Page 83 of A Winter Wedding Adventure
Kira’s eyes widened. ‘You didn’t? He’s going to wear a tie?’
‘I told him it was a gesture of respect for the couple. It’ll probably last about ten minutes and then he’ll say he made the gesture and they should be happy now.’
‘Sounds like Andreas.’ Holding up the key, she said, ‘Thanks for this. I’ll be as quick as I can.’
Thoughts crowding in, she was distracted as she picked her way to the car park in her presentable patent leather court shoes – highly inappropriate for the weather. The minivan was there, the snow cleared from the windscreen and the tyres, since Andreas had been using it to ferry guests around the valley. The vehicle reminded her of the drive from Salzburg – and the way Mattia’s eyes had gone round at the sight of her rather tatty old T-shirt bra. The weirdo.
Knowing she’d see him in a few minutes loosened the tightness in her chest. No matter what regrets she had about this week, she refused to count her time with Mattia among them, even though she was certain a lecture from Reshma was on its way when they got back to the UK.
After scrubbing her face and hands with enough wet wipes to give her the scent of a freshly changed baby bum, she found a single top amongst Sophie’s extensive collection of dresses – why she’d brought so many dresses for a short wedding emergency, Kira couldn’t tell. She’d just whipped her ruined blouse over her head when she heard a shout from outside the van.
‘Kira!’
What a day for her pride.
Shoving Sophie’s top on, she peered out to see Andreas waving at her from where he sat at the front of a sleigh decorated with pine garlands and bells and pulled by two real reindeer.
Alessandra’s reindeer. She couldn’t contain a gleeful laugh – and a shared eye-roll with Rhys, who stood to one side capturing the moment with the livestock.
‘Kira!’ Andreas called out again. ‘Why didn’t you tell me about Christian? We’ve known each other for twelve years!’
Jumping down from the van and slamming the door closed, she yelled back, ‘I wanted your respect! And I didn’t want you to think I was a pathetic woman who’d put on a white dress and wait in a church for a guy who wasn’t coming!’ She glanced at Alessandra, where she was wrapped up in the back of the sleigh with Carla. ‘Not that you’re pathetic, or that Joe will leave you at the altar. Someone just tell me to shut up!’
Andreas obliged. ‘Shut up! You aren’t that pathetic woman. You’ve never been, since I’ve known you.’
She wanted to protest that she must have been pathetic back at the beginning, when the hurt was still fresh, but it didn’t seem to matter. He was right. She wasn’t that woman.
Coming to stand by the sleigh, she lifted her chin. ‘Are you saying you won’t tease me rotten about the fact that I nearly got married?’
He shot her a smile. ‘No, but we all did stupid things when we were young. Now I know you’re human too. And sometimes…’ He gave an eloquent shrug. ‘Sometimes, humans need another human.’
She groaned. ‘Sometimes, I think marriage is some kind of pyramid scheme. When you get engaged, you have to match everybody else up to prove you’re doing the right thing.’ With another wince in Alessandra’s direction, Kira added, ‘No offence.’
The bride leaned forward graciously. ‘I’m only sorry I expended my energy matchmaking the wrong people.’
Kira’s face heated. ‘Don’t you all have a wedding to get to? Those reindeer must be getting cold.’
One of the animals obligingly stamped a hoof.
‘We’ll talk later,’ Andreas said. It was a threat.
‘I’m not joining your pyramid scheme,’ she insisted, shooing them in the direction of the church. The reindeer snorted as their handler urged them off again, turning to cross the road into the field where the church sat under a cushion of snow.
‘He likes you!’ Andreas called over his shoulder. ‘He told me.’
‘That boy blabs!’ she shot back, ignoring the buzz of heat through her middle. He wasn’t for her and she had to remember that for another eighteen hours to make it out unscathed. ‘It’s just a crush. He’ll get over it.’
‘What if it’s not?’
Kira didn’t want to wonder about what she and Mattia could mean to each other if they weren’t walking away tomorrow. They would walk away. There was no other sensible course of action.
By the time she trudged back to the church, Alessandra’s parents were fussing over her. But Kira was lost in her own thoughts about mistakes and commitment and desire. Shaking herself, she hurried up the steps, shoved open the door of the church – and came to an abrupt stop.
Every eye was on her. Pachelbel’s Canon was playing through the speakers. And Mattia stood near the altar, giving her a lopsided smile.
33
She couldn’t tear her eyes off Mattia, tall and distinguished in a well-cut suit with a white bow tie. A hint of dark eyeliner enhanced his dramatic features and a graze decorated his forehead, giving him a rakish look. His jacket was open and as Kira’s eyes sneaked down his body, she noticed he was wearing a burgundy cummerbund, and she could barely contain her snort of laughter at the memory of that first evening in Salzburg.
