Page 11 of An Italian Wedding Adventure

‘Don’t worry about it.’

‘Can you let me apologise?’

She didn’t want to. He was supposed to be the bad guy in her past.

‘For today,’ he clarified, as though she’d thought he’d apologise for turning her down eight years ago. ‘I wasn’t expecting to see you.’

‘It was awkward. I’m sorry. I didn’t intend… any of it.’

His strong brow was low over his eyes. He looked as though he might argue with her for a moment, but then he gave a shrug. ‘I know.’

Her phone rang and she fumbled for it, seeing Reshma’s name flash up with a mixture of relief and dangerous disappointment.

‘Are you ready to go?’ her boss asked when the call connected. ‘I can pick you up from wherever that Italian mountain guide squirrelled you away to.’ The amusement in her voice was clear – and something for Sophie to subtly discourage without piquing Reshma’s curiosity.

‘I’ll meet you at Great Heart.’

* * *

After Reshma navigated out of Weymouth and onto the A-road, Sophie pressed her lips together and tried to ignore the impression that her boss was counting down to an interrogation. The silence barely lasted until Dorchester.

‘Did you get some advice for the Tran-Welbon wedding?’

‘Enough to know it’s even more complicated than I’d imagined.’ And that was just her feelings.

‘The merger isn’t quite finalised, but it won’t be long. I want you to do extra research for this one. Since adding the section to our website, I’ve already had five enquiries. This won’t be the last “adventure wedding” at Lake Garda; we’ll need a comprehensive file.’

‘You put the package up on the website already?’

Reshma continued, undeterred by Sophie’s concern. ‘Willard – Mr Coombs – mentioned that Andreas usually spends April and part of May in Italy for the ski touring season, but after that, I want him to take you to Lake Garda for research. I’m hoping he’ll agree to participate in the wedding itself in September, but I don’t want to scare him off.’

Her boss chuckled, probably remembering Andreas’s horrified look at the prospect of a wedding.

Sophie didn’t respond – she couldn’t. Her stomach was churning and it took all her effort not to get a similar horrified look on her own face.

‘Willard thought you’d be able to get him on board.’

‘He did?’ she squeaked.

‘I didn’t realise you’d met Willard.’

As long as she didn’t realise how well she knew Andreas –had knownAndreas. ‘I told you, I went on a couple of trips with Great Heart years ago. My sister is outdoorsy and she dragged me into it.’

‘Ahhhh,’ Reshma said, drawing out the sound for much longer than Sophie’s explanation warranted. Reshma glanced at her, the glint in her eye making Sophie squirm. ‘Let me guess. Your guide was Andreas? That explains a lot. Willard said you knew each other and it was obvious there was… something missing from my understanding of the situation.’

Sophie gulped.

‘Is this going to be a problem?’ Reshma’s voice gentled. ‘Sophie, I won’t encourage you to do something that makes you uncomfortable.’

Lord, was she uncomfortable, but Andreas wasn’t entirely to blame for that. ‘There’s no problem,’ she grated out. ‘But I don’t know why Willard thought I’d be able to convince him. I’m the last person…’

‘There is some history between you two?’

‘Some,’ she admitted. ‘But I was young and stupid and it was a long time ago.’

‘You can’t have been too stupid. I wondered whether we’d have to fear for our brides with that man joining the team.’

‘Reshma! You did not just say that! Besides, I’m sure he’ll never join the team.’

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