Page 115 of The Wedding Engagement

She nodded, her voice wobbly. “I will.”

They got up and Arran showed her to the door, waving her off and genuinely hoping she was going to be okay.

The phone started to ring again, so he shut the door and moved over to grab the receiver. “Hello?”

“Where have you been? I’ve been calling you the past twenty-four hours.”

“I was at my parents’ with Jayce. Why, what’s up, Agnes? Did I put the kidney beans in the wrong place again?”

She tutted. “No, it’s more important than that. That’s why I was calling you earlier on. I saw something yesterday morning. Your lassie Liv looked upset and I think your ex-fiancée was to blame.”

“It’s okay, Agnes. We worked it all out.” He paused. “Kind of.”

“What do you mean?”

“Liv thinks I still love Jess, and I need to convince her that’s not the case.”

There was a moment’s silence. “What are you going to do?”

He pressed his fingers to his temple, squeezing his eyes shut. “I’ll think of something.” He shifted over to look out of the small window next to the door, watching Agnes’s net curtain twitch. “By the way, does this mean you’re finally admitting to spying on everyone?”

She chuckled. “Well. Maybe this once Iwasbeing nosy. But only because I’m invested in you two young ones.”

He laughed despite himself.

“Right. We need to make a plan for you to win back your sweetheart.”

He raised his eyebrows. “We?”

“Yes. I’ve read all of the romance novels at Glenavie Library. I’m an expert on the situation. We’ll have her back with you in no time.”

“Well, I’m definitely not going to say no to any help that’s on offer. I’m coming over.”

“I’ll get the biscuits out.”

Arran hung up the phone, then departed for next door to get to work on a master plan to win over the woman he loved.

Chapter

Twenty-Seven

On Monday morning Liv hadmore trouble than usual dragging herself out of bed. She’d slept in Arran’s T-shirt again and was beginning to worry that his scent was fading from it. Just like how she was worried he was fading from her life altogether.

She wanted to believe what he’d said about them being together. But whenever she contemplated it, a sickening doubt would overwhelm her, leaving her breathless and determined not to let herself hope, for fear of being let down.

In the end, after showering and getting ready, she put his shirt back on under her outfit. She felt like a pathetic loser but couldn’t help herself. She was so desperate to hold on to a tiny piece of him.

Going through the motions of her morning routine like a lovesick zombie, she managed to complete the required tasks and get to the front door to pull on her shoes and jacket. She lifted her bag and grasped the handle, then realized there was an envelope sticking through the letterbox with her name on it. In Arran’s handwriting.

She was paralyzed for a split second, before a spike of adrenaline zapped her into action and she grabbed hold of the envelope, tearing it open and unfolding the piece of paper inside.

Dear Aggie,

I told you I’d give you time and I meant it. But I also stipulated it would only be as long as I could hold out, and I’m afraid to say that will be just under two weeks, because there’s no way when I see you again at Sam and Maya’s wedding that I’ll be able to hold back. So this is a heads-up that I’ll be coming for you then, sweetheart. Save that first dance for me.

In the meantime, please find enclosed a little token from our first “date.” God, you looked so beautiful that night I felt like I’d been punched in the heart. I wish I’d told you that at the time.

Love, always,

---