Back to You Read online

  Back to You

  By

  Raquel Lyon

  Synopsis

  Nessie thought she’d found the perfect man to heal her broken heart, but being the girlfriend of a band manager isn’t what she thought it would be, and when the rock stars and parties disappear, reality hits. She wants out, but it’s not that easy. Her mother is getting married, and Nessie has promised to get through the week without causing trouble.

  As the wedding approaches, the surprising reappearance of the boy she’s never forgotten threatens to upset her well-laid plans, especially now he’s all grown up and he’s asking her to trust him with her heart for a second time.

  Matt knows he’s been stupid. Four years ago, he made a very bad decision and lost someone amazing. Since then, his life has changed beyond all recognition, but there’s one thing he needs to complete it, and this time, he’s not letting her go.

  With just one week to convince Nessie he’s a changed man, it’s going to take all he’s got to get her to forgive him and win her back.

  First Edition.

  Copyright 2014 Raquel Lyon

  Kindle Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be copied, resold, or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  End

  Chapter One

  It was Friday afternoon, and Nessie could think of a hundred things she’d rather be doing, after work, than hauling her ass down to the south coast resort her mother had insisted everyone travel to. Why couldn’t she have picked somewhere closer to home? There were hundreds of registry offices, churches, or stately homes she could have chosen, nearby, but no, not her mother. Her mother had to be awkward. She’d set her heart on a wedding in the town of her birth, from the moment Johnny had proposed, and now all the guests had had to book days off work and organise their lives around what she wanted. It was totally typical of Cora Carmichael. The woman always had to have everything her way, organised to a tee, exactly the way she wanted it. And it wasn’t as if Nessie could get away with an overnight stay, either. No. Her mother had decided she needed both of her daughters to be there early to help oversee the preparations from start to finish. Add to all that the fact that Nessie had set herself a task for the trip, and quite frankly, she would rather have stayed at work.

  There couldn’t have been a worse time for Nessie to take leave. Work on the new collection was manic, and despite being the newest employee of Starbeau Fashion, she wanted to prove she was worth promoting from her junior designer position. She’d worked her ass off to get the job, and as far as she was concerned, it was only one tiny step onto a very long ladder.

  Selina, her boss, planted a red-tipped hand beside Nessie’s keyboard and perched her tightly clad ass on the edge of her desk. “Tell Mitchell I’ve decided to go with the blue, will you?” She rotated the sketch Nessie was working on, stuck out her bottom lip admiringly, and straightened the pad again. “Oh, and could you go to Fothergill’s and pick up the new fabric samples, and then overnight them to our overseas manufacturers before you leave?”

  “Sure thing. No problem.” Nessie forced a smile and glanced at her watch as her boss walked away. It was already three thirty. Fothergill’s was on the other side of town, and she’d have to get a taxi there and back to be home in time to meet her sister, Amy.

  Shuffling her paperwork into a folder and switching her computer to out of office, she unhooked her handbag from the back of her chair and stood up, only to be met by her boss’s cold blue eyes. Jeez, the woman could sneak up on people.

  “I meant to ask, have the proofs from the photo shoot come back yet?”

  Inadvertently, Nessie’s eyes ran down the length of Selina’s hair. Sick of her own blond locks, she’d been considering dying them darker for months, but perhaps her boss’s ebony shade would be a step too far. Maybe a light brown or some subtle, darker streaks would suit her better and give her the I’m-serious-about-my-job look she desired. “I gave them to Bernie,” she said.

  “Good. Good. Now don’t forget, Monday week, I need you back at your desk, eight thirty sharp.”

  Nessie beamed an excitement she didn’t feel. “I’ll be here,” she said, as she hurried out of the door, so ready to get out of there.

  ***

  Amy Carmichael tapped her fingers on the steering wheel of her two-year-old Toyota. She’d spent half her life waiting around for her sister, but today wasn’t a good time for Nessie to be running late. Their mother would have a shit-fit if they were even ten minutes over their estimated arrival time, and they still had a four-hour journey ahead of them.

  Her hand smacked against the horn.

  “Babe, chill. The world isn’t going to end in the next couple of minutes.”

  Amy shot a death look at her boyfriend, Josh. Despite being together for four years, he hadn’t spent much time in the company of her mother and didn’t know her like she did.

  She let out a relieved sigh as Nessie emerged from the house with a bag over each shoulder and another in her hand. Seriously, how many clothes could one girl wear in a week?

  She thought of her own small holdall, as Josh got out of the car to give Nessie a hand with her luggage, and wished she packed more.

  “How was Dad today?” Nessie asked as she slid into the back seat and adjusted her dress. “Still annoyed at having to give you time off for the wedding?”

  “He wasn’t in the best of moods,” Amy answered, flicking her blond hair over her shoulder and backing her car down the driveway.

  “I bet he was going on about Mum’s mental state, marrying someone seventeen years her junior.”

