Marrying Mr Write Read online

  “Hey gorgeous, I thought you were asleep.” Jackson is collecting glasses and Rafe and Matthew are in the kitchen tidying up, “Yeah, sorry to be a party pooper. Did everyone have fun?”

  “Yeah of course they did baby, it was a great party. You didn’t miss much. It fizzled out within an hour of you heading to bed.” Jackson puts down the glasses and pulls me into a hug, “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “Not right now, I’m exhausted to be honest,” I smile and pull away from Jackson, starting to tidy up the living room, “Leave that Rosie, go to bed. Honestly, it’s fine.” He smiles and I head back toward the bedroom.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  “You are a bloody terrifying driver Alvez!”

  I step out of the car feeling lucky to be alive and safely in Cornwall.

  “Jackson, I drive no faster than you do! And unlike you, I have won trophies for driving fast; you just don’t like not being in control!”

  I frown as I realise that Rosie is probably right and she starts to laugh as I open the boot to retrieve our bags.

  As we’re shown to our room and get a glimpse of where we’ll be staying for the next five nights, I notice Rosie’s eyes light up. The room is stunning with a huge ornate white four poster bed, plush textiles and an open fire opposite the bed. A massive roll top bath dominates the bathroom and the large panoramic windows along the far wall of the room overlook the picturesque harbour below.

  We decide to eat at the hotel restaurant tonight but are determined to sample all that Cornwall has to offer for the rest of our time here. We’re going out for the day tomorrow, to the Lost Gardens of Heligan and then to the Minack Theatre the following day, and who knows what else. There’s so much to do in Cornwall and with a forecast of five gloriously sunny days ahead, we’re going to make the most of it.

  I throw the pile of leaflets and ‘what’s on’ brochures onto the bed and I watch as Rosie looks at her phone again before frowning and dropping it back into her bag.

  “You could call her you know!”

  She has been avoiding Pippa since the party. She ignored her calls in the few days that followed and now Pippa has stopped trying. Rosie clearly misses her but is so stubborn that she won’t make the first move.

  “Who? I was just checking the time,” She smiles and I shake my head in response.

  “Rosie, it has been two weeks. You can’t go on like this forever. Call Pippa, apologise and get your friend back.”

  “Jackson I can’t, you don’t understand. I …” She trails off and turns to look at the boats bobbing about on the calm water of the harbour, “Tell me then,” I wrap my arms around Rosie’s waist and kiss the top of her head. She takes a deep breath.

  “I was jealous you know, jealous that she was pregnant. What kind of friend does that make me? I was horrible to her Jackson, I should have hugged her and congratulated her, but I looked at her like she had some horrible disease that I didn’t want to catch. And it hurts you know. I try to phone her, when I pick up my phone I want to press call but I panic when I think about it. I don’t know if I can be there for her when all I can think is that it should be me.”

  I tighten my arms around her and let quiet set in for a moment, I need to choose my words carefully.

  “When you found out you were pregnant, were you scared?”

  “Terrified,” she tenses in my arms as she remembers the feeling and probably everything that has happened since then, “And you turned to Pippa. Rosie she needs you, right now, your best friend needs you. When you see her and hug her, you won’t be thinking that it should be you, you’ll be thinking about what she needs and what you can get for her, because she’s Pip. I know it’s scary, but it’s time to move on now Rosie. We will have our time. Call her.”

  I leave Rosie sitting on the bed with her phone in her hand and head down to the bar. I need her to make up with Pippa, and I need her to face her emotions. We can’t avoid pregnant women and babies for the rest of our lives.

  An hour later I look up to see a smiling Rosie walking toward me,

  “Ready to eat? I’m starving!”

  “Erm, yeah. Did you call her?”

  “I did, we’re good. Now can we eat?”

  When Rosie wants to keep something to herself, she is frighteningly good at it. She’s not going to share the conversation that she had with Pip, but it doesn’t matter. She’s happy and so am I.

  We started the tour in Hastings and made our way along the south coast of England. After five fantastic days in Cornwall, Rosie and I headed to Bath and then on to a gorgeous guest house in the Cotswolds. From there we went on to Aberaeron in Wales, across to County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland. We went to the Isle of Skye and down through Scotland to Edinburgh, on to Alnwick and today we’re heading to the wedding capital of the UK, Gretna Green.

  “Jackson, I don’t like it here.” Rosie looks at me as she bites into her monthly Galaxy ripple and I laugh, “In my head I thought it would be really romantic and quaint, but it feels really … new! And all built up for tourists.” She looks sad as she reflects on her disappointment with Gretna Green. “But, if they have availability, we could just do it!”

  It takes a moment to realise what she’s just said.

  “What, get married? Rosie are you serious? You just said you don’t like it here!”

