Italy and Forever (Wedding Planners #3)

Chapter 1

For someone so keen on the idea of love, and a wedding planner to boot, Ginny Weller was getting sick of that particular four-letter word.

First, she’d had to live with the indignity of her employer, I Do Destinations, merging with an adventure travel company run by mountain guides with no respect for tear-jerking romantic commitment.

Then her colleague and friend Sophie-Leigh had got engaged to one of them during their first joint venture – an outdoor wedding at the top of a mountain.

Ginny was glad to have befriended Kira Watling, one of the guides who now reluctantly helped out with I Do events, but that friendship had been forged under trying circumstances where Kira had found love, despite the very serious obstacle of her own stubbornness, while Ginny had got stuck on a snowbound road in a car full of mistletoe with no one to kiss.

To make matters worse, the widowed receptionist at their new partner agency, Great Heart Adventures, Toni Goschl, had now stolen Ginny’s best florist from one of their most popular wedding destinations in Italy, by making him fall in love with her and move to England.

Now everyone was busy and distracted by Sophie’s wedding and their own newfound happiness, and Ginny was stuck peering into her wine glass at the Admiral, the pub around the corner from Great Heart’s climbing gym in Weymouth, blabbering about her own desolate love life while Kira poorly concealed the fact that her boyfriend was texting her how much he loved her – or maybe simply what he’d had for dinner.

Kira gave the same smirk at everything he wrote.

On anyone else, it would be a giddy grin, but Kira didn’t do giddy.

At least Kira’s opera singer boyfriend lived a few hours away and they weren’t joined at the hip. Otherwise Ginny would be staring into her wine all alone and possibly talking to herself.

‘I tried hypnotherapy,’ Ginny blurted out, after she’d already waited too long for this opening.

Kira looked up sharply. ‘Really? Why?’ She’d apparently been paying even less attention than Ginny had thought.

‘To find a solution to my dating problem!’

‘What dating problem? I don’t think hypnotherapy can put more guys in your path.’

‘Quantity isn’t the issue,’ Ginny grumbled. ‘It’s the fact that they all ghost me or dump me by the third date – the ones I like, anyway. They all say I’m too much, too soon.’

‘That’s their problem, not yours,’ Kira said with a sigh, making Ginny squirm.

Ginny was sick of being the one who wanted love, while all her friends found it when they weren’t looking – when they were actively scorning it.

‘I suppose guys might find your eagerness a bit intimidating but that really is their problem. Can you actually imagine marrying any of the guys you’ve dated, though? ’

‘I am not intimidating,’ Ginny insisted.

‘But if I want to see them for a second date, then of course I think it’s possible that they might be The One.

I don’t know them well at that stage, but I wouldn’t bother with another date if I didn’t think there was some potential.

Surely that’s the reason they’re dating me too.

I don’t know why I have to be all coy and pretend I’m not looking for the love of my life – when I am! ’

Ginny took an enormous slug of wine, but it didn’t help. Kira obviously didn’t have much to say either, because she grimaced and fiddled with the label on her beer bottle.

‘What did you find out in hypnotherapy? Anything interesting?’ Kira asked eventually.

‘I don’t know what to make of it,’ Ginny replied. ‘She said that subconsciously I don’t want a relationship, that I’m pretending to myself. I know I’m not the most realistic or self-aware person, but that sounds like quack reverse psychology.’

Kira laughed, but Ginny knew her well enough to know it was conspiratorial and not mocking. ‘That’s a lot of layers of delusion. But maybe there’s something behind this reverse psychology thing. Maybe you should try not wanting a relationship.’

‘That’s what my sister says,’ Ginny groaned. ‘But why should I have to pretend not to care, in order to find someone who might care? Just because she’s been with the same guy since she was fifteen doesn’t mean she knows what it’s like to be twenty-eight and single – and surrounded by weddings.’

‘All right, settle down,’ Kira said in a tone that would have got Ginny’s back up a year ago. Recently she’d developed an appreciation for Kira’s grumpy honesty. ‘I’m not suggesting you pretend not to want a relationship, but maybe you should just take a break from looking for one.’

‘Then what would we talk about?’

‘I’ll let you worry about that,’ Kira answered with a smile. ‘You could do less talking and more climbing. It would be good for your confidence.’

‘Ha, that’s what you’d like,’ Ginny replied with her own indulgent grin. ‘I like climbing – with you, on the easy route on the indoor wall – but it’s not going to become my whole personality.’

