Connor stared at Lottie. ‘I’m glad someone’s happy,’ he said sarcastically. ‘And I think this the best we’re going to do.’
‘I’m not sure Keegan will be happy,’ Lottie murmured, while Alok was busy unearthing yet another piece of equipment.
Connor held up his arm. ‘Would you mind?’ he said.
Lottie’s heart was almost too full to reply. So many conflicting emotions fought a battle. Anger, and underlying them, regret. She’d loved him once, looked forward to a moment such as this – for all of a few days. The thought of standing at an altar – well, a registrar’s desk – as stand-in for another woman, with Connor, was excruciating.
Alok interrupted them. ‘Right, folks. We could do with someone to give you away … Hey, Jay!’ he called, zeroing in on the open door to the vestibule where Jay was unfolding a stepladder.
Lottie stifled a squeak of dismay. ‘I think Jay’s probably rather busy …’
Alok grinned. ‘He won’t mind. We only want to borrow him for a minute.’
‘You two know each other?’ Lottie said, while Connor stood by with a face like thunder.
‘Yeah. I’ve done some jobs at Greythwaite where Jay used to work.’ He called to Jay. ‘You don’t mind, do you? It’s an emergency.’
Jay walked in. ‘Don’t mind what?’
‘Escorting Lottie into the room. We need a father-of-the-bride and the bride herself can’t be here. I want to check the shots. It’ll only take a few minutes.’
Lottie cringed as Jay exchanged a glance with her. ‘I’m happy to help but I’m in my work clothes.’
‘So’s Alicia,’ Connor said tartly. ‘So, one more won’t matter.’
Alicia pursed her lips and Lottie saw her mouth move in a silent swear word, probably because she’d missed out on the chance to get her hands on Jay, as well as being annoyed with Connor.
Lottie stiffened, anticipating a full-on row but Jay provided a distraction.
‘I was about to go into the drawing room to water the trees and fix some faulty lights,’ he said. ‘But that can wait.’ Jay rested his ladder on the wall.
‘Thank you,’ Lottie said. ‘It’ll only take a few minutes.’
He addressed himself to Lottie alone. ‘I really don’t mind,’ he said. Was that a glint in his eye? ‘Though I’ve no idea what I’m supposed to be doing.’
‘All you have to do is wait outside the door with me and when we get the cue, we walk into the room together …’
‘If everyone’s ready, shall we get started?’ Alok shouted
Connor moved into place but Alicia was ogling Jay with undisguised lust. Lottie knew exactly how she felt.
‘Can you go out and walk in, please?’ Alok called, camera in his hand.
Lottie went outside with Jay. ‘Thank you,’ she said, about to add he didn’t have to take it too seriously but it was too late.
He held out his arm. Despite his scruffy jeans, sweatshirt and tousled hair, she found him just as gorgeous as in his tux. The memory of that electrifying kiss, and the disaster that followed came back to her.
His eyes glinted with a look that gave her hope that he’d forgiven her deception about Connor and wanted to move on. ‘Ready?’
‘As I’ll ever be …’
She slipped her arm through his.
‘Dum-dum-di-dum …’ Alicia hummed from the ballroom.
Jay shook his head but there was a smile on his face.
‘We’re not having the “Bridal March”,’ Connor said. ‘We’re having “The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba”. Keegan thinks it’s classier.’
‘Really?’ Alicia said. ‘What about “I Should be So Lucky” by Kylie Minogue?’
‘You’re so funny, Alicia,’ Connor said icily.
Alok snapped away, asking them to pause halfway to the dais where Connor waited.
‘OK. Connor, turn and look back at your bride and look gobsmacked at her gorgeousness,’ Alok joked, as the shutter clicked endlessly.
Connor didn’t look gobsmacked. He had a face like thunder, and Lottie could only think that he seemed jealous … jealous that she was with Jay, but how was that possible when he was about to marry Keegan?
Finally, they reached the dais but Jay showed no sign of letting go of Lottie’s arm. She didn’t know whether to pull it away. She didn’t want to.
While Connor had a smile on his face, his expression was stony. ‘I think this is where I take over, mate,’ he said.
In a moment, Jay let go of her and she was face to face with Connor.
He smiled softly. ‘Lottie?’ he murmured, holding her gaze. There was a tenderness and intensity behind that look, which threw her back over a year, to the night on the beach when he’d asked her to marry him. The joy and excitement of that moment rushed back and made her stomach flip all over again.
‘I think that’ll do,’ Alok called.
Snapping out of her trance, Lottie stepped away from Connor and swung around to thank Jay but he was already metres away. ‘If you don’t need me any more, I’ll get on with my work,’ he muttered.
‘I think we’re done with you,’ Connor cut in. ‘Thanks for standing in. You played the part of Keegan’s dad well.’
Lottie was sure he’d emphasised the word ‘dad’.
‘Thanks, Jay,’ she called.
‘You’re welcome,’ he said and, with a brief smile, he left. Lottie was assailed by emotions. The feel of Jay’s arm through hers, the longing look on his face when they’d waited together outside the ballroom. Then, Connor, staring at her with an intensity that had thrown her back to one heady night when their future had sparkled like a diamond.
The loss had taken her by surprise but so had the look in Jay’s eyes.
She had the strangest feeling she’d been standing at a fork in the road: one way lay the past and the other the future, yet she couldn’t decide which to choose.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Nine days to the wedding
After the drama of the ball and the wedding run-through, Lottie was relieved to immerse herself in family life, by helping Steph with the nativity costumes. It had taken them several
