Outrageously in Love by Jen Morris

32

Later that afternoon I stand outside the lodge, fighting the urge to cuddle into Luke’s side in the cold autumn air. Alex and Michael arrived at lunch time and we offered to greet people at the lodge so they could have some time out together before the madness of the weekend begins.

Both our families are arriving today and spending the night before the wedding at the lodge, and the other guests are arriving tomorrow. And tonight, I think, Michael will stay at the lodge, while Alex stays at the cabin with me, Luke and… yeah. Dena. She’s not here yet, but every time a car passes, my stomach capsizes and I feel like I’m going to be sick. I don’t know how I’m going to do this.

“Harriet!” Mum calls out as she and Dad crunch up the gravel driveway, suitcases bumping along behind them.

I turn away from Luke to wave at my parents. I know Alex has been stressed about Mum and Dad arriving, because she thinks Mum is going to try and convince her to come home. One of my top priorities is making sure Mum doesn’t spoil this whole thing for Alex.

“What have you done to your hair?” Mum leans in to inspect my head, frowning in disapproval. She reaches a hand towards me, but I duck out the way and give her a bright smile, ignoring the comment. We haven’t seen each other in weeks and now we’re catching up on the other side of the planet for Alex’s wedding. You’d think my hair would be the least of her concerns.

“Hi, Mum. Good to see you got here okay.” I pull her into a hug then turn to Dad. “How was your flight?”

“Long,” Mum mumbles, and Dad shoots her a look. She straightens and smiles. “But we are glad to be here for Alex’s big day.”

When I glance at Dad, he nods. Right, he must have had a word to her about behaving appropriately. That will make things a little easier.

Dad extends a hand to Luke. “Hello, I’m Clark—Alex and Harriet’s father.” He gestures to Mum. “This is Audrey.”

Luke smiles broadly, shaking Dad’s hand. “So nice to meet you. I’m Luke—Michael’s brother, and the best man.”

My gaze pings back and forth between Luke and my parents, an uncomfortable sensation stirring inside me as my two worlds collide. I’m not sure I like this.

“This place is lovely,” Mum says, taking in the lodge. Christ, if she can keep this positive attitude up the whole time Alex will be ecstatic.

I turn to look at the lodge. Mum’s right, it is lovely. One main building that has a restaurant, a small hall where we’ll have the reception, and log cabins scattered around the grounds. It has beautiful views of the lake, and there’s a little courtyard where the ceremony will take place, which is going to look stunning with the glorious display of red and orange foliage surrounding us. Thankfully, the awful weather of last night seems to have cleared and should be gone for the rest of the weekend.

“It is, isn’t it?” Luke motions towards the entrance. “Let me help you inside.”

They glance at me and I wave a hand. “I’ll catch up with you soon. Go get settled in.”

Luke wheels their suitcases into reception. Mum’s face lights with a genuine smile at this gesture, and relief sweeps over me. She’s going to be the least of Alex’s problems.

Luke pops back out to join me a moment later. “They seem nice.”

I shrug. They’re perfectly nice, really. Alex has been butting heads with them since moving over here but I think they just worry about her. As parents go, they’re not bad. Maybe I should make more of an effort to see them. They only live ten minutes away from me, after all.

An odd sensation hollows out my chest. I do not want to think about going home and hanging out with my parents. That’s the last thing I feel like doing.

I look over to find Luke’s gaze resting on me, his expression wistful. “Harri,” he says, in a quiet voice. “You know, I really wish…” He drags a hand through his hair, his eyes roaming my face. “Dena will be here soon. And I wish…”

I nod, wrestling my gaze from his, and swallow down the lump forming in my throat. “I know,” I murmur. “Me too.”

As if on cue, a white Mercedes SUV pulls into the parking lot and glides into a spot. Luke gives me a pained expression, forcing out a resigned breath.

My gut clenches into a tight ball, my breathing shallow and rapid. This is it. I’m going to meet Luke’s ex-wife.

The car doors open and two older people get out, ambling up the gravel towards us with their bags. When I glance at Luke in confusion, he seems puzzled too.

“Mom? Dad?”

“Hello, darling.” A blond woman in her late sixties smiles at Luke. She’s dressed in a tan pantsuit, her hair pulled back in a tidy chignon.

