Forever Love at Wildflower Lock (The Wildflower Lock #4)

Chapter 52

52

By the time they got back to Wildflower Lock, Daisy had discovered that weddings were probably the most ridiculously expensive events possible. She had found a website that listed all the things the day was supposed to include and had the average prices next to them, too. According to this site, the average bride spent over a thousand pounds on their wedding dress and five hundred on the cake. Well, Daisy decided, that was one way she would save money – getting her mother to bake it for her. Or if Pippa didn’t want to, then she could even make it herself. And the rest of the food, too. But what about the venue and the music and all those other things? Those would be harder to find cheap options for, and could she really afford to do things on the cheap when the entirety of Theo’s family were going to be there, judging her?

‘Look, I think you’re putting a bit too much pressure on yourself to get all this sorted as soon as possible,’ Theo said. ‘We’ve got all the time in the world. Isn’t that the whole point of being engaged – to give yourself time to sort this?’

Daisy nodded.

‘You’re right,’ she said, reaching across and squeezing his hand, though she still wasn’t convinced it was true. The very first decision they had made about the wedding was that they didn’t want to be engaged for years and that was even more true now than when they’d first discussed it. Thankfully, now they were back at the lock, there was a new thought which took priority.

‘I can’t wait to see Johnny,’ she said, a lightness filling her chest at the thought of their canine companion. ‘I hope he hasn’t driven them mad.’

‘I’m sure he’s been spoiled rotten,’ Theo replied. ‘Especially if Amelia has been down.’

Daisy chuckled lightly because she knew it was true. As long as Claire and Ian refused to get a dog of their own, Amelia would make the most of every second she could with Daisy’s. And Daisy understood. Even after the fancy hotel with the spa and luxury food, she wanted nothing more than a night curled up on the Narrow Escape with her feet on Theo and Johnny’s head on her lap.

She took her bag from the boot of the car and was about to say as much to Theo, when a voice cut through the quiet.

‘No, this is it. I mean it this time!’

The tone of the shout shot into the deepest recesses of Daisy’s memory. Growing up, it felt like she had heard the same line spouted every other month in the same tone from the same person. She picked up her pace and raced through the gate from the car park to the canal.

‘Mum?’

Her mother was marching out of the Jeanette , a heavy bag on her shoulders and her face contorted in anger.

‘Mum, is everything okay?’ Daisy asked.

Her mother turned to look at Daisy, sniffing back tears as she wiped her nose with the back of her hand.

‘Daisy, thank goodness you’re back,’ she said, a look of relief washing over her. ‘I’m going to need to stay at yours tonight.’