31. Chapter 31
I took in his drowsy eyes and mussed hair. “Good morning.”
“Morning,” he said, stretching as he wrapped an arm around me.
He pulled me toward him and scattered kisses across my face and down my shoulder until I giggled. I returned the gesture until we were both laughing.
“Ready for a wedding?” he asked, still holding me close.
“I’m ready for Angus and Caitlin’s wedding, anyway.”
We showered, grabbed our clothes—jeans for now, bridesmaid dress and tux for later—and hopped in the car.
We drove the now-familiar twisty, turny roads from Skye to Drumnadrochit, with the sun finally out for once.
We made it there in time to enjoy the breakfast Drew and Lindsay had set up.
Warm scones with clotted cream and raspberry jam or lemon curd, ham and cheese croissants, fruit salad, tomatoes, square sausages, black pudding, and tattie scones.
They’d set it up buffet style so guests could come downstairs and get what they wanted whenever they were ready.
We sat at a table, and a waiter brought us a fresh pot of Earl Grey. I looked through my lists and munched on a scone while Max sipped his tea.
Melissa and Colin breezed through the doorway and Melissa made a beeline toward us.
“Abby! You left without saying goodbye to anyone.” Her eyes twinkled mischievously. “We missed you after dinner. We all went out for drinks.”
“So much to do today,” I said.
But Melissa wasn’t going to let me get out of it that easily. “You needed your beauty sleep, right? And Max, you, too?”
He chuckled and raised a glass to Melissa.
Colin appeared at her elbow. “Shall we?” he said, nodding toward the buffet.
Melissa let herself be steered away, but not before shooting me one last delighted look over her shoulder.
Across the room, Lindsay was busy bringing out more sausages and fruit. Drew carried pots of tea and more juice.
Once I’d downed my tea, I kissed Max on the cheek and went upstairs to find Caitlin.
She and my mother were in a room on the second floor. Mom was a flurry of nerves, her suitcase open and clothes all over the bed. Caitlin sat calmly on the other bed in jeans and a flannel shirt.
“Mom, you can wear whatever you want to help Caitlin get ready,” I said, watching her hold up yet another shirt.
She huffed and tossed it on the bed. “But all of Angus’s family is here, and I want to make a good impression.”
“You made a great impression last night at the rehearsal. They know you know how to dress up and look good. It’s okay if you have a jeans-and-flannel morning.
” I moved a pile of clothes and sat down on the bed.
“And that’s why you have a wedding planner.
Anything you need, I’ll run downstairs and get it.
You can stay up here with Caitlin. The mother of the bride needs to keep her from being seen, which has the added advantage of making it an easy day for you to wear jeans and a flannel.
” I waved a hand between me and Caitlin. “Just like your two daughters!”
Mom sighed. “You’re right. I just get so revved up.”
“Angus’s family is so nice and so laid back. You’ll love them all.” Caitlin smiled.
“I already do. I think I just have the jitters.”
“Where’s Dad?” I asked, realizing I hadn’t seen him yet.
“He met Colin’s father at an event the other day. He organized an outing to go watch Mr. MacGregor and the sheep dogs. I think it was a pretty large group—maybe 20 people.”
Caitlin grabbed a shirt and started folding it. “Great idea! So nice of Sandy to do that.”
“I’m sure your father is paying him.”
“I’m sure he’ll try, but if I know Sandy MacGregor, he won’t let Dad pay him a dime,” said Caitlin.
“We should’ve organized a girl’s day…,” Mom said, looking at Caitlin. “I didn’t even think of it.”
I raised my hand. “That’s my job. I already have something organized. I told Caitlin but forgot to tell you. You two are getting massages.”
“Where do we have to go?” asked Mom, still fretting over what to wear.
“Just upstairs.”
Mom and Caitlin followed me to a huge room with large windows on the top floor.
“This is where Melissa and I stayed!” said Caitlin. “But this was a special suite…” she stopped herself.
During the snowstorm, she and Melissa had thought they’d stolen the best room in the inn from Drew and Angus, while the men were supposedly staying in a storage room.
They’d later learned that Drew was actually the owner of the hotel—and more recently, Caitlin had discovered that Angus was the financier.
“It is a special suite. And with your fiancé as the financier of Drew’s hotels, that makes this room available to you.”
Caitlin shot a look at the ceiling. “Too bad we didn’t know that when it was full up with the film crew.”
“Well, a reservation is a reservation. But look at this gorgeous view. All yours. For today, or forever.”
