The Wedding Engagement

Chapter Eleven

Liv dropped a packet of biscuits into her basket and headed toward the canned goods section. Her phone started to ring in her pocket, so she lifted it out as she walked.

Elise’s voice was a little panicked. “Liv. We’ve got a bit of a situation.”

She paused next to the tinned tuna. “What situation? Are you okay?”

“Oh, yes, sorry. I’m fine. It’s a wedding-planning-related situation.”

“What is it?”

“You know how Nico and I were meant to meet with that photographer this afternoon?”

“Yeah?” She reached out to take a pack of cans from the shelf.

“We can’t make it.”

Liv dropped the tuna into her basket. “Neither of you?”

“No. Jack’s got a fever, so I don’t want to leave him with Mum. And Nico’s got a vomiting bug.”

“Blimey. Everyone’s under the weather.”

“Yeah. Though Nico’s is probably a hangover.”

Liv smiled at Elise’s signature negativity wherever Nico was concerned. “I don’t think so. He wouldn’t have been out on the lash the night before his big date.” He’d mentioned having a date the same night she did, and hers was tonight. That thought sent a feeling of dread to her gut. “Anyhow. No need to panic. I can meet with the photographer and still have plenty of time to get ready for my date tonight.”

Elise let out a sigh. “Thank you so much. I owe you one.”

“No problem. Just text me the details.”

They ended the call and Liv grabbed a couple more things from the shelf, just as her phone started to ring again. “Shit,” she said, then glanced over to meet the disapproving eyes of an elderly lady across the aisle. She gave the woman a weak smile as she juggled the goods in her hands and the basket in order to answer the phone, not taking in who was calling. “Hello?”

“Hey, Aggie. I need to recruit you for a mission.”

Arran’s voice caused a delicious tingle to lick up her spine, prickling her skin with goose bumps. “Really? Well, I’m afraid I’ve already accepted a mission for today.”

“Has Elise called you?”

“Yeah. Why?” Liv managed to get her stuff into the basket.

“Aha. Nico called me.”

“So it’s the same mission?”

“Indeed it is. I figured two heads are better than one? Although it’ll actually be three heads. Well, perhaps two and a half, because the third is small.”

A smile spread across her face. “Jayce is coming with us?”

“Yeah. That okay?”

“Perfect,” she said, heading toward the tills.

“Excellent. We’ll pick you up at one p.m.”

—

They pulled up on the driveway at the address supplied by Elise, and Liv turned round to Jayce. “Here we go, buddy. Ready to look at some photos?”

Jayce looked at her with those big brown eyes. “I want to play.”

“Sure we can, pal.” Liv thought she felt Arran’s gaze on her, but as she turned her head he looked away. They exited the car and she got Jayce out of the back, taking his hand to walk up the drive.

As they headed for the front door, Arran put his hand out to take Jayce from her, but the wee one grasped her hand with both of his, pressing his face into her arm. “I want to hold Lib’s hand.”

“Charming,” Arran said in a mock-hurt voice, but there was a soft smile on his face.

Arran rang the doorbell, and a tall silver-haired man answered. He was smartly dressed in checked trousers, a long-sleeved shirt, and a waistcoat. “Hello there. You must be Elise and Nico.”

Liv shook her head. “I’m afraid we’re stand-ins. Both of them are unwell today.”

“I see,” he replied, casting an eye over the three of them with an air of interest.

“I’m Arran,” Arran told him, holding his hand out for a shake. “And this is Liv, and Jayce.”

“I’m Lord Jayce, of the fort,” Jayce piped up, a serious expression on his little face.

“And I’m Henry,” the man replied with a smile. “Delighted to meet you. Please do come in.”

Henry had a refined kind of voice and Liv imagined it was because he mixed in cultured circles. As he took them down the bright, white-walled hallway, her eyes were drawn to the beautiful photographs of Highland scenery lining the walls.

“Wow,” Arran said, his voice full of awe. “Are these all your work?”

