‘No, it’s at St Mary’s.’
‘Our St Mary’s, as in where we were both christened?’
‘Yes.’
Madison blew out a breath. ‘Cake. Reception. Dresses. Car. Flowers.’ She ticked them off on her fingers and shook her head. ‘No, you can’t do it, Kat. I mean, I’ll help as much as I can, but…it’s just not doable.’
‘You forget, I have two secret weapons. My mother and my fiancé.’ Katrina spread her hands. ‘Between them, Mum and Rhys already have all the bases covered. She’s making the stationery—you know she loves doing that sort of thing—and your mum’s doing the flowers. Nicky’s making us a white chocolate wedding cake. Dad’s sorting the car and Uncle Bryan’s going to drive it, Rhys is talking to the King’s Arms today and persuading them to do us a marquee and food and a band, and he says all I have to do is sort the dresses.’ She smiled. ‘Which is where you come in. And thank you, your offer of help is accepted.’
‘Um, honey, Helen’s three days old today. I don’t think she’s quite up to a trip to the shops just yet.’
‘We’re not going shopping shopping. We’re going to do it online,’ Katrina told her. ‘No crowds, no hassle.’ Exactly how she preferred to do her shopping.
‘But you have to see the fabric to know if you like it.’
‘No, I don’t.’
‘And shoes.’
‘I hate shoe shopping, as you very well know.’
‘Oh, you are so impossible, Katrina Gregory. I should set our mums on you.’
Katrina laughed. ‘You can’t. They’re already involved in the plans. So are you going to help me choose our dresses, or what?’
‘Our dresses?’ Madison blinked.
‘Well, who else would I ask to be my bridesmaid?’
Madison bit her lip. ‘Kat, I’ve still got a baby belly. I’m not going to lose it by Easter.’
‘You don’t have to.’ Katrina hugged her cousin. ‘We’ll find you something glam that looks fabulous. And you know you’d look gorgeous in a bin bag. You got the style gene in the family.’
‘Hey, you’re going to look fantastic as a bride.’ Madison’s eyes glittered wickedly. ‘In a dress. You’re actually going to buy a dress.’
‘Don’t rub it in.’
Madison grinned. ‘Excellent. And I get to have a pink dress.’
Katrina groaned. ‘No.’
‘Raspberry?’
‘No. That’s pink.’
‘Pale mulberry?’
‘That’s pink, too.’
‘You’re so bossy,’ Madison grumbled.
‘Because you taught me how,’ Katrina retorted.
Two hours later, they’d found the perfect outfits. And shoes to match. And everything was going to be delivered to Madison’s house to make sure that Rhys didn’t actually see the wedding dress beforehand.
Everyone on the ward was just as pleased for Katrina and Rhys as their families had been, and Katrina was surprised by just how quickly everything fell into place between her mother’s organising skills and Rhys’s.
‘One thing,’ Rhys said. ‘I need to find a best man.’
‘How about your best friend from your student days? Someone in Cardiff? Or someone on the ward—maybe Will?’ she suggested. ‘And I’m sure he’d make an exception and wear a sensible tie for the day.’
‘Actually, I was thinking—if you don’t mind—of asking my father,’ Rhys said hesitantly. ‘I mean, it’s still early days…but it’s kind of a show of faith. To show that in future our relationship will be what it should be.’
‘That,’ Katrina said softly, ‘would be perfect.’ Though there was one sticking point—one that had to be voiced. ‘Would your mother mind?’
‘She’s probably not even going to turn up—to the wedding or to our engagement dinner.’ He sighed. ‘I’m sorry, Katrina. I can’t give you in-laws as nice as the ones you’re giving me.’
‘Yes, you can. There’s Llewellyn and Dilys. And I’m looking forward to meeting the girls this weekend.’
‘Me, too.’ He held her close. ‘Right now, life’s better than I ever imagined it could possibly be, even in my wildest dreams.’
‘And it’s going to stay this good,’ she promised him.
Rhiannon, Sian and Mair turned out to be just like their mother: warm and open and talkative. Katrina liked them immediately—and they all adored Rhys.
‘There was a reason why I asked you to London,’ Rhys said. ‘Apart from to see you, that is.’ He took four envelopes from his jacket pocket and handed one to Llewellyn and Dilys, and one each to his half-sisters.