Page 28 of From Scotland with Love

“I shouldn’t have punched him.”

Lori nodded, but stayed silent.

“Now you know why Hector and I have history, anyway.” He took a gulp of whisky and groaned.

“I’m sorry,” Lori sipped her drink, feeling the hot spicy liquid spread all the way to her belly.

Callum stared ahead with hand resting under the bag of peas. “She really hurt me. I just didn’t understand why she did it. I was so besotted with her. She made me able to love again.” He looked down and Lori felt the whisky tingling all through her, wondering if he was referring to her as being his first love. She pushed down the ache inside her; this was not about her. Callum continued. “And then she went with him, that smarmy rich vulgar man.” Lori kept quiet beside him, nursing her glass of whisky, not meeting his eyes, just staring ahead too. “She could never offer me a reason why she did it. She just said she lost her mind and he flattered her. I think she thought she was in a bloody novel or movie. The laird taking a fancy to a normal girl like her!” He took another sip, shaking his head. “I just never could understand, so - ”.

Lori sat there thinking of Alan and Tammy. “I wonder what’s going to happen now?”

“Well if that creep does go to the police, at least it’s me and not Alan who did it.” He sighed, “I should check up on Alan.” He moved in his seat just as a knock came at the front door, and Alan walked in.

“How are you mate?” Alan grimaced standing above them both.

Callum laid his head back. “I’m sorry Al. I let that get out of hand.”

Alan shook his head. “You did me a favour, honestly - I don’t know if I would’ve stopped had I got my hands on him.” Lori noticed Alan’s fists clench and she quickly handed her glass to him. He took the glass, sniffed it then downed it’s contents with a cough. “I know you were protecting me. That’s why I asked you to be my best man.” Alan crouched on the floor, and nudged Callum's knee with his empty glass. “But just tell me one thing will you? Tell me that felt as good as it looked?”

Callum smiled broadly. “Bloody amazing!” Both men started laughing uncontrollably and Lori watched the mad spectacle before her; the line between love, hate and maybe forgiveness. Lori hoped that things would work out; for Alan and Tammy, and for Callum. She shook her head, and shivered a little, what a day! What intense feelings people in love endure? She reflected, considering her own experiences with her heart. What would she do for love? She watched the two friends together, and soon gave in too, laughing, wholly and completely with her body.

16

Tammy called around to the house where Lori and Gran were having a cup of tea and a slice of Gran’s special elderflower cake in the kitchen, running through the door and up to Lori in mid-bite of cake, she wrapped her arms around her sister with an excited squeal.

“What’s all this?” Gran said, already cutting a slice of cake for Tammy.

“Can’t a sister hug another sister?” She kissed Lori on the cheek, whispering, “Thank you.”

Over the day Tammy divulged the news to Lori, that after much soul searching with Alan, they decided to have the wedding, but with some fundamental changes.

“If we’re going to start our lives together, then we’ve both agreed - no debt,” Tammy stated firmly, and opened the bag with her wedding dress. “Which means, I’m returning this expensive article, and the two bridesmaids dresses here.” She huffed nervously at Lori’s concerned expression.

“Tam, you don’t need to do that. I’m happy to loan you the money, hell - I’ll pay for it!” Lori pushed the bag back into Tammy’s hands. “You deserve the wedding dress you want”.

Tammy shook her head “I actually feel good about this. Why don’t I just wear a dress I like and already look good in? And same with you girls, you can wear what you want!” She showed Lori her wedding list, with recent alterations “I’ve gone through it with Alan, the money we don’t spend will be for the baby and for our life afterwards.”

“No, you need a bloody wedding dress!” Lori insisted.

“I don’t want your money Lori; we’ve been through this!” Tammy sighed.

Gran appeared in her usual timely manner “It may not be in great condition, or particularly in fashion, but there’s been a wedding dress waiting upstairs in the attic for one of you girls for a good thirty years!”

After much rummaging and raking through bags upstairs, Lori found an old brown suitcase with faded black letters “D.M” on the outside.

Gran looked on proudly. “Donalda MacIntosh, she was your grannie. Your mum’s mum, - I think she taught your mum how to sew from a young age before she passed away..”

“Hey, I remember grannie-Mac, we would visit her in hospital,” Lori mused and peeked inside the case to see various old dress patterns and sewing equipment. Underneath it all, was a slightly stiff package swaddled in tissue paper. Lori carefully unwrapped the item and found an ivory dress inside. She lifted it out gently, but Tammy immediately screwed up her nose at the piece, perhaps not as fashionable a design as either of them had hoped; a 1970s voluminous style, with ruffles and trimming covering almost every inch of the cloth.

“Ew. Mum had no taste!” Tammy declared looking at the article as if it had committed some disgusting crime. “I don’t think it’ll fit anyway, look at that tiny waist!” She pointed to the small waistband, which underneath held multiple gathers of pleated fabric.

“Hmmm,” Gran tapped her mouth with her index finger, looking thoughtful. “It’s a shame we don’t know anyone who can jazz it up, maybe let it out a bit...” Her eyes met Lori’s with a knowing look.

“No Gran, I wouldn’t even know where to start!” Lori hastily put the dress back into its bag.

“You’d know more than any of us!” Gran tilted her head at Tammy, whose eyes had opened wide.

“Oh yes, Lori! That’s a great idea! You used to make things!” Tammy bounced and clapped her hands.