“Yes,” Henry replied. “The scenic shots are my other passion, outside of my wedding photography business.”

“Have you taken any pictures of dragons?” Jayce asked, eyeing the photos with an air of disappointment.

“I’m afraid not, young man,” Henry said with a smile in his voice. “They are indeed very difficult to capture on camera.” He opened a doorway at the end of the hallway and showed them into a large modern extension that housed his studio. There was a comfy sitting area to the left as they walked in, where they settled in while he prepared some coffees from a machine sitting between the squashy leather sofas.

Liv admired the large white-walled studio beyond, with camera equipment set up between them and the space. A big skylight cast a soft, natural light over the area. “This is amazing. Have you had the studio for long?”

“A few years,” Henry said. “I had the extension built so that I could enhance my business with portrait work.”

Jayce wriggled on Liv’s lap, keen to get down. She let him onto his feet and kept an eagle eye while he investigated the leather-bound folders on the coffee table in front of them. She didn’t quite have the heart to tell him that there would, more than likely, be a paucity of dragons in the folders too.

“Feel free to look through those,” Henry said. “They’re examples of weddings I’ve done.”

Arran lifted a folder and Liv scooted up next to him so that they could both leaf through the shots, Jayce opening another folder on the table and scouring it with a determined look on his face.

“These are beautiful,” Liv murmured, taking in various shots displaying natural poses between smartly kilted grooms and beautifully gowned brides. Henry had captured the background scenery in each one perfectly—rolling hills and glassy lochs.

“Yes,” Arran replied, eyeing the book. “And the aspect of these is spectacular.” He glanced up to where Henry was depositing their coffee cups on the table. “Did you use a drone for some of them?”

Henry smiled. “That’s right. I started using it fairly recently. It provides some fantastic aerial shots.”

Jayce flipped his folder shut. “Urgh. These people are kissing.” He stuck his tongue out in a gag.

“Yes,” Henry said with a patient nod. “These wedding couples are a darned nuisance, kissing all the time.”

“Kissing is stupid,” Jayce said, wandering over to play with one of the cushions.

“I love this one,” Arran told Henry as he pointed to a picture. “I painted this loch recently.”

Henry’s eyes lit up. “You’re an artist?”

Arran nodded, a modest smile on his face. “I set up my own business last year.”

Henry began to ask Arran various questions about his enterprise, offering sage advice along the way. Liv moved over to follow Jayce, whose eye had been caught by the white space across from them.

Arran glanced up from his conversation with Henry, making to get to his feet when he realized Jayce was straying toward the studio space and a pile of off-white beanbags.

“That’s okay,” Henry said. “He can play on those. I use them during my family shoots.”

“Thanks,” Arran said, walking toward her and Jayce as if to supervise Jayce’s play.

Liv touched his arm. “You chat to Henry some more. I’ll play with Jayce.”

His eyes were soft. “Are you sure?”

“Of course.” Liv took Jayce’s hand and they headed for the beanbags; Jayce launched himself onto one of them, laughing as he made his soft landing. Liv took the opportunity to remove his shoes, just in case they sullied Henry’s stuff.

Arran and Henry’s conversation moved on to Sam and Maya and the kind of shots they wanted.

“They love this kind of outdoor scenery,” Arran was telling him. “These backdrops are right up their street. And the views from the castle will look amazing.”

“I have some shots at the castle here,” Henry said, lifting another book.

Liv tickled Jayce as he lay in the beanbag, the wee one letting out a squeal.

Arran and Henry looked at more photos together, Arran describing the couple’s wish to have photos from the evening reception as well as daytime, preferably with some outdoor nighttime shots because Maya loved the moon and stars. It occurred to Liv how it was fortuitous that Arran was here even though that hadn’t been the original intention, because his artist’s brain was perfectly placed to relay to Henry exactly what the brief was. She felt a strong sense of pride at his handling of the situation, and with a start she realized that it was the kind of pride someone might feel about a partner, rather than a friend.

