Wedding Bells on Madison Avenue (New York Ever After Book 3) Read online

  Wedding Bells

  on

  Madison Avenue

  (Book 3 in the New York Ever After series)

  Helen J. Rolfe

  Books by Helen J Rolfe:

  The Friendship Tree

  Handle Me with Care

  In a Manhattan Minute

  The Summer of New Beginnings

  You, Me, and Everything In Between

  Christmas at Snowdrop Cottage

  Magnolia Creek series books:

  What Rosie Found Next (book 1)

  The Chocolatier’s Secret (book 2)

  The Magnolia Girls (book 3)

  New York Ever After series books:

  Christmas at the Little Knitting Box (book 1)

  Snowflakes and Mistletoe at the Inglenook Inn (book 2)

  Wedding Bells on Madison Avenue (book 3)

  Orion Publishing - Books written as Helen Rolfe:

  Valentine’s Day at the Café at the End of the Pier (Pier series, free short story)

  Spring at the Café at the End of the Pier (Pier series, book 1)

  Summer at the Café at the End of the Pier (Pier series, book 2)

  Autumn at the Café at the End of the Pier (Pier series, book 3)

  Christmas at the Café at the End of the Pier (Pier series, book4)

  A Year at the Café at the End of the Pier (Pier series, entire collection)

  This book has been edited in British English (BrE) and therefore uses mostly British spellings.

  Copyright © 2018 Helen J. Rolfe

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the author.

  Helen J Rolfe asserts the right to be identified as the author of this book. All the characters and events in this book are fictional. Any resemblance to individuals is entirely coincidental.

  For my amazing husband and children … the biggest support team ever!

  Chapter One

  Darcy

  ‘To the happy couple!’ Holly raised her glass and the others around the table followed suit. ‘If anyone can make a marriage work, it’s you two. Congratulations.’

  Darcy’s hand hadn’t left Myles’s lap since the minute they’d sat down at The Plaza with their closest friends to celebrate their engagement. Cleo and Dylan had come in to the city from Inglenook Falls, Holly had zipped over to The Plaza from her office, and now, as they all sipped champagne at the circular table in The Champagne Bar next to the long window that stretched almost from floor to ceiling, with Fifth Avenue views, Darcy hoped Holly was right with her words. She’d fallen in love, no doubt about it, but their relationship had moved as fast as the Manhattan rush hour, and she was starting to panic that they didn’t know one another well enough at all.

  ‘Show me the ring again?’ Holly grabbed Darcy’s hand the second she put down her glass.

  ‘It’s gorgeous.’ Cleo leaned forward for a second, better, look. ‘I can’t stop staring at it. I’m so pleased for you, Darcy.’

  ‘Thank you.’ She hugged her friends in turn. She couldn’t help but agree with their appraisal, extending her fingers on her left hand so the timeless rose gold engagement ring with its solitaire diamond on her fourth finger sparkled beneath the lights. As soon as Myles had proposed, they’d gone straight to Tiffany & Co., excited, their future shining brightly in front of them. He’d insisted on being extravagant when it came to the ring and this time she’d let him have his way. And Darcy was glad they hadn’t waited either. They hadn’t let themselves get back to their busy lives, their careers, and put their relationship on the backburner.

  ‘So come on,’ said Cleo, desperate for more information. ‘Tell us how it all happened. You guys have only been together for five minutes.’

  Darcy pushed the worries out of her mind. ‘It was very romantic.’

  ‘I couldn’t wait any longer.’ Myles beamed at his fiancée, his chocolate-brown eyes barely able to leave her face for a second.

  ‘I think I’m going to need another drink,’ Dylan chimed, ‘if it’s all going to get too soppy.’ He earned himself a nudge from Cleo, and Darcy could tell he didn’t mean it at all. From what she’d heard, Dylan could be a hopeless romantic when he wanted to be. Only last month he’d made his wife chocolate-dipped strawberries to cheer her up after a crazy day at the store she owned and ran.

  ‘Come on,’ Holly huffed, ‘proper details. Did he even get down on one knee?’

