abroad after we split up and met this Australian woman through work.’
Steph shook her head in disbelief. ‘Poor woman. When are they doing the dirty deed?’
‘The week before Christmas.’
‘Jesus, Lottie. Why the hurry? Is she pregnant?’
‘I don’t think so. They came in on the off chance and Shayla was ecstatic to have a booking before Christmas. We can’t afford to turn down the revenue and to be fair, Connor did try to put Keegan off … but she thinks Firholme is “a-mazing” and I don’t blame her.’
‘Even so, why didn’t Connor make an excuse and find another venue? It’s cruel to rub your nose in things like this.’
Lottie sighed. ‘He’s not rubbing my nose in it. I got over the break-up ages ago …’
Steph raised an eyebrow. ‘Mm …’
‘I really am OK with it,’ she said, recalling how her skin tingled and her heart skipped a beat when Connor had touched her. ‘Even if I could have persuaded them to go elsewhere, I still wouldn’t have. This is my first wedding and they’re spending a lot of money that Firholme desperately needs. Plus … the main reason they want to get married in a hurry is that Connor’s mum has been ill. She had a stroke earlier this year.’
‘That’s awful,’ said Steph. ‘I liked Fiona. More than Connor, to be honest.’
‘You never said that before.’
‘I didn’t want to upset you, but I can say it now. How’s his mum doing?’
‘Connor says she’s recovering, but that the whole family has had a huge scare and they want to surprise her with a Christmas wedding. He said she’s always wanted to see one of their kids married at Firholme.’
Steph blew out a breath. ‘Bugger me … I suppose I can’t argue with that. I know all about wanting to make the most of every day, but it’s hard on you, Lottie. Does this Keegan even know you and Connor were together?’
‘No, and I don’t want her to. We’ve agreed to keep it a secret.’ Again, Lottie thought it was easier to be economical with the truth. Steph would have been furious to know that it was Connor’s idea to pretend he’d never been involved with Lottie, even if Lottie had gone along with it willingly enough.
‘Lottie, come on, we agreed to be honest with each other. How do you really feel about him?’
Now, that was the question. Lottie would have liked to have felt nothing other than mild surprise and the pleasure of seeing an old friend when he walked in through Firholme’s grand front door. But she did very much still feel something and she didn’t like some of those feelings.
‘I don’t want him to be unhappy,’ she said, choosing her words carefully. ‘Though I’d never have chosen to plan his wedding, that’s for sure. It’ll be fine now the first meeting is past.’
‘Why am I not convinced?’
‘I admit I was shocked,’ Lottie said, thinking it might be better to offer Steph a nugget of truth to put her off the scent. ‘He’s still the Connor I knew in one way.’
‘Still the Connor you loved?’
Ouch, Steph could be brutal, but she’d hit the nail on the head, thought Lottie. ‘Yes … only a shinier version. It could be the tan, or the fact that he must have been hitting the gym in Oz. It can’t be surfing,’ Lottie said with a smile. ‘He can’t swim very well.’
‘Serves the pompous git right,’ Steph declared.
‘Anyway, he looks really fit and buff and there’s a self-confidence about him, a polish …’ Lottie said, remembering the impact this ‘new’ Connor had had on her. ‘Although the sight of me took the wind out of his sails.’
‘I bet it did!’ Steph’s eyes narrowed. ‘I’d like to tell him a few things, if I see him.’
‘No, don’t, for my sake,’ Lottie cried. ‘To be honest I’d find it excruciating to have to explain to Shayla why a couple cancelled a huge expensive wedding because of me. I’d rather try and get through it somehow.’
‘What’s she like, this Keegan?’
‘Tall, glamorous, determined – and she seems to adore Connor and Firholme.’ And he seemed totally in awe of Keegan, Lottie thought. ‘What more can I say? I only met her yesterday,’ she said, trying to keep things casual.
‘Do you like her though? Does she deserve Connor? And does he deserve her? I hoped you’d say she was Cruella De Vil.’
Lottie laughed. ‘Maybe it would have been easier for me if she was vile, but so far, she hasn’t done