“We talked about all that a bit. The whole idea is overwhelming to me, and even to Angus. He likes to pretend he doesn’t have money and just live like a regular person. We’re going to continue that way.”
“What about playing music together?”
“I think we can still do that. It was years ago he was so famous. And it’s not like he was a solo artist—he performed under the band name. So only the most rabid fans might catch on. We think it’s safe.”
She folded her arms and turned to look at the view. “He has quite a few charitable contributions—music programs in Boston and Scotland, scholarships, stipends—and I’m thinking of starting something for Scottish wildcats.”
The massage therapists came in, and I left them to it.
As I headed down the stairs, I caught Max’s eye while he lingered over his breakfast.
I sat down in the chair across from him. “What are you going to do today?” I asked, realizing that in all my wedding planning I hadn’t given him anything to do on what would be my busiest day.
“Angus asked me to join the guys in the wedding party for darts and trivia in the pub.”
“Don’t let them drink too much!”
“Got it. I’m the designated party pooper,” he said, nudging my foot under the table.
I left him and went outside to check on the setup. The white chairs were arranged perfectly on the back lawn by the gazebo, which was decorated with white and purple flowers and ribbons. Purple plaid sashes adorned each of the chairs, and a podium stood at the front for the officiant.
I checked my watch. 11 am. Time for hair and makeup. The wedding would start at 1:30. Two and a half hours to go.
At 12:30 I stood in the corner of the MacAlister’s top floor guest room looking at my stunning sister.
Her curly blonde hair was styled the same as always, but she wore a little wreath of flowers in it that made her look like a Druid or a fairy princess that had just emerged from the Callanish stones and set her sights on the first flannel-clad, guitar-playing lumberjack she’d laid eyes on.
Her dress reflected that. Yes, it was a gorgeous white wedding dress—but with a decidedly punk-grunge feel to it.
Ruching gave soft texture to the structured bodice, while two kilt-like straps cinched the waist. Underneath it all, she wore her white high-heeled Doc Martens.
Mom wore a solid navy dress with a Montgomery plaid tartan sash she’d bought in town to match Dad’s kilt. I wore a solid lavender bridesmaid’s dress with a Scotland Forever plaid sash.
“You look just perfect, Caitlin. I’m so happy for you!” I tried to keep my voice light, but it wavered as I looked at her.
She gave me a hug, careful not to disturb her makeup or dress. “I’m so glad you were able to make everything work. We’re in the exact place we most wanted to be. Right where we met.”
“Technically, you met in the loch…”
“I’m not getting married in Loch Ness, thank you very much.”
I gasped dramatically. “We could’ve organized a party boat! Oooh, that would be fun. Maybe I can still make it happen?”
Caitlin shook her head, an indulgent smile tugging at her lips. “Abby, it’s 12:45. Time to eat a little toastie, double-check on the photographer, and relax.”
And then, thunder boomed across the loch. My stomach dropped—we all froze for a heartbeat. I raced into the hallway where Drew, Max, Colin, and Angus joined me, scrambling down the stairs.
Angus and Drew quickly organized the staff to help move all the beautifully and painstakingly decorated chairs out of the rain. The podium was heavy, and it took two workers and a dolly to move. The ground was already turning to mud.
Max ripped off his windbreaker and threw it over my meticulously styled hair. Giggling, we carried chairs through the rain and into the inn already crowded with guests.
With Caitlin’s dreams of an outdoor wedding dashed, we searched for a suitable alternative inside, settling on the largest room—the bar. The staff quickly pushed all the tables to the side and filled the open space with as many of the decorated chairs as they could.
I checked my watch. It was 1:00—the wedding was due to start in 30 minutes. Guests kept arriving as sheets of rain fell. Max grabbed a large golf umbrella and went outside to escort people in, but most already had their own rain gear.
Inside the inn, I worried whether everyone would fit in the bar.
Angus seemed to read my mind. “It’ll be fine. People can spill into the hallway. We could even set up cameras so some can watch from the dining room.”
My head fell back on a groan. “Ugh.”
“It’s all right. It’s just a little rain. My family wouldn’t be surprised if we still held the wedding outside, but I know your side wants to keep dry—and, of course, there are all the decorations and hair…,” Angus said, gesturing towards several strands of hair that had escaped my loose knot.
“I must look like a drowned rat.”
“You look just fine. Go on upstairs if you want to check.” He gave a playful shove. “Drew and I will work with the staff.”
“I’ll be back down in five seconds. I wouldn’t normally care what I look like while working. It’s just because it’s family.”
“Dinna fash, lass,” he said with a wink.