Love at the Little Wedding Shop by the Sea - Jane Linfoot Page 0,39

that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate them.’

I can’t help saying it. ‘Let’s hope you’ll take your lead from Merwyn today – he’s great at snappy decisions.’ We could certainly do with some of those. ‘And to help with that, Ivy and I have found you the perfect tool.’ Today’s secret weapon is already halfway out of the drawer, but Nic’s frowning at me.

‘You do know they’re not his cars?’

‘Excuse me?’

There’s that head shake again. ‘He swans around in them, but whatever he tells you, they belong to his dad.’

‘You’re still talking about Casper?’ I don’t want to give the game away, but at the same time, I can’t let the opportunity go. ‘If you do fancy any of his cars for your wedding transport, he’ll probably have availability?’

Nic’s looking at me as if I’m crazy. ‘Don’t be taken in! Casper never sticks around, he’ll be long gone by April, let alone the summer.’

‘In which case, let’s move on to my other surprise.’ I whip out the folder and shove it where he can’t possibly avoid looking at it.

‘The complete wedding organiser?’ His face crumples. ‘But isn’t that what you are?’

I ignore that. ‘All the bridal essentials inside one cover.’ The manliest version was dark blue with berries, knowing how much he values paper, he should love it. ‘There are checklists and countdown calendars, it’s even got a ziplock pocket.’ Bigging that up because it’s the kind of detail guys go for.

‘It’s very thick.’

Hurrah if he’s finally getting his head around the size of the job. ‘It’s actually very concise. It will be a good way for you to keep up with what’s coming at you, and lock down all the information in one place.’

‘If it’s a ziplock pocket, I hope it’s waterproof.’

Is that the only thing he can say? ‘Why, are you planning to throw it in the harbour?’

He gives a shrug. ‘Accidents happen when you live on a boat.’

I place it firmly in his hands, then stride past him. ‘So while you’re here, let me whizz a few things past you so those checklists make more sense.’

He’s still frowning, only this time he’s staring at my feet. ‘Have you seen the height of your heels? How did you even get down the stairs?’

I ignore that he’s trying to distract me from the job and pull out my best client smile. ‘Funnily enough, I did look at my shoes when I put them on. Vertiginous stilettos are something we high-flying women learn to get used to.’ At least he’s noticed I made the effort, so it hasn’t been a waste. There’s no way I’m telling him my toes are numb, or that I took the shoes off to make the dash down four flights. ‘Maybe we could take a look at stationery first?’

Nic holds up a finger. ‘Or better still, this might be a good time for my surprise?’

‘So what’s that?’ I can’t see he’s carrying anything.

His lips are twitching. ‘You should find it in your inbox if you open the attachment.’

I grab my phone from the counter and as I get to what he’s talking about my jaw is dropping. ‘Amazing! We have a guest list!’ As I open the file and scroll down pages and pages of names and details my heart is hitting the floor. ‘Well, a list this size definitely rules out micro weddings!’ And a lot more venues too, given the numbers.

He gives a shrug. ‘If Pixie insists on inviting her entire basketball squad it was never going to be small, was it?’

Eighty-plus living breathing guests have suddenly made it feel a whole lot more real. ‘It’s great we’re finally out of the starting blocks!’ There I go, sounding like a total arse again under pressure. And not only is Pixie a waif, she’s a sporty one too, which puts her in the superwoman league. The total opposite of everything I am. ‘And what better time to look at our pinboard to see what other couples have been choosing for their invitations.’

‘Lead the way but mind you don’t fall, it’s a long way down.’ He’s very close behind me now. ‘And are you sure those spikes are safe to walk in with a dog around?’

I ignore the cheek and take a few very deliberate steps towards a stand-up easel covered in examples. ‘Most brides leave us an invitation or save-the-date card for other people to get ideas. You don’t have to stick with cards, couples send out on everything from fridge magnets to cupcakes. See