  “As always. But give him a break, Ness. He messed up, yeah, but he’s paying for it now. He might have cheated on her, but he still loves her, and he always thought she’d be there for him. He can’t understand that she’s moved on, and his nose is out of joint because he’s all alone now.”

  Nessie wiggled further into the upholstery to get comfortable for the journey ahead. “Serves him right. If he honestly thought a man-eater like Madeleine would stick around to wash his socks, he’s more deluded than I thought.”

  “I think he’d appreciate it if you went to see him. He misses you as well as Mum.”

  “I can’t. I haven’t forgiven him yet, and besides, I’m too busy with work. I really could have done without having to take this week off. It’s such an inconvenience. I was just starting to make headway, and… well… What if somebody decides to hack my password and steal my ideas while I’m away?”

  “You have to be joking. There’s as much chance of that as there is of Mum walking down the aisle in a pair of jeans,” Amy said, navigating the junction leading to the motorway that would take them to their destinat
ion. She stole a look at Josh and offered him a small smile. He grinned back, knowing full well that Nessie couldn’t see him chuckling at her expense.

  Glancing in the rear-view mirror, Amy was met by the reflection of Nessie chewing on her fingernails. “Please try to relax,” she said. “Everyone needs a break, and you haven’t taken a day off in six months. Just take a deep breath, think about the fabulous hotel Mum will have chosen, and remember it won’t all be wedding preparations. We’re going to have a great time, so I forbid you to think about work. What could possibly happen in a week?”

  Chapter Two

  Night was descending by the time they reached their destination. Nessie climbed from the car, stretched her legs, and rubbed her neck. She’d struggled to get comfortable throughout the journey, and she had a crick she just couldn’t shift.

  The hotel was bigger than she’d expected. Perched at the top of a hill, its white walls were lit up by spotlights regimentally spaced under the eaves. Four storeys of large rectangular windows reflected a sky of purple hues and the first emerging stars. A long driveway led to the walled car park, surrounded by tall trees, and steps leading up to the main door were covered with a strip of red carpet. Over the entrance, a dark-blue, triangular sign read Palace Royal in gold lettering.

  So far so good.

  At check-in, the receptionist handed over two sets of keys to opposing rooms on the top floor. “You’ll love the view from up there,” she said, smiling.

  The view was the last thing on Nessie’s mind. As long as the bed was big and soft, they could give her a room in the basement for all she cared.

  Nessie dumped her bags onto the floor, kicked the door shut, and looked around the room. Satisfactory, she supposed. It wasn’t as grand as some of the hotels she’d stayed in when she was on tour with the band, but it would have to do. A high, double bed dominated the space; there was a dressing table, with a decent sized mirror, and a wardrobe thankfully big enough for all her clothes. The décor was a bit dated, but hey, you can’t have everything, can you?

  To her left was a door. She opened it and looked inside. Wow! The bathroom was magnificent. Modern mosaic tiles covered every inch of wall, and there was a huge tub with a waterfall tap. She could happily spend hours in there, starting now. A long, deep soak full of complimentary bubbles was just the tonic she needed, although the four-hour journey, after the day she’d had, meant she’d probably doze off and not wake up until morning.

  A knock on the door interrupted her imagery. She answered it, continuing to dream of relaxing bubbles.

  “There you are.” Her mother strode straight past her and into the room. “Why didn’t you get reception to inform me of your arrival straight away?”

  “I-I was about to come and find you,” Nessie lied, “but I wanted to unload first. Really, Mum, stop fretting. We’re here now.”

  “Is Amy unpacking too?”

  “I should think so. Her room’s just across the hall if you’d like to check.” Yes, please bother Amy, instead, and leave me to my bath.

  Cora’s gaze drifted around the room, clearly comparing it to her own. “Are those flowers artificial?” she asked, frowning at the vase on the dressing table.

  “I can’t say I’ve bothered to check.”

  “I’ll have fresh ones sent up.” Her mother waved a dismissive hand. “Could you inform Amy that I’d like to see you both in the lounge in ten minutes, please? We need to discuss tomorrow’s itinerary.”

  And it starts, Nessie thought, longing to tell her mother exactly what she could do with her itinerary, but this was her Mum’s time, and for once, Nessie wanted to keep the peace. “Sure, Mum.”

  Ten minutes later, she’d managed to hang a few items in the wardrobe and locate her toothbrush, but she was still miles from finding all of her belongings a home, and despite being covered in clothes, the bed was looking more inviting by the second. She wanted to take advantage of it before her boyfriend, Garrett, arrived. He wasn’t exactly considerate when it came to sharing a bed, but then again, he wasn’t particularly considerate about anything, nowadays, and she wasn’t looking forward to what she had to say to him.

  She picked the key out of the holder by the door and rushed downstairs.

  Everyone was waiting.

  Amy beckoned her over. “Here. This one’s for you.” Ice cubes clinked as she slid a glass across the table.

