Epilogue
Hayley
H ayley still couldn’t stop smiling when she arrived at the salon on Wednesday morning.
‘I guess the wedding was good,’ Amber said.
‘The best.’ Hayley sat down at the reception desk. She wasn’t ready to tell everyone about Oliver yet. They’d spent the past two days together in a haze, but in between snuggles, he’d paid a visit to his old job and spoken to his former boss about connections. His plan was to resign from his London job and set up his own practice. To his surprise, his boss had offered him a partnership starting immediately if he was up for it. Oliver was on his way back to London to hand in his notice. It wouldn’t be long before he’d be back for good, and their new life could start.
‘Are Finlay and Genevieve on their honeymoon?’ Amber asked, leaning on the reception desk.
‘They flew to the Maldives on Monday morning. Genevieve loves beaches. I think she was freaking out about leaving her dog, but they’ve posted some pics on the socials, and they look so happy. Here.’ Hayley pulled out her phone and handed it to Amber. She scrolled through the smiling photos of the newlyweds on the beach with the bright blue ocean behind. Both Finlay and Genevieve were delighted about the development between Oliver and Hayley, though a little disappointed they wouldn’t get to buy Oliver’s house. Hayley was praying so hard that another house on the Fairways Estate came up for sale. How cool would it be to live that close to her brother and Genevieve? Her imagination sped ahead at the thought of them all a few years down the line, raising kids, the baby cousins all playing together. Her mum would be a granny and was already ecstatic at the thought.
Amber handed the phone back to Hayley. ‘Your first customer looks like a tricky fish.’
‘Oh? Why?’ Hayley opened the booking system and checked the name. Ophelia Chattan-Blythe. ‘That’s quite a mouthful. Who is she?’
‘Not sure,’ Amber said. ‘Colette and I looked her up on the socials. All her accounts are private, but she’s on LinkedIn as a design consultant in Edinburgh at a place called Timeless Butterfly Interiors. Looks very upmarket. And she’s gorgeous, you should see her phot—’
The bell on the salon door tinkled and the stunning woman arrived in person. Amber stopped talking, straightened up, and gaped at her. Hayley knew why. She looked like a model crossed with a member of the royal family. Hayley got up from the desk as Amber bustled off.
‘Hello.’ Hayley greeted her with a smile. ‘Are you Ophelia Chattan-Blythe?’
‘Yes.’ She ran her fingers through long blonde hair that was so perfect Hayley wasn’t sure she could do anything to improve it. Hayley was five foot eight and usually felt reasonably tall around other women, but Ophelia Chattan-Blythe was taller. Her clothes sang money and were the epitome of country chic with her white belted jeans, high boots and well-fitted tweed jacket.
‘I can take your jacket and, if you take a seat just here, we can discuss what you want to do with your hair.’
Ophelia took off her jacket, handed it to Hayley, and sat down, leaving a cloud of expensive perfume in the air. ‘I’d just like a little trim and some styling around the front. It’s got too long.’
Her accent was ‘posh’, and nerves prickled in Hayley’s tummy. She was suddenly responsible for attending to a woman who seemed like an aristocrat. Getting nervous doing hair hadn’t happened for a long time. She settled Ophelia in the chair and went to put her jacket away and collect a gown.
‘I hope I don’t mess her up,’ she muttered to Colette as she got to the backroom.
‘She’s bloody beautiful,’ Colette whispered. ‘I wish I had hair like that.’
Hayley returned to Ophelia and draped the gown over her. ‘Are you just visiting the town?’
‘Kind of. My family live nearby and I’m visiting them for a while.’
Hayley combed through Ophelia’s hair, wondering who her family was. A family with a name like Chattan-Blythe would be easy to find out about. The salon bell rang again, and Hayley glanced around, expecting another client, but it wasn’t. A woman with short dark hair and glasses came in with a large bag. Amber went to chat to her. The woman looked like she was delivering something, and Hayley recognised her from somewhere. Wasn’t she the florist from the wedding? Maybe she’d come in to book an appointment and just happened to be carrying a bag. But when she left, she handed it to Amber.
Amber brought it towards the back of the salon. As she passed Hayley, she mumbled, ‘It’s for you from the flower shop. You got a secret admirer?’
Hayley caught herself blushing in the mirror. Ophelia was also watching and listening.
‘I don’t know,’ Hayley said.
‘I think you should find out,’ Ophelia said. ‘It’s not every day a girl gets sent flowers out of the blue. Not in my experience anyway.’
‘I should finish your hair first.’
‘You’ve hardly started yet and I’m curious.’
‘Well, ok.’ Hayley put the comb away in her pouch and pulled open the box. Inside was an enormous bouquet of roses and a card.
‘Shall I read this?’ Amber pulled it out.
‘Seriously?’ Hayley stared at her.
Amber handed it to her and smiled. Hayley read.
Hayley, my love.
I miss you already. Of course, I’m ever so slightly freaked out that I’ll crash the car and not make it back to you, but I’m doing my best not to think about things like that. Can’t wait to see you again. You truly are the love of my life.
Oliver
XXX
Hayley sucked on her lip and smiled. He was crazy, but also wonderful.
‘Well?’ Ophelia said. ‘Do you know how invested I am in this?’
Hayley giggled and passed her the card.
‘Wow. Sounds like you’re onto a winner.’ She handed it to Amber.
Amber read with her mouth open. ‘Oliver? Isn’t he that grumpy divorce lawyer guy you hate?’
‘The very same.’
‘You hate him?’ Ophelia said.
‘We used to not get on so well.’
‘Oh my god,’ Amber clutched her face. ‘This is hilarious. Are you dating him?’
‘Yep.’
