‘Of course you could! But I would feel terrible not paying you and then we’re back to square one,’ she looked at Mike, ‘I mean, that was the whole point of making this a small wedding, so that we could put our money to better use.’
Mike stepped forward from where he’d been standing next to Rob, and took a seat on the floor opposite his fiancée. Gently, he took hold of her hands and held them. He looked into Jenny’s face and I could see his eyes shining with unshed tears.
‘Jenny. When I first met you, I knew that one day I was going to marry you. I was head over heels in love with you by the end of our first date. You’re beautiful and clever and you never let anything beat you. The determination you’ve shown in training with those braces is incredible. I know it’s been hard work but not once have you complained. You’ve just got on with the job. I think you look gorgeous in everything you wear and you know I’m not much up on things when it comes to clothes and fashion. I generally just take your advice,’ he smiled and Jenny touched his face softly, tears now running intermittently down her own, ‘I’d have got married in a pigsty so long as it meant I got to be married to you. Now I know that wouldn’t exactly have gone down well with you,’
‘No, not really.’ she agreed.
‘What I’m trying to say is that I think you should let Izzy make you a dress. We know then that it will be right for you and you’ll feel as beautiful as I know you’re going to look. It doesn’t matter what it costs. I saved my deployment pay separately and I’ve not touched that. We can just put that towards it. I know you said that you want to use our money for “better purposes” but Jen, there’s really no better purpose in the world to me than making you happy. It doesn’t matter how much money we have if you’re not happy because that’s all that matters.’
By now, I don’t think anyone in the room had entirely dry eyes. Certainly I didn’t. You’d have thought that over the last few years of being immersed in weddings, plus having my own personal disaster, I’d have developed a thicker skin when it came to such things. But I hadn’t. Not in the slightest. I still loved a wedding. I still loved romance and I still blubbed every time. Something that I was trying desperately not to do right now – and failing miserably. I turned slightly so that I was no longer facing the others and quickly swiped at my face with the back of my hand. Turning back, I caught Rob watching me. It was pretty clear that nobody had been left unmoved by Mike’s declarations of love. I expected him to turn away but he didn’t. He kept on looking at me and then mouthed the words ‘Thank you’. I smiled and shook my head, before looking away, forcing the eye contact to be broken. I was pretty sure that it was just because we were all being swept up in this extremely emotional moment, but for those few seconds, I had a feeling that I might want Rob looking at me like that for a long time to come.
‘I’m not sure, Mike.’ Jenny said, eventually.
I knew how much she wanted her own home and business. She was willing to make sacrifices. But I couldn’t let her sacrifice the chance to have what she really wanted, and deserved – a beautiful dress for her special day.
‘Ok, how about this?’ I began, ‘We’ll make a compromise. I still make you the dress of your dreams but you just pay for the fabric. Wholesale price.’
‘But Izzy. This is your business. You can’t go giving your time away.’
‘And I don’t. These are extenuating circumstances. Oh, and by the way. That’s not an option. This is happening.’ I’d apparently found my bossy boots again and strapped them back on, ‘Now you, Missy, need to get those braces on so that we can make a start.’
I saw a smile start to form on Jenny’s face which was immediately reflected in her fiancé’s.
‘Are you sure?’ she asked.
‘Absolutely.’
‘Ok. Oh Izzy,’ she held out her hands to me and I bent down next to Mike, ‘Thank you so much,’ she whispered.
I leant forward and hugged her. ‘It’s my pleasure.’
Half an hour later, Jenny was getting out of the braces and I had all the measurements I needed.
‘Ok, chaps. This is girls’ stuff now. Why don’t you three go and have a beer somewhere and let us get on with the fun stuff for a while.’
‘Yes ma’am.’ Rob saluted me, did a proper soldier pivot thing on his feet and headed off to grab a coat from his bedroom. A couple of minutes later he was back.
