“Ok, thank you. And Mason,”
“Hmm?”
“Miss Anderson is my mother’s name. It’s Pixie.” Earth, swallow me whole.
“Of course.”
I hang up then instantly cringe. What the fuck was that? I put my phone on the island and walk away, afraid I might launch it across the room in embarrassment if I hold on to it for a second longer.
I’m not telling the girls about this one.
The sky is grey and looming over the estate as we pull up to the circular drive. The trees along the boundaries of thegardens are starting to swish in the wind, and the smell of moisture in the air seems to get heavier with the impending rainfall.
Scarlet is standing at the back of a truck, her hands on her dungaree-covered hips, and her hair, now a faded pastel lavender, in a messy pile on her head.
She’s definitely stressed.
“I’ll take Ellis in,” Vinny tells me with a smug smile. “I already had to deal with one Lowell today.” He winks.
To be fair, I think he drew the short straw. I’ve never seen Scarlet get on Mason’s level of… difficultness.
“It’s raining!” Scarlet tells me the second I step up next to her. “Do you think it will be raining on Saturday?”
“No, the forecast is good for Saturday,” I say optimistically.
“I can’t get the marquee up in the rain, Nina. I need it to be dry now!”
Okay… “Well, it’s not. There must be other things we can do.” I look around at the accessories she has littered on the terrace and steps.
“Like what? The lanterns? Because they’re going to get wet too,” she huffs, waving her hand in the back of the truck.
“Calm down, Scar.”
She scrubs her hand over her face as I climb onto the small platform to see what there is to unload.
“These need to go inside?” I ask, holding up one of the lanterns.
“They’re for Mum and Dad’s garden, but we will have to put them out tomorrow,” she tells me.
“Okay, then let’s put them in the library. Just until morning.See what the weather is like then?” I hand one of the glass domes out to her. “It’s only meant to be a shower. Don’t stress, okay? Everything is going to be perfect.”
“What if it isn’t?” She pauses with the lantern in her hand, looking up at the estate. “What if Mason doesn’t even come?”
“He’ll come.”
He better damn well come.
“How can you be so sure, have you spoken to him about it?”
“Not yet. I didn’t know if you wanted me to or if you were going to ask him. It might be better coming from you.”
“No, it wouldn’t. He’s used to telling me no. You do realise he didn’t come out here at all before he met you? He might drop things off or pick me or Dad up every now and then, but he never actually came inside.”
“And you think he will listen to me now, all of a sudden? If Mason is here on Saturday night, you should know it will be for you, Scar.”
“You’re talking out your ass but whatever, lady.”
“Scar!” I laugh, watching as she disappears around the open truck door.
