but they are always polite when I see them in the village. I have nothing against them. It's not their fault their mother is how she is." Her mum squeezed her shoulder as she straightened. "I heard you've been spending some time with the 'Bury boys." Her mum smiled at her then and Vicky relaxed.
Why does it matter what my mum thinks of them? "Yeah. You remember Emma, don't you?" Her mum nodded, so she carried on. "Well, she just got engaged to Matt, Matthew Altenbury. And their sister Jessica—Jess—used to live with Emma before she moved in with Matt."
"Mmhmm. And the eldest boy?"
Vicky slid her gaze towards her mum, not liking her tone. "What about him?"
"Oh, nothing," she said as she boxed the carrot cake up. "I heard you were in the pub with him, that's all. Just the two of you."
Her mouth dropped open to say something, refute it maybe, but her dad chose that moment to walk in.
"Hi, honey," he said as he pressed his lips to her mum's cheek. Turning to Vicky, he smiled and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "This is a lovely surprise to come home to. Are you staying for tea?"
Vicky nodded and, not for the first time, felt a pang of envy because she wanted a relationship like her parents had. She wondered if the love her parents shared still existed for people of her age. Probably not, since most people were too obsessed with their smartphones or tablets to hold an actual conversation with each other.
How was she supposed to get to know someone if they had their nose glued to their phone? She didn't want to meet someone on a dating site, although she'd thought about it several times. She guessed she was still holding out for hearts and flowers.
She had a feeling she would be in for a long wait.
***
James picked up his phone and thumbed through to his messages, rolling his eyes when he saw it was only from Matt. James wasn't in the mood to go to the pub, even if it was a Saturday night. In fact, he hadn't been in the mood for anything since that Monday night with Vicky. He hadn't heard from her, which wasn't actually a surprise. Irritating, but not really surprising. He scowled at his own thoughts.
She confused the hell out of him. Women were usually quite obvious in how they felt about him, but Vicky? She was like a tornado, unpredictable and prone to random changes in direction. He glanced at his phone as another message from Matt popped up.
It's for our engagement. Vicky is invited!
It looked like he'd have to go then if it was for their engagement. Nothing at all to do with Vicky. He shook his head. She might not even turn up. Yeah, right. Who am I trying to kid?
An hour later, he'd showered and changed his clothes and was walking into the pub. He spotted Matt at the bar and headed in his direction. Clapping his hand on Matt's back in greeting, James leaned his back against the bar and scanned the rest of the room, looking for Emma. Not looking for Vicky. Shut up.
She was sitting at a huge table in the back of the room beside the fire. They had the whole raised area roped off just for them, by the looks of it. Emma was lost in conversation with Jess, the two of them sat on their own. He turned back to Matt as he set a pint in front of him.
"Shouldn't I be buying you a drink? Commiserate your loss of freedom and all that?"
Matt laughed as he paid the barmaid. "Are you kidding? I couldn't be happier, bro. Freedom is completely overrated. I can't wait until we actually get married."
"Jesus. You're going to be insufferable until that day, aren't you? Fair warning, I might avoid you until the wedding."
"Good thing I'm asking Rob to be my best man then, isn't it. Just wait until it's you and Vicky. Then you'll understand."
James coughed as the sip of beer he took went down the wrong way.
Matt thumped him on the back. "You all right there?"
"I would be if you didn't say shit like that." His brother needed to learn to keep comments like that to himself.
"Come on, Emma's waiting for
Why does it matter what my mum thinks of them? "Yeah. You remember Emma, don't you?" Her mum nodded, so she carried on. "Well, she just got engaged to Matt, Matthew Altenbury. And their sister Jessica—Jess—used to live with Emma before she moved in with Matt."
"Mmhmm. And the eldest boy?"
Vicky slid her gaze towards her mum, not liking her tone. "What about him?"
"Oh, nothing," she said as she boxed the carrot cake up. "I heard you were in the pub with him, that's all. Just the two of you."
Her mouth dropped open to say something, refute it maybe, but her dad chose that moment to walk in.
"Hi, honey," he said as he pressed his lips to her mum's cheek. Turning to Vicky, he smiled and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "This is a lovely surprise to come home to. Are you staying for tea?"
Vicky nodded and, not for the first time, felt a pang of envy because she wanted a relationship like her parents had. She wondered if the love her parents shared still existed for people of her age. Probably not, since most people were too obsessed with their smartphones or tablets to hold an actual conversation with each other.
How was she supposed to get to know someone if they had their nose glued to their phone? She didn't want to meet someone on a dating site, although she'd thought about it several times. She guessed she was still holding out for hearts and flowers.
She had a feeling she would be in for a long wait.
***
James picked up his phone and thumbed through to his messages, rolling his eyes when he saw it was only from Matt. James wasn't in the mood to go to the pub, even if it was a Saturday night. In fact, he hadn't been in the mood for anything since that Monday night with Vicky. He hadn't heard from her, which wasn't actually a surprise. Irritating, but not really surprising. He scowled at his own thoughts.
She confused the hell out of him. Women were usually quite obvious in how they felt about him, but Vicky? She was like a tornado, unpredictable and prone to random changes in direction. He glanced at his phone as another message from Matt popped up.
It's for our engagement. Vicky is invited!
It looked like he'd have to go then if it was for their engagement. Nothing at all to do with Vicky. He shook his head. She might not even turn up. Yeah, right. Who am I trying to kid?
An hour later, he'd showered and changed his clothes and was walking into the pub. He spotted Matt at the bar and headed in his direction. Clapping his hand on Matt's back in greeting, James leaned his back against the bar and scanned the rest of the room, looking for Emma. Not looking for Vicky. Shut up.
She was sitting at a huge table in the back of the room beside the fire. They had the whole raised area roped off just for them, by the looks of it. Emma was lost in conversation with Jess, the two of them sat on their own. He turned back to Matt as he set a pint in front of him.
"Shouldn't I be buying you a drink? Commiserate your loss of freedom and all that?"
Matt laughed as he paid the barmaid. "Are you kidding? I couldn't be happier, bro. Freedom is completely overrated. I can't wait until we actually get married."
"Jesus. You're going to be insufferable until that day, aren't you? Fair warning, I might avoid you until the wedding."
"Good thing I'm asking Rob to be my best man then, isn't it. Just wait until it's you and Vicky. Then you'll understand."
James coughed as the sip of beer he took went down the wrong way.
Matt thumped him on the back. "You all right there?"
"I would be if you didn't say shit like that." His brother needed to learn to keep comments like that to himself.
"Come on, Emma's waiting for
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