She tried to tune out of their conversation as she and Jayce played on the beanbags, taking it in turns to fall onto them in a variety of comical ways and make each other laugh. Then Liv got kind of stuck in a beanbag and couldn’t get out, Jayce giggling and clambering on top of her.

She became aware that the conversation at the other end of the room had ceased and that Henry and Arran were on their feet by one of the cameras, Henry showing Arran the equipment as he trained it on Liv and Jayce. Henry smiled. “Is it okay to take some shots of you and the wee one? You’re both naturals.”

“Fine by me,” Liv replied, glancing at Arran.

He smiled. “Me too.”

Henry began clicking away as Liv and Jayce played, every now and again giving a small suggestion for a shot but largely shooting organically. Eventually he shifted back to speak to Arran. “Can we get some with you in as well?”

“Sure,” Arran said, coming over to the two of them. He joined in their game with aplomb, launching himself onto the beanbags and making both her and Jayce laugh out loud. Then he pulled Liv down next to him and grabbed Jayce, tickling him until the room filled with the delightful tinkle of childish giggles.

Henry snapped away.

The beanbags shifted under them and Liv found herself lying right up against Arran’s side, looking into his eyes as Jayce cuddled into his chest. For a moment she forgot that Henry was there as she breathed Arran’s warm scent and admired the shape of his mouth, turned up at the corners in a soft smile that traveled right up to his eyes and infused them with a sparkle.

Her heart flipped as he glanced down at her lips and she realized that her want of him had evolved even further over the past few weeks. It felt…more than physical.

Henry’s voice cut into the moment, almost making her jump. “You really are the most photogenic family. I don’t normally herd visitors into a photo shoot, but I’m afraid I just couldn’t resist.”

“No problem,” Arran murmured in a distracted tone, his eyes still on her. She vaguely registered that Henry had referred to them as a family but was too consumed by these new thoughts of Arran to process it.

“I’ll send you some of these shots in case you like any of them,” Henry continued. “Free of charge, of course, because I corralled you into it!”

“We can’t accept that,” Arran said, finally glancing up away from Liv. “I’ll give you something for them.”

“No, no, I insist,” Henry said, busying himself with dismantling the camera.

Arran turned back to where she was still burrowed against his side, paralyzed by the warm feeling of being cuddled with him and his gorgeous son. “Here,” he said quietly. “I’ll help you up.” He shifted away and got to his feet holding Jayce, extending a hand and pulling her up next to him. He slid his arm around her shoulders as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

“I think he’s definitely our guy,” Arran murmured as he set Jayce down. “Do you?”

She nodded, her heart still tripping. “Absolutely.”

“Thanks, Henry,” Arran said more loudly so that Henry could hear. “For the visit, the coffee, the advice, the photo shoot, and of course for signing up to shoot our friends’ wedding.”

Henry smiled as he came over to shake each of their hands in turn. “Delighted.”

Arran bent down to get Jayce’s shoes back on.

Henry took down Liv’s email address to send on the photos.

“We really do need to give you something for them,” Liv told him.

“I’ll tell you what,” Henry said. “How about we say no charge, but instead I ask for your permission to display a couple of the shots in my folder of family portraits? I think having you three in there will really enhance that portfolio. As long as that meets with your approval, of course.”

Flattered, Liv felt heat rising in her cheeks. But she finally connected the dots that Henry mistakenly thought she and Arran were a couple and that she was Jayce’s mother. “That’s fine by me as long as it is with Arran,” she told him. “But I should probably point out that we aren’t actually a family. Just good friends.”

Arran stood up next to her, holding the hand of a freshly shoed Jayce. “Yeah we’re BFFs,” he said, slinging his arm around her shoulders again. “And Jayce is my son with my ex.”

Henry’s eyes widened a little. “I do apologize. How presumptuous of me.”