  Johnny, Nessie’s soon-to-be-stepfather, stood up. “Well, I think it’s time we left you ladies to talk in peace.” He kissed Cora’s cheek. “We’ll be in the bar, when you’re done, babe.” He placed a hand on Josh’s shoulder and beckoned him to follow.

  It was weird seeing the two guys side by side, Nessie thought, and strange how both her mother and her sister had chosen such similar men. She pictured her own boyfriend, the only blond of the trio. At twenty-nine, Garrett was the oldest of the three, and boy did he act it.

  It had been fun, at first, being with someone seven years her senior who managed one of the hottest bands on the scene. And his money hadn’t hurt, either. She’d loved all the gifts, the travel, and the exciting lifestyle, but now the band had split up, and Garrett was trying to launch the career of a new one, he’d become stingy with his money and hadn’t surprised her with a gift in months. His attitude had changed too. He was always stressed and expected Nessie to jump when he called without any consideration for the fact that she now had a job and couldn’t just leave at a moment’s notice.

  Long-distance relationships sucked.

  When she’d met him, that sultry September in Greece, she’d placed him on a pedestal, but that pedestal had developed a wobble and was about to fall over. Four years of hanging around with the in-crowd had been great, but she had her career to think about now. She’d been contemplating for a while whether it was time to call it a day on their relationship and find the kind of love her mother and sister had, and she had finally made her decision.

  She was through being at his beck and call.

  The trouble was the timing. Garrett would be arriving in a couple of days, along with the new band. He’d done her a huge favour by booking them to play at her mother’s wedding, and she couldn’t risk them pulling out. Her mother would blow a gasket. No. She’d have to wait it out and tell Garrett it was over when her mother was safely on her honeymoon.

  “So, girls,” Cora began, “you’ll need to be up bright and early in the morning, and don’t fill yourselves with breakfast. We have an appointment at the bridal wear shop at ten.”

  “What for?” Nessie asked. “We chose the dresses six months ago.”

  “Precisely. Six months is a long time. Our figures may have changed.” Cora glanced at her daughter, and Nessie could feel her mother’s critical eye noting her slight muffin tops. Sure, she’d gained a couple of pounds recently, but with the way her mother was looking at her, anyone would think she was fat. Just because she didn’t attend a yoga class, go for daily jogs, and do the horizontal bop with a hot boyfriend every night, like her mother did, didn’t mean she’d let herself go. Having reached the age of twenty-two, she liked to think she’d gained a more womanly figure. She just wished her boobs had filled out as much as the rest of her body.

  “After we’ve finished there, I thought we could have lunch at a cute little bistro I found yesterday. I’ve already booked the table,” Cora continued. “And then in the afternoon, I’d like your help choosing a playlist for the evening disco.”

  “Couldn’t Johnny do that?” Nessie asked. “He’s young enough to know what’s popular.”

  Cora ignored the dig at her fiancés age, accustomed to her daughter’s animosity. “His best man is arriving in the afternoon, and he’s going to pick him up from the station.”

  Nessie groaned inside. She knew her mother had requested their help, but she hadn’t thought it would be a twenty-four-seven gig. If she had to spend time away from her new job, she expected to enjoy at least some of it. “Can’t the playlist wait?”

  “No,
it can’t. I have friends arriving later in the day, and I’d like to get the music sorted out before they get here.”

  Nessie sighed before tipping back what remained of her drink. “Then I guess we have a busy day ahead, so if you don’t mind, I’m going to bed,” she said, plastering on a well-practised smile. “Have fun planning the rest of my time.”

  ***

  Josh racked up the balls on the pool table. “I haven’t seen your little bro around yet,” he said.

  “Nah, he’s still at home,” Johnny said, chalking his cue. “He’s expecting a new piece of machinery for the garage, Monday morning. They couldn’t deliver it any sooner.” He blew on the tip. “He and Molly are going to drive down, after that,” he said, leaning over the table to take the break.

  “Big times, huh?”

  Johnny waited for the balls to settle before answering, “You’re telling me. Getting married and opening two new businesses all in the same month? I’m knackered, mate.”

  “I bet. How is the garden centre coming on?” Josh asked, studying the table.

  “All set. Hired a new guy a few days ago. He’s gonna make sure everything stays alive while we’re away. The doors open two days after the honeymoon ends.”

  “Sounds good. So Rick’ll be here in time for the stag night?”

  “That’s the plan.”

  Josh’s ball flew into the pocket with lightning speed. “And your best man?”

  “Gets here tomorrow.”

  Two more balls followed. “Are you nervous?”

  Johnny frowned, wondering if he’d ever get to take a shot. “About what? The wedding or the fact that you’re fleecing me?”

  Josh laughed. “You’ll get your turn.”

  “Yeah, and you’ll get yours. Don’t you want to make it official with Amy?”

  “Didn’t want to cramp your style, dude.”

  “Another couple of days and you can call me Dad.”

  The cue ball flew off the table and hit the wall. Josh shook his head with amusement. “You did that on purpose.”