Page 7 of Winter Magic on Railway Lane

Katy held up her hand. ‘Stop spiralling,’ she said. ‘You know how organised I am. I love a good checklist. Just think of me as your free wedding planner. We’ll get it sorted. Now just breathe.’

‘Thank you,’ replied Harriet, with a sigh of relief, giving her a hug. ‘Thank God I’ve got you three as my bridesmaids.’

Flora gave Libby a nudge with her elbow. ‘And we’ll all help with the wedding stuff, won’t we?’ she said in a pointed tone.

Libby hesitated. ‘You know I love you and Joe,’ Libby told Harriet. ‘I’m just not a romantic, that’s all.’

She wasn’t anti-relationships. After all, she had encouraged each of her friends to follow their hearts and was pleased with how happy they were all now. It just wasn’t for her, that was all.

‘I think there’s a little secret part of you that dreams of romance,’ said Harriet in a wistful voice.

‘Well, hand me a shovel so I can bury it in the back garden,’ replied Libby.

Her friends all burst out laughing.

‘Okay. We know you hate weddings,’ Harriet told her. ‘So seeing as you’ll never have one of your own, just help me plan mine. Please?’

Libby felt a shiver down her spine.

‘Of course I will,’ she said, fixing on a wide smile before bending down to give Paddington a cuddle and hide the fake look on her face. ‘I can’t wait to celebrate you getting married to Joe.’

That at least was the truth.

But there was one secret that she had never admitted to anyone, even her friends. She had been married once, a very long time ago, and it had been an utter disaster.

On a drunken whim eight years ago in Las Vegas, there had been one reckless moment when she had given into her heart at last and married Ethan Connolly. But she had woken up supremely embarrassed and had left before Ethan woke up.

Her long-held dream of being loved by Ethan had merely been a drunken mistake. As far as she knew, without having signed any annulment, they were still secretly married, but they had never discussed it since, nor had she ever told anyone. Perhaps given how drunk they both were, there was a chance that Ethan didn’t even remember getting married and had dismissed it entirely from his mind.

Their friendship was now beyond repair. Perhaps that’s how it was meant to be, she had decided. No matter how much her heart ached for him. No matter how much she missed having him in her life.

She glanced at him briefly as he chatted to his brother before abruptly turning away and walking out of the coffee shop, her high heels clicking on the wooden floorboards as she went.

4

Ethan had learnt three important things about women over his many years of dating.

One, women do not actually want an honest answer to the question, ‘How do I look?’

Two, only women understand the need for guest towels and ‘good’ china.

Three, that if the word ‘fine’ is used swiftly followed by a soft sigh, then the woman is most definitely not fine.

Frowning, Ethan looked at his brother as he worked in the tiny kitchen at the back of the coffee shop.

‘What’s wrong with Katy?’ asked Ethan.

Ryan looked up from the pizza dough that he was kneading with raised eyebrows. ‘Nothing,’ he said. ‘Unless you’ve said something to upset her.’

‘I haven’t said anything,’ replied Ethan, shaking his head. ‘I just asked her how she was this morning.’

Now it was Ryan’s turn to sigh. ‘You know Katy,’ he said, with a small shrug. ‘She thinks of you like her own family. But after your announcement last night that you’ve bought the old school, she thinks it’s her fault that you’ve moved out.’

‘Of course it’s not her fault,’ said Ethan, quickly.

He thought the world of his elder brother’s girlfriend. She was funny, kind and smart. He couldn’t have wished for someone better for Ryan to make a life with.

‘I know that,’ said Ryan. ‘It’s your fault, as per usual.’