Laughing, Issy bent to pick up the bottle sitting next to her chair and refilled Chloe’s glass. She turned to Kat. ‘What about you?’
With a shake of her head, Kat covered the top of her glass with her hand. ‘It’s going down a bit too easily so I’m going to pace myself.’ A gust of wind sent a shiver down her spine and she shifted her chair a bit closer to the heater.
‘You’re probably right about pacing ourselves, but tonight I’m celebrating,’ Issy said as she filled her own glass and passed the bottle to Chloe.
Any thoughts of the cold or eating vanished from Kat’s head as she edged forward on her seat. ‘Ooh, celebrating what?’
Issy waited until the other two had also leaned closer then lowered her voice. ‘Look, you must promise not to say anything because we’ve decided to keep things quiet for now but I can’t not tell you three.’
‘Tell us what?’ Chloe whisper-demanded. ‘Did something happen in New York?’
With a secretive smile, Issy reached into the neckline of her top and pulled out a necklace with a garish plastic flower ring dangling from it. It was nothing more than a junk toy out of oneof those machines that kids loved and parents despaired about, but they all understood the significance of it. Liam had given Issy an identical one years before and told her he’d marry her one day. ‘Oh my God!’ Chloe exclaimed.
‘Shh!’ Issy quickly shoved the necklace back inside her top then flapped her hand at them. ‘I told you we’re keeping it quiet for now.’
‘Sorry, sorry!’ Chloe whispered, her eyes shining with excitement. ‘Oh my God!’ she repeated. ‘That’s brilliant news!’
Kat did her best to hold a smile, but inside her brain was shrieking,Too soon! Too soon!Issy and Liam might have been childhood sweethearts but they’d been separated for years and had only reunited a few months ago. She took a quick swig of her champagne and counted to ten in her head to try and calm the fluttering panic inside her. Not every marriage was destined to be a disaster. She could look around this garden now and count a dozen couples or more who were the epitome of happiness. And she didn’t know two people more suited to each other than Issy and Liam.
She looked over at her friend, who was practically vibrating with happiness. Whatever her personal doubts, Kat would not steal a single ounce of that joy from her. Reaching out, she grasped Issy’s hand and squeezed it. ‘That’s brilliant,’ she echoed. ‘I couldn’t be happier for you.’
‘It’s probably too early to make plans,’ Anya said, her own face wreathed in smiles. ‘But if you want some help with ideas for your dress then you know I’d love to be involved.’
Issy grinned. ‘I was actually going to ask you to make it. I don’t want some big fancy mountain of lace and satin, just something really simple. Oh, and I’d have Freya as a flower girl, of course.’ She laughed. ‘But I’m getting way ahead of myself! We’re not in any rush as we want to focus on getting the hotel sorted first.’
‘I’d be honoured! Whatever you want, and of course Freya would love to be involved. Oh, gosh, Issy, this is simply wonderful news!’ Anya leaned forward and hugged Issy tight for a moment. ‘I promise I won’t say anything to anyone.’ Her brows tugged down. ‘I can talk to Rick about it though?’
Issy cast a quick frown over her shoulder. ‘I’m not sure if Liam’s going to tell them tonight or not, so can you keep it on the down-low until he’s had a chance?’
Anya smiled. ‘Of course. And he’ll want to tell Ma and Pa himself as well, I’m sure.’ She held her fingers to her lips and twisted them as though locking them. ‘Not a word, I promise.’
Issy grasped her hand. ‘Thank you. I probably shouldn’t have said anything to you guys, but I couldn’t keep it to myself. I haven’t even told Nan yet.’
‘Your secret’s safe with us,’ Kat promised her.
‘Absolutely,’ Chloe added straight after.
Anya dug a hand in her pocket and pulled out her phone. ‘I don’t want to break up the party but I’m going to have to go in a minute. I want to make sure everything’s okay at Ma and Pa’s.’
‘Have they sent you a message?’ Chloe asked, craning forward in her chair as if to look at Anya’s phone screen.
Anya shook her head as she tucked her phone away once more. ‘Not since Ma texted to say Freya went to bed as good as gold. Probably because Rick and I promised her we’ll wake her up to watch the fireworks, but I don’t want them to think we’re taking advantage.’
‘They’d never think that,’ Issy assured her. ‘You know they love looking after Freya.’
‘I know, it’s just…’ Anya’s smile softened. ‘I’ve got news of my own, but I don’t want to steal your thunder.’
‘Steal away!’ Issy insisted.
The past few years had been awful for Anya. Losing her husband in an accident would be more than anyone their ageshould have to endure, but then Anya had discovered Drew was a liar and a fraud who’d left her facing a mountain of debts. Chloe’s mum and dad had taken her and Freya in when they had nowhere else to go and not a penny to their name.
Another disastrous marriage.
Kat shoved the voice of doubt to the back of her head. After what Drew had put Anya through, she deserved every bit of happiness she could grab on to. Rick was the most dependable person Kat knew and he’d die before letting Anya down. ‘Yes, tell us, please,’ she urged Anya.
Eyes shining, Anya looked between them. ‘We sat down with Ma and Pa over the holidays and had a long talk. They’re brilliant for their age but at some point they’re the ones who are going to need support. They don’t want to move into Blue Horizons, so they asked if we’d like to move in with them.’ She took a deep breath. ‘Rick and I have spent the past few days discussing it and we’ve decided to accept!’
‘Oh, that’s fantastic news!’ Chloe leaned forward and grabbed Anya in a tight hug. ‘And not just because it means I get my summer house back,’ she added with a laugh as she sat back.
