Married This Christmas Page 4

  “Sure.” Luke pulled a business card from a pile on the desk and wrote his address on the back. “Here you go. I’ll let Jordan know—she’ll be so excited! We watch Henry’s show all the time, and she always wonders if you stayed together.”

  “They’re married. Can you believe it?” Rachel took her seat at the hairdresser and showed Lori her phone as her friend sat in the seat beside her. “This is the style I want, by the way.”

  “It blows my mind that they’re married! I knew he was keen on her! Remember how he cried on the ground at the end of the jump?” Lori pulled her own phone out and showed a photo to Rachel. “I like this. Do you think it will suit me?”

  “Yes, that’s really nice. Maybe we should have hooked you up with his friend, Jack. Imagine if we had all ended up as couples!”

  “Missed opportunity there, but I’ve found my Prince Charming all by myself.”

  “Wow. You’re keen on this guy.”

  “I am. Now I have to convince him that he’s keen on me, too.”

  “That sounds ominous.”

  “He likes me, I can tell, but his story is that he gave up dating an hour before we met and that’s why he’s not keen.”

  “Can’t he just change his mind?”

  “I’m working on doing exactly that. We’ve only met twice, but you know, I really felt a connection.”

  “So, he’s the DJ from the club? The one who drove you home after you sent me that picture?”

  “That’s the one.”

  “Well, he’s certainly good-looking.”

  “He is. Throw in funny, sweet, and a bit shy when he’s not working. He told me he still lives at home.”

  “Wait, what?” Rachel frowned as the hairdresser pulled out her hair tie and brushed her fingers through her blonde locks. “Have you forgotten our pact?”

  Lori laughed as her cheeks turned pink. “I haven’t forgotten, but there’s a chance we made a mistake.”

  “No way, we definitely didn’t.” She met the eyes of the hairdresser in the mirror. “Guys that still live at home: red flag or not?”

  “Hmm…” the hairdresser thought about her answer. “On the face of it, yes, if he’s older. In reality, however, we ignore that information, don’t we?” She laughed at Rachel’s horrified face. “I hear about it every day in this place. Oh, the stories I could tell.” She chuckled and moved to the counter to serve another customer.

  “He’s twenty-eight. That’s not too old to be living at home, is it?”

  “I feel like it is. That’s nearly thirty.”

  “I know, but I like him… a lot.” Lori tipped her head back and turned puppy dog eyes on her friend as she tried on her most whiny voice. “Let me keep him, Rach!”

  Rachel laughed and pushed her away. “Just remember this conversation if it turns out he won’t spend any money on you and constantly compares your cooking to hers.”

  “Phew, thanks. I thought I was gonna have to really fight there. Can you make sure I’m present for any meetings you have with him, please? I need to keep dropping hints until he decides to ask me out.”

  “I’m not your mother, even though I feel like it right now, so I’ll give you every opportunity I can. Anyway,” she deftly changed the subject, “let’s try out these hairstyles and see if we look hot. If not, we’ll try them all until we do!”

  “You’re going to look beautiful no matter what you do with your hair.” Lori reached out and squeezed her hand. “I’m so excited. Your wedding is going to be amazing!”

  Chapter 7

  “Jordan, can we have a quick chat?”

  Damping down the feelings that normally burst into flower when her mother asked for a chat, Jordan nodded and followed her to the kitchen. She slipped into a chair and looked around for the cookies. Although their relationship had improved since Luke had been around, the remnants of Jordan’s previous frustration sometimes squeezed through.

  “What’s up, Mum?”

  “It’s nothing bad.” Patricia pulled out a seat and settled herself opposite her daughter. “I want your opinion on something.”

  “Come on, then, don’t keep me in suspense.”

  “Well,” she paused, “I don’t really know how to say it, so I’ll just blurt it out. Dad wants us to spend Christmas in Germany!”

  Jordan’s eyes widened and she bit the inside of her mouth to keep the grin from spreading across her face. “That sounds nice,” she said in as normal a tone as she could manage.

