Lucy gave Tom a wry look of understanding. “If the chaos unleashed in our house when she baked last weekend is anything to go by, then all I can say is sorry, Tom.”
“It’s fine,” he said with a grin. “I had nothing else to do tonight anyway, so I reckon I should get it all cleared up by midnight, with a bit of luck.”
Lucy laughed while Evie gave Tom a quick hug goodbye and then ran out to where Martin was parked on Foxglove Street with the engine running. Tom threw the man a wave, which he returned as he got out and helped Evie climb into the back seat without spilling the box of cakes to the ground.
“Not long now until the big day,” Tom said to Lucy. “Just three more weeks. How are you feeling?”
“Like a nervous wreck. There’s so much still to do. I’m beginning to wish we’d just eloped.”
“You deserve a big wedding day with all your friends and family around you. All the organisation and hard work will be worth it, you’ll see.”
“Thanks for looking after Evie this evening while we were over at the hotel sorting out the final arrangements for the meal. She would’ve been bored senseless if she’d come with us.”
“You know I love having her here. Listen, Evie said something about the seating arrangements for the meal. Apparently, she overheard you and Martin talking about that work friend of yours, Claire somebody-or-other, who wants to sit beside me at the dinner?”
Lucy frowned in the direction of the car where Evie sat. “Nothing gets past our Evie. But yes, that’s right, Claire’s quite keen on sitting with you. She’s single, you’re single. It that okay?”
“Er, are there any other spare places for sad singles like me? I’m not that keen on getting paired off with someone, to be honest.”
“Organising the place settings has been a bit of a nightmare, Tom. I don’t really want to have to start moving anyone around at this stage.”
“Hmm.”
Lucy clearly saw his discomfort, because she added, “If you wanted to bring a plus-one, that’s still an option, you know. That way you wouldn’t have to worry about all the single women chasing you down.”
She laughed as she said it, and Tom laughed too. He didn’t mind the company of pleasant single women, far from it, but thoughts of having to spend the entire wedding fending off thedreadful Claire what’s-her-name from Lucy’s work filled him with gloom.
“It might be a bit late to scare up a date at this late notice,” Tom said.
“What about that woman you were seeing for a while? Jade, was that her name? Maybe she’d be happy to be your plus-one.”
Tom shook his head. “She’s with someone else now.”
“Hmm, well Evie mentioned you were on a date last week. Who was it? Why not ask her along?”
He waved a hand. “We didn’t really click. I doubt we’ll get together again.”
“Maybe you’re too picky, Tom.”
“Maybe you’re just a hard act for any woman to follow, Lucy.”
A tender smile lifted her lips. Tom harboured no lingering feelings for Lucy beyond the platonic friendship they now shared and the fond memories of the romantic relationship they’d once had, but there was no denying that since their separation he hadn’t met any other woman who captivated him the way she once had.
“Now you’re being cheesy,” Lucy said, her smile still soft.
“Not cheesy. Just truthful.” Tom returned her smile and nodded towards Martin’s parked car. “You better get going. Evie’s desperate for you to try those fairy cakes she baked.”
Lucy brushed a kiss on his cheek and then turned to leave. “Think about whether you want to bring someone with you to the wedding as your plus-one, after all.”
“Will do.”
“Time’s running out if you want me to squeeze in an extra setting at the table.”
“Understood.”
Once Lucy was inside the car, he waved them off as Martin tooted the horn goodbye and Evie waved madly from the backseat. Returning to the kitchen, he surveyed the mess still waiting to be cleared up following Evie’s baking activities.
As he loaded dirty dishes into the dishwasher and wiped congealing icing sugar from the tabletop, he thought about what Lucy had said.
