Page 1 of Just Say Yes
1
Another deafening thunderclap boomed over the cottage, as lightning illuminated the dark day. The first rain in months fell heavily as the summer heatwave finally broke, sending that wonderful smell of petrichor drifting in through the open windows. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to be doing much to clear the humidity, and the air was still clammy as I listened to the steady drip drip drip from my leaking roof into the bucket I’d just emptied. The heat, although stifling, had at least been a respite from the emergency of a failing roof. That was the thing about old properties, they always held another surprise for you – and not always the good kind. My little cottage might look like the picture on a chocolate box but right now it was about as watertight as one. I crossed my fingers that today would help get me one step closer to changing that.
I glanced in the mirror, checking my appearance. I twisted my long auburn hair up and secured it neatly in a clip, keeping it off my neck in an attempt to stay cool, and then headed down the narrow stairs just as the brass doorbell clanged outside. Pulling open the heavy front door revealed the epitome of a tall, dark, handsome – not to mention broad – stranger loitering there. From the emails I’d exchanged so far with the bride whose wedding I was being hired to plan, my initial thoughts were that she had great taste. Now seeing the man she was to marry, it seemed I was right.
He was looking around, striking dark blue eyes taking in the cluster of picturesque houses that hugged the village green, before his gaze returned to my own cottage. I was used to seeing this sense of wonder. I still got it myself at times when I came home, a feeling of surprise that this idyllic scene existed at all, let alone within easy access to London. I smiled, waiting patiently for the ensuing compliment.
‘Jesus,’ the soft Irish accent proclaimed. ‘It’s like something out ofMidsomer Murders.’
I forced the smile to stay in place, mentally readjusting my earlier thoughts about the bride’s taste. Clearing my throat, I stepped back from the door to indicate he should enter.
‘Well, the police did find someone last month tied to the railway tracks in the model village with a toy train wedged in his mouth, but apart from that it’s a perfectly lovely place to live. Would you like to come in?’
The man was staring at me.
‘Don’t worry. I promise it wasn’t me. Do come in out of the rain.’ I already had more than enough unwanted water coming into this house without standing here waiting for this rude man to let yet more in. His comment had irked me. It wasn’t as if us villagers hadn’t joked about the same thing ourselves, but there was something in the way he said it, as though he were laughing up his expensive sleeve at us, or would have been, had they not been rolled up to his elbows exposing tanned, muscular forearms. He stepped in and I took the black, old-fashioned umbrella with its beautiful, carved wooden handle from him and opened it to dry in the small boot room to the side of the front door. He might not have manners, but he did have good taste.
‘Do you always invite strange men into your house without asking their name?’ One coal-black brow rose, accompanying the softly spoken query.
‘I’m afraid your accent gave you away and you are perfectly on time, Mr Kelly.’
‘I’m not Mr Kelly,’ the man replied, studying me, a hint of amusement showing at the corner of the just-full-enough lips.
A cool shiver trickled down my spine, despite the humidity of the day. The man’s smile widened.
‘Don’t look so panicked. You’re quite safe. I’m his best man, Lorcan O’Malley.’ He held one large hand out. ‘Pleased to meet you.’
I stuck out my own automatically, unsure what to make of this man other than the fact that he was probably one of the best-looking men I’d ever come across. Why did I only ever meet desirable men through work? I had a very strict policy about not mixing work with pleasure and right now work needed all the attention it could get. The pandemic had meant that my business, Hart’s & Flowers, along with many like mine, had taken a big hit, so now I needed to find a way to recoup the losses I’d suffered. A lavish wedding for an American heiress could be the answer to, if not all my prayers, then at least some of them.
‘Patrick should be here any minute. He’s always late.’
‘Oh dear. Hopefully he won’t be late to the wedding,’ I said, looking up at Lorcan.
‘I guess that’s my job to ensure he isn’t.’
‘Glad to hear you’re already serious about your duties.’ I smiled.
‘I might not be a fan of weddings, or marriage, but I won’t let Patrick down.’
‘I see,’ I replied, and made a mental note to keep an eye on him – not exactly the toughest of tasks when a man looked like he did.
‘Would you like to come through to the kitchen? I must apologise – ordinarily I hold meetings in my garden office but the downpour has rather put paid to that today. I’m just waiting to have a path put in.’
In truth I was waiting for the money to be able to afford a path, but we didn’t need to go into details.
‘No problem.’
I led the way through into the airy kitchen. Thankfully, my cottage, though old, wasn’t listed so I’d had leeway to make changes when I’d first moved in. Once dark and cramped, this room had been extended and it now opened out with patio doors to the well-tended garden beyond, flooding the kitchen with light. It was probably my favourite room in the house. A loud thunk caused me to spin around and I found Mr O’Malley rubbing his forehead and looking as if he was gritting back a choice word or two.
‘Oh, my goodness, I’m so sorry! I should have warned you to mind your head. I’m not used to having people as tall as you in the house.’
‘No problem,’ he said again. ‘So was that true, then? What you said about the model-village thing?’
As much as I would have loved to continue stringing this man along with the tale, I couldn’t do it and a bubble of laughter burst from within me.
‘Of course not, but you should have seen your face. I’m sorry. I couldn’t resist the tease.’
He studied me for a moment then grinned, full wattage, and a tiny voice inside me whispered,Wow.
