by Kate Hardy
She opened it to discover a gold tinsel pipecleaner twisted into the shape of a ring, and felt a single tear spill over her lashes.
‘You’re crying!’ Sienna looked horrified.
‘They’re happy tears,’ Sophie explained, ‘not sad ones. Yes, I’ll marry you.’
Jamie slid the ring onto the ring finger of her left hand. ‘Sorry, it’s a little bit too big.’
‘We can tweak it.’ She twisted it slightly. ‘See? Now it’s the perfect fit.’
She dropped to her own knees so she was at the same height as Sienna, hugged the little girl and then kissed Jamie.
‘So Santa brought me what I really wanted for Christmas after all, even though he said he only gives things you can wrap up,’ Sienna said, beaming. ‘I knew he would.’
‘He brought me what I wanted, too,’ Jamie said.
‘And me,’ Sophie said softly. ‘It’s going to be a happy, happy Christmas.’
EPILOGUE
Four months later
‘I CAN’T BELIEVE that this is Plans & Planes’s first wedding abroad—and it’s yours!’ Eva said, making a last adjustment to Sophie’s veil.
‘It made sense for our wedding to be the first,’ Sophie said with a smile. ‘Besides, Iceland’s the only place where we’re guaranteed a real rainbow in our wedding pictures.’
‘And trust you to want a waterfall and rainbows in the background of your wedding pictures,’ Eva said, laughing.
‘I wanted to have a wedding with a difference,’ Sophie said.
‘And how.’
There was a knock on the door, and Mandy came in with the two youngest bridesmaids. ‘We’re done with the hair,’ she said with a smile.
‘And you two look very beautiful indeed,’ Sophie said. Sienna and Hattie were wearing simple white dresses with a ballerina-length tulle skirt and red T-bar shoes. The girls each had a flower crown of red roses, which looked as good in Hattie’s straight dark hair as it did in Sienna’s mop of blonde curls.
‘The rest of the flowers are waiting for you downstairs. A basket of red roses each for the girls, Eva’s bouquet of cream roses, and your bouquet of red roses, Sophie,’ Mandy said.
‘Wonderful. And the corsages and buttonholes?’ Sophie asked.
‘They’re all there, too.’ Mandy smiled. ‘What with you being a wedding planner and this being your trial run for the new service, everything’s running like clockwork.’
‘I sorted out all the paperwork early on, talked to the district commissioner and the pastor, and once that’s done all the rest is simple. And if there’s a brief hitch in the clockwork for any reason,’ Sophie said, ‘there are back-ups in place.’
‘I have the briefcase with all the master plans,’ Eva said.
‘Which I’ll take care of during the service and photographs,’ Mandy promised. ‘Matt and Angie are keeping an eye on Sam for me, so I can do anything you need me to.’
‘Thanks. And I’ve primed Mum and Gwen to hang onto the capes for the four of us, just in case it gets chilly—even though it’s late April,’ Sophie said.
‘Now, I’ve made sure Jamie isn’t anywhere around to see you before the wedding,’ Mandy said. ‘I sent him to walk off to the church with Will.’ Jamie had asked Sophie’s oldest brother to be his best man. ‘They’re going to text me when they get there.’ Her phone beeped and she glanced at the screen. ‘And that was your dad to say that the wedding cars will be here in ten minutes.’
‘Perfect,’ Sophie said. ‘And even the weather’s being kind to us.’ The sun was shining and, because the windows in the hotel were all floor-to-ceiling, the rooms were flooded with light.
‘It’s going to be a perfect day,’ Sienna said. ‘The day you marry my daddy and you become my mummy.’
Sophie had to blink back a tear. ‘Absolutely, darling.’
Ten minutes later, the three bridesmaids and Sophie’s mum were settled in one car, and Sophie went with her father in the other car. It was only a short drive to the church: a beautiful white wooden building with a square tower, a red roof and spire. There were arched windows on the side of the church and the tower, and the square red entrance door had a rose window above it and narrow rectangular windows beside it. From one side, the church was set against the rich green backdrop of the mountainside, counterpointed with the last snow of late spring; on the other, it was set against the rich turquoise of the sea and the dramatic basalt rocks.
‘Ready?’ Sophie’s dad asked.
She nodded.
‘For what it’s worth, you’ve definitely picked the right one this time,’ he said. ‘We all like Jamie very much. And, most importantly, I think he’ll make you happy.’
Sophie hugged her father. ‘Thanks, Dad.’
The photographer took shots of them in the car and getting out, then in front of the church with the three bridesmaids.
And then it was time to walk down the aisle to Jamie, with the organist playing Bach’s ‘Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring’.
Inside, the tiny church was full to bursting with their family and closest friends, crowded into the light wood pews. Everyone was smiling as she walked down the aisle on her father’s arm, with Sienna and Hattie behind her and Eva bringing up the rear—but the smile she was focused on was Jamie’s, and the way he mouthed ‘I love you’ as soon as Will had clearly nudged him to let him know that Sophie was walking towards him.