Liv waved her hand. “Oh no, that’s okay. We didn’t introduce ourselves properly.”

Henry smiled as he showed them to the door. “Funny, because I find I’m very intuitive about these things and I was convinced you were a couple. You clearly have a very special bond.”

Liv’s heart thumped in her chest.

“We do,” Arran replied as Henry opened the front door for them. “To be honest, I don’t know what I’d do without her.”

She glanced up to give him a shy smile as they said their goodbyes, something new blooming in her chest. Henry gave them a wave as they got Jayce into the car, and then Arran took them in the direction of Liv’s house.

“I’ll call Sam once I get in,” Liv told him, “and tell him to lock Henry down.”

“Excellent,” Arran replied. “It’s all coming together.” He paused, then cleared his throat, his voice coming out a little stiff. “So. Tonight’s the night.”

“Why, what’s tonight?” she asked, still feeling a little breathless from all these thoughts and recovering from the sensation of being tucked up against him.

He glanced over quickly. “Your date.”

Her heart sank as his meaning became clear. “Oh yeah. I nearly forgot.” She didn’t want to go on a date with anyone except Arran.

Arran was silent for a second. “You meeting him there or is he picking you up?”

The conversation felt a bit stilted and wooden, very unlike their usual banter. “Meeting him there,” she said, aware that her speech was flat.

“Cool.” He shot her a brief smile. “I hope it goes well.”

For some reason that comment put her on a downer. If Arran had a date, she wouldn’t want it to go well. She didn’t want him going on any dates at all.

“Thanks,” she said quietly, sinking down into her seat and staying silent for the rest of the short journey home.

—

“You’re kidding,” Liv said, staring at Brodie open-mouthed. “There’s no way anyone could be that dense.”

He shook his head as he sipped his espresso martini. “Nope. True story. I told her that her ski jacket wasn’t from our chain of stores, so unfortunately, I couldn’t give her a refund. She put in a formal complaint about me.”

“That is absolutely mental,” Liv said, shaking her head. “The audacity .”

He nodded, a solemn expression on his face. “The barefaced, brazen audacity .”

Something about his tone tickled her and she couldn’t stop laughing, drawing Brodie in with her.

He shook his head. “That’s the service industry for you. There’re plenty of unreasonable types around.”

“Yeah, same,” she replied, leaning forward. “We get a load of nonsense from some of the parents we deal with.”

Brodie rolled his eyes. “Ugh. I can imagine. All teachers deserve a pay rise, in my opinion. And a huge fuck-off medal.”

She laughed. “Excellent idea. You should run for first minister. I’d vote for you.”

He winked. “Thank you. Maybe I will.”

Being around Brodie was really easy; no wonder Maya and Sam were such good friends with him. It would have been unfortunate that there was no chemistry if she’d actually been interested in this as a “real” date. But as she wasn’t, the fact that there was only friendship blossoming between them was perfect. She lifted her glass, taking a sip of her French martini. “Does Glenavie feel like home for you now? Hasn’t it been around eighteen months?”

“That’s right. And yes, I love it, thanks. The turning point was getting involved with skiing and meeting Maya, and Sam.” He grinned. “After I backed off from Maya and Sam realized I wasn’t a threat, that is.”

Liv laughed. “Sorry about that. He was going through a bit of a tough patch back then.”

“So I heard. I had nothing but sympathy when he explained it all.” Brodie smiled. “Anyway, it’s not your place to apologize for him. He did that himself.”

She shrugged. “I know. It’s just a twin tendency.”

“I’m glad the two of them worked things out. It’s apparent to anyone that they belong together.”

Her heart warmed a few degrees. “Totally. I always knew there was something between them.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Twin tendency.”

Liv winked. “Precisely.”

He fiddled with the stem of his cocktail glass. “Speaking of breakups et cetera, how’s Ben doing? I heard he and Derek split.”