My eyes flit over to a tall man of a similar age with silver hair. His expression is clouded, a slight scowl on his handsome face. “I don’t know why they insisted on getting married all the way up here,” he mutters to no one in particular.

The woman pulls Luke down into a hug, and when she releases him he gives her a bemused smile. “Why are you guys—”

Another car door slams and footsteps crunch up the gravel. I know who it is, and I can’t bring myself to look. My stomach is turning over now, crashing in on itself like a raging sea, and I have the intense urge to cling onto something before I drown.

“Hi, honey.”

She’s right in front of me and I can’t avoid her anymore. My eyes take in her tall, slim figure, dressed in black pants and a tan trench coat. Her hair is black, cut into a chin-length, poker-straight bob, parted squarely down the middle. Invisible hands clutch at my throat as I watch her lean into Luke and plant a kiss on his cheek. For a brief second he looks uncomfortable, then he seems to remember his manners and turns to me.

“Harriet, this is my mom, Annette, my father, William, and”—he sucks in a breath—“my wife, Dena.”

Oh God. I can’t breathe.

“This is Alex’s sister, Harriet.”

Dena smiles in my direction and slips her hand into Luke’s. My chest is taut with agony but I ignore it, forcing a radiant smile. Because if I don’t, I’ll either scream or burst into tears.

“I didn’t know you two were coming up with Dena,” Luke mumbles to his parents.

Annette touches her hair. “It seemed silly for her to drive up on her own, darling.”

“I’m still not sure why she didn’t come up with you in the first place,” William adds, giving Luke a peculiar look.

Luke and Dena exchange a quick glance, then a laugh slides from her throat. “I told you, Bill. I was away on business and only just got back, otherwise of course we would have come together. But it seems he couldn’t wait for me to get home.” Her eyes trail curiously over me and I glance down, pretending to study the gravel, checking for signs that the earth might be opening up to swallow me.

With a harrumph, William pats Dena on the arm. “I don’t know why you put up with him.”

Her hand squeezes Luke’s. “Oh, I have my reasons.” She gives him a knowing grin and he half grimaces, half smiles, avoiding my gaze.

“Am I carrying these all by myself, then?” William mutters, grasping their bags.

“Sorry.” Luke reaches for them, shamefaced. Ever since this lot got here he’s been different, his usual bright and playful expression gone. It makes my heart ache.

They all head into the lodge and I hover. At this point, given no one else is arriving today, I’m not sure what else to do but follow them to the reception desk where we wait for someone to help us.

“Hello?” William barks, smacking a hand on the bell with unnecessary force. He turns to Annette with a deep groove of annoyance between his brows. “Where are the staff?” His eyes flick to Dena and back to Luke. “Why is Dena carrying her own bag?”

Luke reaches for her luggage, shrinking even more. He’s now carrying three bags and I almost reach out to help him. It takes all my self-control not to. He sends his father an expression of happy now? and William just shakes his head.

Jesus. This guy is a nightmare.

“Thank you, honey,” Dena purrs, leaning her head against his arm. My heart claws up my windpipe at the sight.

And then something happens that makes my blood turn to ice in my veins. Luke glances at his father, then his mother, then turns to Dena and kisses her on the top of the head and smiles. He doesn’t once look at me.

My vision blurs and I look away. Why am I even here right now?

I’m about to leave when my parents appear out of nowhere and Dad begins introductions with William, Annette, and Dena. Everyone is talking and laughing but I just feel nauseous. I can’t look at Luke. I can’t be around this anymore. I just want to slip away.

While everyone is busy I take the opportunity to creep towards the door. I’m just about to make my exit when I run smack into Alex and Michael.

“Oh, there you are!” Alex says, her arm linked through Michael’s. “We were just talking about doing dinner tonight. It will give everyone a chance to get to know each other.”

Alarm spikes through me. “I thought we weren’t doing a rehearsal dinner?” That’s one thing I haven’t organized.

“No,” Michael reassures me, “but an informal thing might be nice.”

I glance desperately between their hopeful faces and slap on a smile. “Absolutely.”

Extra time with Dena and Luke playing happy families? Why not?