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    A Wedding at The Cosy Cottage Café: The Cosy Cottage Café, #5
    A Wedding at The Cosy Cottage Café: The Cosy Cottage Café, #5
    A Wedding at The Cosy Cottage Café: The Cosy Cottage Café, #5
    Ebook142 pages1 hour

    A Wedding at The Cosy Cottage Café: The Cosy Cottage Café, #5

    By RACHEL GRIFFITHS

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    About this ebook

    When Allie Jones' daughter, Mandy, arrives at The Cosy Cottage Café in tears one spring morning, Allie is concerned. She's been worried about her career-driven daughter for a while, and hopes she'll finally get to find out what's wrong.

    Dawn Dix-Beaumont has her hands full with three young children, a husband who works from home and the guinea pig family that lives in her garden. She's happier than she's ever been, but is it too good to last?

    Camilla Dix is madly in love with local vet Tom Stone, but she believes it's far too soon to be making long-term plans.

    Honey Blackwell's boyfriend, Dane Ackerman, has secured his teaching post at Heatherlea Primary School and they've decided to live together. Everything seems to be working out well, until a member of Honey's household expresses a clear dislike for the handsome teacher.

    And someone has been planning a proposal…

    Join Allie and her friends this summer as cakes are baked, secrets are shared and surprises bring smiles and tears at The Cosy Cottage Café.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRACHEL GRIFFITHS
    Release dateOct 7, 2024
    ISBN9798227689689
    A Wedding at The Cosy Cottage Café: The Cosy Cottage Café, #5
    Author

    RACHEL GRIFFITHS

    Rachel Griffiths is an author, wife, mother, Earl Grey tea drinker, gin enthusiast, dog walker and fan of the afternoon nap. She loves to read, write and spend time with her family.

    Read more from Rachel Griffiths

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      Book preview

      A Wedding at The Cosy Cottage Café - RACHEL GRIFFITHS

      Chapter 1

      Allie

      ‘OK, Mandy… sit there.’ Allie Jones gestured at the battered old leather sofa in the corner of the café but her daughter didn’t release her hand. ‘Mandy?’

      ‘Yes?’

      ‘Sit there for a moment and I’ll be right back.’

      ‘Allie, tell me what you need and you can stay with Mandy.’ Chris Monroe, Allie’s boyfriend, placed a cool hand on her shoulder.

      ‘Thank you. Can you get the brandy from the kitchen? It’s in the top right cupboard above⁠—’

      ‘I know where it is.’ He squeezed her shoulder. ‘I’ll be right back.’

      She nodded as he padded away in his rabbit feet, still wearing the costume he’d put on for the Easter party at the café. From the waist up, he was normal Chris, but his legs dangled over the shoulders of a giant rabbit. Well, they were fake legs meant to resemble his, while his real legs looked like they belonged to the rabbit that was supposedly carrying him around. She was also conscious of the fact that she was still dressed as a fluffy yellow chick, something that had been great fun for the party, but now felt rather ridiculous.

      Allie sat down next to her daughter. Mandy immediately buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking as she cried softly.

      ‘What can I do, Mum?’ Jordan, Allie’s son, was still standing in the doorway, his face pale and his blue eyes wide.

      ‘Sit down, love.’

      Panic crossed his face.

      ‘Or go help Max keep an eye on things outside.’

      ‘Yes… good plan. But… uh… will Mandy be OK?’

      Allie nodded, her heart aching, because even though Jordan was twenty-three — and now lived at the cottage attached to The Cosy Cottage Café with his boyfriend Maxwell Wilson — he was still her little boy.

      ‘Yes, Mandy will be OK; she’s home now. I’ll have a chat with her, then come and find you.’

      ‘Thanks Mum. See you later, Mandy.’

      Jordan let himself out of the café then closed the door gently behind him, shutting out the sounds of the villagers of Heatherlea enjoying their Easter celebrations, just as Allie had been doing just ten minutes ago, before Mandy had arrived. Her twenty-four-year-old daughter — who had a successful career in publishing at a big London firm — turning up on her doorstep in a ball gown, her hair a bird’s nest and her face streaked with tears, was something Allie had never wanted to see. In fact, it broke her heart.

      ‘Mandy, are you going to tell me what’s happened?’ Allie rubbed her daughter’s slender shoulders, exposed by the beautiful strapless damask dress.

      Mandy let out a sound like one of Allie’s cats might make. It was a pitiful squeak-come-sniffle.

      ‘Here you are.’ Chris was back and he handed Allie a glass of brandy. She looked at it, took a gulp, then patted Mandy’s shoulder.

      ‘I think you better drink this. It’ll warm you up if nothing else. You’re freezing, Mandy. Have you been out all night?’ Panic rose in her throat at the thought that her beautiful daughter had indeed been out all night, alone and vulnerable.

      Mandy didn’t answer; instead she accepted the glass and sipped the spirit, wincing as she swallowed. But she kept drinking until she’d drained the glass.

      ‘More?’ Chris was hovering at Allie’s side.