  ‘Sofia was home from Switzerland so I had a half day at the Inn. It had been days since we’d spent some quality time together, so we walked up to Central Park and had lunch at Tavern on the Green.’ Darcy watched the man she’d agreed to marry. Funny how they’d known each other for such a short time, yet she hadn’t even hesitated.

  ‘Oh, I love it there,’ Holly gushed. ‘Is that where it happened? Did he ask you there?’

  ‘Let them tell us the story!’ Cleo urged.

  Myles took the floor. ‘I’d only intended on taking her for lunch. Proposing was the last thing on my mind, but as we sat and talked and laughed, I wondered why I was even waiting to make things more permanent. We left the restaurant and my mind was working hard to think of when and how I could possibly ask her. We went to the Shakespeare Garden, walked up to Belvedere Castle, and as we were making our way back towards the lake we saw a caricaturist.’

  ‘I thought it would be fun,’ Darcy grinned, fingers splayed on the stem of her champagne glass, her ring a glistening reminder of that perfect day. ‘I thought a picture could be a really nice keepsake.’

  ‘The caricaturist drew Darcy first,’ said Myles, ‘and it gave me a chance to think. Before he started to draw me I told her to go and grab a couple of cold drinks from the vendor nearby, and it allowed me enough time to put my plan into action.’

  Cleo and Holly clasped one another in typical female fashion, on tenterhooks for the next bit, while Dylan was slightly more reserved and enjoying his champagne.

  ‘I gave the caricaturist some instructions and as soon as Darcy sat down next to me again, he got to work. When he’d finished I paid him, kept the picture hidden – not easy when Darcy was desperate to see it – and then as soon as we reached the top of the Bow Bridge I got down on one knee and showed her. The caricaturist had drawn me on one knee, with a speech bubble coming from my mouth that said, “Will you marry me?”’ He kissed his fiancée. ‘I’m so glad you said yes.’

  ‘Me too.’

  ‘That is so romantic,’ Cleo and Holly said in unison.

  ‘Does anyone have a tissue?’ Dylan sniffed and pretended to wipe his eyes until Holly shoved him on the arm to berate him. ‘No, seriously guys, congratulations. I think it’s great news. So when’s the big day?’

  ‘You’d better all put it in your calendars,’ Myles declared, ‘because it’s in August.’

  ‘August next year? That’s not long, it’ll fly by.’ Holly finished her champagne.

  ‘August this year,’ said Darcy.

  ‘Are you serious?’ Cleo shook her head. ‘But that’s only five months away. How on earth will you be ready in time? Can you even get a venue?’

  ‘That’s the only thing we’ve really sorted so far. We’re not having a big elaborate ceremony so that made it easier, plus we’re flexible about the day, so we’re having it at the Moonlight Loft & Terrace.’

  ‘The rooftop bar that just opened up on Madison?’ Dylan ordered a beer for both him and Myles, making Darcy smile. Couldn’t keep a man’s man down for long; she’d wondered how long before they exchanged the girlie champagne for someth
ing different.

  ‘That’s right,’ said Myles. ‘Darcy has a whole vision of what it’ll look like. They’ve done a couple of weddings there already but, being new, they’re not booked up.’

  ‘Wow.’ Holly was completely in the moment. ‘Getting married beneath the moonlight, out in the open air, it’s perfect.’

  ‘What happens if it rains?’ Cleo asked, earning a frown from Holly. ‘What? You need to plan for these things.’

  ‘There’s a lovely area inside,’ said Darcy, ‘but we won’t need it. It’ll be gloriously sunny by August and not quite as humid as July. It’ll be the perfect day. I just know it.’

  Talk turned to what she had planned for the wedding ceremony, although she hadn’t thought about it in great detail yet, and the men showed as much enthusiasm as they could before their talk turned to hockey and they left the women talking dresses, cakes and bonbonniere.

  ‘You could have mini preserves,’ Holly suggested, ‘or a couple I know who got married in the country last year had little pots of honey each with a tiny dipper attached to the side.’