Liv nodded. “Sam and Maya say he’s okay, just a little grumpy to work under at the ski resort. Apparently it had been in the cards for a while, but it’s difficult to get used to being on your own after a long relationship.” She said that like she knew the feeling, even though she had no idea what coming out of a long relationship was like. She would have to have been involved in something for more than two minutes to appreciate that. Nico Hadid, eat your heart out.

Brodie cleared his throat. “Listen, I feel like I need to say something at this stage. I’m really enjoying this, and I hope you and I can be friends. But—”

Liv held up her hand. “Say no more. I agree. We get along well, but there’s no chemistry.”

Brodie’s face relaxed into a smile. “We’re on the same wavelength.”

Liv lifted her glass to clink it with his. “That we are, my friend.”

He sipped his cocktail, then eyed her carefully before leaning in. “I haven’t told anyone this yet, but there’s someone I’m interested in. I think that’s kind of why I’m not really on the lookout for anyone else at the moment.”

She arched a brow. “Intriguing. Tell me more. Who is she?”

Brodie laughed. “Well.” He cleared his throat. “It’s actually a guy.”

She nodded, taking a sip of her drink. “And who’s the lucky chap?”

He eyed her for a moment, eyebrows raised. “I knew I had a good feeling about telling you. Most people would say, ‘Oh, I didn’t know you were gay,’ at this stage, as if bisexuals don’t even exist.”

Liv frowned. “Really?”

“Yep. I haven’t told anyone here yet because of the mixed reaction I got back in Glasgow. One friend used to ask me on a regular basis, ‘So, are you still bi?’?”

Liv coughed on her drink. “What? Were they straight?”

He nodded.

“And do you message them regularly to ask if they’re still hetero?” she asked with a grin.

Brodie laughed, smacking his palms gently on the table. “No, but now I’m totally going to do that.” He lifted his glass to clink with hers again. “To be honest, I even got microaggressions from some of my gay friends.”

She shook her head. “That’s shit.”

“Right?” He gave her a smile. “So is there anyone else you’re interested in? Male or female or otherwise?”

Liv shook her head. “I think I prefer to be alone.” She paused to take a drink, aware that she had spoken unfiltered. Then the image of being cuddled against Arran came to mind. Somehow, being with him made her question her solitary instinct.

Brodie was giving her a quizzical look, but her phone pinged with a message before he could speak.

She lifted the phone from the table and her stomach turned to ice as she clocked the name on the screen. Her horror caused her to speak without processing her thoughts properly. “Shit. It’s from Dave.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Who’s Dave?”

Liv stared at the message, hovering her finger over the phone as she attempted to decide whether to open it. “Dave is the man whose genetic material makes up fifty percent of mine.”

Understanding melted the frown from Brodie’s face. “Ah. I’m guessing this is a man whom you don’t wish to refer to as a father, which speaks volumes.”

She swallowed, her mouth dry. “Indeed.”

“I take it you don’t really hear from him?”

“Nope,” she replied, still eyeing the name on her phone screen— Douchebag Dave . “On account of him being a total scumbag.”

He shot her a sympathetic look. “You can read the message. I won’t ask for any details.”

She tried to put the phone down; after all, this had been a really cool and fun evening so far. But she’d only worry about what the text said; then the night would be ruined anyway. Why didn’t I block him? Oh yeah, that’s right. Because deep down, I always held out that naive hope that one day he’d call and act like he actually gave a shit about my life.

Liv took a breath and opened the message, unable to stop herself from telling Brodie the contents. He was too easy to talk to, and he’d already confided something personal. “For fuck’s sake. He’s asking why I didn’t tell him about Sam’s wedding.” She glanced up to meet Brodie’s gaze. “And that’s it. Not a word about me. I could be maimed or in prison for all he knows.”

He smiled. “I can’t imagine you going to prison for anything.”

Liv grabbed her cocktail and took an aggressive sip, which nearly caused the contents to slosh out of the glass and drench her in tasty French martini. “I dunno. Maybe father-icide.”

