Posh Frocks & Peacocks - Tracie Podger Page 0,10

tops and sports bras instead of underwired ones.

“I might go and have a quick shower, I’m all sweaty,” I said, as I climbed off the back of the quad.

“I might just come and join you, not that I’m all sweaty, yet,” Ronan offered. “I also think we deserve a date night.”

I smiled at him. “I’d like that.” We had been working solidly for months and hadn’t taken any time for ourselves

He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me to him. “I can’t wait to officially call you my wife,” he whispered into my neck.

I was about to reply when I felt something bump into my legs. I looked down.

“Gerald, sod off, will you,” Ronan said before I could speak.

As if on cue, the goat did just that. He skulked off to the kennels and then got cross. Bess was out with Charlie. Gerald displayed his annoyance at being deserted by headbutting the bars. After that, he jumped up on a pile of straw bales and lay down.

“I think he needs another goat. Maybe he’s horny,” I said.

“I can tell you now, not that you’ll take any notice. I’m not having a pack of fucking Geralds running around here. I also don’t care if he’s horny,” he replied. “I do care that I am, though.”

Perhaps Mrs. Heggarty had put a curse on us, but the following day, the glorious summer we had started to experience turned into the middle of winter.

“Jesus,” I said, looking out the bedroom window at rain thrashing against the glass. “What the fuck happened to summer?” I said, despair laced my voice and it hitched.

“It’ll be okay,” Ronan said, as he walked up behind me.

“How are they going to get the marquee up today?” It wasn’t windy but I had visions of having to sail to my reception. “Also, the ground is going to be too soft for the tables and chairs.”

I didn’t want to sound like I was whining, but I was watching my wedding to the man I knew I was going to spend the rest of my life with wash away.

He wrapped his arms around me. “We can move the afternoon tea to the terrace, there’s enough room for the wedding and that. We can bring the marquee forward, closer to the terrace, and I’ll lay a path so no one has to step on the mud,” he said.

“You can’t do all that work, and rest before the day,” I said. Ronan had also planned to meet up with some locals, my dad, Charlie, and few others for a beer the night before.

My parents were flying in later that day and Joe and Danny were going to meet them at the airport and drive them over. I had wanted to but realised I was needed at home. That day, the set-up was to start and my mum had forbid me to be anywhere but at home. I was excited to see them.

“I’ll do whatever makes you happy,” he said.

I turned in his arms. “You do, regardless if there’s a path to the marquee or not,” I replied.

At that, we startled. Something hit the window, a stone. Ronan looked over my shoulder and laughed.

He pulled the curtain closed. “You just flashed those pretty, flowery knickers to Charlie and the marquee team,” he said.

“Tell me you’re kidding?” I begged, not wanting to look myself.

“Nope. Go and get dressed and stop stressing.”

Plenty of women get married in the rain, I needed to take a breath and stop worrying. There were two more days before D-day. It was Scotland. Anything could happen. We could have sun and gnats, snow and ice, rain and wind, or any combination of them all, at any point throughout the year.

“We should have gone to Gretna Green,” I said.

Ronan laughed. “Is the weather any better there?” he asked, then kissed the top of my head and smacked my arse.

By midday, the rain had stopped and the sun was out. I shook my fist at the weather gods and sent a silent prayer, if they could just stop mucking about for a couple of days I’d really appreciate it.

“Hello, darling. What a beautiful place. Now, where is that nearly son-in-law of mine?” my father asked, blowing an air kiss at me but diverting across the law where he’d spotted Ronan.

“Hello, to you also,” I said, laughing. My dad was about the jolliest person I knew. He waved over his shoulder as he rolled up his sleeves to help Ronan.

My mother air-kissed me.