A Bride for the Runaway Groom

He folded his arms across his chest. ‘Is that scepticism I hear in your voice, Rose?’

She gave him a smile as she opened the door and took the key from the ignition. ‘I just don’t know if he’s your best choice.’

Will climbed out next to her. ‘Neither do I, but, right now, he’s my only option. How long will it take you to grab your stuff?’

She shrugged. ‘My clothes? Five minutes. What about my equipment?’

‘I’ll arrange for someone to go your parents’ and pick it up. Do you want to drop by first?’

She nodded. ‘It won’t take long. Let me get my clothes and I’ll meet you back here.’

* * *

Will was true to his word. There was a man with a van waiting outside her parents’ house when they arrived. She took him around to her workshop and collected the things she’d need to start work later that night.

As she was collecting a few other items her father appeared. ‘Oh, hi, Dad. I didn’t expect you to be back yet. I thought you’d still be at Hawksley Castle.’

He smiled. ‘Your mother and I came back an hour ago. We had a few things we wanted to discuss.’

Her mother appeared at her father’s side, his arm slipping around her waist and resting on her hip. Sherry Huntingdon still had her model-girl looks and figure even though she was in her fifties.

Rose’s father’s face was a little more lived-in. Rock and roll did that to you. His hair was still longer than normal—he still loved the shaggy rock-star look.

Rose’s stomach started to do little flip-flops. Her father’s words were a bit ominous. He had a tendency to spring things on her. And it looked as if nothing was about to change.

Rick crossed the room and put his hand out towards Will. ‘Will, aren’t you hanging around with the wrong daughter?’ There was an amused tone in his voice. ‘And what happened to your head? Did one of those brides finally get you?’ He threw back his head and let out a hearty laugh.

Rose cringed. How many times was Will going to hear those words?

But Will seemed unperturbed. ‘Ask Rose—she was the one that socked me with a vase.’

‘She what?’ Rose’s mother seemed shocked.

Rose waved her hand quickly. ‘It was a misunderstanding. That’s all. What did you come back to talk about, Dad?’ She wanted to distract them before they asked too many questions.

Her mother and father turned and smiled at each other. There it was. That sappy look that they got sometimes. In a way it was nice. Still romantic. It was obvious to the world that they still loved each other.

It was just a tad embarrassing when it was your parents.

‘Your mother and I have made a decision.’

‘What kind of decision?’ She had a bad feeling about this.

Both of them couldn’t stop smiling and it was making her toes curl. She just knew this was going to be something big.

‘After all the preparations for Daisy’s wedding—and the fact everything went so beautifully—your mother and I have decided to renew our wedding vows.’

‘You have?’ It was so not what she expected to hear.

Her mother put her hand on her father’s chest. She was in that far-off place she went to when ideas started to float around her head. ‘You know we never had a big wedding.’ She turned to acknowledge Will. ‘We ran away to Vegas and got married after only knowing each other for a weekend. I never really had the fancy dress, flowers or meal like Daisy had. So, we’ve decided to do it all again.’

Rick shrugged and smiled at Will. ‘It might seem hasty, but believe me—’ he smiled at his wife ‘—when you know, you just know.’

A thousand little centipedes had started to crawl over Rose’s skin. She had a horrid feeling she knew exactly where this was going.

‘It’s a lovely idea. When were you thinking? Next year—after the tour is over?’

‘Oh, no.’ Rose’s mother laughed. ‘In a few weeks.’

‘A few weeks!’ She couldn’t help but raise her voice. Will shot her a look, obviously trying to calm her. But he had no idea what was coming next. Rose did.

Sherry stepped forward. ‘What’s the problem? We have the perfect venue.’ She spun around. ‘Here. We just need a marquee for the grounds. And a caterer. And some flowers. And some dresses.’ She turned to Rick and laughed. ‘And a band!’

Rick stepped forward. ‘It shouldn’t be a problem. You can arrange all that in a few weeks, can’t you, Rose? You do everything so perfectly. And you’re just so organised. We couldn’t possibly trust anyone else with something so important.’ Her father stepped over and gave her a hug and dropped a kiss on her cheek. It was clear he was floating on the same love-swept cloud that her mother was.

‘Me?’ Her voice came out in a squeak as Will’s eyes widened in shock.

Oh, now he understood. This was what she got for doing such a good job. She was the official PA for her father’s band and her mother’s career. With all the tour preparations she barely had time to sleep right now. But she loved her parents dearly so she let them think it was all effortless. Her parents had been so strong and so supportive when she’d needed them—even though she secretly felt she’d disappointed them. Their love and support was the only thing that had got her through. All she wanted to do was make them proud. If they were trusting her with something like this? It made her anxious to please them, to let them be confident in her choices, even if this was the last thing she needed.

Her father’s voice was steady. ‘You know just how hard your mother’s been working recently. And what with planning Daisy’s wedding, she’s just exhausted. If you could do all this it would be a whole weight off our minds.’

The dopey smiles on her parents’ faces were enough to melt her heart—even though it was fluttering frantically in her chest and her brain was going into overdrive.

Will seemed to pick up on her overwhelming sense of panic. He stepped forward. ‘What a fantastic idea. But these things normally take a while to plan—don’t you want to wait a while and get everything just right?’

It was a valiant attempt. But Rose knew exactly how this would go. Once her parents got an idea in their heads there was no changing their minds.

Rick gave a wave of his hand. ‘Nonsense. It didn’t take long to sort out Daisy’s wedding, did it?’ He gave Rose that look. The one he always did when she knew he meant business. Rick Cross had invented the word determined.

‘I’m not sure, Dad. There’s a lot to do, what with the tour and the charity concert and everything.’

His hand rested on her arm and he glanced in his wife’s direction. ‘Now, Rose. Let’s give your mother the wedding she always deserved.’

The truth was he wasn’t picking up her cues. He was too busy concentrating on the rapt expression on his wife’s face. Anxiety was building in her stomach. If she could do this, maybe she could repay her parents for everything they’d done for her. When she’d been splashed over the press when her friend had died she couldn’t have asked for better advocates or supporters. Family was everything.

She started to murmur out loud. ‘But I know nothing about weddings. Receptions, marquees, dinners, dresses...’

Her mother smiled. ‘Oh, honey. Leave the dress to me. I’m going to get the one I always wanted.’ Her gaze locked with Rick’s and it was clear they were lost in their own little world.

Rick waved his hand. ‘Ask Daisy. She knows all about it.’ He let out a little laugh. ‘Or ask your friend. He’s had his fair share of organising weddings.’

Her parents turned and drifted back out of the room, lost in conversation with each other. That was it. Decision made. And everything left to Rose.

Rose turned to face Will. Her tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth. She’d kill for a cosmopolitan right now. Her mouth was so dry she couldn’t even begin to form words. She’d been blindsided. By her parents.

Will was looking just as pale.

She lifted her hands. ‘I... I...’ But the words wouldn’t come out. The only sound that did come out was a sob. All this work. Organising a wedding in a few weeks might be okay for some people. But some people weren’t Rick Cross and Sherry Huntingdon. They’d have a spectacular guest list—who’d all come with their list of demands. Where on earth would she find the kind of caterer she’d need at short notice? Her parents were very picky about food.