Read Online A Merry Mistletoe Wedding by Judy Astley - Free Book Online

had said it, especially one taller than her, she’d have felt patronized. When Sean did, even that first time when they’d barely spoken more than a few sentences to each other, the term simply felt warmly fond.
    The day was hot and still summer-dusty but on the drive to the school Thea passed more than one restaurant and pub that had a board up on the pavement, advertising early-booking terms for office Christmas parties. Not yet, too soon, Thea thought, as she did each September. It felt wrong, all this fast-forwarding too far; it was too much like wishing one’s life away. Still, this year Christmas was something to look forward to – that is, once she had the family onside. Otherwise, well, she and Sean might as well elope. They could run off to get married among hotel strangers on a tropical beach somewhere. She didn’t fancy that at all, though she could imagine many would. However glorious and sunny the weather, for her there’d be something cold and a bit sad about having no one from home to celebrate with.
    â€˜Hey, welcome back to the madhouse,’ Thea’s friend Jenny greeted her as she walked into the school’s staffroom. ‘Did you have a good summer?’
    â€˜Pretty much perfect, thank you. The only downside was coming home.’
    Jenny laughed. ‘So it’s all going well then. You two are still at the icky romantic stage. Yuck!’
    There was still time for a mug of tea before facing her new class and the onslaught of anxious mothers ushering them in, each one of them wanting ‘a word’. Thea had already thoroughly checked reports on her incomers from their previous class teacher – one child was a selective mute (although not in the playground), another was terrified of birds and there was one who couldn’t be separated from his toy giraffe, a stuffed animal that was almost as big as he was. There’d be several more with problems – imagined or otherwise – whose parents hadn’t mentioned them before but who were sure to think that day one of the new school year was the perfect moment, so a bit of fortifying wouldn’t go amiss.
    â€˜We seem to be. And, er, well, actually, guess what …!’ And Thea couldn’t help herself: having failed to tell her news at the weekend, it was just dying to break free. ‘We’re getting married!’ It was safe enough to tell Jenny; her family weren’t likely to run into her any time soon, so no chance of it getting back to them on any gossip grapevine.
    â€˜Wow, you don’t hang about. Congratulations!’ Jenny gave her a hug. ‘So when? Next summer?’
    â€˜No, not summer. We thought Christmas would be good. It sort of goes with how we met, you know? I always think we had such a lot of help from the magic of a massive bunch of mistletoe, so it feels like the perfect time to do it. The day we met, Sean asked me to sneak out after dark on a secret mission to get a huge bunch of the stuff. I had to hold the ladder while he went up and cut some down. He got spooked by an owl and nearly came crashing down.’
    â€˜Bit bloody lucky for you that he didn’t then. So, Christmas next year? Great idea.’
    â€˜No,
this
Christmas. No point in waiting, is there? Neither of us are teenagers or anything.’
    â€˜
This
Christmas? Like, only about fifteen
weeks
away?’ Jenny stared at her, wide-eyed and with her mouth a bit gapey. Thea fought an urge to reach forward and push it shut.
    â€˜Well … yes. Why not? What’s to wait for? Now we’ve decided, we just want it to happen, as soon as possible!’
    â€˜Why
not
? Thea, do you have
any
idea how much planning a wedding takes? There are
so
many things to consider. My cousin had a whole website and database thing full of plans and projects when she got married. She had a huge fat folder just for napkin options for the reception.’
    â€˜Oh, but I do know. Remember I