  Wait until I tell Luke!

  “I’m sure it will be nice, dear, but what about our family Christmas? What will you do if we’re away over the holiday?”

  “I have Luke—I’ll be totally fine. Germany at Christmas will be amazing.”

  Patricia frowned and glanced through the doorway where her husband flicked through the television channels. “Your father insists that, since we’re paying all that money to fly there, we should stay for a decent amount of time.” She rolled her eyes and screwed up her mouth before she continued, “He says we’re going to stay in a hostel in Berlin so we can see the remains of the wall.”

  “Sounds fun. I wish I could see it.”

  “Hmm… I should have made you and Luke come along.” Her eyes lit up. “There’s still time, we could—”

  “No, Mum!” Jordan raised her hand. “These trips with Dad are long overdue. You owe him this time, and you don’t need other people tagging along.”

  “You’d hardly be tagging along, Jordan. You’re our daughter and Luke is our son-in-law, now. We’re allowed to take family holidays together.”

  “Yes, but we can’t be away for months at a time. I’m fairly mobile, but Luke has the business to run.” She reached out to cover her mother’s hand with her own. “Don’t overthink it. You loved the trip to Paris, and the time you spent in Bali was great, wasn’t it?”

  “Of course, dear. I’ve been surprised by how great it was. Your father makes it easy on me, but really, a hostel?” She frowned again and put her other hand over Jordan’s. “Anyway, I wanted to make sure you wouldn’t miss us if we were away for Christmas. We’ve never spent it apart before.”

  “I know, Mum, but it’s all part of growing up. You’re a big girl, now.” She grinned as her mother laughed—a sound that didn’t often pass Patricia’s lips. Maybe all this travel really was having a positive effect on her. “How about we exchange presents in the new year when you’re home?”

  “That sounds like a lovely idea. I can do my Christmas shopping in Germany! I’m sure Luke would like one of those Christmas sweaters with a reindeer on the front.”

  Jordan laughed as her mother’s face took on a look of excitement. Since the first day she’d introduced her to Luke, Patricia had fussed over him and included him in their family events. Even before Jordan knew he was the one for her, he’d been visiting her parents and helping them. She had no doubt he would endure a reindeer sweater with his usual good humour.

  “I’m sure he will. Don’t worry, I won’t ruin the surprise. Just don’t bring us matching ones, okay?”

  “Oh, of course not! I’ll choose a special gift for you.” She glanced through the door again. “Maybe you could talk to Dad about the hostel idea?”

  “Can you imagine how relaxing it’s going to be, Luke?” Jordan put her arms out to the side, as though she planned to spin around their kitchen. “We can sleep in on Christmas Day, finally! I’ve waited my whole life to sleep in and not have a schedule of events for Christmas.”

  “Last year wasn’t so bad.”

  “You have selective memory loss, husband.” She stood behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist as she peered over his shoulder. “Have you forgotten the first wake-up call before eight o’clock? Or the run around she sent us on to find whipping cream and chocolate flakes? What about the fact that we were late to your brother’s house that night because my mother thought it important to start a new family tradition?” She let go and moved away. “I’ll never forget the fifty attemp
ts at that family photo in front of the Christmas tree. We don’t have to do that this year. We can lie in, have hot sex and make our own traditions. Ooh, maybe we can have lunch at a restaurant and be totally lazy. I’m going to call the others and ask if they’re interested. Do you think they’ll be booked up, already? It’s already November.” She gave a contented sigh and leaned against the counter. “A Christmas without having to answer to anyone…”

  “Sometimes you’re really mean to your mother.” Luke kept his back to Jordan as she celebrated the quiet holiday she anticipated. He rinsed their dinner dishes and placed them on the drainer. “Your mum’s not that bad.” He turned to face her, a frown etched on his features.

