Chapter 17
It was with a mixture of disappointment and relief that Bex discovered Lorna wasn’t working at the café this morning.
She really wanted to talk to her about finding time to come and sort through Winny’s old clothes, and she wouldn’t have said no to trying another of her morning muffins if she was practising that recipe again.
But at the same time, being efficient didn’t include spending the first half hour of the day chatting to her future sister-in-law when she could’ve been getting on with work.
So, with only a quick glance at the photos that hung on the wall, she headed to the office, only to discover she hadn’t needed to make a detour for a drink at all. There was already a takeaway cup sitting on her desk.
‘Should be the perfect temperature,’ said Fi, smiling proudly. ‘I picked it up nine minutes ago. Should’ve had a nice amount of time to cool.’
‘Are you sure you want to be an accountant and not a PA?’ Bex asked. ‘You’d be perfect at both.’
‘Which pays more?’ Fi grinned.
‘Good question,’ Bex asked, although if the answer was PA she hoped Fi didn’t find that out. She was far too important for Bex to lose. In fact, now that they were working together, Bex wondered if it would have even been possible to get the firm off the ground without her.
‘We had some emails come in from that gym, and another from those salons around Loch Genlan. They both wanted to shift their times, so I’ve done a straight swap.
Shouldn’t make any impact on you, and I’ve updated it on your calendar too.
Oh, and I’ve made a list of questions that I need to ask you about the Level 1 Exam.
It was pretty quiet last night at The Haven, so I managed to get some studying in while I was in the kitchen. ’
‘That’s good,’ Bex said, although Fi pouted slightly.
‘I was hoping there’d be more tips, but apparently they’re massive during afternoon tea time and peter out into the evening. But hey, I’m sure the evening shift’ll pick up again soon… So, about those questions. Are you all right if we look at them now?’
‘Sure. What do you want to know?’
Fi really was a remarkable young woman, Bex thought as she clarified her questions, most of which she already knew the answers to.
But then, she’d probably been working at the garage since she was old enough to use a calculator, and trying to keep your family business afloat when you’re barely an adult had to be a sharp lesson in responsibility.
‘Why don’t you get off?’ Bex said when three o’clock rolled around. ‘We’re up to date here. I’m guessing you could use a couple of hours’ rest before your next shift starts.’
Fi frowned. ‘You sure? I don’t want you to feel like—’
‘I don’t. Trust me. It’s absolutely fine.’
The apprentice grinned. ‘I’ll remember to get your coffee in every morning if this is what happens,’ she replied. And something told Bex she would.
Trying to settle back into work, Bex went through account details for various businesses, but her focus wasn’t really there, and an hour later she pushed down the lid on her laptop. She was done for the day. What she really wanted was a chat with her family.
And she started with a video call to her dad.
‘It’s all very exciting,’ he said when she asked about his marathon training. ‘I’ve got a plan and a running club. It’s terrifying how fast some of these old chaps can run, but maybe your dad will be one of them soon. Reckon I’ll be able to give Keith a run for his money soon enough.’
Bex wasn’t sure. Not only was Keith incredibly fit, he was also almost a good eight inches taller than her dad, and that extra leg length had to help with running. But she wasn’t going to say that to her father. Not with how upbeat he was feeling about it all.
‘Just take it easy, Dad. Don’t injure yourself. You’ve got to walk me down the aisle, not limp.’
‘Don’t worry. Your old man’s as fit as an ox. Or I will be soon. ’Course, it would help if I knew what date we were aiming for,’ he replied.
‘I know…’ Bex sighed. ‘Amanda was going to check on venues and dates next time we saw her. Hopefully, no more than twelve months to wait.’
‘Plenty of time to get fit enough.’ He grinned, stretching his arm up and over his head as if about to start running then and there. ‘Better go, love. Places to be, people to see. Send my love to the dogs, won’t you? Oh, and Duncan.’
‘Will do, Dad,’ Bex said, making a mental note to tell Duncan that the dogs had come first. ‘Love you.’
‘Love you too, Becky Boo.’
With the conversation having been shorter than she’d expected, Bex decided to give Daisy one quick try before she headed home.
In truth, Bex wasn’t even expecting an answer, and not just because of the difficulty she’d had getting through to her recently.
It was four thirty. Prime dog-walking time down at Wildflower Lock.
No doubt there was a queue of people after their afternoon caffeine fix.
Which was why Bex was so surprised that, less than two rings in, Daisy picked up.
‘Daisy! You’re there! I was starting to think you were ignoring me.’
‘I’m so sorry,’ Daisy said, guilt creasing her face. ‘It’s just been… it’s been crazy, that’s all.’
‘I know. I can imagine. Do you have time now?’
‘Yeah, yeah, I do. Let me just grab my drink…’
A moment later, the screen changed. Daisy sat down with a cloudy-looking drink.
‘What’s that you’re drinking?’ Bex asked. ‘You’ve never been a fizzy drink person.’
‘It’s lemon and ginger. Helps with…’ Daisy trailed off before finishing her answer. ‘Dehydration. It helps with dehydration. It’s really hot here at the minute. Early heat wave. But that’s enough about me. Tell me about yourself. How’s it all going? Claire said the wedding planner was a nightmare.’
Bex rolled her eyes, though the happiness at finally speaking to her friend meant the smile still remained on her face. ‘Yeah. I don’t think there’s any chance of us being best buddies now.’
‘Why? What happened?’
Bex let out a sigh. ‘What else? Rosie.’
As she swung back and forth on her office chair, Bex told Daisy everything, from the guest list of people they didn’t know, to the venue they didn’t have, to the veil she had no idea how to replace.
‘Just reverse image search it,’ Daisy said casually.
‘What?’ Bex asked.
‘Come on, surely you can do that.’
Bex considered herself computer literate, exceptionally so when it came to accounting software. But when it came to Pinterest, Facebook and the other talkie ones… not so much.
‘Just send me a couple of photos of the veil,’ Daisy said. ‘I’m sure I’ll be able to find another one.’
‘Are you serious?’
‘Sure. Actually, while I’ve got you on the phone there was something I wanted to talk to you about.’
‘Really?’ Bex leaned forward onto her desk. ‘This sounds ominous.’
‘No, not at all just—’
Daisy’s words were cut off as Bex’s phone flashed with another incoming call.
‘Sorry. It’s Duncan calling.’
‘No worries, we can talk later.’
‘No,’ Bex said, declining the call so she could continue speaking to Daisy. After all, who knew how long it would be until she got hold of her again. ‘You were going to say something.’
‘I kind of wanted to say it in person, but—’
Duncan’s name flashed again, less than thirty seconds after declining his last call.
‘Sorry. It’s not like him to keep ringing. I guess he must want something. Can you fill me in later?’
A wan smile flickered on Daisy’s lips. ‘Sure. No worries.’
‘Love you.’
‘You too.’
Immediately, Bex switched to the other call.
‘What’s wrong?’ she asked. ‘Is everything okay?’
‘Not exactly,’ Duncan said. ‘Apparently, you should be able to tell me why there’s a massive truck with a marquee trying to get down the lane behind the house. Any ideas?’