Perfect Timing Read Free Page B

wasn’t going to be very pleased.

Chapter 3
    This was pretty much the understatement of the year. Having walked the half-mile or so to the semi-detached house where Rob lived with his parents and younger brothers, Poppy and her aching toe arrived at seven o’clock to find the McBrides already up and rushing about. Margaret McBride, who had insisted on doing all the food for the reception, was plastic-wrapping everything in sight and ferrying trays of hors d’oeuvres out to the cars standing in the driveway. The younger boys were stuffing themselves with Scotch eggs while their mother’s back was turned. Their father, sitting straight-backed on the kitchen doorstep like the army man he had once been, was vigorously spit-and-polishing a long line of shoes.
    â€˜You what?’ said Rob, when Poppy told him in the privacy of the ultra-tidy sitting room.
    â€˜I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I can’t marry you.’ She winced inwardly at the sound of her own voice saying the words. Poor Rob, he really didn’t deserve this.
    Poppy wished she didn’t have to be here doing it, inflicting all this pain. The temptation to forget the whole thing—to just go ahead, what the hell, and marry the man—was huge. She could understand why not many people called off their wedding on the day it was due to take place.
    What was really awful, she realized when she looked up moments later, was that Rob was smiling.
    â€˜Poppy. Come on now, love, calm down. It’s normal to have last-minute jitters, you know it is. Don’t you remember, there was a piece about it in that magazine of Mum’s last week? She read it out to you.’
    Poppy went rigid as, still smiling, he pulled her into his arms for a reassuring hug. Horrors, he didn’t believe her…
    â€˜This isn’t a last-minute jitter.’ She lifted her chin, realizing she had to make certain this time she was getting through. ‘I mean it, Rob. I’m sorry, I know you’re going to hate me for doing this but we have to cancel the wedding. We really have to.’
    As Susie had observed last night, it would be hard to find a better husband than Rob McBride. He was charming; he was honest; he was generous to a fault. With his solid physique, his unflashy good looks, his heroic job as a fireman, and his kindness to old dears and small children alike, he was everything a girl could want. He didn’t drink, gamble, or womanize. He knew how to put up shelves. He didn’t even mind that Poppy couldn’t cook.
    Staring at her now, Rob said, ‘Is this a joke?’
    â€˜No.’
    â€˜Poppy, you can’t just cancel a wedding —’
    â€˜Yes we can.’
    â€˜But why would you want to?’ Rob was no longer smiling. His complexion had turned three shades paler. His dark eyebrows drew together as he tried to make sense of what was going on. ‘This isn’t very bloody funny, you know. Come on, tell me what’s happened. Why don’t you want to get married?’
    His body was well-muscled, honed to perfection with regular sport and weight-training exercises. Poppy could see that every one of those muscles was in a state of rigidly controlled tension. At least she didn’t have to worry that he might hit her. Wife-battering wasn’t something Rob would ever go in for. Except, Poppy realized belatedly, she wasn’t going to be his wife. She was the bitch jilting him practically at the altar. He might not be able to resist giving her a quick slap across the face.
    â€˜I said,’ Rob repeated stonily, ‘why don’t you want to get married?’
    â€˜Look, it’s not you, it’s me,’ Poppy rushed to explain. ‘You haven’t done anything wrong. This is all my own fault. The thing is, it wouldn’t be fair to marry you. Not fair to you or me. Oh Rob, I know I keep saying I’m sorry, but I am . You see, I don’t love you