“I can commit to being here after London, but obviously I’m not aware of laws and regulations,” she conceded. Perhaps she was being unreasonable in her objections, but she would have liked to have been cut in on a conversation at the very least.
“Then Kayla stays, but tell her what you want and she’ll stick to that, okay?” He put an arm around her waist and kissed her head.
“Alright,” she agreed, knowing she’d have needed several months to organise their wedding herself.
“I like these little shorts.” He ran his hand over her denim clad behind, but got no further than cupping her possessively.
Jack appeared in the doorway. “Kayla is here.”
Tasha wasn’t sure what to expect of Kayla as they went outside to meet her, but what she found was a woman of around thirty-five with long blonde hair and bright red lips. She had very long legs clad in tight denim, with a button through denim shirt tucked in and had completed the look with brown cowboy boots. She was very confident and appeared to be familiar with Jim as she kissed and hugged him. Tasha could feel the unwelcome, but increasingly familiar feeling of jealousy surfacing.
“Kayla, meet Tasha,” he said, introducing them.
“Hi, Tasha. Jim has told me all about you.” Kayla smiled and reached out to hug Tasha.
“Really?” Tasha bristled for all to see and if any of them missed it her next words alerted them to it. “He hadn’t mentioned you until about five minutes ago.” She sounded catty, even to herself.
Kayla looked shocked, but smiled, pulled out her iPad and slipped into professional mode. “Shall we take a look at your possible locations then?”
“Yeah, sure.” Cupping Tasha’s elbow, Jim offered Kayla a warm smile. “But I think there’s something Tasha has forgotten in the house, so we’ll meet you out back.”
He led her back into the house in silence.
The door had barely shut behind them when she asked, in a very terse tone, “What is it I have forgotten in here?”
“Your manners I thought.” His words chastised her. “Come on, spit it out. Whatever is eating you, let’s hear it.”
Tasha shrugged.
“Oh no. You do not get to bitch at our wedding planner and then fucking shrug. What is the problem?” He loosely gripped her wrists.
“Is there anything between you and Kayla?” Tasha asked, revealing her worries, jealousy and insecurities.
“What? No! She is just a wedding planner I know.” He shook his head, wondering if she really thought so little of him that he’d use a wedding planner he’d slept with.
“She was very friendly,” Tasha said, a pout firmly fixed to her lips.
“Yes. I am paying her well to plan our wedding and she has come out here on a public holiday, so I am paying her very well today.”
“Oh.” Tasha felt slightly foolish now and more than a little guilty for her mistrust of Jim.
“Yes, ‘oh’. So can we get outside and find a place to get married please?”
Tasha nodded, wondering if this suspicious feeling she felt whenever she saw Jim with a beautiful woman would go away as strangely as it had appeared because she really didn’t like it.
****
They had just collected Lizzie while Philip and Juan were meeting them at Bria’s house after spending the day with Juan’s family when Lizzie, after several attempts to get the words out said, “I’m going to the movies with Dylan tomorrow.”
Jim looked across at Tasha and frowned.
“That’s nice.” Tasha smiled at Jim.
“Was he the one with the boner?” whispered Jim as Lizzie plugged her earphones back in.
“Yes,” replied Tasha honestly.
“I don’t like him and the idea that he had a boner after being with my daughter pisses me off.” Jim’s frown and genuine horror made Tasha laugh. “It’s not funny!” protested Jim.