‘Good for you,’ Ophelia said. ‘And he’s a divorce lawyer?’
‘Yes, but I’m trying not to hold it against him.’
‘Does he do prenups?’
‘I don’t know.’ Hayley frowned at Ophelia in the mirror. ‘I could ask him. Do you need one?’
‘If my father has his way, then I might.’
It all sounded very intriguing, but Hayley couldn’t properly focus her mind on anything but being back with Oliver.
He’d suggested she stayed at his house until he got back. She hoped she’d be staying there quite a lot longer. Maybe forever. The roses were perfect on the dining room table, and she brought some of her favourite candle holders and set them around the room, making it instantly more homely. Oliver was due back on Saturday, which seemed like an age away, with only calls and messages to keep her going. Better than nothing, but it helped her realise that long distance would never have worked.
On Saturday night, when Hayley got back from work, she cracked open a bottle of Prosecco and messaged Oliver.
HAYLEY: Not long now. Xxx
Or she hoped so. In fact, she thought he’d be back by now.
He didn’t reply straight away, and the message stayed unread for another hour as she watched TV. When she checked again, she saw one and opened it immediately.
OLIVER: Just over the border. See you soon. Love you so much xxx
The border. That was still hours away. She yawned. It had been a long and tiring day.
She went up to bed at nine-thirty. If she read for a bit, she could wait up. Her brain had other ideas though, and she woke disorientated, her Kindle flat on her chest and the room dark.
She blinked her eyes fully open. How long had she slept? She fumbled for the on switch at the side of the Kindle but froze. A thudding sound came from somewhere nearby… in the hall, or maybe downstairs. What was it? Were they being burgled? Glenbriar had a low crime rate but that didn’t mean it never happened. Her heart hammered in her chest and her pulse drummed in her ears. She needed a weapon. The lamp?
The door opened, and Hayley’s temperature hit burning point. She scrabbled for the lamp.
‘Are you awake?’ Oliver said.
‘Holy shit,’ she said. ‘You terrified the life out of me. I thought you were a burglar.’
She switched on the lamp to see his smiling face. He crossed the room, sat on the bed, leaned over and kissed her. ‘Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I had no idea it would take me this long.’
‘Thank god you’re here now. And is everything sorted in London?’
‘Yeah, all sorted. My boss was actually quite understanding, all things considered. He said I can work out my notice from here. I think he’s glad to get rid of me. After I took a week off for a wedding, I’m not his favourite person. I left early this morning, handed in the keys to the flat, and drove back. There are so many roadworks though.’
She tugged him close. ‘I missed you so much.’ He fell on top of her, laughing.
‘I thought I’d be here hours ago.’
‘You’re here now and that’s made my night, my week, my year, my life!’
‘I really missed you.’ He kissed her again, and she tugged his t-shirt out of his jeans, slipping her hands around his waist.
‘Come and cuddle me,’ she said. ‘I want to ask you something.’
‘What’s that?’ He got up, pulled off his t-shirt and jeans and slipped into the bed beside her. His hot slab of a chest was heavenly to lean on. His arm looped around her shoulder, holding her close.
‘You know we discussed having kids?’
‘Yes?’ He stroked her hair and placed a kiss on the top of her head. ‘Are you pregnant?’
‘No.’ She pinged his chest. ‘I want to have a wedding first. I just wondered how many you were thinking.’
‘I had a vision once about this house being filled with our kids. Let’s make it come true.’
‘Really?’ She cocked an eyebrow. ‘You don’t think that two is fine?’
‘Two sounds perfect and a lot easier than a house-full, though I imagine even two can be a riot.’
She leaned up and kissed his cheek. ‘Miss McBride has found her Mr Wright.’
‘I wonder if Miss McBride would consider updating her status to match her personality.’
‘Meaning what?’
‘Perhaps you’d like to become Mrs Wright? Then we could rename you “Always” which seems to fit a lot better than it does with me.’
Hayley twisted her neck so she could look at him. ‘Excuse me? Is that a proposal?’
He quirked a grin. ‘I suppose it is.’
‘Well, let me tell you, that has got to be the worst proposal ever. What happened to the Eiffel Tower, champagne, rings? All the things I’ve dreamed of since I was twelve.’
‘You can still have all those things… But only if you have me.’
She chuckled and leaned her head on him. ‘That’s all I really want. And actually, the proposal maybe wasn’t as bad as all that. I might upgrade it to an eight out of ten if you go down on one knee.’
He shuffled out of the bed and onto the floor, one knee on the carpet. ‘Will you marry me?’
She leaned out of the bed, laughing, and held her hand to her mouth. ‘I suppose so.’
‘You suppose so?’ He pushed himself up and got back into the bed. ‘Well, how about you let me upgrade it to a nine and we’ll see what you say after that?’
‘How will you do that?’
‘Like this.’ He leaned over and placed a long, slow lingering kiss on her lips.
Hayley moaned, opening her mouth to him.
‘I’m going to ask you the same question an hour from now.’
She smiled into his dark eyes and saw herself reflected in them. ‘There’s no need for a third proposal, you dafty. My answer will still be yes. Of course, I’ll marry you, but how will you upgrade to a ten?’
‘The tickets to Paris are already booked for proposal number four.’
‘Seriously? You’re as bad as Finlay. Worse even. But you’re also everything I want and then some. You’ll always be my Mr Wright and I can’t wait to be Mrs Wright.’
He kissed her softly on her cheek. ‘You’re exactly “right” for me and what I’ve needed for so long. My special person. The one I love, and I know loves me. Whatever the future holds, I’ll always love you, Miss McBride.’
‘And I’ll always love you, Mr Wright.’ She tugged him closer. ‘Now stop talking and kiss me some more.’
The End