  “That’s easy for you to say, but you know I’m the first to admit she’s a lot better since you’ve been around. You didn’t have to endure years and years of her trying to marry you off.” She crossed the empty space in their kitchen and slipped her hands around his neck. “Since you stepped into that coffee shop, a lot of things have improved in my life.”

  “Oh, really? Like what?”

  “Well, there’s the Mum improvement for one, but that’s the least of the positives.” She tickled the back of his neck with her fingertips. “I’m eating better. My dog is happier.”

  “Rex? That’s all you can come up with?”

  “I haven’t had to date a douche canoe in almost two years.”

  “Come on, I know there’s more.”

  “I get to gaze at you across the dinner table every night.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Hmm… what else? Let me think.” She frowned and looked out the window, pretending to search for inspiration. “Oh, I know: you complete me.”

  “Oh har-har, very funny. No more Tom Cruise movies for you!” He pulled her close and dropped a kiss on her forehead. “I make your life better in all the ways and you know it.”

  “I do know it.” Jordan kissed his unshaven chin. “I’m not good at telling you in detail, though.”

  “Words are your thing. This should be easy.”

  “It should be, but it’s not. I’m more of an ‘I love you’ type of girl, and you should glean what you need from that.”

  “Well, I do enjoy those three words.” He squeezed her again. “Don’t worry, I don’t expect you to spell out how awesome I am. I already know.”

  She laughed and slipped away from him. “Your confidence is part of the reason I love you. You’re always so sure of how your life will turn out.”

  “I was sure about you.”

  “Really? From when?”

  “From the day you agreed to take me, practically a stranger, to the grocery store, and we helped Tina move, instead.”

  Jordan sank into the nearest kitchen chair. “You decided we were meant to be together the day you met my mother?” Her eyebrows rose and her mouth hung open as she stared at Luke. “I find that hard to believe.”

  “It’s true. You were so stressed that day and your mum kept making all those comments and welcoming me to the family. You didn’t once snap at her, although I did see you roll your eyes quite a few times.” He sat in the chair opposite and took her hand. “I knew right then that you were the girl for me. Anyone who can endure that and maintain their good humour is a keeper.” He squeezed her fingers. “The look on your face when I rode away that night and said you could go upstairs was truly priceless.”

  “I couldn’t believe you knew!”

  “I know. I hung around, then, and Rex fell in love with me. I knew it was only a matter of time until you would, too.”

  “How could you know that? I was dating all those idiots.”

  “You were, and I figured if you weren’t able to see me there, you weren’t really the girl for me, after all. Of course, I was right all along: we were meant to be.”

  “I really do love you.”

  “I know. I’m not sure if you love me as much as Rex does, though.” As if on cue, Jordan’s dog appeared in the doorway. He looked at each of them, slipped under the table, and settled on Luke’s feet as the two of them laughed. “See? He loves me best.”

  “What a traitor. He’s been obsessed with you since the first day you came upstairs to the apartment.”

  “And it doesn’t look like he’ll change his mind about me any time soon.”

  “That makes two of us.” Jordan smiled across the table where they sat, holding hands. A smug feeling settled in her chest as a single shaft of sunlight fell through the window and bathed them in its warm glow.

  My life with Luke is perfect.

  Chapter 8

  “Do you need a hand?” Lori asked Fish as Rachel chatted to her mother. The wedding day had rushed up on them and now it was almost time to get dressed in Henry’s office at the back of the restaurant.

  “No, thanks—I’m all set up and everything’s working. I bought a present for the happy couple; do you know where I should put it?” He lifted a small box wrapped in silver paper.

  “There’s a gift table. Follow me.”

  She led the way and Fish placed his gift toward the back, next to a similar sized box. When he looked at Lori, she was grinning.

  “That’s my gift. Yours and mine look like they’re matching.”

  “They do. What’d you get?”

  “How about we have a bet about what it is?”

  “A bet?” Fish looked uncertain.

  “Sure. I bet we’ve given them the same wedding gift.”

