead.’

‘Oh. Why?’

‘He said he didn’t fancy all the festive jollities. He just felt like a quiet night.’

Maddy frowned. ‘Marcus? Since when did Marcus decide to body-swerve a get-together for a quiet night?’ But she was laughing.

She turned to Jack, presumably cottoning on to his sombre mood at last. ‘Are you okay?’

Jack studied her face with a puzzled look, and I felt his hurt.

‘What?’ she demanded. ‘What is it?’

‘Can we grab a coffee?’ He indicated the café, which Ellie had kept open for the tree-lighting ceremony.

‘What, now? But we haven’t seen the lights being switched on yet.’

‘I need to talk to you.’ His voice was calm but with an edge of steel.

‘Right.’ Maddy looked puzzled but she didn’t object. Jack took her hand and they smiled a goodbye at us and walked off towards the café.

‘Oh, Josh, I feel terrible!’ I burst out as soon as they’d gone. ‘That was all my fault.’

‘What was your fault?’ Josh looked puzzled. ‘I could tell there was a weird atmosphere but I’d no idea what was going on.’

So I explained to him what had happened and how bad I felt.

‘Hey, stop beating yourself up,’ he said, pulling me close. ‘You were only trying to help.’

‘It just slipped out, about Barry having tests.’

‘When did you overhear Maddy’s conversation with her dad?’

I frowned, trying to remember. ‘About a week ago, I think.’

‘A week ago? And Maddy hadn’t got around to telling Jack about it? Bit strange.’

‘I know. It is a bit weird. But I guess worry – especially when it’s about a loved one – can sometimes make you act out of character? And Maddy will have been out of her mind with worry.’

‘All the same. You’d think she’d have confided in her fiancé.’

‘I know.’ I sighed. ‘Anyway, it’s done now.’ I glanced across at the café, hoping things were okay between them. Jack would be asking her how I knew about her dad having tests before he did. And Maddy wouldn’t be able to give him an answer because she’d no idea I was hiding in the walk-in cupboard that day!

It was all such a mess.

I’d have to come clean to Maddy about how I accidentally overheard everything, and I really wasn’t looking forward to that . . .

Jack