  ‘That’s a great idea,’ Cleo approved.

  Darcy hadn’t got down to the finer details yet. ‘I actually need to ask you both something.’ She grinned as Cleo clasped her hands together, pre-empting what was coming. ‘Holly, Cleo, would you like to be my bridesmaids?’

  Both women squealed and even the men laughed after they knew what had gone down. ‘Oh Darcy, I can’t wait!’ Cleo could barely sit still.

  ‘I am truly honoured,’ said Holly more demurely. An editor with a top publication in the city, she was more reserved than Cleo although Darcy suspected she was maintaining some decorum and that before long, especially when they had dress fittings and saw the venue, her enthusiasm would unleash. ‘I haven’t known you all that long, are you sure?’

  ‘Of course I am. It doesn’t matter how long we’ve known one another, I consider you a very good friend. So there’ll be you two plus my good friends, Isabella and Gabriella, plus my sister, Sarah. I can’t imagine doing this without every single one of you by my side.’

  Cleo put a hand on her arm. ‘It’ll be our pleasure.’

  ‘It sure will.’ Holly smiled. ‘Talking of Isabella, where is she?’

  ‘She couldn’t make today, she’s away in Vermont with her other half. But because I knew she was heading out of town, I told her right after we got back from choosing the ring. We Skyped Gabriella in Switzerland too.’

  ‘With champagne I hope.’ Holly finished the last of her bubbles and they ordered another bottle.

  ‘Why of course.’

  ‘This is all moving so fast, Darcy.’ Cleo had a headache she blamed on drinking during the day and opted for a large glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. ‘I don’t know how you manage everything with work and now a wedding to organise. But I guess, when you know, you know.’

  ‘Never been in that situation myself.’ Holly’s red hair danced and her white gold chandelier earrings swayed when she moved her head. ‘But you two are so right together.’

  Darcy looked across at Myles, who winked when he saw her. She had no doubts in her mind that Myles Cunningham was The One. The only doubt she did have was whether both of them could actually find time to build a life together. Ever since they’d started their relationship, it had been a whirlwind of excitement and the pace of getting engaged and married before they’d been together a year was really a representation of how their lives operated all round: breakneck speed, no pausing or deliberating, all go, go, go.

  When they emerged from The Plaza, merrier from the champagne and chatting away so much that Cleo almost walked into the doorman, they made their way down the front steps of the building. Horses and carts lined up across the street ready to take tourists on unforgettable tours around Central Park, an iconic yellow taxi pulled up and dropped a new guest at the hotel, a cyclist cut across the sidewalk and back onto the street. Cars tooted their horns at a nearby intersection and a businessman scooted by in talks on his cell phone. This was the Manhattan Darcy loved, with its mayhem and character, but sometimes she knew it would be better if her personal life didn’t move at quite the same pace.

  She looped her ice-blue infinity scarf over her head so it settled around her neck, and scooped her chestnut-brown hair free from beneath it.

  ‘You liked the scarf?’ Cleo didn’t miss a thing as they loitered in front of the building, ready to go their separate ways. ‘Ruby insisted you would. She picked out the yarn and said it matched your eyes.’ Ruby was Dylan’s daughter from his first marriage and both she and her brother, Jacob, had a good relationship with Cleo, who’d gone on to have another baby, Tabitha, who had just turned one.

  ‘Then Ruby has excellent taste. She’s turning into quite the little lady.’ Darcy hugged the woman who’d gone from a casual acquaintance to a really good friend. ‘Thank you for making it for me.’

  ‘It’s what I do best.’

  ‘Well it’s no wonder the Little Knitting Box is booming, it’s gorgeous.’

  ‘Do you take requests?’ Holly asked.

  Cleo grinned. ‘Of course! Come out to the store in Inglenook Falls and we’ll sort something out.’

  ‘You’re on.’ Holly pulled on a pair of leather gloves. ‘I need some fancier things than these. They’re very…’

  ‘City,’ Cleo finished for her. ‘I’ll kit you out in something a lot more fun, don’t you worry.’