‘Right. We’ll make ourselves scarce then. How long do you need?’ Rob asked as he finished tying the lace on his shoe, ‘We could get some takeaway on the way back.’
‘That sounds lovely, darling!’ his mum said, holding out her arms to him for a hug before he left.
He stepped over and duly hugged her, enveloping her almost as much as he did me. Although she did have the advantage of extra height on me. Like most people. Straightening back up, he looked at me for an answer.
‘Umm, I don’t know,’ I said, glancing at the clock on his mantelpiece, ‘Give us a couple of hours or so.’
‘Ok,’ he nodded, ‘we can do that.’
‘Great.’ I said, and noticed he was turning to go. I caught his eye and then shifted my glance to his sister and then back to him. Confusion was the only look I got back. Once again, I shifted my glance to Jenny, and then back to him, adding a tiny sideways nod of my head this time for emphasis.
I’d noticed that since Jenny’s outburst at Rob, she’d not looked at him directly. It was obvious to all of us that she’d regretted her words the moment they were out, especially when she’d seen the look on his face. She knew that everything he’d done, and continued to do, for her was because he loved her and no way did she really think he was butting in to her business. It had come out in the heat of the moment and she hadn’t been able to take it back. And now she didn’t know how to try. I knew that Rob would forgive her, had probably already done so, but I also knew his feelings had been hurt. But to get this to work, I needed Jenny in the best place she could be. I wanted her to enjoy everything now and not be niggled at by the upset of earlier. I needed Rob to be the bigger man and make the first move. On my third attempt, I added raised eyebrows to the nod and the eye glance. I saw a flicker of understanding on his face. I also saw hesitation. I looked back at him and mouthed the word, ‘Please?’ Almost imperceptibly, he shook his head at me, and then stepped over to where Jenny sat.
‘Have fun, sis.’ he said, giving her a hug as though nothing had happened, ‘Any preference on the takeaway?’
Jenny’s arms tightened around him.
‘I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean any of it.’
‘It’s fine. I know.’
From my vantage point at the edge of the living room, I could see relief flood through everyone in the room. The last bit of tension dissipated into nothing and Mike gave me the biggest smile. The happiness in that smile alone would have been more than enough payment for me. This couple had both been through tough times. Mike had served his country, seen battle, things that once seen couldn’t be forgotten. Jen had been in the wrong place at the wrong time and had her life changed forever. I couldn’t take away the horrors Mike had seen, or give Jenny back the use of her legs, but I could do something to make them both smile. And that felt pretty good to me. Mr Winchester and Mike both went over to the sofa to say goodbye to their respective partners and I made a point of studying the measurements I’d just taken. All of a sudden I felt the outsider. This was clearly a very close family, understandably, with what they’d been through, and it looked as if Mike was treated as another son already, which I thought was wonderful. But I didn’t really fit in anywhere, and as the emotions of earlier fuelled the temporary goodbyes of the moment, I suddenly felt very intrusive.
‘Thank you so much.’ Rob’s deep voice was soft in my ear.
I turned quickly and looked up at him.
‘It’s nothing. Really.’
‘It’s not nothing, Izz. Right now, it’s everything. Just look at her.’ Jenny was laughing with her parents and Mike. He was ri
ght. She did look a whole lot happier than she’d done earlier. I smiled at the scene.
‘Well, hopefully it’ll go some way to making up for breaking your nose.’
Rob laughed. ‘I already told you I’d forgiven you for that.’
I waggled my head in a manner that suggested I wasn’t entirely satisfied with that in my own mind.
‘So, do you have any preference on takeaway?’
‘Oh, Rob, that’s really kind but I think I’ll probably just shoot off once I’ve got everything I need from your sister.’
His face fell. ‘You did have plans. I’m sorry, Izz. You should have told me you had a date.’
‘I don’t have a date!’ I said, tripping over the words in my attempt to get them out as fast as possible. For reasons I wasn’t sure of, it seemed important to make it absolutely clear to Rob that I most definitely did not have a date.
