‘Is it just me or does this entire thing feel like it should be a reality show on prime-time TV?’ Tate murmured close to Bel’s ear, sending a trail of goosebumps down her arm.
‘Right?’ She shouldn’t be wishing they could sneak back to her warm bed while her cousin was having a complete meltdown, but with Tate seated so close, her body was not listening to her brain.
Gigi and Niki appeared at the open door, model-gorgeous even as they were blinking and blurry-eyed, asking what had happened.
‘It’s raining,’ Larkin wailed.
The two women turned their gazes to the windows before looking back at each other. ‘My hair will never stay straightened in this!’ Niki bleated.
Bel bit back a retort.
‘All right. Listen up, people,’ Gisele announced, clapping her hands to get everyone’s attention. ‘It does seem that all roads leading in and out of Glentoberon are currently closed and guests will be stranded in Toormanlee. However,’ she said, raising her voice over the sudden outrage, ‘we can get the groom’s family here from Wessex, and there will be a number of local guests who should be able to make it. Sowhile numbers are down significantly, we will at least be able to relocate the reception venue to the house, which makes everything achievable, given the limited time. But we will need all hands on deck.’
It was decided they would set up at the rear of the house, where the dining room opened up through large French doors. They would position the bridal table to take centre stage inside, and more tables and chairs could spill out onto the wide back verandah.
With a solid plan now in place and not a moment to lose, the whole house sprang into action.
The inside of the Orangery was a disaster zone, but thankfully most of the table decorations hadn’t yet been set up. It was now a case of moving the tables and chairs out and redistributing the decorations with a little creative genius.
Throughout the morning, the rain continued to fall. Bel knew everyone was keeping an eye on the water levels, which were steadily on the rise.
She was walking past a gathered group of men when she heard her uncle delegating a number of jobs, which included taking the four-wheel drive to meet the guests who were being brought out from town by boat.
‘I’ll do that,’ Tristan volunteered, opening the door of the vehicle. ‘Uh …’ he said, turning back to face Bel’s uncle. ‘Is there another car?’
‘Not big enough to carry that many passengers or to handle the wet roads out there. Why?’
‘I … uh … it’s not automatic.’
‘Well, of course it’s not automatic,’ Uncle Stan said impatiently. ‘What? You can’t drive a manual?’
Bel saw Tristan shuffle uncomfortably before giving a small shrug.
‘Doanyof you know how to drive?’ Uncle Stan asked, incredulous.
Uncle Stan was being a tad harsh, Bel thought, feeling sorry for Tristan. He seemed genuinely deflated that he’d fallen short in his soon-to-be father-in-law’s eyes.
‘Well, we know how todrive,’ Leo declared, sounding somewhat insulted by the question. ‘But I haven’t heard of anyone driving a manual lately. They’re almost an extinct species.’
‘Not around here, sonny,’ Stan growled.
Why isn’t Tate stepping forward?Bel frowned. Surely he could … her stomach dropped. This wasn’t how it was supposed to play out. Jax would have instantly stepped forward. He drove Jeeps through the jungle and armoured vehicles through war zones. He’d even taken control of a helicopter when the pilot was shot!
Stop it. Tate isn’t Jax. Jax isn’t real.
‘I don’t have flamin’ time to play courier as well as check on the livestock,’ Uncle Stan muttered.
‘I’ll go, Uncle Stan,’ Bel said.
She crossed to the big four-wheel drive and hoisted herself into the driver’s seat.
‘Well thank God someone around here is useful,’ Stan muttered, turning away.
She avoided looking at any of the other men, not wanting to embarrass anyone and uncomfortably aware of Tate’s gaze. But when she did risk a quick glance as she started the engine, he simply gave her a cheerful wave before heading back inside.
The rain was relentless, and by Bel’s second trip, it was evident that the flood situation was worsening by the hour. The first trip, she’d made it almost to the edge of town. By the second run, she could barely make it fifteen minutes up the road.
She grabbed two umbrellas and climbed out of the cabin as she spotted the silver tinny moving towards her. As far as the eye could see was an ocean of water where paddocks had been only the day before. Her uncle and his workers had been out moving livestock and, seeing how fast the water was rising, it was lucky they’d done so. Animals would stand no chance out there alone.
