Love at the Little Wedding Shop by the Sea - Jane Linfoot Page 0,80
“Go forth and be fierce”?’
Poppy gives my arm a play punch. ‘You’ve got this, Mills, and we’re all here to catch you if you need us.’ Then she leans across to me. ‘Hey, is that a vicar talking to Jess?’
I nod. ‘Here to advise on church celebrations.’
‘You really have thought of everything!’ She wiggles her eyebrows. ‘I bet the hot priest in Fleabag has done a lot for his take up.’
It’s only fair to warn her. ‘This one’s a couple of cassocks cooler. Probably a good thing – if he was as sizzling as Andrew Scott, some brides would never move on to the floral displays or the stationery.’
I must be waving my hands too enthusiastically because Poppy grabs my left wrist and lets out a shout of protest. ‘What’s this, Mills? You’re surely not wearing your old engagement ring?’
It was too much to hope she wouldn’t notice. ‘It’s my fake one from Next.’ I bought it last year after I’d given Ben my old one back, and I kept having palpitations every time I felt my empty finger and thought I’d lost it. Then, when I was in the bathroom this morning, my ring finger looked so thin and I’d slipped it on before I knew I’d done it. ‘It’s only for solidarity – to show today’s brides-to-be I’ve been through the same as them and can empathise.’
Poppy frowns. ‘Isn’t it strange wearing one again?’
I sigh. ‘It’s actually lovely pretending my life’s sorted. I still miss that blissful state of blind optimism you get when you’re engaged.’
She pulls me into a hug. ‘It’s the hardest business for you to be in when your heart’s still not mended.’
Which is exactly why I should be moving on to a different area. Except today has reminded me all over again why I love the buzz of being around these fairs even if it does scare the crap out of me being the one in charge.
I stare at the cubic zirconia rock on my finger. ‘I’ve completely accepted I’m better off without Ben. But I’m still pining for that settled future, stretching out ahead of me.’ As I’ve no hope of trusting anyone again, that particular door’s slammed in my face. But every time I think what I’ll never have, it feels like there’s a stone in my chest where my heart should be.
Poppy snorts. ‘After all that confusion, it’s a damn shame Nic’s hell bent on sailing off into the sunset single-handed.’
It’s the perfect time for me to set her straight on this. ‘If I was stuck on a boat with that man, I’d have to swim.’ Even if I hadn’t been hurt, I’d know better than to get involved with Nic. I know my judgement hasn’t always been the best, but even I have more sense than to go within a mile of a dedicated singleton. It’s a simple sense of self preservation. It’s hard enough to risk rejection at the best of times, so if you know in advance you’re guaranteed a ‘thanks, but no thanks’, well, why would you?
She grins at me. ‘As we said the other day, not every maddening guy stays that way. There’s this rule – the more they annoy the hell out of you, the hotter they are once you get their clothes off.’
When Poppy’s in this mood you just have to ignore her. ‘Now might be a good time for me to check in with Casper, who doesn’t annoy me at all. Just saying.’
She laughs. ‘Which probably means that despite his very pretty face, there’s zero chemistry between you.’
I’m shaking my head. ‘How about “happy on my own, not looking for a man to complete me”.’
She sniffs. ‘You know that’s not completely true.’
‘But I’m learning fast; I’ll get there very soon.’
Her look as she turns tells me she’s not buying it. ‘I’ll see you later then. Drop by my table any time you need a sugar rush.’
As I punch the air, Poppy and I both know I’ll be taking her up on the cupcakes in approximately two minutes from now. But as I’ve already checked up on all the other exhibitors, once I’ve seen Casper I can move on to welcoming the visitors. As I walk over to where his cars are lined up, I can’t help admire the sleek shine of the paintwork glistening in the sunlight and the inky perfection of the tyre black.
‘Nice suit, and I love your choice of cars, Casper.’ If he was looking sharp the day in the