Page 80 of Winter Nights at the Bay Bookshop
The pub crawl had to be the best ever, although I missed Dad’s presence. He loved the traders’ night and was gutted about missing it this year. In theory, he could have hobbled round the pubs but the risk of someone bashing into his still-swollen knees in a busy pub was too great so it made sense to stay at home.
The hens had done an amazing job of dressing up as Wonderland characters. We’d agreed that nobody but Cassie could dress as Alice but it didn’t matter if other outfits were duplicated. As it turned out, none of them were. Ginny looked incredible as the Queen of Hearts, Sarah from Seaside Blooms was the White Queen, Tara was the Mad Hatter and Jemma was the Cheshire Cat. Carly and her sister Bethany had come as Tweedledee and Tweedledum with bald caps and big padded stomachs and Charlee and her business partner Jodie had also gone for a pair of costumes – a hedgehog and flamingo from the croquet scene. Our friend Donna was the Caterpillar and a few other non-trader friends had come as the March Hare, Mouse and a playing-card guard.
We got lots of attention in all the pubs on our route and posed for several photos with strangers. It was so good having quality time with the traders and I looked forward to spending more time with them at Cassie’s wedding but, for me, the best part of the night was seeing my best friend so happy. She literally was a glowing bride-to-be, although the amount of alcohol she’d consumed might have played a part in that.
‘She looks happy,’ Lars said, slipping his arm round my waist as Cassie belted out ABBA’s ‘I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do’ on karaoke four pubs in.
‘She really does.’
‘You’ve managed to get out of singing with her?’
‘If only! She’s dragging me up next.’
Sure enough, the song finished and the DJ announced, ‘Our bride-to-be Cassie wants her bridesmaids Lily and Donna to join her for Bruno Mars’s “Marry You”. Take it away, ladies… or should that be girl, rabbit and caterpillar?’
I wasn’t the greatest singer but I could hold a note and I think we managed a pretty good rendition of ‘Marry You’. I hadn’t dared look at Lars as I said the repeated line about wanting to marry but, as the song approached the end, I couldn’t resist looking in his direction and singing the words to him. His smile widened and he saluted as he mouthed the words ‘me too’, making my heart leap.
Tonight was all about Cassie but I knew that one night, in the not-too-distant future, it would be all about me and that amazing man who’d been through so much in his life but who’d come through the other side strong, caring and passionate. A couple of months ago, I’d felt so low but had been determined to live by Anne Shirley’s philosophy ofI don’t know what lies around the bend, but I am going to believe that the best does.The best really had been just around the bend for me.
41
LILY
The morning of Cassie and Jared’s wedding and Lars’s thirty-fifth birthday arrived. Lars had stayed in Green Gables overnight and it was lovely waking up beside him, wishing him a happy birthday and seeing him open his presents. We were big on birthdays in our family and he looked close to tears when I presented him with gifts from my parents, Kadence, Hendrix and both sets of grandparents.
‘I haven’t even met your sister yet,’ he said, staring at her gift in obvious disbelief. ‘And I’ve only met your brother and grandparents briefly.’
‘But you’re part of the family,’ I said, hugging him. ‘It’s the way we do things. Hope that’s okay with you.’
‘It’s more than okay. I’m just… It’s… I…’ He rolled his eyes. ‘I’m that stunned, I can’t even form a proper sentence. Thank you all so much. Your family are amazing.Youare amazing.’
‘True, but sadly not amazing enough to give you your birthday off work. You’d better get going if you’re going to be taxi service to my granddads. See you at the wedding.’
He kissed me goodbye and headed off to collect Granddad George and Granddad Maurice, who were helping out in Bay Books this morning. Granddad Maurice didn’t know how to use the till but he knew the shop well so would be a valuable extra pair of hands until they closed at half twelve so everyone could attend Cassie’s wedding.
As I placed the discarded wrapping paper in the recycling bin outside, thoughts of my own unhappy birthday in March pushed their way into my mind but I swiftly dismissed them. My world was so different now and I knew that Lars would pull out all the stops to make sure my birthday next year was a special one.
I paused to breathe in the fresh, chilled air before going back inside. A heavy frost but a clear blue sky couldn’t have been better weather conditions for the wedding. The photos would look amazing. Cassie had clearly had the same thoughts as, when I returned to my bedroom, I spotted a message from her along with a stack of wedding-related and snowflake emojis.
From Cassie
I’m getting married today. Squee!!!!!! Any chance of you getting here earlier so we can get photos in the garden before the frost melts?
To Cassie
Happy wedding day! So excited for you. Yes, no probs. Be there in less than an hour x
* * *
I’d already seen Cassie in her wedding dress because I’d been with her when she chose it from The Wedding Emporium, but seeing her wearing it on her wedding day with her hair and make-up done and her face radiating happiness had me welling up.
She’d originally been thinking of an ivory dress for herself with the bridesmaids looking Christmassy in deep red, but was concerned that it was all a bit too traditional. Ginny had suggested flipping the colours and showed us a red bridal gown which she thought would be perfect for Cassie. Lace covered with a tight bodice, capped sleeves and gold and red sparkling embellishments around the waist, it was absolutely stunning and no other dress had a look-in after that. Today, her hair was styled in a series of loose knots and plaits interwoven with realistic-looking ivy, red berries and gold sparkles.
The bridesmaid dresses had lacy white bodices and dusky pink skirts and Hallie’s flower girl dress was dusky pink all over with gold embellishments. Jared and the groomsmen would be wearing forest-green three-piece suits with red ties, which I wouldn’t see until we arrived at the venue, but I had a pretty good idea of how they’d look as Rocco was wearing an adorable matching outfit minus the blazer. He’d chosen a bow tie instead of a regular one, which he kept twiddling while Hallie pirouetted round the lounge in her dress.
The photographer managed to capture several photos in the frost before the December sun reached Cassie and Jared’s back garden and, before long, we were on our way to Sherrington Hall – a beautiful old hotel on the top of the cliff twelve miles south of Whitsborough Bay.
Cassie and Jared’s Christmas wedding was everything I’d imagined and more. The attention to detail by the wedding planner was exemplary as even the decorations on the many Christmas trees around the building matched the colour scheme. In addition to the gorgeous floral arrangements Sarah from Seaside Blooms had made, there were hurricane candles on every window ledge with swathes of ivy and shiny baubles. Fairy lights twinkled everywhere and the whole wedding felt magical from start to end.