  ‘Sounds good to me,’ said Holly. ‘Although I’ll be happy to lose the gloves altogether for a while. I can’t wait for spring to really get going.’ She looked up at the sky, the clouds shielding much of the sun and insisting that this early on in the season they were very much the boss. She kissed each person on the cheek in turn, including the men, and hopped into a cab back to work as Cleo and Dylan went off to the Guggenheim Museum to make the most of a childfree afternoon.

  Myles hugged Darcy to him and kissed the top of her head. The five of them had settled into a really strong friendship, as though all their lives had been hovering on the sidelines waiting to be slotted together. ‘Shall we take advantage of our rare afternoon off?’

  ‘What did you have in mind?’ She snuggled against him as they walked along towards the subway station. The wind whipped around them as a reminder that spring hadn’t really sprung at all even though it was the middle of March. Only last week there’d been ice on the sidewalk and down the steps of the Inn and by now Darcy had had enough of the extra work the season brought with it.

  When he grinned she knew exactly what Myles was thinking and hand in hand they took the subway, which shuttled them up the west side of the park. They hurried back to the Upper West Side apartment, took the stairs quickly, laughing and racing each other in a cardio workout to get to the fourth floor, and barely inside the door, they tugged at one another’s clothes before tumbling into the bedroom.

  *

  Myles ran his fingers lazily up Darcy’s arm. ‘I could get used to afternoon meetings like this.’

  In the last hour she’d thought about nothing but him and her. There’d been no room for thoughts of the Inn, advertising and preparation for guests’ arrivals or departures, and it was stolen time they rarely got. When he’d proposed Darcy had thought Myles impulsive and panicked they weren’t doing the right thing, but she couldn’t ever imagine feeling this way about another man, and so she’d grabbed her chance with both hands.

  ‘My parents have invited us up at the weekend.’ Darcy shivered beneath his caress as it hit a delicate spot and he planted light kisses along her shoulder, moving the wavy chestnut tresses out of his way. Her brother, Tate, lived close to their parents so he’d be there but her sister, who lived in San Francisco, would have to wait to admire her engagement ring and give her fiancé the once-over.

  ‘I’ll look forward to it,’ Myles mumbled, although he was distracted kissing the nape of her neck.

  ‘You can definitely make it?’ she breathed.

 
‘I wouldn’t miss it for the world.’ He flipped her onto her back and she giggled as the muscles in his arms pinned her down. And then he kissed her until she begged to be released.

  ‘I know work is full on for you.’

  ‘It’s always busy, and so is yours. But this is more important.’

  Music to her ears. ‘I’ll tell them it’s on then. Sofia flies back to Switzerland on Monday morning so I’ve got the whole weekend free.’

  ‘You two seem to have a good partnership going.’

  ‘It’s working out well.’

  ‘But…? Come on, I sense the hesitation.’

  ‘I love co-running the Inn, you know I do. And the profits are soaring lately, but…I hate that it’s not my home. I never ended up getting my own place, there never seemed a lot of point and Sofia insisted her apartment was big enough for the both of us, especially when she’s away so much, but…well, she’s my friend’s mom. And although I love her to bits, I need my independence too.’ One of her only regrets at getting together with Myles so quickly was that she hadn’t had the chance to re-establish herself in Manhattan, rent an apartment and find her feet before everything changed again. But love had found her, and for that she’d never be sorry.

  ‘You do realise there’s no point in you looking for a place now,’ said Myles. ‘You can move in here whenever you like. Unless you want to look for a place we choose together rather than somewhere that was renovated for me.’

  She looked around. ‘Luckily you have good taste, suits me just fine. I’ll bring everything over from the Inn and from where it’s being stored in my parents’ garage and move in properly once we’re married.’

  ‘Why not before?’

  ‘Sofia will be away a lot over the next few months but I think she’ll be back in New York more come the summer. Which means I won’t need to stay there so much and I’ll have some time to shift all my belongings.’