‘Yeah!’ My voice shot up several octaves. ‘I’m fine! Just emotional about today, that’s all. You look stunning! And you haven’t even put on your dress yet. You’re going to besucha beautiful bride. Has anyone called an ambulance? When Theo sees you, he’s gonna pass out, so we need them on standby! Ha!’
I laughed but Jess didn’t.
In hindsight, telling a bride that her husband was going to be carted off in an ambulance on their wedding day wasn’t the smartest thing to say, but I wasn’t thinking clearly.
And I absolutely, one hundred per cent was not going to tell her about what I was going through with Ben. Not on her wedding day.
I knew Jess and if she caught wind of what had happened, she’d start worrying about me and trying to make me feel better. Today was aboutherand Theo. To hell with anyone or anything else. I had to make sure this was the most perfect and memorable day of her life.
‘Something’s wrong…’ Jess’s eyes narrowed.
‘I’mfine!’ I insisted. My phone buzzed and I thanked the heavens for the interruption.
When I looked at the screen, my eyes bugged out.
‘Mia and Liam have arrived early and asked if there’s anything they can do to help?’
Both of them were celebs in their own right, yet they were offering to muck in. So cool.
‘They’re such sweethearts!’ Jess said. ‘We’ve got everything sorted, though, haven’t we?’
‘Yep! Thanks to the community, everything’s in place.’
As soon as word spread that Jess and Theo had set a date, everyone in Sunshine Bay sprang into action.
Maddie had created a cake masterpiece, Candace was ready and waiting to fry the fresh fish and chips for the wedding reception, Babs and Bob from the pub were providing the drinks as their wedding gift; Kara was obviously part of Jess’s glam squad and Edwin, who sold the building to Jess to enable her to bring the Romance Library to life, was going to be the wedding officiant.
Jess and Theo agreed that without Edwin doing his scheming (ormatchmakingas he preferred to call it), they wouldn’t have got together. So it was only right that he married them in the place that meant so much to all of them.
It was going to be perfect.
‘You’re all done.’ Kara beamed. ‘You look incredible, babe.’
‘You really do,’ I agreed. ‘Let’s get you in your dress, then over to the library. We can’t keep your future husband waiting!’
Forty minutes later, I was standing in the library’s corridor with Jess, waiting to walk her down the ‘aisle’.
She was wearing a simple white silk slip dress. It was understated and elegant and suited Jess perfectly.
‘Nervous?’ I asked her.
‘Nope! I’m excited,’ she said without a shred of hesitation. ‘I’ve never been more sure about anything or anyone in my life.’
I loved that.
I’d always heard about people being nervous on their wedding day, but I guessed that saying was true:when you know, you know.
Then again, that was how I felt about Ben and that went tits up, so what did I know?
‘Jackson asked if you can wait at the top of the aisle?’ Jane stepped out into the corridor.
‘Ready?’ I looked at Jess.
‘Sure am!’ She beamed.
Jess looped her arm in mine and Jane opened the double doors, allowing us to step inside.
Whoa.
