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  “And they’re leaving?”

  Nessie nodded.

  Amy’s mouth gaped wide. “I know I told you to get it over with, but I’m shocked. What are we going to tell…?” She cocked her head in her mother’s direction.

  “I haven’t quite figured that out yet.”

  A puzzled expression shot over Josh’s face and he spoke in a forced whisper. “Are you talking about the band leaving?”

  Nessie drew in her bottom lip and shrugged with embarrassment.

  “Garrett too?” he asked.

  “Sorry,” Nessie said through gritted teeth.

  Josh flashed a disapproving look between Matt and Nessie, scraped back his chair, and left the room, shaking his head.

  “Is he angry?” Nessie wondered.

  “A little bit, I’m guessing,” Amy said, “but he’ll calm down. Don’t worry about it.”

  “What are you two whispering about?” Cora asked.

  “Planning another shopping trip, Mum.” Amy smiled.

  “Oh, not today, sweetheart. I’ve organised a trip to the model village, and I’d like everyone to attend.”

  “Won’t you be busy with the last-minute preparations?”

  “No. No, I think it’s all done. At least, I hope so. The tables are laid; the seating plan is done; the flower people are coming in the morning, and the cake was delivered an hour ago.” She spoke as if ticking off a mental list. “The chair bows look lovely, by the way. Thank you, Vanessa. I do need to make sure I’m back for when the dresses arrive, at five o’clock, but that’s doable. I don’t think I’ve forgotten anything else.”

  “Take a breath, Mum,” Amy said.

  “Yes.” Cora exhaled slowly. “I’m sorry. I just want everything to be perfect.”

  Amy and Nessie exchanged looks. The kind of look only two people who knew each other intimately enough to know what the other was thinking could give.

  “What time were you planning to leave?” Amy asked.

  “About eleven. The brochure states there’s a restaurant on site. I thought it would be a nice idea to eat first and then walk off the calories around the grounds.” She narrowed her eyes at Nessie’s plate, piled high with bacon, eggs, sausages, the works. “You might want to leave some room, Vanessa.”

  “Then we have time for a quick trip?” Amy asked.

  “Well, if you really must,” Cora said with a flustered tone.

  Amy risked a fleeting look at Nessie, who gave a tiny nod. “Yeah, we really must.”

  ***

  “What the hell…?” Nessie stood in the doorway to her room, surveying the devastation. Garrett had strewn all her belongings around the room. Every available surface had an item of clothing thrown onto it. There was even a bra hanging from the light fitting. Nessie reached down to scoop a few items from the floor and clear a path. “I don’t believe this. How childish can you get?”

  “Ness, look.” Amy pointed to the mirror. Written in lipstick were the words, I left it how you like it.

  “Great. That’s my favourite colour ruined,” Nessie said, swivelling back to inspect the wreckage once more. “By the time I’ve finished cleaning this mess up, it’ll be too late to go into town. What am I going to do about the dress fitting?”

  “Don’t worry.” Amy stood on the bed to unhook the bra from the light. She placed it back in the drawer before searching around for Nessie’s other undergarments. “It’s worse than it looks. By the time you’ve got out of those god-ugly shorts and found something decent to wear, I’ll have everything returned to where it should be.”

  “Thanks, Sis.” Nessie scanned the room, looking for her denim skirt and her favourite lemon top, and finally located them. “Oh, shit. Look what he’s done to my top.” She held up the shreds of yellow silk. “He bought this for me, you know.”

  “Selfish git.” Amy picked up a black dress with its sleeves ripped off. “Did he buy this too?”

  Nessie sighed. “Yes. And these.” She held up the jeans that had never had the chance of an outing, now inked with the word bitch. Her eyes shot to the bedside drawer, which was hanging off its runners. “Oh God,” she said, rushing to check its contents and searching under the clothing that lay on the floor around it. “The bastard’s taken my jewellery box.”

  “Was there much in it?”

  “Practically everything I owned.”

  “I’m so sorry. You must be devastated. But it’s just stuff. And look at it this way; you’ve gained more than you’ve lost.”