* * *
From this day forward...
Sophie took his breath away.
Jamie smiled as his bride walked towards him. Typically Sophie, she’d mixed traditional with a few quirks. She was wearing a simple white dress with an ankle-length tulle skirt, and high heeled red shoes to match the simple bouquet of red roses she carried. Eva’s dress was similar but in red, and his daughter and Hattie both looked adorable carrying baskets of roses.
As she reached him at the altar, she mouthed, ‘I love you, too.’
The ceremony was as simple and plain as the little church, full of light and love. And when the pastor finally pronounced them married and told Jamie he may kiss the bride, Jamie thoroughly enjoyed flipping Sophie’s veil back and kissing her thoroughly.
The organist played Pachelbel’s ‘Canon’ as they signed the register, then switched to Mendelssohn’s ‘Bridal March’ as they walked back down the aisle.
‘Well, Mrs Wallis. It’s all official now,’ Jamie whispered.
She smiled. ‘It certainly is.’
The photographer took some group shots outside the church, and then most of the wedding party headed back to the hotel, while Jamie, Sophie, the bridesmaids and Mandy headed out to the Skógafoss waterfall for the final set of photographs.
On the way, it started to rain.
‘Don’t tell me—your contingency plans involve umbrellas that just happen to match your bouquet?’ Jamie teased.
‘Funny you should say that,’ Sophie teased back. ‘Though the saying goes, if you don’t like the weather in Iceland, you wait five minutes.’
And, just as they reached the waterfall, the sun came out.
‘Perfect timing,’ Jamie said.
When the wedding cars had parked, Sophie and Eva both swapped their high heels for flat red pumps so it would be easier to manage the rocky terrain.
‘Look, Hattie—there are two rainbows!’ Sienna said as they neared the waterfall, and gasped in amazement.
The photographer took the group photographs first, before the little girls got cold enough to need the capes Mandy had brought along. And then the bridesmaids and Mandy headed back to the hotel, leaving the new bride and groom to have the final shots taken.
‘This is perfect,’ Jamie said, and stole a kiss. ‘You look incredible. And with that rainbow... I want one of you on your own, with the waterfall
and rainbow behind you, so I can have a framed photo of you on my desk.’
‘Great idea. I want one of you, too,’ Sophie said.
They were careful not to get so close to the waterfall that Sophie’s dress would be soaked by the spray, but the photographer took plenty of shots of her laughing and with her veil blown by the wind as well as more formal poses.
‘That’s perfect,’ the photographer said after a final shot of them together. ‘I’ll have a file ready for viewing by the time you’ve eaten, and then I’ll come back to do the photographs of the cake-cutting.’
‘Thank you,’ Jamie said, and shook his hand.
Back at the hotel, everyone was sitting around and talking when they walked in, and a cheer went up.
‘I know, I know—you’re all starving and we kept you waiting,’ Jamie teased. ‘But I promise the photographs will be worth it. We got our rainbows.’
He and Sophie stood by the doors to the banqueting suite and welcomed everyone and thanked them for making the trip to Iceland.
‘Thank you so much for inviting us,’ Rose said when she reached the head of the receiving line. ‘I mean, we’re not really family...’
‘Oh, yes, you are,’ Sophie said instantly. ‘You’re Sienna’s grandparents, and that makes you my family.’ She hugged the older woman. ‘I’m not trying to replace Fran, but I hope you’ll come to think of me as family, too.’
Once they’d eaten, Sophie’s dad made the first speech. ‘Thank you for coming, everyone. The wedding planner told me to keep this very short, and she’s a stickler for time management, so short it is.’
Everyone laughed, knowing exactly who the wedding planner was.
‘I’m thrilled everyone could make it here to Iceland,’ he continued. ‘Including my twin grandchildren-to-be.’
Everyone looked at Angie, who simply glowed and patted her bump. ‘Thanks to Sophie,’ she said.
‘I’m hugely proud of my daughter Sophie,’ he said. ‘She’s one of the kindest people I know. And she’s going to make an amazing stepmum for my new granddaughter Sienna. I’d like to welcome Jamie and Sienna to the family, and I’d ask you all to raise your glasses to the new Mr and Mrs Wallis. The bride and groom.’
‘The bride and groom,’ everyone echoed, and clapped as Sophie’s father sat down again.
‘I too am on a warning from the wedding planner about talking too much,’ Jamie said, making everyone laugh. ‘I’d like to thank Barney and Jane for welcoming Sienna and me so warmly,’ Jamie said. ‘And to my parents and Fran’s for taking Sophie to their hearts as much as Sienna and I have. I’m thrilled to have married the most gorgeous woman in the world, I’m glad you’re all here to share our special day, and I’d like to say a special thank you to Will for being my best man, and to Eva, Sienna and Hattie for being such fabulous bridesmaids. Please raise your glasses to the best man and the bridesmaids—Will, Eva, Sienna and Hattie.’
