Mother of the Bride Read Online Free Page B

had bought especially for the occasion.
    â€˜Dan,’ she teased, kissing him slowly. ‘We don’t have time! People will be here any minute.’
    â€˜Later, then!’ he promised, reluctantly letting her go.
    She mentally did a run-through: the champagne and white wine were chilling in the fridge, the crates of beer were out on their narrow balcony, and a case of Bordeaux was sitting at room temperature in the corner of the spare room. Both of them had been to scabby engagement parties which hadn’t even provided one drink for the guests, an early harbinger of wedding guests having to shell out a fortune to see friends marry in some out-of-the-way location. Neither of them wanted anything like that!
    Amy had made some canapés and finger food for the party, and her mum was bringing some quiches.
    â€˜People are not coming for the food!’ murmured Daniel, wandering into the kitchen and grabbing two cheese and mushroom vol-au-vents. He stuffed them into his mouth.
    â€˜They’re for later,’ she warned, smacking him on the fingers as he tried to pinch a few more. Then the bell rang downstairs and she pressed to open the door.
    â€˜Take these, Amy love.’ Her mum and Ciara arrived laden down with four massive home-made quiches – which they would serve later – and a basket of crusty sliced French bread. Meanwhile, her dad and brother lugged another big crate of beer into the apartment.
    â€˜Thanks, Mum, here’s some wine. You deserve it.’
    Helen O’Connor grabbed the reviving glass and glanced around the apartment approvingly. Amy and Daniel had done a great job on the place, and it was a true reflection of both their styles, with two big red comfy couches and a mixture of family photos and quirky art prints decorating the walls.
    â€˜Do you have any vodka?’ asked Ciara, rooting through the kitchen cupboards.
    â€˜No!’ said Amy, glad that their bottles of vodka and rum and gin had been secretly stashed away. She had no intention of having her younger sister get plastered drunk tonight in front of her friends. ‘There’s plenty of wine and beer, though, so help yourself.’
    Looking disgruntled, Ciara contented herself with a can of chilled Heineken, then she joined Ronan and his girlfriend Krista, and Dan’s friend Jeremy, who were smoking out on the balcony.
    Amy watched, amused, as her mum automatically began to serve drinks and introduce people, dragging her dad over to meet Dan’s brother Rob and his girlfriend Hannah. Rob was a taller, bigger, fatter version of Dan, and had been going out with Hannah for years. Hannah stared enviously at Amy’s ring, and Amy wondered why they hadn’t got around to getting married.
    â€˜We should all try to get to know each other before the wedding,’ she coaxed, as her dad did his best to be polite and friendly.
    As her girlfriends arrived they demanded not only to look at her beautiful engagement ring, but to try it on and make a wish.
    â€˜Please, Amy, for luck! We just want to make a wish!’ begged Lisa and Tara in unison.
    Reluctantly, Amy slipped the ring off her finger and on to the fingers of two of her closest friends. She knew exactly what each of them was wishing. Lisa was wishing that Simon O’Keefe, the lazy sod she was living with, would do the decent thing and after six years of being together propose before she was an old lady; whilst Tara was wishing that her boyfriend Johnny would stop cheating on her.
    â€˜Amy, the ring is gorgeous,’ Tara said, twisting it around her finger.
    â€˜If Simon ever gets me jewellery it’s usually totally wrong!’ sighed Lisa. ‘Do you remember that awful watch with the brown leatherstrap he got me last Christmas? I had to bring it straight back and exchange it and he was in a huff for days as a result. And what about that vile pearl choker!’
    Tonight of all nights, Amy wasn’t in the mood for