  “Well I don’t, but I just want to marry you as soon as I can. Look at them Jackson,” She motions toward a newlywed couple having their photographs taken a few feet away, “It doesn’t matter to them that there are tourists everywhere watching them, clattering coffee cups and rustling crisp wrappers, they’re just happy and in love. I guess it is romantic in that case. Any of these people would be witnesses for us, let’s just see if they can fit us in!”

  I consider her words, and her face. She’s serious!

  “Rosie no, we can’t babe. You would regret it. You told me yourself that it would be weird for Rafe not to be there at your big moments. And what about Pip, I think she would actually murder me.” I reach across the table and take her hands, willing her to look up into my eyes, she obliges, “I promise you, that we will set a date and start planning as soon as we get home ok?”

  “Ok… it’s just that I’ve done the ‘big wedding’ thing Jackson, and was humiliated. I just want to marry you, with our families there and nobody else. Small, simple and about us, not about tables plans and favours, is that ok?”

  “Sounds perfect!” I smile and lift her hand to my mouth, kissing the pads of her fingers as she beams at me from across the table.

  “Can we go now then please, because I really don’t like it here?”

  I laugh as I stand to leave and hold my hand out for Rosie to take.

  From Gretna we drove down to Chester. Driving through the Lake District we smiled as we remembered the amazing week that we spent there a few months ago. We were so happy then. It’s crazy to think that the worst period of my adult life followed it, but I can’t dwell on that, Rosie and I are stronger than ever now, we’re solid.

  “I love Chester; I love the feel of Roman cities like this. I feel inspired when I walk on old cobbles and see the architecture, I can’t wait for York. Thank you, for bringing me on this tour with you.”

  Rosie leans back in her chair and I mirror, smiling. She has been so relaxed while we’ve been travelling around. She’s been fun and playful and sexy as hell. Writing a romantic tour of Britain is certainly working for me, she’s been desperate to get me back to the hotels or the car every single day that we’ve been away. I can’t imagine that I’ll ever get enough of her.

  “As if I’d have been able to be away from you for two and a half months! I’ve loved it babe. It’ll be a shame to get back to real life.”

  I stand and lean down to kiss Rosie as I make my way to the bar to get another round of drinks. When I start to make my way back to the table I notice that Rosie is smiling to herself, “What are you so happy about?”

  She giggles and gestures me to co
me closer,

  “That girl over there, don’t look…Ok now you can look. She’s reading my book!”

  Rosie grins wide and I slowly turn to look at the blonde sitting alone by the open fire. She looks comfortable. Her feet are tucked underneath her on the sofa. She’s nursing what looks like a hot chocolate and smiling to herself as she reads. I’ve seen that look before, it’s the same one Rosie gets when she’s really lost in something. Before long, the blonde laughs…actually laughs out loud, and I feel an incredible amount of pride build up inside me. Rosie did that, she made that girl smile and laugh and get completely lost in her words, my Rosie.

  After and amazing last night in Chester, Rosie and I get up early to head off to York. It’s the last stop on the tour and I’ve arranged a surprise for her when we get there. I glance briefly across to the passenger seat. Rosie is curled up on the seat, side on and facing me. As she smiles at me over the top of her Kindle I can’t believe that she’s mine. In these moments, when she smiles at me and then carries on with what she was doing, that’s when I know. We’re going to be ok. We’re going to make it.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  “What’s the hotel called Jackson? I’ll keep an eye out for it,” Rosie is looking out of the window as the buildings pass by, “We’re not staying in a hotel babe. I know where we’re going.”

  “What you do mean? Where are we staying then?” She looks at me confused.

  “I got us an apartment so that we can completely do our own thing. It’s nice, you’ll like it. It has some really great added extras too!”

  “Oh, ok then.” Rosie sounds confused but sits back in her seat and relaxes into the last ten minutes of our journey.

  As we pull up into the car park of the apartment building Rosie gives me an approving look, “This looks lovely babe!”

  I just smile. I can’t wait to get her upstairs.

  I check in at the reception desk while Rosie looks around and then hand her the key so that I can carry the bags. We make our way upstairs and she quickly finds our room.

  As Rosie turns the key in the lock and pushes the door open she freezes and steps backward into me.

  “Shit, I think they gave us the wrong key Jackson. There are shoes and things in there, it’s someone else’s apartment.”

  I feign shock, “What? No it can’t be. Come on,” I nudge Rosie forward and she tentatively pushes the door open, “HELLO? Is anyone in here?” She calls around the door and I stifle a laugh, “GET OUT OF OUR ROOM!”

  Pippa sticks her tongue out and starts to laugh as she steps into the hallway and holds out her arms to Rosie, “OH MY GOD! Pip!”

