“Thank you, but I am guessing you already knew.”
He shrugged and smiled, making her laugh.
“I hope you’re not flirting with other men, Natasha,” said Jim from her other side making her turn to face him.
“And if I am?” she whispered.
He grinned at her response, although she was under no illusion that in the event of actual flirting with another man would not be met with a grin and a humorous tone. “Then I might have to find somewhere quiet and remind you exactly who owns you.”
“How?” she asked quietly, a slight hitch to her breathing and a nibble of her lower lip.
Jim laughed and kissed her gently on the cheek. “Oh, baby, so eager.”
His whispered words made her smile.
She was still smiling as she imagined just how he might remind her when Sophie interrupted, “When are you getting married?” she asked, prompting Lizzie to ask if she could be a bridesmaid.
Tasha looked at Jim feeling out of her depth. Maybe she should have just gone to Vegas with him and come back married. All of these questions, none of them with answers. Lizzie and Pippa now had designs on being bridesmaids, Sophie was asking for dates and presumably they’d all want details sooner rather than later. When she’d agreed to marry Jim she thought everything would just happen and fall into place, although the truth was more that she hadn’t thought at all beyond loving him and wanting to be with him.
“We haven’t set a date yet,” replied Tasha.
“We plan on deciding soon,” added Jim.
“But I can be a bridesmaid,” said Lizzie as more of a statement than a question.
“We may not go with a big wedding.” Tasha instantly felt guilty as she looked at Lizzie’s crestfallen expression.
“Or we may,” contradicted Jim making Lizzie smile and Tasha frown.
They really should have discussed this before announcing their engagement.
“We may just elope,” said Tasha now.
“What about your family?” asked Bria.
Tasha knew that Jim’s family, well, not all of them, were aware of her relationship or past with her family and was sure that if they did, none of them would see the lack of their inclusion an issue.
Bria continued, fixated on Tasha’s family. “You can’t get married without your family, especially not for your first wedding. Save eloping for a future marriage,” she said so bluntly that Tasha felt as though she had just been punched, but masked it with a laugh.
“My family are pleased for us, so whatever we decide to do will be fine. They get that it’s up to us,” she said before Maisie tried to change the subject, but Bria persisted.
“I can’t imagine not being given away by Daddy when I got married. I think it’s a little selfish to exclude your family,” she preached.
Jack jumped in now. “Tasha, you do what you want, but Bria as much as I loved giving you away, eloping would have been cheaper.”
There was a muttering of laughter as Sophie said, “Money won’t be an issue, will it?”
“I don’t know, will it, Tasha? It’s the bride’s family who traditionally pay for a wedding and I assume it’s the same in England,” said Bria bitchily.
Yes, they should definitely have discussed details before being subjected to all of these questions, many of them reasonable and some she should probably have anticipated.
Tasha was desperate to get out of there, maybe after telling Bria to fuck off, but that wasn’t an option here and now.
Jim sensed her unease, lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it gently as his sister watched on. “Bri, we’re telling you we’re getting married because it seemed the courteous thing to do. We are not looking for approval, permission or anything else from you. Now, leave Tasha alone.”
Tasha smiled at him and suddenly felt secure and safe again because he had stuck up for her, defended her existence in his life and their decision to marry.
After dinner, Maisie opened up huge French doors leading out to the back of the house that had a pond, trees, shrubs, a walled flower garden, seats, benches and swings. The children all headed outdoors; Alexa, Sophie’s children, Kyle, aged seven and Natalie, aged five, then there were Bria’s children Niall, aged fifteen and thirteen-year-old Jenna and of course Lizzie, Philip and Juan. The older ones were exchanging stories of their summer so far and the younger ones ran around the garden.