  “How do you figure that one out?”

  “He left you your freedom.”

  ***

  Thirty minutes and a short car ride later, they were back at the bridal wear shop.

  The assistant looked up from her order book as they entered. “Ah, the blue satin. I wasn’t expecting you until later.”

  “Yes, I’m sorry. Slight change of plan,” Nessie said. “Please say my dress is ready?”

  “It is.” The assistant walked to a rail and checked a couple of labels before lifting out a dress. “Now, we’ve done the best we can, but I’m not making any promises.”

  Nessie accepted the polythene-wrapped package and hurried to the changing room.

  “Need a hand?” Amy asked, a short moment later.

  “If you don’t mind.”

  Amy stepped through the curtain, and Nessie turned her back to give Amy access to the zip.

  “Breathe in a bit,” Amy said.

  “I am.”

  “Do it more,” she grunted.

  After a few seconds of tugging, the zip finally closed.

  “There. Perfect,” Amy said, stepping back to admire her handiwork.

  Nessie laid her hands across her stomach. “Yes, perfect if I don’t want to breathe.”

  “It’ll be fine as long as you don’t go mad, in the morning, and eat the whole menu for breakfast again.”

  “I was comfort eating.”

  “Yeah, I could tell. Now let’s get you out of this thing and hit the shops for half an hour.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  When Cora went for her morning run, Johnny persuaded Matt to take a walk around the gardens. It didn’t take long for the conversation to turn from the layout of the foliage to something more personal.

  “How about giving me the scoop, then, mate?” Johnny said.

  “On what?”

  “You know. Your little plan.”

  “Oh, that. Yeah, there’s been a development.”

  “I kind of caught that at breakfast. Details, man. I want details.”

  Matt watched his feet crunching the gravel as they walked. “The boyfriend’s gone.”

  “Gone? Gone where?”

  “Back to leprechaun country with his band of punk pixies, I guess.”

  Johnny stopped dead. “Shit, man. That’s not good. Cora will go ballistic.”

  “Why?”

  “Um… they were the entertainment.”

  “So she doesn’t have a live band, so what? There’s still the deejay.”

  “You don’t know her like I do. That won’t be enough for her.”

  Matt shrugged. “I’m sure when she finds out what happened, she’ll understand.”

  “Don’t be too sure.”

  “She’s got to care more about her daughter’s happiness than a band nobody’s ever heard of.”

  Johnny nodded a good morning to another couple passing by on their morning stroll and turned back to Matt. “Don’t bank on it. You see… her and Nessie… Well, let’s just say there’s a temporary ceasefire, but when Cora finds out about this, she’ll see it as a resumption of hostilities.”

  “Then we’ll work it out. Two sharp guys, with a whole Internet of possibilities, should be able to come up with something, right?”

  “On a day’s notice? Are you kidding me? With those kind of odds, you’d better be ready to give that uniform another outing.”

  “Dude, get serious. Listen. You’ve got to talk to Cora. Soften the ground. Tell
her Garrett was an abusive prick.”

  Johnny stopped walking. “He knocked her about? If I’d have known…”

  “Not that I know. But I saw how he treated her. There was plenty of verbal, and he came close to physical when he found us together. That dude’s got a temper on him.”

  “Wait. Back up. Found you together?”

  “She spent the night with me. Totally innocent. You saw how pissed he was. She didn’t want to stay with him.”

  “Cue the ex on the white charger to save the day.”

  “That’s about the size of it.”

  “Except, he fucked it up.”

  “Nah, man. I’m right on track.”

  ***

  Nessie dumped an armful of shopping bags onto the bed. “Damn, I’ve never spent two hundred pounds so quickly in all my life.”

  “You got some great gear, though,” Amy said, opening some of the packages.

  Nessie snapped the label off the yellow top she’d bought as a replacement for her old one. “I did, didn’t I? It’s funny how a bit of shopping always cheers you up, isn’t it?”

  “It’s a shame the feeling won’t last. You’ve still got Mum to deal with.”

  “Don’t remind me. Do you think, if I keep shtum about the situation, she’ll notice anything amiss?”