He reached over to give her arm a brief squeeze. “Please do tell me to fuck off and mind my own business, but is your dad the reason you said that you’d rather be on your own?”

Glancing up to meet his gaze, she realized she didn’t have the energy to suppress it or lie about it. Maybe it was the alcohol, or the unexpected jolt of emotion at hearing from Dave. Or perhaps it was because Brodie was a safe, objective ear. She didn’t need to worry that confiding her feelings would upset him the way she constantly had to with everyone else. “Maybe.”

He gave her a soft smile. “Is that because you worry that all men will turn out to be like your dad—I mean, like Dave?”

Liv returned his smile, appreciating his correction. She paused to assess her tangled mess of emotions. It was like the viper’s nest of cables that she hid behind her TV stand. “I’m not sure.” Dean, her ex, floated into her mind. “For fuck’s sake, Liv. You’re just like your dad.” A wave of nausea washed over her, driving her heart rate up a notch. “Just like your dad.” She closed her eyes, Dean’s voice morphing into her grandmother’s. And then her mother’s.

She cleared her throat. “Anyway. I’m not interested in a serious relationship.”

He nodded, studying her face. “You only do short-term, casual stuff?”

“Yeah.” She took a breath. “Everyone thinks I’m lonely and forlorn and looking for love. When really, I’m lonely and forlorn and actively avoiding it.”

Brodie laughed gently. “Sounds like self-preservation.”

Except that she didn’t feel very well preserved. “Mm-hmm.”

“What if you chose someone you know well? Then it’s safer.”

Arran’s handsome face appeared in her mind, with his soft coily hair and warm whiskey eyes—calming her inner turmoil. “But if I choose someone I know and care about, then when it goes wrong, I’ll have lost something important and precious.” Despite having said those words aloud, she wasn’t sure whether they were for Brodie’s benefit or her own.

In any case, it was clear to her that there was unfinished business between Arran and Jess. That was why Jess had been calling all the time, keeping tabs on him. She must mistakenly think there was something going on between Liv and Arran, and it was bringing out her jealous streak. And no way did Liv want to play the third wheel there.

She absorbed the understanding in Brodie’s eyes, a little surprised that he wasn’t staring at her with his mouth agape. Would this be the way her loved ones would react if she confided in them? She imagined her mum looking at her with disapproval. “Don’t be negative, Liv.”

She shook her head. Everyone had their own shit going on. It wasn’t fair to moan to them about her problems.

“I get it,” he said. “Have you had any therapy?” He winced. “Shit, sorry. I didn’t mean for that to sound blunt.”

She smiled. “That’s okay. Kind of, a few years back. Just a bit of counseling. It helped me let go of Dave a bit, to realize his actions weren’t my fault. But I haven’t explored this relationship stuff in therapy.”

He nudged her hand. “Why not?”

She bit her lip. “I don’t know if I’m ready.”

He smiled. “Maybe one day you will be. Until then, I’ll keep your secret if you keep mine.”

“Thank you.” She let out a breath, a little nervous that she’d said more than she intended, but somewhat reassured that they were mutual secret holders. “By the way, this might be a small town, but it’s not small-minded. You can be yourself here. Especially with our friends.”

His smile broadened, lighting up his blue eyes. “Thank you. I’ll get there, sooner rather than later.”

Liv drained her drink and pointed to their glasses, and he nodded to indicate they should get another round. She gestured to the waitress that they wanted the same again, turning back to Brodie. “You should definitely tell Maya. She’s totally cool.”

“I know. It’s just that confiding in people I don’t know is somehow easier than confiding in those I do.” He gave her a meaningful look.

Liv smiled. “I’m with you on that one. And it was a bit hypocritical of me to advise that, when I haven’t ever told her as much as I’ve just told you.”

Brodie raised his empty glass. “Pending our refills, here’s a toast to new friends.”

Liv grinned. “New friends, and keepers of secrets.”