‘Ok,’ he smiled, ‘so what’s the rush? Why not stay for dinner?’
I threw a glance at the others, and dropped my voice even lower, ‘Rob. I’m intruding here. I’ve bossed my way into making a dress for Jenny because I can’t bear to see her, or you, upset like this, but I’m not about to barge in on your family time.’
‘Listen to me,’ he said, his large, warm hands resting either side of my waist, ‘you’re not barging in. I want you here. And I know Jenny will. She’d hate to think that you were going to leave afterwards. I know she would.’
‘I don’t know. I–’
‘Oi,’ he said, causing me to look back up from his chest, ‘don’t even begin to think that you’re the only one who can take a swig from the bossy fountain. You’re staying for dinner.’
I wavered right up until the moment he kissed my cheek and then wrapped me up in one of those incredible hugs. I guess I was staying for dinner.
Mike and his soon-to-be father-in-law approached us and began putting on their shoes. I stepped aside from Rob and leant over to get my bag. Rob watched, and then took the bag off me, preparing to carry it over to the sitting room.
‘Bloody hell! What have you got in here?’
I took it back off him and rolled my eyes. ‘I thought you lot carried fifty kilo rucksacks in the army?’
‘We did. And we had everything we needed to live off in them. You’re in the middle of a massive city and are only out for the day.’
I tipped my chin up. ‘I believe I gave you instructions to buzz off.’
Rob grinned and dipped down for another swift kiss on the cheek. I couldn’t help but smile when he did. I knew I shouldn’t. They didn’t mean anything. Not really. But still.
‘Buzzing as we speak.’ he said, and hustled the other two men to the door. The catch closed behind them and I was left with Jenny and her mum. I turned back to them and gave a wide smile.
‘Right! Jenny, didn’t you say before that you’d created a Pinterest board for wedding dress ideas? Do you want to pull that up?’ I lifted my laptop out of the oversized tote I’d taken back off Rob and unzipped the case before handing the machine over to Jen. ‘And we have these, for some extra inspiration.’ I delved in the bag again and pulled out a stack of the latest bridal magazines and put them on the coffee table. I’d taken them from the studio earlier to sit down with tonight and pore over. They plopped down with a heavy thud and I thought briefly that maybe Rob did have a point about the weight of my bag.
‘And one more thing.’ I said, running into the kitchen and helping myself to the bottle of champagne I knew I’d find in Rob’s fridge. I’d commented on it last week, asking about the special occasion whereupon I’d been informed that he always kept one in there, just in case. Right now, his attention to detail was coming in extremely handy. I collected a corkscrew and glasses and took everything into the living room. ‘Bubbles!’ I announced, theatrically.
‘Oh how lovely!’ Eleanor Winchester clapped her hands together as I extracted the cork with a pop and a flourish. I’d lost count of how many of these things I’d opened over the last few years, and I was now on first name terms with the wine warehouse’s delivery driver. It had taken me months to stop feeling like I had to explain it “wasn’t all for me”, usually followed up by a slightly maniacal laugh, which probably hadn’t helped my case. I filled two glasses and handed them to my, now, clients. I poured the tiniest drop into another glass for myself and made a toast.
‘To Jenny.’
‘To Jenny!’ her mum chorused.
‘To me!’ Jenny cheered and laughed, before downing a good proportion of her glass.
‘Steady on, darling. Let’s get you a dress designed before you get smashed!’ Eleanor cautioned.
‘But after that?’ I said, ‘Feel free to get completely smashed. Now, tell me every idea you had, no matter how small, or how crazy it might sound. I want to hear them all.’
Chapter Ten
A little over two hours later, we heard the men come back and the tantalising aroma of food drifted in from the corridor where they were shedding coats and shoes.
‘Lebanese!’ Rob announced as he came into view, holding up three bags bursting with takeaway containers.
‘Ooh, yum!’ we all cheered together.
I got up and followed Rob to the kitchen.
