Page 23 of Snowy Surprises in the Highlands

Olivia squeezed her arm. ‘I promise you there’s no fluorescent green or fairy wings, and not a glow stick in sight. You can both open your eyes and see for yourselves.’

Bella allowed her eyelids to flutter open and slowly she raked her gaze from the floor upwards. She turned to her mum, who had tears in her eyes.

‘Oh, Bella,’ was all her mum managed to say.

Bella covered her mouth with her hands as her stomach lurched. She was head to toe in ivory lace over a fitted satin shift. Pearls were scattered around the neckline and diamantes twinkled all over the bodice. The dress had long lace sleeves and a fitted waist that showed off her new figure beautifully and there was just enough of a train to make her feel like a princess without it being a trip hazard. She didn’t quite look like herself. Or at least not the self she had always been used to seeing in her reflection. This self was the woman she had always dreamed of being. It was all a little overwhelming.

‘Well?’ her mum said, a wide smile on her face in spite of the tears. ‘All I can say is your dad will burst with pride when he sees you. He’s already excited to walk you down the aisle, Bella, but when he sees you… I bet he cries. I just know he will.’

When Bella didn’t speak, Olivia covered her mouth with her hands, mirroring her stance, and mumbled, ‘Oh God, you do hate it, don’t you?’ Before Bella could reply, Olivia held her hands up. ‘Okay, let’s not panic. The wedding is in four months… ish… so I can redesign. I’ll make it a priority. I’m so sorry, Bells. You were supposed to love it. I’m so, so sorry.’

‘Oh no, don’t say that, Olivia, it’s beautiful,’ Bella’s mum said and turned to glare at her daughter. ‘Bella?’ Her eyes were filled with panic and her tone filled with annoyance.

‘No, no, it’s fine. It has to be perfect,’ Olivia said. ‘I can start on a redesign right away.’

Bella turned to see tears in her friend’s eyes and plonked a finger over her lips. ‘Oy! Stop blethering, will you? The panic on both of your faces, seriously.’ She shook her head. ‘I was just taking it all in. But I love it! It’s absolutely perfect. I’ve never felt more beautiful than I do in this bloody masterpiece. So, stop your fretting and hug me, both of you!’

Olivia stood there for what felt like an age, open-mouthed and wide-eyed. Then, as if someone had flicked her ‘on’ switch again, she leapt forward and threw her arms around Bella. Bella’s mum quickly followed suit.

‘Oh, thank goodness! I was heartbroken there for a wee second,’ Olivia said. She pulled away and fixed her eyes on Bella again. ‘Hang on, you’re not just saying that, are you? Because if you are, you needn’t try to make me feel better. I’d rather you got the dress you wanted, not one you hate. I don’t want you to settle for second best.’

Bella shook her head and turned to face herself again. ‘Liv, believe me, it’s in no way second best, in fact, is there anything above first best because that’s how I feel about this dress! It’s the most perfect dress I’ve ever seen. And I get to wear it. I get to look this incredible for my wedding day. Me!’

‘You’re going to be the most stunning bride, sweetheart,’ her mum said, blotting her eyes with a tissue. ‘And as I said, just wait until your dad sees you.’

Olivia and Bella’s mum flanked her on either side and smiled at her reflection in the gilt-framed mirror.

Olivia shook her head. ‘Bells, you look this incredible all the time. You just don’t see it. But Harris is going to be completely in awe when he sees you.’

‘I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think you might be right. I just hope he recognises me,’ Bella said, laughing. ‘Maybe he’ll think the wrong bride has turned up.’ Then she turned to Olivia and took her hand. ‘Thank you. I could never have found anything this perfect in a shop. I’m so sorry about all the stress and worry before. I’m honoured that you’ve gone to all this trouble for me.’ Her eyes welled with tears again.

‘She’s right, Olivia. I think it’s the most beautiful wedding gown I’ve ever seen,’ Bella’s mum said with a wavering voice.

Olivia’s chin trembled. ‘Oh, stop it, you’ll have us all sobbing. And it was no trouble at all. You’re one of my oldest and dearest friends, Bells. Think of it as my wedding gift to you.’

Bella chewed her lip. ‘The expense though, Liv. You’re already hosting the wedding. It’s all too much. You’re going to be completely out of pocket.’

Olivia placed a hand on both Bella’s arms. ‘Hey, you can stop that. Your designs for the reception area at the distillery are sublime and you won’t let me pay you, so I think we are more than square. And anyway, it’s my home so it’s up to me what I do with it.’ She put an arm around Bella’s mum’s shoulder. ‘And your folks are contributing to the food and drink so it’s all good. But I refuse to charge you for holding your wedding here when it’s my business, Bells. Subject closed. End of. Finito! So, let’s get the hem of this dress pinned, and tucked a little more in at the waist and then we can go for some lunch.’

Bella knew when to quit arguing with Olivia and it appeared they had reached that point, so she stayed quiet for a while, storing the conversation in her memory to revisit at a later point.