  “Yes, Ness, I do. You have to tell her, and the longer you leave it, the angrier she’ll be.”

  “I’m pretty sure she’ll blow a gasket either way,” Nessie said, replacing the top she was wearing with her new one.

  “You still haven’t told me what happened last night.”

  Nessie ran a finger over the tightening skin of her lip line. “It was weird.”

  “You mean kinky?”

  “No, silly,” she said, rummaging through her cosmetics. “Nothing happened. I meant being with him. He was sweet. He was even willing to sleep in the chair.”

  “Still gay then?” Amy finished finding the last of Nessie’s purchases a home. “What you need is someone like that stripper. Someone to get your juices flowing.” She sat on the bed and leaned back on her arms.

  “Um, have you actually seen Matt? He could give that stripper a run for his money, any day.”

  “If he wasn’t gay.”

  “Jeez, give it a rest, Ames. He told me he isn’t, and I’m pretty sure I’ve seen enough of him to know it’s not a possibility, not that I ever believed it could be.” Nessie smacked her lips to distribute her lip balm.

  Amy’s eyes brightened, and her lips curved into a mischievous smile. “Well, I guess there’s only one way to find out.”

  Nessie rolled her eyes and glanced at her phone, thankful it hadn’t suffered under Garrett’s wrath. She’d half expected to see a nasty text from him, but her message box was empty. All well, it could only be a good sign. If she never heard from him again, it would be too soon. “It’s almost eleven. We’d better get downstairs.”

  A sea of faces met them in the lobby.

  “Have all the nominated drivers got their maps?” Cora shouted over people’s mutterings. “I, of course, will lead the way, but if anyone falls behind, I want to make sure you all know how to get there.”

  “Stop fussing, Cora,” Alison said. “It’s on the other side of town, not the other end of the country. Let’s go, everyone.”

  As people shuffled towards the exit, Cora stopped Nessie. “Where’s Garrett?”

  “With the band.” Not strictly a lie. “Toys aren’t really his scene.”

  “They’re not toys; they’re models. Quite fascinating, I hear. I’m very disappointed he won’t be joining us.”

  “Sorry, Mum. He has things to do, you know.”

  Nessie was glad to escape her mother’s clutches by travelling in Amy’s car. Unfortunately, it wasn’t destined to be a stress-free journey. Matt had snuck in to fill the spare seat, and he was leaning against the window with a lopsided smile.

  “You should have told her the truth,” Amy said, once they were in motion.

  “And watch her have a screaming fit in front of everyone? I couldn’t do that.”

  “Don’t tell her,” Matt said.

  “What? Why?”

  “I spoke to Johnny earlier. We might be able to come up with an alternative.”

  Nessie couldn’t see how they could possibly come up with an alternative. What were they going to do, hire a karaoke machine? Her mother would love that… not. “Such as?”

  “Not sure yet, but give us the rest of the day to think of something.”

  She sighed. “I was going to wait until I could speak to her in private tonight.”

  “Works for me.”

  ***

  The model village was built at the top of a steep incline, set in three acres of landscaped gardens. The restaurant lay just beyond the entrance. Its interior was bright and modern, with muted green walls and chrome legged chairs encompassing beechwood tables. A curved wall of windows allowed an impressive, panoramic vista over the grounds.

  “My guess is, Mum had an ulterior motive when she picked this place,” Amy said, looking through the glass at the neatly cropped, multi-coloured shrubbery. “A little wedding gift for her fiancé, maybe?”

  “Which is great for them, but why insist upon dragging everyone else here too?” Nessie huffed.

  “Don’t sweat it,” Matt said. “You have a free day out with lunch thrown in. Relax and try to enjoy it. You deserve to start having some fun.”

  “This place is for kids, geeks, and gardeners; it is not my idea of fun.”

  “Aw, come on, it’s not that bad. It’s a beautiful day, and if the models are boring, we can always sneak away to the beach.”

  “Promise?”

  “Don’t you trust me?”

  Now there was a double-edged sword of a question, Nessie thought, allowing his boyish smile to break through her crumbling defences. With Garrett finally out of the picture, she wasn’t even sure she trusted herself.