      ‘Please.’ She met his eyes and gratitude surged through her that he was there, that he’d returned to the village of Heatherlea last summer and that he loved her. Still. Even after all the years they’d been apart. Even after she’d married their mutual friend, Roger, and had two children by him.

      Chris gently stroked her cheek then took the glass and went back through to the café kitchen. Allie turned back to Mandy and found her staring into space, her shoulders hunched, her eyes red and puffy. But at least the awful crying had stopped. For now.

      ‘Mandy…’

      ‘It’s OK, Mum. Sorry to turn up like that but I didn’t know what else to do.’

      ‘How did you get here?’

      ‘Early train.’

      ‘Did you come straight from a party?’

      Mandy nodded. ‘It was an awards celebration for bestselling authors at a posh hotel with champagne, a sit-down meal and dancing.’

      ‘Sounds lovely. But I take it that it wasn’t lovely?’ Allie watched Mandy closely. Since she’d last seen her daughter, her features were sharper, her arms more toned, as if she’d been working out and eating differently. Mandy had always been slim but she now had that gym-toned appearance that a lot of celebrities promoted.

      ‘It was… at first. Then it all went wrong.’ Mandy’s lip trembled and a fat tear escaped from her right eye, ran down her cheek then plopped into her lap, staining her dress.

      ‘How, love?’ Allie took her hand.

      ‘He’s been lying to me all along, Mum. So many lies and I… I loved him so much.’ Mandy’s eyes brimmed with fresh tears. ‘I really loved him!’ She flung herself at Allie and sobbed in her arms, and Allie held her tight, wondering who she had to hunt down and punish for what he’d done to her baby girl.

      Chapter 2

      Dawn

      ‘Do you think they’re OK in there?’ Dawn Dix-Beaumont asked her husband, Rick.

      He glanced at the café then shook his head.

      ‘You don’t?’ Dawn’s voice rose with concern, so she coughed then made an effort to speak quieter as she asked, ‘Really?’

      ‘I didn’t mean that they’re not all right. What I meant was that Mandy did look quite upset but she’s in the best place. So we shouldn’t go interfering.’

      ‘What? I had no intention of interfering.’ She frowned at Rick but he smiled.

      ‘I know that, angel. We have enough to deal with as it is.’ He smiled down at their baby daughter who was fast asleep in her pram. ‘We need to give them some space and I know how close you, Allie, Camilla and Honey are. You’ll all want to rush to help Allie fix her daughter.’

      Dawn nodded. ‘You know me too well.’

      He was right; her sister, Camilla Dix, and friend, Honey Blackwell, certainly would want to help in any way they could. They were close friends and always there for one another. But Rick was right; this was something Allie needed some space for and besides, Chris was with her.

      ‘It might be a good time to head for home though.’ He pointed at the café lawn where their young children Laura and James were racing around, their faces red, sweaty and chocolate covered.

      ‘Oh goodness, yes. They both need a shower.’ She smiled, her love for her children filling her chest. She felt so lucky to have such a wonderful husband and three beautiful children. Just the previous autumn, she’d been worried that it was all slipping away from her, as Rick had seemed distant and she’d suspected him of having an affair. He hadn’t been, and had, in fact, been trying to protect her from his own worries, but now things were better than ever and they had a new baby too. Precious little Alison. She gazed at her baby’s peaches and cream complexion and a familiar tingling spread through her as the let-down reflex kicked in.

      ‘What is it?’ Rick wrapped an arm around her shoulder. ‘You’ve gone a bit flushed.’

      ‘It’s time for Alison to have a feed. Either that or I need to express.’

      ‘No problem, my love. I’ll round up the terrors and we can get going.’

      He headed across the lawn in the direction of Laura and James, and Dawn watched as James shook his head and stamped his foot, then giggled as Rick hoisted him onto his shoulder and tickled him. Laura skipped towards her, looking exactly like a mini Spanish flamenco dancer in her Easter costume, except for the chocolate around her mouth, that was.

      ‘Mummy!’ James gasped as Rick tickled him again when they arrived at her side. ‘Daddy… says…’ He squirmed. ‘Daddy… stop!’

      ‘Not until you say sorry for stamping.’

      ‘I… wasn’t… stamping!’ James squeaked between breaths.

      ‘I saw you stamp, James.’ Dawn said, then she reached under his arm pit and wriggled her fingers.

      ‘No, Mummy, no! Not you too!’

      When Dawn and Rick stopped tickling James, and Rick set him down on his feet on the grass, James caught his breath.

      ‘I wasn’t stamping, Mummy, I promise. I was showing Daddy how Laura’s supposed to do her mingo dancing.’

      ‘I’m not a mingo dancer, James, it’s flamenco!’ Laura scowled at her younger brother, suddenly eighteen not eight, and Rick met Dawn’s eyes.

      ‘Looks like it could be a long afternoon.’

      ‘Indeed. For you at least.’

      ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ Rick kissed her cheek.

      ‘Well I need to feed the baby then take a nap. All the fresh air has worn me out.’

      Rick sighed then kissed her again. ‘You don’t think your mother will want them for a few hours do you?’

      ‘I have no idea… however…’ Dawn waved her sister, Camilla over. ‘Hey best big

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