“You look beautiful,” Stella said as she approached me. Tristan and I were still holding hands, despite my Aunt Maddie only having eyes for Tristan. She was lecturing him on the secrets of a happy marriage and he, very sensibly, wasn’t trying to make a contribution as she set out her three-thousand-point plan.
“Thanks, Stella. Honestly, I feel more than awkward.”
Maddie maneuvered between me and Tristan, breaking our physical connection.
“Well you don’t look awkward. You both look great. Like the perfect couple.”
“Tristan gets up in the morning looking great. On the other hand, I’m a magnet for spillages whenever I dress up.”
Beck came up behind Stella and wrapped his arm around her waist. “How are you getting on?” he asked.
All I could do was shrug.
“You should know Tristan wouldn’t do this thing for just anyone. That’s not to say he’s not a great guy. He is. And I know it’s an excellent charity that Tristan feels strongly about, but he must like you a lot to do this. You should know that.”
I didn’t know what to say. Was Beck disapproving of what we were doing? “It’s really good of him.”
“You’re supportive, though, right?” Stella asked her husband.
“Sure,” Beck said on a shrug. “Partly because it’s a great cause and partly because . . . Well, I hope you both keep an open mind.”
Stella laughed. I got the distinct impression I wasn’t in on the joke.
“Did I miss something?” I asked.
“It’s just that Beck and I started out pretending to be together,” Stella explained.
“You and Beck?” I glanced between them. They were both grinning.
“Yes, Stella made me pretend to be her boyfriend,” Beck explained.
“A very small price to pay for accompanying you to the wedding from hell.” Stella shook her head as if she couldn’t believe what she was about to say. “My newly ex-boyfriend’s wedding to my newly ex-best friend.” She groaned. “I have no idea how you talked me into it.”
“That sounds . . . horrible and messy and oh em gee, I can’t even imagine,” I said.
Stella laughed. “It was all those things. But out of it, I ended up with this guy, so all’s well that ends well. You never know when an awkward situation will lead to something great.”
My cheeks flushed like I had my head a foot away from a roaring fire. When I heard my name called across the grass, I’d never been so happy to be interrupted. It wasn’t like that between me and Tristan. Yes, Tristan was gorgeous and I was attracted to him, but I was only human. There wasn’t a single girl at this party who didn’t feel the same way.
I glanced away from Stella and Beck, trying to see who had called my name. Tristan’s mother, Eileen, came barreling toward us.
“Hello, you three,” she said, grinning so wide she looked like she must have a jaw ache. “How’s my lovely daughter-in-law to be?”
My stomach plummeted into the lawn. I hated lying to her, especially as she was just so happy for us. She grabbed my hand and squeezed it between both of hers. “I’m so happy he found you. He’s so very lucky. And the work you do—Tristan told me about how you’re launching a program to help the families.” She shook her head and her eyes went glassy. Without a word, Beck smoothed his hand over her back. “It’s wonderful,” she said, her voice shaky and weak. “It would have made such a difference.”
I was used to people being moved by the work Sunrise did. Vulnerable, sick children fighting for their lives melted the hardest of hearts, but we weren’t discussing any details and Eileen was still moved to tears. And then Beck was very quick to comfort her—it was almost as if he expected her to be emotional. Maybe she was always like this. Not for the first time today, I felt like I was missing something.
“Can I get you a drink?” Stella said.
Eileen shook her head, dropped my hands, and pulled out a tissue from her bag before dabbing at her eyes. “I’m fine, thanks.” She plastered on a grin. “This is a joyous day. My son is getting married. You two are going to have a wonderful future together.” Her voice cracked at the end of the sentence. She was really upset. I scanned the party, wanting to find Tristan and call him over to help comfort his mother. I reached out for her but she lifted her hand. “I’m sorry. It’s an emotional day. Excuse me.” She rushed off in the direction of the luxury loos Lauren had arranged to be craned into the garden yesterday.
I turned back to Beck and Stella. “Should I go after her?”
Beck shook his head. “I don’t think so, but let’s tell—Oh, here he is.”
Tristan’s arms snaked around my waist and he pulled me toward him just like a fiancé would.