She had only asked Jim on Thursday morning if they could play this song for them, kicking herself she hadn’t thought about it the day before, at least. If she had, it would have given him, Ryan, and Curtis more time to learn it. He had been a sweetheart about it, though.
“No worries at all,” he had said, patting his more uncertain-looking band mates heartily on the back. “Come on, boys, back to the studio. We’ve got work to do.”
Halfway through the dance, Aiden dramatically stripped his jacket and tie off and threw both items into the crowd, people almost as excited about catching them as they would be about her bouquet later. Then he grabbed Tara again and, molding her to his body this time, swayed with her from side to side. The crowd loved it, and eventually, at Tara and Aiden’s behest, joined in the fun.
Jim’s band continued to play, this time songs from Jagged Shore—all except the title song, which she had asked him to hold back on. Meanwhile, those in charge of cooking hurried over to their respective stations to get the coals burning. Mick had bagged the fish grill and brought with him practically a day’s catch by the looks of it, all kept fresh in iceboxes. Mick chuckled as Aiden and Tara marveled at his haul.
“Thanks so much for doing this.” Aiden grabbed his hand and shook it warmly.
“My pleasure.” Mick looked truly chuffed to be involved. “Do you know, if I wasn’t a fisherman, I’d be a chef? Maybe I’ll combine both occupations one day.”
“Hey, we can’t have this.” It was Hannah, coming up behind them.
Wondering what was wrong, Tara turned swiftly around.
“You haven’t got a glass of champagne, neither of you. Come on, take these.” Hannah pressed two flutes filled to the brim with bubbles into their hands.
Much to their bemusement, Hannah produced a whistle and blew it to get everyone’s attention. When people had quietened, she raised her voice.
“To the new Mr. and Mrs. Taylor,” she roared.
Both Tara and Aiden held their glasses aloft, followed swiftly by everybody else. The applause was almost deafening this time. Tara had to cover one ear with her free hand, but she laughed as she did so.
Before Hannah could disappear back into the crowd, Tara reached out for her.
“How’s it going between Layla and Joseph?”
Hannah pulled a face. “Honestly? It isn’t. Even when they’re standing right in front of each other, they’re looking through each other.”
Tara sighed. Okay, she thought. Plan A, let’s roll you out.
Although guests were happy enough to sit on picnic rugs to eat or stand around in groups, for Aiden, Tara, and her parents as well as a few of the more elderly guests, a long table had been erected. Around it were placed an odd assortment of chairs, some brought from the pub, Tara knew, and others simple fold-up chairs borrowed from friends’ houses. The table was also makeshift. Richard had explained to Tara earlier that he and Joseph had asked permission from the man who rented Joseph’s cottage if they could rummage around in the shed at the bottom of the garden. When he had left for Florence, Joseph had stored a lot of his carpentry tools in there. The tenant, an easy-going guy, was only too happy to let them. They had grabbed several sheets of plywood, a few carpenter trestles, and voilà—a table was born, right here on the beach. To cover up its roughness, the girls had artfully arranged crisp white tablecloths on top, strewn with more flower petals—not just red this time but softened with pink and cream. No paper plates for the guests of honor; white chinaware and silver cutlery had been perfectly laid out instead.
Happiness seemed to make everyone ravenous. Chatter and laughter quieted as everyone concentrated on their food instead. Tara’s appetite hadn’t been right for a long time, but today she managed to eat a decent plateful, steering clear of the meat and concentrating on Mick’s fish and a side of fresh green salad.
After everyone had eaten and returned their plates to the gazebo, they settled themselves in front of the head table.
“Oh, right, yeah, the bridegroom’s speech,” said Aiden, looking tentative for the first time.
“You’re not losing it now, are you?” Tara playfully jibed.
“Lose?” he replied, holding her gaze. “I don’t intend to lose anything.”
Rising to his feet, he took an empty wine glass and banged a silver spoon against it. As is tradition, he made a show of clearing his throat before speaking.
