The people around all cheer and applaud – oh, and some people are filming us again, which is just fantastic. Actually, it probably is. JJ will be delighted to see me keeping up with my viral fame.
‘Piece of cake,’ he tells me with a wink. ‘Come on, hold the reins, she’ll follow me.’
Sure enough, Biscuits trots along behind him, until we’re back at the stables.
‘Fuck! Cheers, mate,’ a young lad tells Jake when he returns the unruly horse. ‘Someone spooked him. He got out.’
‘He’s alright, aren’t you, fella?’ Jake says, stroking the horse’s mane. ‘And Biscuits was a big help too, weren’t you, girl? And you…’
Jake hops off the horse, then reaches up and lifts me down from Biscuits’ back.
‘…you are muddy.’
I look down at my legs and, sure enough, they’re splattered with mud. So are his.
‘Fancy a shower?’ he asks cheekily.
‘I thought you’d never ask,’ I reply.
‘Hey, make sure you close the gate,’ Jake tells the young man.
‘Will do, pal,’ he replies.
‘Right, little lady, let’s get you cleaned up,’ he tells me, and then he picks me up, scoops me up like I’m nothing, and carries me back towards the lodge.
I can feel everyone watching. I can feel Andy’s gaze like a laser on my back.
‘Well, that gets us out of dancing,’ he says quietly, so only I can hear.
‘That was really cool,’ I tell him. ‘You knew just what to do.’
‘Happens more often that you’d think,’ he says modestly.
‘No, you’re great in a crisis,’ I reply.
‘You’re not so bad yourself,’ he tells me. ‘I meant what I said. Biscuits trusts you. I think Arty said I could ride her while I was here because he knew she was trouble. But we have an understanding, she and I, and I think she recognises that you and I have an understanding too. Horses are way smarter than people think. So are ranchers – we’re a close second.’
I laugh.
‘I thought, if we go back now, while they’re dancing, one of us can use the lodge bathroom, the other the en suite,’ he says. ‘They’ll probably figure we showered together, helps sell our story.’
‘I like the way you think,’ I reply.
‘I’m actually getting pretty good at this faking-being-engaged business,’ he says proudly. ‘If the real thing is this easy, reckon I’ll be good at that too.’
Do you know what, I think he’s right. I can’t think of a dreamier real-life leading man.
25
I suppose the downside to having a creative brain – especially being a novelist – is that you can’t reserve your skills exclusively for fiction. Oh no, the ability to fantasise, dramatise and catastrophise can and does spill into real life.
I must have a thousand theories about what could potentially be going on with Cordelia. She’s obviously got a secret, she’s clearly keeping it from Andy, and she’s very uneasy when JJ or I bring it up. The wedding seems to factor in, somehow, but anyone can tell she wants to marry Andy, and he does seem really happy. It’s just the speed of it, I suppose, and secrets – it makes you wonder if maybe she has an ulterior motive, or if she’s in some sort of trouble?
But the show must go on, so today Cordelia and I are meeting with a lady who runs a bridal boutique. Given how quickly we’re having to get this show on the road (and now I’m once again wondering why, why, why?) it means Cordelia is going to have to wear a wedding dress off the rack and hope one fits. It also means my bridesmaid dress will be similar – yep, now Cordelia gets to tell me what to wear.
‘Well,’ Cordelia says brightly, clapping her hands together once, ‘this is all very last-minute, but honestly I think that’s when you make the best decisions. No time to overthink.’
I can’t say I’ve made a decision without overthinking it, but sure, we’ll go with that.