  I can hear the emotion in Rosie’s voice as she calls out to the friend that she hasn’t seen in months and runs to hug her. Ben steps out behind Pippa and beams at me, they really do look great together.

  “I can’t believe you’re here, and look at you, you’re so…round!” Rosie has both hands on Pippa’s protruding bump and is talking to it rather than Pip. She’s fine, I knew she would be.

  “I know, I’m a whale! But not long and we can get on that boot camp!”

  “Oh Pip shut up, you’re beautiful. You look so beautiful!” Rosie hugs Pippa again and I wonder if she is ever going to let go.

  “Erm, any chance I can actually get into this apartment at some point today?” I joke from the doorway as Rosie laughs and follows Pippa into the living room.

  “I can’t believe you organised this, thank you so much.” I pass a smiling Rosie a coffee while she sits next to Pippa on the sofa, reluctantly removing her hand from Pippa’s bump to take it from me. “This is going to be the best weekend ever!”

  After a couple of hours of catching up and unpacking a few things in the bedroom, we all decide to head out for some food and a few drinks. Pippa of course groaned at the realisation that she was the only one that couldn’t drink but painted on a smile as we headed out anyway.

  I sit next to Pippa on the sofa as Jackson takes our bags in the bedroom and it feels so good to have her so close again. She’s like another limb to me, she’s been by my side forever and that time without her killed me, almost as much as being without Jackson. It’s certainly been a trying year.

  “I can’t stop looking at your belly! That is going to be one big baby!”

  I say with a laugh while admiring Pippa’s bump. The weekly bump growth photos that she has been sending me while I’ve been away did nothing to take away the shock. She still has three months to go and it looks like there’s standing room only in there! The fact that she is so tiny probably makes her look bigger than she is but still, I can’t seem to look anywhere else.

  “Rosie stop it, I feel like an elephant as it is! And look at these!” As Pippa grabs and lifts her boobs, which were already big, I notice Ben and Jackson both suddenly tune into the conversation, mesmerised by the sheer size of Pippa’s chest.

  “Oi! Avert your gaze James!” I scold Jackson as I playfully hit him on the back of the head and Ben starts to laugh, “Sorry they’re just, well, they’re huge Pip!” Jackson laughs and Pippa starts to see the funny side.

  After lunch we explored the city and walked around the St Nicholas Fayre. Pippa bought some really cute things for the baby’s room and for the first time I saw my best friend as a mother. We’d talked about the baby and discussed options for the nursery of course, but she was still Pip, just a little rounder. Now though, as she sits on the sofa opposite me in our home for the weekend, looking through her purchases with her boyfriend, I see a new Pippa, one that I’ve yet to get to know.

  I watch as Pippa and Ben coo over the tiny booties that they found on one of the stalls. Ben looking baffled by the size of them as he puts them on his fingers and laughs, before leaning down to kiss Pip’s belly while she strokes his head. Seeing them like this is amazing, I am so happy for them, and even happier that Jackson made me see sense and call Pip all those weeks ago.

  “Rosie, give me a hand a sec please.”

  Jackson calls into the living room from the bedroom and I jump up, leaving the lovebirds to their own company. I walk into the bedroom and revel in the sight of my freshly showered fiancé standing with only a towel around his waist.

  “What is it you would like a hand with Mr James?” I ask flirtatiously as I reach toward his waist to pull at the towel, “Not that you horn dog!” Jackson laughs and wraps his arms around me, “I just wanted to see if you were ok. I popped my head around and saw them with the baby stuff. I think you’re coping amazingly babe, but are you really alright with it all?”

  Jackson kisses me on the forehead and I look up toward him, wrapping my arms tightly around his back.

  “I really am, they’re so happy and it’s infectious. I’m going to be Auntie Rosie, how could I not be ok?” I smile a genuinely happy smile and Jackson, realising that I’m fine mirrors me.

  “Good. In that case…” Jackson drops the towel from his waist and I giggle as he leans down to kiss me.

  We spent two fabulous days exploring York with our friends. Pippa got tired and hungry at really regular intervals so we ended up eating and drinking far too much while she rested and refuelled. York has an abundance of brilliant bars and restaurants and fantastic pubs. Real pubs with open fires and cask ales. I’m not so keen on the cask ales and the effect that they have on Jackson, well, on Jackson’s arse! But the atmosphere and company made for an absolutely brilliant weekend.

  We had arrived on Friday and by Sunday night, Jackson and I were preparing to go home for the first time in months.

  “It’s going to be so strange to be back at home and back in the routine of our lives.” I say somewhat woefully as I sit on the floor of the bedroom and pack the suitcase ready for our journey home in the morning.

  “We’ll have a whole new routine to get used to soon with my new job. That will be strange, commuting, the nine to five. I’ve never worked regular hours like that before!”