Page 54 of Just Say Yes
‘I’ve never thought about it that way,’ I said, turning a page myself. ‘I can definitely see what you mean. Oh, this is just stunning!’
‘Isn’t it though?’ Calum said, laying a hand on my arm. ‘Honestly, the whole day was just a dream.’
‘That!’ I said, pointing at him. ‘That feeling is exactly what we want for Patrick and Peyton.’
‘Just so long as they don’t wake up to a nightmare.’ Lorcan mumbled the comment low under his breath and Calum didn’t even react, seemingly prepared to let it go again, but my patience was worn thinner. Or perhaps I didn’t have enough experience of the man. As much as I thought there were more layers to him, I wasn’t sure I actually had the patience to peel enough of them away.
‘What exactly is your problem?’
Lorcan stretched his long legs out and forked up another helping of cake, despite the fact we’d already made our choice. ‘I don’t have a problem.’
‘Clearly you do, judging by all the snarky sounds and comments when it comes to talking about wedding plans. While I do appreciate your help in sourcing and liaising with suppliers this weekend, you don’t need to stay here for this. I’m sure Calum and I can work it between us, and you’d obviously rather be somewhere else.’
He chewed his cake, raising his cool blue gaze to meet my controlled one. ‘No place else to be.’
‘That is a shame. Then perhaps you’d be kind enough to keep any unhelpful comments and noises to yourself while we do our jobs and arrange a perfect wedding foryourbest friend and his fiancée.’
‘Nothing’s perfect.’
God, this man was impossible.
‘While that may be true, it’s my job to make this wedding as close as possible to it and I’m sure it would be appreciated by Patrick and Peyton if you could get fully on board with that. It would certainly be appreciated by me, considering they have given you a responsibility which should be an honour and which you’re treating as a burden. You may not believe in any of this but what you and I think about love, weddings and marriage is irrelevant. It’s what they want. And if they mean anything to you at all, which they clearly do, it should be what you want for them too.’
Lorcan just stared at me, the silence thickening around us with every second that passed.
‘Oh, boy, she told you!’ Calum broke the uncomfortable hush with a cackle of delight. He tucked his arm around mine. ‘I like this one.’
Lorcan shifted his gaze back to the tray and poured another cup of coffee for himself. ‘Of course you do,’ he grumped, causing Calum to laugh even more.
‘Now, where were we?’
* * *
‘There’s a wonderful view out over the sea from that side of the grounds,’ Calum said, pointing to the west. ‘But I’ve strict instructions not to take you too far with your poorly leg.’
I glanced back at where we’d left Lorcan dozing as we crept off to have another look around a couple of areas I wanted to revisit.
‘Ooh, is there’ I asked, peering in the direction Calum had pointed.
‘Yeah. It’s stunning. All dark and moody cliffs sweeping down into the deep, untamed waters of the Atlantic,’ he said in a dreamy voice as we both stood at the window, looking out across the beautiful, well-tended gardens of the castle, still full with seasonal colour.
The weather was chilly but it was one of those beautifully bright early autumn days and the picture Calum painted was one I was now desperate to see. I could imagine the sunshine glinting and shimmering on the depths of the dark ocean waters crashing against the cliffs, just as they had for centuries.
‘Let’s go,’ I whispered. ‘He’ll never know.’
‘Never know what?’ The voice was deep, sleep-roughened and incredibly close, making both of us let out a squeal of surprise as we turned.
‘Jesus, what are you thinking of, creeping around like that?’ Calum gave Lorcan a surprisingly forceful punch on his arm. Something told me he’d learned the skill from the friend who was now rubbing his arm and possibly regretting giving those lessons. ‘You frightened the bejeezus out of us both.’
‘What are you up to?’ Lorcan asked, his eyes taking in the view and then landing squarely back on me. He knew exactly what we were up to.
‘Oh, nothing,’ Calum said, flapping his hands a little, doing his best to radiate innocence and failing as his cheeks coloured and his hands fidgeted until he shoved them in his trouser pockets.
‘Actually, Calum was just going to show me the view. I understand there’s a beautiful one to the west.’ I tilted my chin in defiance.
‘There’s a beautiful one in every direction, but yes, that is a particularly lovely one. But I believe Calum had been told you aren’t to go romping around the place right now with that leg.’
‘I wasn’t planning to romp anywhere.’
