A Surprise Christmas Wedding - Phillipa Ashley Page 0,98
worried that she might be making the situation worse.
Keegan snorted. ‘How can I believe that? I confided in you! You gave me advice and all the time you knew you’d been living together – shared his bed every night – you must have been laughing at me!’
This wasn’t the start Lottie had hoped for and her sense of unfairness at having to put Connor’s case forward was growing. ‘I can promise you that laughter has been the last thing on my mind,’ she said quietly. ‘Connor may be no saint, he may have deceived you, but it was all for your sake.’
Keegan pursed her lips. ‘He says the same as you, but how can I believe him?’
‘Simple. Because it’s true. The moment he walked into Firholme, I was so shocked, I could hardly speak. I didn’t know what to do or say for the best but you seemed to love Firholme and Connor asked me not to spoil your moment.’ Lottie corrected herself, wanting to own her part in the deception. ‘I agreed not to say anything but in hindsight, I admit it wasn’t the best decision I ever made. I’m sure he feels the same and would make a different one now.’
She kept her fingers crossed, praying Connor wouldn’t admit where he’d spent the night. She didn’t think Jay would: however angry she was at his lack of trust, she had total faith in his loyalty and discretion.
Keegan gave her a hard stare. ‘Do you still love Connor?’
Lottie paused, aware she was steering a very fine line – gossamer thin – between brutal frankness and tact. However, the time for subtlety seemed to have gone.
‘No, I don’t, and I haven’t for a while now – for many months in fact.’
Keegan glared at her. ‘Why should I believe you? You’ve lied for him, after all.’
Lottie decided that her only policy was naked honesty, and hope that Keegan would believe her. ‘I’ll admit I was very upset when we split up but I came out of the experience knowing I had to put my regrets behind me. I was lucky enough to get the job at Firholme, which might not have happened if I’d stayed with Connor – and also, recently, I’ve met someone else I care about deeply.’
And someone who didn’t trust her – and who she felt would never move on from his trust issues.
Keegan’s eyes pierced her. ‘Is this the Christmas tree guy?’
Lottie’s mouth fell open in surprise. ‘Yes. How did you guess?’
She shrugged. ‘Like I say, I notice stuff … but I couldn’t tell if you had a crush on him or were interested in Connor … Now I know it was kind of both, but maybe not in the way I’d suspected.’
‘Um. Where’s Connor now?’ Lottie asked.
‘With his best man at their hotel. He’s hoping I’ll call him to say it’s all on again.’
Lottie seized her chance. ‘I can’t tell you to marry Connor. It’s your decision, but don’t call it off because of me, or something that happened in the past. I don’t love him now and I don’t want to marry him, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. It only means he was meant for someone else, not me.’ She took a breath. ‘If you think that someone is you – and you must have until yesterday – then don’t let our past ruin your dream.’
‘I was going to put a stop to it when I found out you’d both tricked me all these weeks.’
Lottie winced. She wasn’t out of the woods on this, not by a long way. Keegan picked up a hairbrush. ‘After I kicked him out, I lay awake half the night before I told Mum and Dad this morning. It was my mother who said I shouldn’t do anything hasty and should speak to you. It’s been horrible, having my hair done and wondering if the wedding will happen at all.’ Her eyes travelled to her dress. ‘If I’d ever even wear that dress. It kept mocking me. I felt such a fool.’
‘I’m sorry you felt like that. Truly.’
‘Like you said, maybe Connor and I need to clear the air and start over …’ Keegan sighed.
Lottie held her breath. Oh God, had she encouraged Keegan to leave Connor altogether? Personally, she was tempted to say, don’t go within a mile of Connor, but she never would. Maybe Connor and Keegan were a match made in heaven: like all the couples whose weddings she’d organised, she had no real way of