The tapping of the family’s phone cameras began.
‘Come on… Look this way… Another wee peck.’
‘Keep it family friendly,’ Sean mumbled as they moved in for another kiss. ‘For my sake, not theirs.’
‘I take it Tennessee’s off the table now?’ Nate asked Sean as they tucked into a mouthwatering buffet of rainbow salads, succulent chicken and verdant greens.
Tennessee? Sean was going to Tennessee?Cherry tried not to appear confused, but what the hell were they talking about? Sean had mentioned nothing about Tennessee. Was this something she, as a wife, should know about, at least for the sake of keeping up appearances?
‘Aye, um, I’m not sure to be honest. I might still go.’ Sean shuffled in his seat, and Cherry suspected it was something that he would have mentioned had their marriage been going to last. ‘The job swap is still on the table. Cherry and I are discussing it. Her work is portable, so it makes things easier.’
‘Yes,’ Cherry dissembled as much as possible. ‘Although, poker is illegal in Tennessee and the bordering states, so we would have some hoops to jump through there. I could travel to the six states where it is legal, but I’d miss Sean too much.’
A flash of surprise crossed Sean’s face at this information, which threw a spanner into his story.
‘But I don’t want to hold him back from doing something he had his sights on before he met me. I know how much he likes to keep life varied.’
‘Never one to stay still for too long,’ Nate agreed. ‘Always on the hunt for the next adventure.’
‘I married the next adventure.’ Sean didn’t miss a beat. His hand slid onto her knee, like he was saying thanks for her smooth response to the topic of Tennessee.
And guilt swooped down like a vulture at the buffet dinner because what Sean said was kind of true. Except the marriage, which should have been the adventure of lifetime, had turned into a crocodile-infested cruise in a leaky boat.
He deserved so much more. A union that included the joyous anticipation of growing a family. Not a marriage where you sat in a post-adrenaline slump at the end. And this was why she couldn’t let him settle for her as enough. Because, one day, she wouldn’t be. One day, lovely Amanda would be surrounded by grandchildren, and she couldn’t bear to be responsible for Sean not being part of that because he’d chosen a liquidation risk as his wife.
Cherry drained her champagne glass. ‘Speaking of adventure, I hope you’re all going to attend the charity pro-am poker tournament I’m organising.’
‘Too right we are.’ Cara immediately reached to top up the empty vessel. ‘I’m brushing up on my poker skills already.’
‘I love your enthusiasm.’ Cherry turned to Sean’s older brother. ‘Jamie, I was wondering…might the distillery consider donating a prize, as a draw card for high-rolling guests?’
‘Absolutely.’ Jamie put down his drink. ‘What were you thinking? A bottle or two?’
‘I was thinking more of a cask. We can raffle it since it’s probably too expensive to legally offer as a prize.’
Sean appeared to either choke or laugh into his beer, possibly at how brass-necked she was being. ‘Excellent idea, Cher,’ he said. ‘What do you say, J? It’s for charity, after all?’
‘Aye, it shouldn’t be a problem if it’s going to bring in the money.’
‘You know, I can offer you something,’ Alicia said. ‘My brother, Connor. He’s a well-known actor, films a lot in Scotland and loves poker. His attendance could raise the profile of the event.’
‘Connor…um?’
‘Connor Donoghue.’
Cherry nearly spat out her drink. Connor Donoghue was a massive star, an A-lister of Hollywood A-listers from the legendary Donoghue acting dynasty. His attendance would be a huge boon for the event.
‘Wow! Thank you so much, Alicia. That would be incredible.’
‘Oh, and he’s good mates with Campbell Duff,’ Alicia added. ‘I’ll see if Con can get him on board, too.’
Sean cracked open another beer. ‘Ah, Campbell Duff – the boy from Newton Mearns who pretends he’s fae Drumchapel but talks like he moved to LA when he was nine.’ Clearly, he was not a fan. Not that Cherry had time to dwell on this.
‘C-Campbell Duff? Oh, fab.’ She could have kicked herself for stuttering, but the last thing she was expecting was for that name to crop up. Fuck. She would have to contact him now. It was either that, or reject Alicia’s offer and explain that he was her ex and his presence roused ghosts she didn’t want awoken, which would seem selfish when charity money was on the table.
‘Having Campbell there would also be amazing,’ she said. ‘Thanks again.’
Alicia beamed. ‘Connor loved Jimmy, so I know he’ll be keen to raise money to stop other families from going through what this one has.’