‘You have far too much personality for that,’ came a familiar voice. Ginny looked up to see Great Heart’s receptionist, Toni, dumping her bag on the bench seat and leaning down to give her a one-armed hug. ‘Sorry I’m late. What did I miss? Have you asked Rhys yet?’

The zing of nerves in Ginny’s stomach was unwelcome. She was surprised at how well she’d grown to like her adventurous colleagues, although Sophie’s fiancé, Andreas, still kind of scared her, but Rhys Bowen was the exception.

A climbing and nature photographer with awards and solo exhibitions under his belt, he would have been an excellent addition to her database of wedding suppliers, except that he flatly refused to work for I Do and made no secret of his disdain for weddings in general – his disdain for people in general.

He wasn’t always in England; he travelled the world taking photos for magazines.

But when he was around, he had the unique ability to make Ginny feel as though she didn’t belong: in the climbing gym or with his friends from Great Heart.

She got that they didn’t like emotions at Great Heart, but the way his forehead wrinkled and his mouth turned down whenever he caught sight of her killed her vibe.

Back in winter, he’d agreed to a photo shoot inside a glacier, which she’d thought was a coup at the time, but when the wedding had been postponed due to a snowstorm, he’d had to step in and photograph the ceremony too, and he seemed to hold Ginny personally responsible for forcing his hand.

He’d been clear that he wasn’t going to take another assignment for I Do after that.

So it was distinctly inconvenient that he was rapidly becoming her only option for a professional photographer for Sophie’s wedding. She needed to get him booked in, which was difficult when she couldn’t seem to approach him without hyperventilating.

‘I don’t think he’s here yet,’ Kira answered Toni. ‘He said he might come later.’

Ginny was grateful for the extra minutes to recover from the reminder of what she needed to accomplish tonight at the Admiral.

‘I can’t believe you’re making me do it,’ she complained. ‘You’ve known him so much longer than me.’

‘Which is why he would immediately appeal to my conscience and say no,’ Kira finished for her. ‘You’re the best chance we have of getting him on board. I wish you’d found someone else for this job. He photographs rocks and goats and eagles – and climbers – not weddings.’

‘He doesn’t take me seriously. That’s also clear,’ Ginny added.

‘What? Why not?’ Toni was protective of everyone, a trait Ginny usually admired. ‘Does he even remember your name?’

Ginny huffed in indignation. It was telling that she’d rather think Rhys disliked her than imagine he barely knew she existed. Pride comes before a fall…

‘I can’t do this tonight. I’ve just had my climbing lesson with Kira. My abs hurt.’

‘I’m so proud you have abs now,’ was all Kira said in reply.

‘Ginny, you should have asked him a week ago, when he got home, or by email or something. At this rate, I’m going to be taking the pictures, or you will.’ Toni sounded almost as anxious as Ginny.

Kira patted the table with her open palm. ‘You’ve got to man up, Weller. Ask Rhys to take photos of Sophie and Andreas’s wedding and take a few months off dating while you’re at it. You can do this.’

‘As pep talks go, that one’s not up there with the best,’ Ginny teased.

‘But you’re right – on both counts. No matter what I truly want – because who the fuck knows that?

– I will spend the next two months completely focused on creating the wedding of Sophie’s dreams, and totally banned from dating apps, dating events, double-dating, carbon dating and all other forms of dating.

I will be gloriously single – even if I happen to meet the person I’m going to spend the rest of my life with. He’ll just have to wait for me.’

‘Uh, Ginny, you’re not supposed to be thinking about meeting the person you’re going to spend your life with,’ Kira pointed out.

‘Damn it!’ Ginny crossed her arms with a grumble. ‘I’ll get better at this with time. At least I’d already confirmed to Sophie that I don’t have a plus-one coming to the wedding,’ she added grimly.

‘You’re the queen of silver linings,’ Toni commented drily.

‘A photographer for the wedding would be preferable to silver linings right now.’ Ginny buried her face in her hands. ‘Rhys is my only option.’

‘You’ll work it out,’ Toni encouraged her. ‘I’m not sure Rhys appreciates the importance of weddings anyway.’ She turned to Kira. ‘When was the last time he had a girlfriend?’

‘Ha,’ was Kira’s immediate reply. ‘Do you mean an actual girlfriend, or the women he occasionally sees casually, before taking off on another photography assignment? It’s a brilliant strategy for keeping things light, leaving the country.’

