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A faint blush crept into her daughter’s cheeks. Beth had always been beautiful, but today she positively glowed. Doris was right, Beth was falling in love. She just didn’t know it yet.
Connie tugged on Beth’s hand, ensuring her daughter knew she was serious. ‘You need to trust your instincts: stop finding reasons to say no and start finding reasons to say yes.’
Another eye-roll. Beth had never been good at revealing her feelings. She was an expert at covering up her anxiety or fear, as well as tempering any happiness with a healthy dousing of logic and rational thinking. But the time had come to let go of that restraint.
‘I’ll think about it,’ Beth said, clearly embarrassed at being the centre of attention.
Connie drew her daughter closer. ‘Don’t think. Act. Throw caution to the wind, be reckless for once and see what happens. Please, Beth. You’ll regret it if you don’t.’
Beth shrugged herself free from her mother. ‘Fine, I’ll be reckless. Can we change the subject and focus on the bride now, please?’
Connie knew it wouldn’t do to push things. Beth had to discover happiness in her own way and in her own time. She just hoped her daughter didn’t deny herself the chance of love out of fear, or because she felt like she didn’t deserve it. That would be such a waste. ‘Whatever you say, darling.’
The focus shifted and they all turned in unison to look at Megan, who was now wearing her fitted slinky ivory silk dress, with the low-cut neckline and draping back.
Megan did a twirl. ‘How do I look?’
How did she look?
She looked bloody amazing.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Matt had never been consumed by so many conflicting emotions before. This weekend had wrung him dry. He’d experienced everything from anger, to panic, to fear, to joy. The sinking feeling of seeing his dad being carted off to prison had been the low point. Watching Zac and Megan finally exchanging vows at the makeshift floral altar bathed in Cornish sunshine had been the high point. Squashed in between had been fighting back tears during the exchange of rings, peals of laughter when Beth had caught the wedding bouquet and reacted as though someone had lobbed a hand grenade at her, and pure unadulterated dread when it had come to delivering his best man’s speech. Mostly, though, he just felt exhausted. Bone-deep weariness that had zapped him of all remaining energy.
Slumped on a bar stool, he sipped his beer, his first today despite it being gone ten p.m. He’d been too preoccupied resolving family dramas to be able to relax any earlier. Fear of another argument, or an ex-husband turning up, had kept him sober. But with the evening reception in full swing and the guests enjoying themselves, the time had finally come to relinquish control and take a much-needed break.
The bar wasn’t busy. A few of Zac’s mates who preferred drinking to dancing were filling the tables, but no one else. Most of the guests were in the barn, enjoying the talents of The Smugglers. He could vaguely hear ‘Come on Eileen’ playing, complete with foot-stamping and off-key chorus when everyone joined in. It sounded like they were having fun.
A flash of bronze silk caught his eye and he glanced across the bar to see Beth arm-in-arm with her grandmother. Beth looked beautiful – tired, but beautiful. Her contact lenses had been replaced by her glasses and the curls in her hair had dropped. She’d never looked more gorgeous, and he was struck once again by a wave of longing. He’d given up fighting his attraction. He’d fallen for her. Hook, line, and sinker, as the Cornish would say. Completely, utterly and helplessly.
Admitting his feelings was the easy part. Convincing her to let go of her reservations about relationships was another test entirely, and one he had no idea how to overcome.
Beth led Doris across the room, smiling down at the older woman as they negotiated the array of tables and chairs in the bar. For all Beth’s outward confidence, waspishness and pretence of being an unemotional badass, she was a complete softie at heart. Why else would she put up with such crap from her family? Anyone else might have walked away – the fact that Beth never did was testament to the depth of her love for them. She was loyal, kind-hearted and driven to solving everyone’s problems. Was it any wonder he’d fallen for her?
‘I’ve been looking for you.’ His brother’s voice snapped him out of his reverie. So much for enjoying a quiet beer.
Matt glanced up and suppressed a sigh. ‘And now you’ve found me.’
‘I’m not happy about the wedding,’ Chris said, announcing this like it was breaking news and not a record stuck on repeat.
Unlike Matt, Chris looked unscathed by the day’s events. His tuxedo was still pristine, his shirt uncreased and his expression as sour as it had been since Zac had announced his engagement back in March.
Matt took another swig of beer. He figured he was going to need it. ‘You’re too late. They’re married. Get over it.’
‘She’s not right for him.’ Chris banged his fist on the bar top. ‘We had our doubts, and it turns out we were right.’
‘Good for you.’ Matt tried to search out Beth across the bar, needing a distraction from the grumblings of his brother. Sadly, she’d disappeared into the lobby with her grandmother, no doubt taking Doris up to bed.
‘I take no pleasure in being proved right.’ Chris was tapping his foot in frustration.
‘Yeah, you sound mortified.’
‘The woman is already married.’
‘Wasmarried.’ Matt swivelled on the bar stool to face Chris. ‘Past tense. The marriage was annulled, remember?’
‘Says who? Megan? A woman who’s proved herself to be highly untrustworthy.’
