Page 21 of Italy and Forever

Rhys had said twenty-eight was young to settle down. Of course he would think that.

She mumbled a curse.

Perhaps if there were more attractive, single men here, she wouldn’t be so preoccupied with him, but at least she wasn’t imagining her own white dress, as she so often did. ‘Who are Adam’s groomsmen again?’

‘Ginny! You cannot joke about wild oats and then ask me about the groomsmen at my wedding! If this is what a dating ban does to you, you should reinstall your apps in good time for next year. How long has it been since you… you know?’

‘This isn’t about sex.’

‘That long, huh?’

‘That’s it. Sisters are officially the worst. I don’t know why I called you.’

A prickle on the back of her neck made Ginny look up to see Caro and Kira a few steps away, watching her with amused smiles.

Elspeth spoke on, oblivious. ‘I suppose it must be pretty hard being so keen on finding the right person that you don’t have the opportunity to have fun with the wrong one.’

‘I have the opportunity! I just choose not to take it. Now, I do actually have to go.’

‘Chat soon,’ Elspeth said, blowing her a kiss. ‘Just no more thinking about Adam’s groomsmen.’

Ginny had the fleeting thought that she might find a real boyfriend in time for Elspeth’s wedding next summer, before she kicked herself for slipping back into that thinking. All she’d proven with this dating ban so far was that she truly needed it – she needed to believe she was okay on her own.

She disconnected the call with a whispered, ‘Love you,’ and looked up at Kira as though nothing had happened. She was doing so well with that, until she turned to Caro and asked, ‘Are you single? Please tell me you’re single. I’m sick of being the only single one.’ The only unfiltered one too, apparently.

‘Aw, I just got back together with my girlfriend,’ Caro said apologetically. ‘But she’s not arriving until Friday, so I could be your wingman. It’s not the greatest selection, because my brother is an old man and his friends are mostly married with kids, but we’ll find you someone.’

Kira chuckled. ‘She doesn’t want just anyone. Ginny is our resident Disney princess. She dreams of true love.’

Ginny scowled. ‘I’m taking a break from true love, remember? At least, for myself.’

‘You don’t need true love to have some fun,’ Caro drawled. ‘Now, I need to talk to both of you about waking the bride before sunrise. It’s tradition.’

Ginny groaned. ‘I’m beginning to wonder whether you all think marriage is a punishment!’

‘You’re catching on,’ Caro said with a wink.

9

There were still four days before the ceremony and if today was anything to go by, Ginny suspected Rhys would need a lot of memory cards.

The excursion for the day was to the sleepy town of Sand in Taufers. South Tyrol appeared to Ginny to be a series of almost disconnected valleys, spreading like veins from the artery of Bolzano to the south. This valley was the smallest capillary, the road disappearing to nothing at the end. The border to the north was closed, not because of politics, but because the mountain was too steep, too wild for a road. Only hikers crossed into Austria from here.

The forest was thick and in every direction she glimpsed mountains, most with no signs of human habitation. But there was history in this little valley – a lot of it. Sophie’s sister, Tash, and her two kids, were posing on their way up the hill, a piece of that history in the background of the photo.

The mediaeval castle was built up high, standing guard over the town, with grey stone battlements and a central tower. They approached on foot, via a steep path under the autumn leaves.

Toni’s nine-year-old son, Cillian, fell into step beside Ginny. She often joked that she attracted children. She never knew what to say to them, since she hadn’t spent much time with any kids in her close family, but they seemed drawn to her anyway. Usually, she was proud to be the child whisperer, but something Kira had once said echoed in her mind that day: she was simply the easiest to manipulate.

Perhaps kids scented weakness.

‘I thought pine trees weren’t deciduous,’ Cillian commented, looking up at the forest. ‘I’m sure we learned in school that they’re evergreen.’

Ginny followed his gaze and frowned. She’d thought pine trees were evergreen too, but the forests were dotted with tall conifers in bright yellow. ‘I… I don’t know.’

‘They’re not dying, are they?’

Ginny bit her lip over a grimace. She didn’t like to hear him use that word when his own father was gone. It had taken his mother, Toni, nine years to find love again, but she seemed happy with her new boyfriend, Gabri. He’d moved to England for her – from Elba, the most romantic Italian island in the Mediterranean – so he clearly loved her.