  After lunch, everyone set out on the long, winding trail through the exhibits.

  “Oh, how quaint. Look at all their darling faces,” Cora gushed, taking pictures of every little thing. “Johnny, aren’t they exquisite?”

  But Johnny wasn’t looking at the miniature figures. His attention had been caught by a tuft of purple spikes. “Look at this Allium, babe. I’ve never seen this variety in the flesh before. Do you think we should get some stock for the store? It could be a good seller.”

  Matt leaned in and whispered in Nessie’s ear, “What do you think of their darling faces?”

  “Any more peeling paint and it would be a zombie exhibit.” She giggled.

  He gestured for her to continue along the pathway. “Shall we move on?”

  “Yes, let’s.”

  After a while, everyone naturally separated into groups, gravitating towards the things that interested them the most, and Nessie found she was alone with Matt. Nothing particularly interested Nessie. As a child, she’d been spoilt by far too many toys, and each bright, shiny, new one she received relegated yet another to the dark recesses of her toy cupboard, never to be played with again. The only exception had been her Holiday Barbie, standing pride of place on her bedside table. She’d loved that doll, so beautiful, so perfect. As soon as she’d set eyes on its gorgeous dress, she’d known what she wanted to do with her life. Her Barbie was the one constant thing in her life that kept her focussed on her future. This place was like her toy cupboard, full of relics. She didn’t see the appeal.

  She stopped by the side of a medieval castle scene and looked over it at nothing in particular.

  “Have you ever wanted to time travel?” Nessie spoke into the air. “I have. I could imagine myself living in a castle, wearing a beautiful, flowing gown.”

  Matt’s voice drifted over her shoulder. “Like a damsel in distress?”

  She laughed. “I don’t need rescuing.”

  “Maybe you do and you don’t know it?” His breath tickled her earlobe.

  Tu
rning to face him, she smiled. “Not in this lifetime.”

  “Glad to hear it. So how is life?” Matt asked, leaning against an information stand. “Is the world of work everything you hoped for?”

  “My boss is a ball-breaker with a smile. She’s been promising to look at my ideas since I started there. I just wish she’d take me seriously instead of treating me like the office lackey.”

  “Patience never was one of your virtues.”

  “Gee, thanks.”

  “You’re very talented. It’s only a matter of time before she discovers your awesomeness.”

  “I hope so.” Nessie sighed. “What about you? What are you up to now?”

  “Just finished a law degree. Start my new job next week.”

  “A law degree? Wow. That’s impressive. I never had you down for a desk job.”

  “Me neither, but the action one didn’t exactly work out.” His eyes scanned her face as he thought of his next question. “Do you still like Tom Cruise movies?”

  “Sometimes. But I’ve actually got a bit of a James McAvoy crush going on at the moment.”

  “Yeah? I noticed the TV in my room has a DVD slot. Maybe we could rent one of his movies later, and you can tell me what you see in him?”

  “Maybe.”

  An awkward pause was broken by the sound of a cannon blast at their feet. Matt ducked down, shielding his head with his arms.

  “Matt?” Nessie squatted in front of him and prised his arms away. “Matt, what’s wrong?”

  He shook his head. “I-I’m sorry. Sudden noises, they… they…”

  “It was only a toy.”

  “Yeah. Yeah, I know.”

  With a bit of persuasion, Nessie helped him to his feet and tried to fathom his unpredictable reaction. She laid her right hand on his chest, remembering the exact spot. Even through the layer of fabric, the circle of raised skin could be felt. “It’s this, isn’t it?”

  He nodded. “I’m sorry. It’s embarrassing. I don’t know why I can’t shake it. It’s been three years. You’d think I’d have got over it by now.”

  His chest rose and fell heavily under her touch. “No, I wouldn’t. I can’t begin to imagine how horrifying it was for you. Besides, we’re all scared of something. The school gerbil bit my finger when I was seven, and I’m still terrified of them.” She should move her hand. Yes. She should definitely move her hand. Why wasn’t she moving her hand?