Connor made a stunning usher in his top and tails, and sage green tie, which he kept tugging at self-consciously. He’d wanted to give his mother away, but the honour went to Kate’s dad.
While the congregation waited in the church for the bride to appear, Daisy whispered in the boy’s ear. ‘If ever me and Noah get married, not that we are planning on it and he hasn’t asked me yet, and he might never ask, and he’d only do it if you are happy with the situation, because you are the most important thing in your dad’s life, then you can give me away. David might want to do it, but he’ll just have to suck it up. If he is that bothered, he can be a page boy.’
‘A page boy? How old is he?’ Connor looked so nervous, Daisy wanted to give him a hug, but felt it might be too much, too soon, for the lad. He had enough on his plate right now with sharing his mum, without his father’s girlfriend trying to get all touchy-feely.
‘Twenty-seven,’ Daisy said, deadpan.
Connor burst out laughing.
Last night, when Kate (who was lovely, by the way, and had eyes only for Ian, and had made Daisy feel very welcome, indeed), had gone to her parents’ house to sleep, she and Connor had had a little chat about the way they’d met and Connor had apologised. He really was a nice kid, just like Noah said. Gone was the belligerent teenager, and in its place was a pleasant young man. He’d been scared, Daisy had realised, that was all, and had acted out of fear of losing his mother, and of being replaced in her affections by her new husband.
Talking of husbands, Ian looked terribly nervous as he stood at the front of the church, shuffling his feet, and every so often craning his neck around to see if Kate had arrived. He seemed a nice enough bloke, and Noah appeared pleased that Kate was getting hitched.
The music started, the Wedding March (Daisy didn’t know why anyone would want anything else), and Connor quickly slipped out of the pew Daisy and Noah were in and scuttled to take his place at the front with Kate’s parents. Ian gave him a reassuring smile, and to Daisy’s delight, Connor beamed back at his new step-father.
As Kate glided down the aisle, Daisy thought how lovely she looked in a simple sheath dress in off-white satin, which clung to her curves, and showed off her height. Her dark hair was gathered up at the back of her head, with soft curls framing the sides of her face. A simple headdress completed the picture.
Noah reached for Daisy’s had and gave it a squeeze.
‘She looks gorgeous,’ Daisy said.
‘Doesn’t she just. I’m so proud of her.’ Noah was staring at the bride intently, a strange look on his face, and it took Daisy a minute to work out what it might be.
Then she got it. The look was one of love.
There was a second or two when Daisy had a mental wobble but, as Noah had told her several times, he did care for Kate, love her even, but as a brother loved his sister. He was not in love with her, and he didn’t think he ever had been (teenage crush, and all that, and if Kate hadn’t become pregnant, they would have drifted apart naturally). But as the mother of his child he cared for her, and though she exasperated him sometimes, and they occasionally argued about what they thought was best for their son, he did care for her and he always would.
Daisy had accepted that. More or less. She was aware it would take more than a weekend when the bride was totally distracted by her forthcoming nuptials, to get to know this other woman in Noah’s life, but then she hadn’t met his mother and father, or even his brother yet, either. She sincerely hoped they were nothing like her own. Except David, she conceded – he was alright in small doses, when he wasn’t annoying the hell out of her.
As she watched her boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend, and the mother of their child, get married to another man, their son solemn and sombre in the pew ahead, Daisy understood this wasn’t going to be a bed of roses. She knew they would have their ups and downs, and being a step-mum to an almost-grown teenager would present many challenges, but she also knew the man at her side, his hand holding hers, was worth it.
She glanced up at him as the bride walked past, and Noah turned his attention from Kate to Daisy, and the look in his eyes took her breath away.
‘I love you, Miss Jones,’ he whispered, and this time there was no misunderstanding but just to make sure, she whispered back, ‘I love you, too.’