“Thank you so much to everybody for coming to our wedding. I realize it was a little impromptu, but you know what?” He looked at Tara and winked. “That’s just the way we roll. And guys, particularly Layla, Hannah, Penny, Richard, Joseph, Jim, Curtis, and Ryan—shoot me if I’ve missed anyone—we will never be able to thank you enough for what you’ve done for us. This day is perfect. It’s beyond perfect, and you’ve helped make it that way, every one of you.” Looking again at Tara, he continued, “I know I speak for both of us when I say we feel truly blessed.”
Although she was sure no one else in the crowd could, she detected a slight tremor in Aiden’s voice. Now was as good a time as any to intervene, to say what she had to say—use words as weapons, but this time in the kindest sense.
Rising too, she took hold of Aiden’s hands, looked into his eyes, and said, “We are blessed—to have each other, our family, and our friends. I love you, sweetheart. Long may blessings continue to rain down on us.”
Yes, Aiden was definitely starting to crack. Leaning over to him, she whispered, “Rest your laurels, hun. I’ll take it from here.”
As he returned gratefully to his seat, she turned to face her audience. Some of them had caught on to his emotional mood and were dabbing at their eyes with napkins, others were sniffing, and others still sat there with beatific smiles on their faces, reveling in the splendor of the day. Sticking out like sore thumbs were Joseph and Layla, both of them at opposite ends to each other still, both of them in almost identical poses, gazing not at the bride and groom as everyone else was but at the ground, as though sand were suddenly the most fascinating thing in the world.
She cleared her throat too before she spoke. “Like Aiden, I want to thank you also—not just for creating paradise on a Cornish beach but for turning up to celebrate with us at such short notice. I know you all lead busy lives, and we’re grateful that you could fit us in. I promise when we renew our vows, years from now, on this same beach, we’ll give you a bit more notice.”
The crowd laughed, as did Aiden. Well, a girl could dream, Tara thought.
Turning her attention to Aiden, she continued, “And you, my gorgeous Ozzie beach bum, I want to thank you too—for your love, for your courage, your humor, and your belief. At a time when I lacked three of those qualities, you stood firm, and in doing so, you strengthened me. What I never lacked, though, was love. The love I have for you will last through time and space, through the ages, because love doesn’t die. It’s the one thing that’s eternal.” Hearing her own voice catch slightly, she turned to her parents. “And that goes for you too. I love you, Mum and Dad. Thanks for giving Leo and me the best childhood two kids could have. And, Dad, do you remember what you used to say to us when we were younger? ‘You have wings; don’t be afraid to use them.’ I want to thank you also for encouraging us to fly.”
Pushing her chair back, she went to her mother and father and gave them each a hug and Leo too—“my playmate, my best friend.”
Returning to the spot in front of her chair, she took a deep breath. “But as wonderful as love is, I don’t think there’s one amongst us who’d disagree with me when I say it’s not for the fainthearted. So easily it can take a wrong turn, and when it does, it can hurt—like a wrecking ball aimed straight at the heart. Belief and trust are essential ingredients in any relationship, but sometimes they’re tested and often in the strangest of ways. If you’re thrown a curve ball, the best thing to do is catch it.”
There, that had got Layla and Joseph’s attention. She also noticed Penny look up sharply, and Hannah too. Hmm, what we
re their stories?
“We all make mistakes; the trick is not to let those mistakes own you. Or tear you apart. Love is about forgiveness; it’s about giving second chances when second chances are deserved. It’s also about forgiving yourself.” Looking at Aiden, she continued. “My belief and my trust were tested—not in Aiden, but in myself. But I was given another chance. I won’t let them waiver again.” As he smiled at her, she looked away, sought out Joseph once more. He was looking directly at her now, but there was a reticence in his eyes. Even with the distance between them, she could tell that. Briefly, she glanced at Layla. If she had to find a word to describe how she looked right now, she’d choose beaten.
