Christmas At the Café by Rebecca Raisin

Author:Rebecca Raisin [Raisin, Rebecca; Boleyn, Darcie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2015-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

There’s a knock at the door, stunning us silent as the girls sit with half-empty flutes of champagne in hand. The excitement is palpable as we stand up.

“Fix her train…”

“Careful with your champagne, don’t you spill it on her…”

“Let me check your make-up…”

“Where’s my other shoe…?”

“It’s really happening!”

We stop as our gazes meet, and double over laughing. The knock at the door becomes more insistent and that only sets us off again.

Sarah walks to the door, the first of us to regain her composure. “We’ll be a few minutes, if that’s OK?”

The driver muffles a reply.

She walks back and claps her hands together. “Right. Charlie, your shoe is by the front door. I’ll fix the train. Missy, you check her hair and make-up. Olivia, if you can wrestle the champagne from Lil, and Sue, we might just be ready to go.”

Olivia takes my flute and says, “You’ve hardly touched it.”

My hands shake. “I’m too jittery for champagne. I’ll need all my faculties so I don’t tumble down the aisle.”

Missy stands back from scrutinizing me. “Mmm hmm, that’s true. She’s not used to high heels. We’ve had to hold practice sessions so she can walk without looking like a newly born giraffe.”

“Missy! You said I looked graceful!”

She colors. “Well, I didn’t want to put you off…”

I guffaw. “I knew it!”

“What’s all this racket?” my dad booms, peeping around from the front door. “Lil, take a look at you…” Tears spring to his eyes, which he hastily swipes away. “Give your old man a hug.”

We embrace, and the comfort of his bulk calms my nerves a little. “Don’t cry, Dad, sheesh, you’ll make me start again, and it’s like a chain reaction here.”

Missy harrumphs. “There’s not enough make-up in the world for this lot.”

“Oh, yeah, Missy?” Sarah says, raising her eyebrows. “As far as I see it, you’re the one leading the charge with the sob-fests today.”

“Well, I got a good reason…” She smirks and rubs her belly.

“Sure you do.”

Mamma bustles around, clasping her hands and muttering.

“Mamma, take a deep breath.”

She stops, and puts her hands on her hips. “I know, I know. I’m just making sure we haven’t forgotten anything. Where’s my list? Where’s the bouquets?”

“I’ll get them,” Sarah says.

“What about the rings?” Mamma asks.

“Damon’s got them,” I reply.

“Anything else?” Her voice is manic with worry.

“My veil, I just need Missy to clip it on.”

“Sugar, I almost forgot,” Missy says, clamping a bunch of bobby pins between her teeth as she takes the veil from its hanger.

Missy attaches the veil to a clip in my hair.

Charlie holds my hand and says, “You look like a princess come to life, Lil.”

I squeeze her hand. “You do too, Charlie.” And she does. In her silky gown, and faux fur stole, with her tiny tiara, and beautiful blond curls set loose around her shoulders, she’s every inch the princess.

She beams up at me. “If my feet hurt can I change back to my boots?”

I laugh. “You sure can. It’ll be our little secret. Besides no one will see your boots under your dress.

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