‘Will, Eva, Sienna and Hattie,’ everyone chorused.
‘I honestly don’t know why everyone’s so scared of the wedding planner,’ Sophie said with a grin. ‘All I said was don’t rattle on because we want to have cake and dancing. But I’d like to thank everyone for sharing today with us, especially because it meant travelling all this way. And to Aidan’s boss for headhunting him—without that, I might never have met Jamie properly.’ She smiled. ‘And a special thank you to my lovely bridesmaids, all our parents—and I’m including you in that, Rose and Geoffrey—and to Jamie, who let me tear up his ridiculous rule book.’
Everyone laughed, and then Will stood up. ‘I’m not scared of the wedding planner at all.’ He spread his hands. ‘I have video evidence of her singing nursery rhymes to her teddies, seriously out of key, and I’m not afraid to use it.’
‘Bring it on,’ Sophie called, laughing.
‘And because I’m not scared of the wedding planner, we’re going to break her timetable and break tradition. Instead of the best man making the speech, it’s going to be the youngest bridesmaid.’ Will went over to Sienna and lifted her onto her chair, standing by her so she could keep her balance.
‘I’m not scared of the wedding planner,’ Sienna said. ‘Because she’s my mummy now and I love her.’
There were audible gulps, and several people had to reach for tissues.
‘And me and my best friend Hattie have really pretty dresses,’ Sienna continued, undeterred. ‘And we saw two rainbows this big by the waterfall!’ She stretched her arms out wide.
Will whispered in her ear, and she said, ‘Oops. Thank you, everyone, for coming. Sophie makes my daddy and me smile again, and I’m glad she’s my mummy now. That’s all.’
Everyone cheered.
‘Well done, kiddo,’ Will said, hugging her, then set Sienna back on the floor.
‘That’s it for the speeches,’ Jamie said. ‘Cake and dancing, as promised.’
‘But because we’re getting married in Iceland,’ Sophie said, ‘we wanted to take one of the Icelandic traditions—the kransekaka—so the cake-cutting is going to be a little bit different. How it works is that we cut the first piece, then all the guests come up and break off a piece to eat and make a wish for us.’
She and Jamie posed with a knife in the tiered rings of the conical-shaped cake while the photographer took a few shots, then actually cut the first piece. And everyone came up to break off a piece of cake and wish them every happiness for the future.
Once the cake was done, the singer of the band—who’d been playing quiet guitar and piano music throughout the wedding breakfast—came to the front of the stage. ‘We’re Ástrós, and my name’s Astrid,’ she said. ‘We’d like to invite the bride and groom to the floor for the first dance. And we also have guest vocalists—don’t we, girls?’
Sienna and Hattie, holding hands, skipped over to the stage.
Jamie looked at Sophie. ‘Did you know about this?’
She shook her head. ‘Did you?’
He shook his head.
‘Mandy,’ they said together.
The guitarist played the introduction, and then the girls launched into a slightly off-key version of ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’. They were a little quiet to start with, and forgot some of the words, but Astrid helped them out and their voices grew stronger and stronger.
‘This is the perfect start to our married life,’ Jamie said, holding Sophie close and swaying to the music with her.
‘A long and happy life,’ Sophie said.
‘Filled,’ Jamie added, ‘with rainbows.’
* * * * *
If you enjoyed this story,
check out these other great reads from
Kate Hardy
CHRISTMAS WITH HER DAREDEVIL DOC
THE PREGNANCY GIFT
THE RUNAWAY BRIDE AND THE BILLIONAIRE
HIS SHY CINDERELLA
All available now!
Keep reading for an excerpt from SNOWED IN WITH THE RELUCTANT TYCOON by Nina Singh.
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Snowed in with the Reluctant Tycoon
by Nina Singh
CHAPTER ONE
THE HOUSE WAS COLD.
Carli Tynan wasn’t surprised. In fact, she’d never once entered this mansion and ever felt warm. Regardless of the season. And, despite the myriad of Christmas decorations currently adorning the foyer, nothing about the home felt particularly festive. Or even like a home. No, the Hammond estate felt more like a staid museum.
The eleven-foot-tall pine Christmas tree that nearly touched the ceiling notwithstanding.
Shaking the thin layer of snow off her wool coat, she peeled off her faux leather gloves, the bound portfolio tucked under her right arm. The darn portfolio was the only reason she was here, the reason her usual morning routine had been so handily disrupted. Carli was not a fan of disruptions. She’d already had to deal with way too many in her twenty-six years.
Her boss, Jackson Hammond, had asked her just this morning to drop off the file on her way in to work. Right after she’d gotten back from her early-morning run. It had barely given her time to shower, let alone to put herself together as well as she normally liked. As a result, her unruly curls were now a mess of tangles hastily secured in a haphazard bun on top of her head. She hadn’t even had a chance to iron her remaining clean suit. The only other option was a stretch pencil dress that had recently shrunk after she’d accidently thrown it in the dryer. Comfortable, it was not.