“That curve ball I was talking about, sometimes we drop it, sometimes we run. That’s the only option open to us, or so we think. But guess what? It doesn’t solve a thing. I’ve run from two people in my life—two amazing people. When I think how amazing they are…” Tara faltered slightly. Before continuing, she swallowed hard. “But the good news is, miracles do happen. I’ve got them both back, one as a friend and one as my husband. Running sucks—especially when it’s cross country.”
Again, some people laughed, but mostly people sat or stood in silence. She’d bet that if someone dropped a hatpin right now, she’d hear it.
“I know enough about love to recognize when it’s real between two people. And when it’s real, it’s incredible. And by incredible, I mean it’s a gift. Damn it, I’m telling you, if waves are coming at you—big waves, crazy waves, waves that seem insurmountable—ride them. Weather the storm, because in between blue skies, they’re going to keep on coming. Stand together, stand strong, and you’ll survive.”
The crowd rose almost simultaneously to their feet. There was clapping, stamping, and yelling. Thank goodness the couple that resided in the house overlooking the beach had long since moved out; they’d probably call the police again at such a commotion, thought Tara. It was even more deafening than before. She also noticed some people throwing their arms around their partners if they had one, and if not a partner, a friend. She seemed to have struck a chord in everyone. Almost everyone.
Aiden stood too and put his arms around her.
“Nice one, babe. Do you think that hit the spot?”
When she didn’t reply, his eyes followed her line of sight, straight to Layla and Joseph—as far apart as they had ever been.
Chapter Thirty-One
“AH, CRAP, THEY’RE STILL NOT TALKING.” Penny sidled up to Tara in the queue for the loos to give her the latest report.
“I know,” Tara sighed. “I didn’t want to do what I’m going to have to do. Joseph is such a private person, but if the mountain won’t come to Mohammad—”
“We take Mohammad to the mountain,” Penny finished.
“Exactly.”
Penny was just about to ask her what she had in mind exactly when Hannah came over to join them, looking more than a little flustered.
“Leo and Jim, they’re getting on well, aren’t they?”
Both Penny and Tara looked over to where Hannah’s eyes seemed to be fixated. She was right; they were. Leo’s laugh was loud and uproarious, slightly affected, perhaps? Jim didn’t seem to mind. He seemed to be enjoying the attention.
“Oh, she’s always had a crush on him,” Tara commented, almost absent-mindedly. “She used to follow him round like a puppy dog when she was younger.”
Hannah stiffened even more.
“Shall we go over and say hi?” Penny said, sensing Hannah was champing at the bit to do just that, and not because she wanted to make a new friend.
Hannah made a short, sharp movement with her head—a yes, then.
To Tara, Penny said, “I’ll catch you later.”
“Not too much later.” Tara winked back. “We’ve got Plan B to implement.”
“Plan B?” said Hannah.
“Erm, yeah, come on,” said Penny, hurrying her along.
“Hi, Jim. Hi, Leo. Mind if we join you?” she said, shoving Hannah at Jim.
Hannah glared at Penny but wasted no time in linking her arm through his, again not for reasons of affection, but to highlight to a certain someone this particular band singer was very much taken. Penny snuck a glance at Leo. Disappointment was evident in her face, but she had the good grace to quickly cover it.
“Hey.” Jim extracted his arm from Hannah, and a tense moment ensued—surely he wasn’t going to brush her off? To Penny’s relief, and she was sure to Hannah’s also, it was only to place his arm round her shoulders instead. “This is Hannah, my girlfriend, and Penny, my friend. This is Leo, Tara’s sister. We grew up together.”
“Pleased to meet you.” Penny smiled, extending her hand. Hannah, however, kept hers firmly plastered by her side, affording Leo only the faintest of smiles.
“I was just saying,” Leo said, addressing her words solely to Hannah, “how talented 96 Tears are. No wonder they’re doing well. World domination calls, I think.”
“They’re great, yeah,” Hannah mumbled back. “I’ve said so right from the start.”