  Fish visibly relaxed as he let out a loud laugh. “There’s zero chance that happened—my gift is not one you’d give your bestie—so I’ll take that bet.” They shook hands as Lori smirked. “What’s the prize when I win?”

  “Hmm… what do you want?”

  “No idea. What do you get if you win?”

  “I want you to take me on a date.” Lori watched his face as her words sank in.

  “A date?”

  “That’s what I’ll claim when I win this bet. We’ve met a few times now and I’ve dropped a load of hints, which you’ve chosen to ignore. So, I’ll have a date, thanks.”

  “Well, if I win, I want…” he paused as he thought of a suitable prize. “I’m sure I will win, so I don’t want to make it something you aren’t capable of giving. I—”

  “So, ask for a date as your prize, too!” Lori interrupted before dissolving into giggles.

  “I didn’t say that.” He laughed and rolled his eyes. “If I win, let’s have a drink after the wedding.”

  “Like a part-date?”

  “No, like a drink. I’ll buy you a drink, you’ll see that I’m not really that interesting, and we’ll be done.”

  “You’re far more interesting than you give yourself credit for. Anyway, I have to go and get ready, but I’ll see you after the happy couple depart so we can make a date for me to collect my winnings.”

  “I’m so nervous, Lori!”

  “Are you changing your mind?”

  “No, of course I’m not! My hands are shaking, though. Look!”

  Lori put her flowers down and clasped Rachel’s hands in hers. “You’re fine. Everything is set up and the tables look beautiful. You’re going to go up there and say your wedding vows, and then you and Henry are going to live happily ever after—especially since you chose this dress with all the glitter. Oh my God, I love it so much!”

  Rachel stepped back and twirled once, pushing the skirt out as it caught every bit of light in the room. “I love it, too.” Lori handed her the bouquet of red and white roses and picked up her own flowers again. “What do you think is up those stairs?”

  “I don’t have to think, my friend—I already know. I promise you’re going to love it. Henry has exquisite taste.” She gave her a little push. “Come on, we have to get up there.”

  “Okay, okay.” Rachel stepped from the small office and grinned as her dad held out his arm.

  “You look beautiful. Henry is a lucky man.”

  “Thanks, Dad.” She slipped her arm through his. “It’s
lucky you kept my cooking disasters a secret, isn’t it?”

  “I’m taking partial credit for today’s wedding because of it.” He laughed as they moved to the bottom of the stairs. “Are you ready?”

  “I am.”

  He gave a signal up the stairs and then turned his attention to help Rachel. Above them, the song they’d chosen for the ceremony began. Lori followed closely, lifting the skirt of Rachel’s dress as she went. When they reached the top and stepped out onto the grassy area, Lori heard Rachel gasp.

  “Wow. I had no idea this was up here.”

  “Henry had it prettied up for you.”

  White flowers were crammed into every space of the outside dining area. Chairs covered in crisp, white fabric sat on either side of a red carpet sprinkled in white rose petals. In the dusky evening, tiny twinkling lights lined the walls and wound through rose bushes in giant pots. All eyes focused on Rachel as her bottom lip wavered.

  “It’s beautiful. Oh no! Quick, pinch my arm—don’t let me cry!”

  Her dad chuckled and tucked her hand into his arm as Lori took her place in front of them. On cue, they made their way down the aisle. The guests gasped as Rachel passed in her glittery gown, but they might as well have remained silent, as she only had eyes for Henry.

  He stood in his crisp, black suit with his eyes glued to her as she made her way toward him. He didn’t wear a tie and his shirt was open at the neck, just the way she loved. They smiled at each other and pulled together once her dad gave her hand to the man waiting to become her husband. As one, they turned to face the celebrant. Finally, they were getting married in front of their nearest and dearest.

  The ceremony was purposefully short; it seemed only minutes had passed before the celebrant declared them man and wife and gave the magical permission Rachel had dreamed of since the first time they’d met.