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

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Next morning, I lay with Jack, tangled in the bed linen and feeling completely blissed out.

‘Only three weeks to go now and then I’ll be your wife!’ I gave a little shriek and sat up. ‘I’ll be a wife. Is it me or does that word sound really weird? Maybe it’s just that I’ve never thought of it like that.’

Jack chuckled. ‘Well, I’ll be your husband. That’s even weirder, considering what a nutjob you actually are.’

‘Hey, you.’ Playfully slapping his bare chest, I slid down so that I was nestled in the crook of his arm again, my face against his shoulder. ‘At least you won’t have a boring life with me around.’

He groaned. ‘Tell me about it.’ But he was laughing.

‘I’m starving.’

‘You’re not starving. Don’t exaggerate.’

‘Okay, then, I’m really hungry.’

‘Let’s get up and eat, then.’

‘Problem. I wasn’t expecting you back so there’s nothing much in.’

‘Have we got eggs?’

‘Yes.’

‘Cheese?’

‘I think so.’

‘Spring onions.’

‘Probably but they might be a bit sad-looking.’

‘Doesn’t matter.’ He eased himself away from me and got out of bed. Reaching for his boxers, he said, ‘Cheese omelette coming up.’ He grinned at me as he pulled on his jeans and I felt my body react to the sexy twinkle in his eye. ‘Will that suit Madam?’

‘It certainly will. And make it snappy, boy!’

He saluted and went out, whistling, a sweatshirt over his shoulder. I lay back with a happy sigh, listening to him going into the kitchen, quickly followed by the clattering of the omelette pan on the hob and the fridge being opened, followed by the newsreader’s voice as Jack turned on the TV.

Stretching languidly, I smiled up at the stylish chandelier-style light-fitting I’d bought for his bedroom in the early days of our romance, joking that I wanted something beautiful to look at when I was staring up at the ceiling. Drawing in a huge breath, I let it out really slowly.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Jack was back, my heart was fine and the wedding was full steam ahead. We were planning to drive over to the Moonbeam Castle Hotel on Saturday to check on progress, and I couldn’t wait.

I’d no idea who or what I’d felt compelled to thank. All I knew was that maybe things were going to be all right, after all. With Jack beside me, I could face just about anything life threw at me . . .

‘Maddy?’

Jack was calling for me.

‘Yes, I’ll have spring onions but only if you’re having them as well!’ I called back, laughing and bounding out of bed.

‘Can you come here?’

‘Okay, okay. Just putting some jeans on,’ I shouted. ‘An omelette made by you deserves a little decorum. No eating it in the buff.’

‘Just come here?’

Grinning, I pulled on a pair of pink stripy socks and a pink T-shirt and ran into the kitchen.

‘No tantalising aroma of cooking? What’s going on?’ I joked.

Then I saw Jack’s face and stopped in my tracks. ‘What’s wrong?’

He grabbed my hand to shush me and pointed at the TV. It was the local news and on screen there was a photo of a familiar hotel. At first, I thought it must be a story about the newly renovated wedding venue being finally open and ready for business.

But the next thing the newsreader said sent my heart plummeting into my pink stripy socks.

The Moonbeam Castle Hotel wasn’t open for business. Quite the opposite.

The company that owned it had gone bankrupt . . .