The word “start” she emphasized. Clearly, she wanted Leo to know she wasn’t the only one who had history with Jim.
“Loads of gigs on the cards, then?” Leo questioned further, but not Jim, Hannah still.
“Yeah, quite a few.” Hannah looked puzzled now. Penny knew Hannah was wondering why the questions were aimed at her, not Jim.
Jim meanwhile continued to look amused.
“That’s going to be hard,” Leo said, playing nonchalantly with her curls.
“What is?” Hannah’s eyebrows had furrowed.
“Fighting off the groupies. You’ve landed yourself one hot man.”
Hannah looked amazed Leo could be so bold, but then she looked worried, as if the idea hadn’t occurred to her before. Very worried, in fact.
“Good job he adores you, isn’t it?” Leo finished off. “We were saying that as well.”
And with that she turned and disappeared into the crowd, but not before Penny saw the smirk on her face. Hannah looked up at Jim, not half as amused as he was.
“What’s the matter, Hannah?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “Jealous?”
Hannah rolled her eyes in a show of disgust. And then she smiled. “I might be,” she answered, tightening her grip on him further.
“The only groupie I want is you,” he assured her, leaning in for a kiss.
Her work here done, Penny left them to smooch and went in search of Layla. If Tara’s words hadn’t had an obvious effect on Joseph, they must have had on her.
As Penny weaved her way through the crowds, Richard caught her attention. He was pointing somewhat frantically to Scarlett, who was arching her back in the Bugaboo, trying to fight her way free. “Help?” he mouthed hopefully.
She held up both hands and wriggled her fingers.
“Give me ten,” she mouthed back, trying not to laugh at how demoralized he looked at the prospect of ten more minutes of continued sole childcare.
Where was Layla anyway? She hadn’t seen her in the last hour. Penny stopped short. Oh no, she hasn’t done a runner, has she? Slipped away unnoticed?
To her relief, the crowd in front of her dispersed, and there Layla was, gathering paper plates and taking them back to the gazebo to throw in bin bags. She seemed thoroughly absorbed in what she was doing, even though the task was so mundane.
Penny quickly caught up with her. “Hey, Layla, don’t worry about clearing up yet. We’ll get stuck into that later. I’ve got an army of people willing to pitch in. It won’t take long.”
“It’s okay,” Layla insisted, carrying on tidying. “I’m happy to make a start.”
Penny caught at her arm this time. “Layla, listen to me. Stop. You’ve got more important things to be doing than this.”
To her surprise, Layla shrugged her off. “No, Penny, I haven’t.”
Hesitating, but only for a second, Penny proceeded to take the empty plates from her friend’
s hands and placed them down on the table in front of her.
“Layla, let’s not beat about the bush. You should be talking to Joseph, not bloody clearing up.”
“This is not the time or the place,” Layla said, her eyes averted.
“It couldn’t get any more perfect than right here, right now, on this beach.” Risking being brushed off again, she reached out to hold Layla’s hands. “Look at me. Didn’t you listen to a word Tara said, her speech? It was about you, you and Joseph.” She faltered slightly. “Well, apart from the stuff about Aiden and her family, that is.”
“He’s flying back to Florence tomorrow. Did you know that?”
Penny was taken aback. She did know, but she didn’t think Layla did. “I…erm. He told you?”
“Hannah told me. She thought it only right I should know. She said she’d had enough of people keeping secrets round here,” Layla finished pointedly.
Penny considered this for a moment. “When did she tell you?”
“Yesterday.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“You knew already, by the looks of it.”
Following in Hannah’s footsteps, Penny decided to come clean. Hannah was right; secrets led to trouble, which in turn led to disaster—or so it seemed.
“Tara told me,” Penny confessed.
“Oh.” Layla’s shoulders slumped in defeat.
“When are you going back?” Penny asked.
“To Florence? I’ve decided not to. I’m going to Milan instead.”
The Runaway Ex Page 26