danger now was Myles and his determination to own the story. In fact, Sam wouldn’t be surprised if he leaked the news himself. The sensible thing would be for her to tell
Nessie and Joss now, minimise the damage; if she was advising a client that was exactly what she’d tell them to do. But she was scared of how the two people she cared about most would react.
Nessie knew some of it already, the bare bones but not the detail. Joss was oblivious to it all. Only Nick Borrowdale knew everything; he’d been the one she’d run to after packing up
her office, a friend in her time of need, and she’d sworn him to total secrecy.
‘It’s nothing,’ Sam told Joss. ‘I’ve been stressed about the rooms being finished in time, that’s all.’
‘But they are,’ Joss objected. ‘And they look amazing, top of the range stuff. The cellar is bursting with stock for the wedding and everything is in hand. So why are you
walking around looking like the sky is going to crash down upon our heads at any minute?’
‘I—’ Sam hesitated. She was going to have to tell him; she wanted to. But not here, where there were customers to overhear her toe-curling, shameful confession. Not now.
‘I suppose I am being a bit pessimistic. Sorry.’
His blue eyes bored into hers. ‘And you’re sure that’s all it is? You’re not angry with me over something I have or haven’t done, or something I’ve said or
not said?’
Her eyes widened. ‘No! Honestly, it’s nothing like that.’
Joss stared at her for a long moment. ‘Okay,’ he said at last and his expression relaxed. ‘Just think, this time tomorrow, JoJo will be upstairs getting ready and Jamie will be
somewhere, terrified beyond belief.’
Sam smiled in spite of herself. ‘How do you know? He might be looking forward to the best day of his life.’
‘That too,’ Joss agreed. ‘But he’ll still be terrified. All men are.’
‘In which case I’m amazed anyone ever makes it down the aisle,’ she said drily.
Joss laughed. ‘But that’s the best part – we feel the fear and do it anyway. Because when you meet the one, you know, and you don’t let anything stop you from spending
the rest of your life with her.’
Now it was Sam’s turn to stare. ‘You really are a romantic, aren’t you?’
He stepped closer. ‘Yes. And just so we’re clear, I already know you’re the one. So give it a few years and it’ll be you getting ready and me feeling the fear.’
He bent his head to brush her lips with his.
‘Get a room, you two,’ Bryan from the butchers joked, across the other side of the bar.
‘Sorry,’ Joss called, stepping back with a wry smile. ‘What can I get you?’
As he walked away, Sam felt a shiver of anxiety work its way down her spine. She’d spent all of her adult life running away from commitment and it had found her anyway, in someone
she’d never have expected. And the weird thing was, she wasn’t scared any more, not of settling down at least. Things felt right with Joss, as though she was where she was meant to be,
and it made her heart sing to know he felt the same way.
She watched him laughing with Bryan and made up her mind: she had to find time to tell him what was going on and soon. She couldn’t – wouldn’t – risk losing him.
Not now she knew she loved him.
Chapter Seven
Nessie stood in the middle of JoJo and Jamie’s bridal suite on Saturday morning and gazed around. The room was dominated by a superking-size four-poster bed with
exquisitely carved dark oak posts, complete with billowing cream curtains, fine Egyptian cotton sheets and plump inviting pillows. Later this evening the bed would be strewn with rose petals, and
the antique claw-footed champagne bucket would be brimming with ice beside the bed. She crossed the room and entered the bathroom: a double-ended slipper bath gleamed under the dimmable spotlights
in the sloping beamed ceiling. Fluffy white towels hung from the heated towel rail and
Nessie and Joss now, minimise the damage; if she was advising a client that was exactly what she’d tell them to do. But she was scared of how the two people she cared about most would react.
Nessie knew some of it already, the bare bones but not the detail. Joss was oblivious to it all. Only Nick Borrowdale knew everything; he’d been the one she’d run to after packing up
her office, a friend in her time of need, and she’d sworn him to total secrecy.
‘It’s nothing,’ Sam told Joss. ‘I’ve been stressed about the rooms being finished in time, that’s all.’
‘But they are,’ Joss objected. ‘And they look amazing, top of the range stuff. The cellar is bursting with stock for the wedding and everything is in hand. So why are you
walking around looking like the sky is going to crash down upon our heads at any minute?’
‘I—’ Sam hesitated. She was going to have to tell him; she wanted to. But not here, where there were customers to overhear her toe-curling, shameful confession. Not now.
‘I suppose I am being a bit pessimistic. Sorry.’
His blue eyes bored into hers. ‘And you’re sure that’s all it is? You’re not angry with me over something I have or haven’t done, or something I’ve said or
not said?’
Her eyes widened. ‘No! Honestly, it’s nothing like that.’
Joss stared at her for a long moment. ‘Okay,’ he said at last and his expression relaxed. ‘Just think, this time tomorrow, JoJo will be upstairs getting ready and Jamie will be
somewhere, terrified beyond belief.’
Sam smiled in spite of herself. ‘How do you know? He might be looking forward to the best day of his life.’
‘That too,’ Joss agreed. ‘But he’ll still be terrified. All men are.’
‘In which case I’m amazed anyone ever makes it down the aisle,’ she said drily.
Joss laughed. ‘But that’s the best part – we feel the fear and do it anyway. Because when you meet the one, you know, and you don’t let anything stop you from spending
the rest of your life with her.’
Now it was Sam’s turn to stare. ‘You really are a romantic, aren’t you?’
He stepped closer. ‘Yes. And just so we’re clear, I already know you’re the one. So give it a few years and it’ll be you getting ready and me feeling the fear.’
He bent his head to brush her lips with his.
‘Get a room, you two,’ Bryan from the butchers joked, across the other side of the bar.
‘Sorry,’ Joss called, stepping back with a wry smile. ‘What can I get you?’
As he walked away, Sam felt a shiver of anxiety work its way down her spine. She’d spent all of her adult life running away from commitment and it had found her anyway, in someone
she’d never have expected. And the weird thing was, she wasn’t scared any more, not of settling down at least. Things felt right with Joss, as though she was where she was meant to be,
and it made her heart sing to know he felt the same way.
She watched him laughing with Bryan and made up her mind: she had to find time to tell him what was going on and soon. She couldn’t – wouldn’t – risk losing him.
Not now she knew she loved him.
Chapter Seven
Nessie stood in the middle of JoJo and Jamie’s bridal suite on Saturday morning and gazed around. The room was dominated by a superking-size four-poster bed with
exquisitely carved dark oak posts, complete with billowing cream curtains, fine Egyptian cotton sheets and plump inviting pillows. Later this evening the bed would be strewn with rose petals, and
the antique claw-footed champagne bucket would be brimming with ice beside the bed. She crossed the room and entered the bathroom: a double-ended slipper bath gleamed under the dimmable spotlights
in the sloping beamed ceiling. Fluffy white towels hung from the heated towel rail and
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