Page 43 of A Forever Home at Honey Bee Croft

I hugged Dad too and Mum thrust her phone at me.

‘Just Brad and me,’ she said, winking at my dad.

‘How about one with only you and then one with Dad too?’ I suggested, catching Dad’s disappointed expression. He claimed he couldn’t stand the soaps but he never missed an episode. ‘And then we can let Brad get back to ushering.’

‘I don’t mind,’ Brad assured me with a winning smile. ‘Although I will get a ribbing from Tim and Levi for not pulling my weight. Those two do go on!’

‘They take their roles very seriously and they know that if they mess up at Barney’s wedding, he can get payback at theirs.’

I took several photos and then Brad was permitted to return to his duties.

‘Where’s Chez?’ I asked, hoping he hadn’t pulled out.

‘He’s on the phone to Lorna,’ Dad said.

‘What sort of mood was he in?’

My parents looked at each other and shrugged.

‘I’d suggest overly enthusiastic,’ Mum said. ‘He claimed he wasn’t bothered about losing his job or falling out with Harry and we don’t believe either of those things for a minute. At least things seem to be going well between him and Lorna just now. Let’s hope it stays that way.’

I held up my crossed fingers but I wasn’t convinced, especially when so much else was going wrong and it felt inevitable that depression would take a hold. I couldn’t decide whether Chez and Lorna were wrong for each other or whether they were simply too young and immature to work through their issues. I feel so old for thinking that way, but I swear that every one of their bust-ups aged me half a decade. When it was good between Lorna and Chez, they made a great couple, but when it was bad, it was horrendous. How many times did a couple have to split up before they accepted that it was never going to work? Maybe being single was a better option.

‘I need to get back to Barney,’ I told my parents. ‘I’ll catch up with you both later and, Mum, no more fangirling over the celebs.’

‘Me? I have no idea what you’re talking about.’ She gave me a mischievous grin as she wafted her face with her autograph book.

I found Barney and Amber’s wedding ceremony unexpectedly emotional. Everything about it was so personal and so perfect for the couple. I’d never thought to ask about the music they’d chosen for Amber to walk down the aisle. For some reason, I’d assumed it would be something classical so when the opening orchestral melody to Elbow’s ‘One Day Like This’ filled the room, I glanced at Barney in surprise.

‘Is this…?’

He nodded. ‘Tune!’

He wasn’t wrong. I turned to see the smiles among the guests as they recognised what was playing. After the instrumental introduction, Imogen and Darcie appeared at the end of the aisle holding hands and that was the start for me. Proud dad moment! My baby girl looked so beautiful, grown up and not at all nervous despite roughly 160 pairs of eyes focused on her. She and Darcie beamed at each other and set off slowly towards the front. As the first verse played, they were followed by Fizz and Phoebe, Samantha and Tim, Tabs and Brad, Sophie and Levi. When the chorus kicked in, Zara as chief bridesmaid set off down the aisle and, as the track skipped to the outro, Amber appeared on her dad’s arm. My breath caught. I knew she’d look good, but this was next level. I found it an odd tradition that the groom stayed facing forward until the bride arrived at the front as surelyseeing her walking down the aisle was a special moment. And for a couple who weren’t sticking with tradition for their day, why stick with that?

‘Youhaveto turn round,’ I whispered to Barney. ‘She’s stunning!’

So he did turn and the expression on his face – so full of love for his bride – had me all dewy-eyed once more. Amber caught his eye and her smile widened even further. She reached us at the front, Cole kissed her on the cheek before taking his seat and Zara took her bouquet from her while Sophie and Tabs adjusted her train. This was it. My best mate for twenty-three years had met the woman of his dreams and was about to commit to her forever and I couldn’t be happier for them.

Brad was invited up for a reading. I hadn’t heard it before but I recognised parts of it – a mystery which Brad solved when he announced at the end, ‘And if you’re thinking that some of what I read sounds familiar, that’s because it was a blatantly stolen mash-up of the words of Taylor Swift, Elton John, Ed Sheeran, Chris Martin and various other talented songwriters. You might have spotted some ABBA lyrics in there as well as a few lines fromLondoners,Darrington DetectsandThe Book Sleuths–a few programmes with a strong family connection to the bride.’

With a wink, he took his place among the guests. It must have taken them ages to pull all that together but it was such a great personal touch. As were the vows which Barney and Amber had written themselves, which had me tearing up yet again – no idea where it was coming from as I wasn’t usually one for getting emotional.

As they signed the register, ‘Your Song’ played – the version from the filmMoulin Rougesung by Ewan McGregor rather than the Elton John one, and Take That’s ‘Greatest Day’ played as they walked out. I was meant to be walking beside Zara but Imogen rushed up to me and took my hand, demanding I twirlher. Zara laughed and hung back to walk alongside Darcie while Imogen twirled and danced her way down the aisle.

The hotel staff welcomed us with trays of drinks, but I only took a soft one, keen to have my wits about me while I delivered my speech. Mum and Dad appeared with big hugs for Imogen and a few tears on Mum’s part. I knew that not getting to spend much time with Imogen troubled them, so I always made sure that, whenever she stayed with me, we had a video call with my parents. They’d been over to the UK several times and spent time with her then, but Tilly had never permitted me to take her to Portugal. She claimed it wasn’t fair taking Imogen abroad when her siblings weren’t getting the same opportunity. I thought that was spectacularly unfair. Why should Imogen miss out on the chance to travel? Why should I? And why should my parents miss out on time with their only grandchild? I hadn’t pushed it massively so far because Imogen was still young and unlikely to remember holidays abroad, but I was determined to push it in the future. I was determined to push everything.

‘Where’s Chez?’ I asked Dad.

‘At the bar getting a pint. He didn’t fancy champagne.’

I glanced towards the bar at the same time as Chester turned with his drink. His eyes caught mine and the look he gave me could have withered Amber’s bridal bouquet. So much for his promise that there’d be no atmosphere. I was about to join him when the photographer called for the wedding party, so I took Imogen’s hand and followed Barney and Amber outside. I’d have to catch Chez later and hope that, with a few drinks inside him, he’d be less hostile. We’d had our bad moments in the past but nothing like this, although he’d still had his job and his best mate before. Still, there was no need to take it all out on me. I hadn’t caused either of those things. I was the one giving him a free roof over his head and feeding him. I didn’t need a big thankyou speech, but it would be nice if he could lean on the side of grateful rather than resentful.

16

POPPY

I set off for Fennington Hall straight after an early lunch. I’d got myself so worked up with nerves about meeting Cole Crawford and the rest of Amber’s family that I’d been unable to concentrate on any work and, rather than pacing the farmhouse floor, decided that I might as well get checked into my room. I’d been on the venue’s website and there appeared to be extensive gardens and grounds which I could explore to kill some time, or I could (try to) relax in my room and watch TV.

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