Page 35 of Just Say Yes
‘Sorry. We would have been earlier. Someone overslept. Not used to all this fresh country air,’ Lorcan explained with a grin. My mouth fell open and I felt the blush from forehead to toes.
‘No problem at all. Pleased to meet you. You must be Madeleine.’
‘I… yes, I am,’ I replied, feeling at a loss as I willed the blush to subside.
‘I’m Eoghan. And I hear you have a wedding to plan for our Patrick.’
‘Yes. Yes, that’s right. At the castle.’
‘And you’re in need of a caterer?’
My eyes widened as I looked round at Lorcan. He gave the merest hint of a shrug. ‘Yes! Yes, we are.’
‘Eoghan here’s your man.’
‘Hold it there, now, Lorcan. I’m sure Madeleine, if she’s as good a planner as I’ve heard her talked about, will be wanting to try some samples before she books anyone.’
I’d been talked about?
‘That would be wonderful, if you’re able to? Are you aware of the size of the wedding and the short time scale?’
‘I am.’
‘I see. Then, yes. A tasting would be great.’ I took my planner back from Lorcan and tucked it under my arm before pulling up the calendar on my phone. ‘When would be a good time for that?’
Eoghan pulled a face, looking from me to Lorcan and then back again. ‘That’s what I understood you were coming here today for.’
‘Oh! Oh, I see! Right. Yes, that would be perfect. Are you sure?’
‘Absolutely. Take a seat and I’ll be back in a bit.’
‘You had this planned?’ I whispered quickly once Eoghan disappeared through a door I guessed led to the kitchens, ‘And you didn’t think to tell me?’
‘It wasn’t confirmed until last night in the pub.’ Lorcan shrugged as if he couldn’t understand the problem.
‘Then you should have rung me so that we weren’t late!’
‘We weren’t that late and, besides, you were enjoying your breakfast and watching the chickens. You looked relaxed. For once. It seemed a shame to ruin it.’
‘I am relaxed! I do relax. All the time. And you should have told me.’
‘Noted. And no, you don’t. From what I’ve seen you plan and cram everything you possibly can into your life.’
I looked away.
‘Sometimes you just have to let life happen.’
Do not cry. Do not cry.
I studied the menu on the table and the simple, classical décor of the room and focused on the task.
Lorcan’s hand was cool as it covered mine, his voice softer now. ‘Shit. Maddie, what did I say?’
‘Nothing!’ I said, making a small performance of pulling a tissue from my pocket and dabbing at my eye with it, looking up at the ceiling. ‘I have an eyelash in my eye.’
His chair scraped and the next moment he was crouched in front of me, taking the tissue gently and touching my face more softly than I thought anyone ever could. ‘If that’s the case, then you must have one in both eyes.’ He blotted away all the tear traces and handed me back the tissue, just as the kitchen door swung open. Lorcan’s eyes remained on me. ‘Whatever it was,’ he whispered, ‘I’m sorry.’ Straightening, he retook his seat and turned his attention to his friend, who was expertly carrying a full tray on each arm, which he then proceeded to put in front of us. Oh, bloody hell. I really shouldn’t have had that massive breakfast.
Some time later when we had both tried various starters, mains and puddings – and, incredibly, come to the same conclusion about which we thought would be best for the wedding – I sent Peyton a message and asked her to call me when she could. I knew they were travelling, and didn’t want to wake them if they were still sleeping. Moments later, my phone vibrated and I answered the video call from her.