‘Oh, is that the others arriving?’ Toni interrupted.

Peering up like a meerkat, Ginny swallowed the alarm that shot up her throat as Andreas and the other regular mountain guide from Great Heart, Laurie Anderson, ambled in through the double doors of the pub, hands in pockets.

All these outdoor types walked as though they didn’t know what to do with their hands when they weren’t climbing something.

Andreas was technically Italian, but he was from the northern autonomous region where German was an official language and the Alps dominated the landscape.

He was gruff and Ginny had yet to detect a sense of humour, but Sophie loved him and he obviously adored her in return, so his earnest frowns didn’t get to her quite as much as they used to.

Laurie was a British mountain guide, a bit of a joker.

Ginny wasn’t sure if he was single or not, but—

That clearly didn’t matter. Laurie had never floated her boat anyway – which also didn’t matter, since she’d just promised herself she’d remain single for at least the next two months.

Rhys wasn’t with them, so Ginny’s anxiety deflated like a bouncy castle at the end of a party. Greeting the two guides woodenly, she was glad she wasn’t the one to ask, ‘Where’s Rhys?’ Kira took care of that for her.

‘He said he’ll join us after his shift,’ Laurie answered. He made to slide into the booth next to Ginny, but she leaped awkwardly to her feet before he could, brandishing her wine glass.

‘I need another of these. Does anyone want anything?’

Armed with drink orders, she made her way to the bar in a haze of agitation. She should have got the hypnotherapist to trick her out of her anxiety about talking to Rhys. That would have been more useful than the dubious insight she did get.

The barman was crouched at the fridge behind the bar, his back turned, so Ginny leaned her elbows on the counter and waited politely.

‘What can I getcha?’ the barman called over his shoulder. He appeared to be cleaning up a spill.

‘Oh, um, no rush. Just another glass of sauv blanc and two pints of lager.’

He acknowledged her with a wave of his hand.

‘And maybe a shot of something stronger,’ Ginny muttered.

‘Hmm?’

‘What do people drink for courage these days?’ she mused in the direction of his backside. He was wearing a belt, she was pleased to see. She wasn’t sure she could have mused in the direction of his butt crack.

‘What do you need courage for?’

‘Does that affect your answer? Like, you need to know if it’s vodka-courage or whisky-courage?’

‘Something like that.’

Ginny took a deep breath. ‘Well, there’s this guy—’

‘I assumed.’

She narrowed her eyes at his back. ‘It’s not that. It’s a work thing.’

‘I’ve always thought it’s messy to date a co-worker.’

‘I meant, it’s not romance at all. I’m off all that. Not doing it right now.’ She winced at her choice of words. ‘I need to ask someone a professional favour, that’s all, except the guy in question either hates me or doesn’t know I exist – the jury’s out on that one – and he won’t want to help me.’

‘What makes you think he hates you?’

‘Oh, I’m pretty sure he does,’ she answered with a shudder.

‘He has this way of looking at me like there’s a smear of peanut butter on my face and I have a milk moustache.

’ She should probably stop airing her gripes to the bartender, but talking casually to his back while he mopped up the floor was freeing.

‘That does sound like a disgusting combination, but what did you do to deserve this?’

‘Nothing! We were introduced and there it was – the look! Usually people respond quite well to me, you know.’

‘I can believe that.’

She paused, wondering if the dry tone meant the bartender was flirting with her. That would be a pleasant garnish on her night. He had a nice back, hints of muscled shoulders under his worn T-shirt. The lilt of a light accent tickled her ear. But he probably wasn’t the love of her life.

Whoops, she wasn’t supposed to be thinking about the love of her life – or flirting. Dating ban and all that. Did that include flirting? She might have to work on some more rules.

‘Does it matter whether he likes you or not?’ he asked.

‘It doesn’t matter,’ she confirmed, staring at the leaded window in the distance and wishing she believed it.

Movement in her peripheral vision suggested the barman had finally stood to serve her drinks.

Giving a long sigh, she said, ‘I just need him to agree to be the photographer at this wedding – that’s all. ’

‘That’s all?’ he spluttered.

Her gaze swung to the barman and her stomach flipped – then sank, then bubbled with a thick fizz. Those blue eyes, the weathered cheeks and a curl of light-brown hair on his forehead with a hint of copper. That look.

Oh no.