Page 75 of A Wedding in Tuscany

Jean-Luc’s eyes narrow. I know that look?he’s trying to figure out who he’d rather be on the wrong side of, his sister or Jaelee. He sighs and hands Jaelee the phone and we three watch, mesmerised, as she unmutes it and holds it to her ear.

‘Hello, Cécile is it? This is Jaelee Tan, the wedding planner and one of Cat and Jean-Luc’s closest friends. So, yeah, we already have a full itinerary for tomorrow morning?so much to do, really busy?and we can’t possibly spare the groom for a three-hour drive into Florence. You’ll need to take a cab. Oh, no, sorry, he’s even busy right now?groom duties.’ She trills out a faux laugh. ‘You know how it is. Anyway, really looking forward to meeting you. We’ll see you at the wedding. Bye now.’

She ends the call and hands the phone back to Jean-Luc. ‘There you go.’ She turns and strides away, saying to my dad, ‘Ron, you are a master of stringing lights,’ as she passes. I mean, she’s right?Dad has done a brilliant job with the fairy lights, but she seems oblivious to the fact that she’s left me, Sarah, and Jean-Luc utterly dumbstruck.

Sarah recovers her ability to speak before me. ‘Well, that was masterful,’ she says. ‘So, if someone’s being unreasonable, you just talk at them without taking a breath, then hang up.’

‘She will not be happy,’ says Jean-Luc, shaking his head.

‘Then why are you grinning, darling?’ I ask, my own mouth stretching wide.

He leans down and kisses me. ‘Because my sister … I love her but elle est peut-être une vache, non?’

‘Oh yes, indeed.’ I think this may be the first time I’ve heard Jean-Luc speak ill of his sister and I’m not sure if it’s good or bad that I like it.

‘Everyone,’ Jaelee calls out from underneath one of the archways. ‘I think we are close to done. Sarah?’

Sarah consults the handwritten list she compiled after our change of venue and looks about the loft, literally checking off items. Moments later, she clutches the list to her chest. ‘She’s right, we’re done,’ she says. ‘Well, sorry, the flowers arrive in the morning, so there’s that?and the cake?oh, and the food but?’

‘But what my co-wedding planner means to say is that, for today, we’re done,’ says Jaelee diplomatically. ‘And it’s gotta be Happy Hour.’

‘Oh, absolutely,’ says Mum. ‘It must be five o’clock somewhere.’

‘Here, Mum,’ says Sarah, looking at her watch. ‘It’s five o’clock here?or close to.’

‘Perfect,’ says Mum and I suddenly realise how weary she looks. It has been an intense time since we all arrived, and Mum and Dad flew in a couple of days after us, so they may still be jetlagged. But they still showed up today and pitched in without complaint. Oh, I love my parents.

‘Righteo,’ says Dad, clapping his hands together. ‘How about we get all the cleaning stuff out of here, then crack a beer on the balcony downstairs.’

‘Wine is preferable, Ronald,’ says Mum.

‘Whatever you want, love,’ he replies, landing a kiss on the side of her head.

‘Catherine.’ Jean-Luc’s hand captures mine and brings it to his lips. I turn towards him. ‘It is wonderful, non?’

‘This place? Absolutely.’

‘Oui, this place, but also … everything. Our friends, our family, being here … you. C’est parfait.’

He stoops to kiss me and oblivious to the others who are zipping about and packing up the space, I sink into the kiss, wrapping my arms tightly around him. ‘Oi, you two. Honeymoon starts tomorrow,’ shouts my dad from the other end of the loft.

‘Da-aad,’ Sarah and I say at the same time. I smile up at Jean-Luc and he’s grinning. ‘I love you,’ I say.

‘I love you, chérie.’

I get to marry him tomorrow, I think joyfully.

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