‘Hi.’
‘Hello.’ He grinned down. Clearly he’d had a drink or two.
‘I just wanted to say that I owe you a bottle of champagne. I borrowed yours for Jenny and your mum.’
‘Borrowed?’
‘Well. Used. Obviously. Hence the reason I owe you one. I have a nearly full box at the studio so I’ll get one to you as soon as possible to replace it.’
‘Don’t be daft, Izz,’ he said, moving me bodily out of the way of the cutlery drawer so that he could get to it, ‘that’s why I keep a bottle in there. I couldn’t think of a better reason to open it. No replacement required.’ He moved me again as I was now in the way of the crockery cupboard.
‘Oh. Ok. If you’re sure.’
‘I’m sure. Here, can you take these?’ He loaded six plates into my arms and I headed off towards the table where Mike was already laying out table mats. These boys were well trained, I had to admit. Everyone took their places and started digging into the food, which tasted just as delicious as it smelled. I watched and listened as banter was exchanged and stories were told. They were wonderful at including me and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d enjoyed a Saturday night quite as much. Although, thinking about it, the previous week sat watching a rom-com with Rob had been pretty nice too.
As we sat after our meal, letting it all settle, Jenny tapped a spoon against the edge of her glass, the crystal ringing out over the conversations still going on.
‘I’d like to propose a toast.’
We all looked at her expectantly.
‘To Izzy, for coming to the rescue today and for preventing me from becoming a complete Bridezilla.’
I flushed bright red and began to protest but my words were drowned out by a hearty round of ‘To Izzy!’
I’d love to say I accepted it graciously, but it depends if grinning like a loon counts as gracious. Probably not. But they were happy. And that made me happy. I couldn’t help smiling.
‘And,’ Jenny continued.
‘Oh crikey, she’s on a roll,’ her brother teased.
‘To Rob. For being the best brother a girl could wish for. And for knowing exactly when to butt in.’ She inclined her head at him and he winked at her.
‘To Rob.’ I cheered along with the others as I looked over at him. He’d bowed his head a little, ostensibly in jest, but I had a feeling he was showing a little more emotion than he felt comfortable with in company.
‘And of course, to Jenny and Mike!’ I chinked my glass against the others as we all drunk to my toast.
Rob glanced across the table at me. He knew exactly what I was up to with my distraction tactics. The quickest of winks came my way before he turned back to say something to his dad.
‘So. I’m assuming
that as you polished off all my champagne, you have a dress?’ Rob asked a few minutes later.
I laughed. ‘We don’t have a dress yet – I’m good, but I’m not that good – but what we do have is a design. I’m going to get started on it tomorrow whilst your mum and Jenny head off to Rigby & Peller to get the required foundation garments. It’s all in hand.’
‘It’s Sunday tomorrow, Izz.’
‘That’s all right. I didn’t have anything planned anyway so it’s fine.’
‘You do seem to work very hard, dear.’ Eleanor said, ‘Rob’s told me that you’re often in your studio until very late at night.’
‘Oh,’ I said, wondering what to do with the information that Rob had been discussing me with his parents.
Evidently, Rob read the look on my face.
‘Mum was giving me a hard time about working late,’ he explained, ‘I said that anyone with their own business often spends an awful lot of time at work these days.’
‘Oh!’ I said, again, then engaged my brain some more, ‘Yes. It’s pretty competitive out there. And the truth is, I love what I do, so whilst yes, I am at work a lot, it’s also my passion so most of the time it doesn’t feel like work. I know I’m very lucky to be able to say that.’
‘Do you ever work from home?’ John Winchester asked.
‘Yes, a little. I do the odd bit, research and some sketching. A bit of social media, that sort of thing – but generally I prefer to be in the studio.’
‘She doesn’t like her flat.’ Rob added, helpfully.
I glared at him. He looked back at me, an innocent look on his face.
‘Oh dear!’ Eleanor turned to me.
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