Total pages in book: 184
Estimated words: 176002 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 880(@200wpm)___ 704(@250wpm)___ 587(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 176002 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 880(@200wpm)___ 704(@250wpm)___ 587(@300wpm)
Josh takes me by the shoulders at that and turns me to face him.
“Relax,” he says. “You could be wearing your PJs and some bright yellow crocs, and they’d still absolutely adore you.”
The niggle in my gut won’t go away, though. It isn’t just about being good enough, or liked enough, or accepted by his family when they get to know me. It’s whether I live up to the woman they met before me – right from the first impression. I know she set the bar high.
Amy.
She may have been a bitch at the end, but I know they all worshipped her from the moment she first walked into their house and said hello. Josh told me how she fooled them all because she was so regaling, and vivacious, and full of life. So beautiful. Am I going to live up to that? Am I going to be as impressive as her?
“You’re doing the lip thing,” Josh says.
“Yeah, well. I just want to do well, you know?”
“It’s not an exam, and it’s most certainly not a proposal. My family aren’t going to be reviewing your performance and giving you a rating for potential customers.”
“Not on paper, no…”
He wraps his arms around me. “I get it. I’ll probably be crapping myself when I meet your folks for the first time too, especially your dad. He’ll be giving me a serious grilling after what Connor did to you. It’ll take me months to win his approval, not just hours.”
“You have a point there.”
He laughs. “And your parents will be staying in our guest room when they visit, so I’ll have to leg it down the corridor if your dad wants to give me an uppercut. You’ve only got one afternoon to get through. I’ll have two solid weeks of judgement, minimum.”
“I’ll count myself lucky, then.”
“Please do. My family will be counting me very lucky indeed when they meet you. Maybe even Caroline.”
I pull away from him. “Now that’s pushing it too far. I’m well aware she’ll think I’m a piece of crap on her shoe. Tiff has warned me a thousand times.”
“Tiff can keep her mouth shut for once. I think Caroline will love you, actually. You can be two gothic princesses together, hanging out in Camden.”
“I’ll keep my hopes up.”
“Please do.”
Josh’s family live in Beaconsfield, so he gets his car out of the Belgravia tower garage for the journey. I experience his glossy black Merc in its full glory, slipping into the posh leather seats like I’m off to a gala.
I remind myself of his family tree as we set off.
Emma, Sasha, Scott, Josh, Caroline. His parents, Heather and Phil. Emma is married to Craig, and they have Polly-Anne, Josh’s niece. And Sasha is married to Georgia.
Ok, I’ve got it.
Josh engages me in chatter all the way, trying to keep the vibe nice and easy, but I’m sure he’s well aware that my stomach is churning, nerves flying wild. It’s dumb, and I know it. I can walk into a proposal and strip bare to perform for a crowd of guys without breaking a sweat, but meeting Josh’s family – that’s another level of stress altogether.
Because I care.
I care so much because I want them to believe I’m the one for him. I want to be the one who lasts for ever. The one they watch walk down the aisle to be at his side.
Stop it.
I have to stop it.
I look out of the window and comment on the scenery because this brain whirring is getting me nowhere. I’ll be fine once we’ve arrived and I’ve said hello – that’s what I tell myself. This is all a big load of stress over nothing. I’ll meet them all one by one around the dinner table, and we’ll be laughing and joking in no time, and then I’ll enjoy my Sunday dinner.
Common sense doesn’t win the battle with my nerves, unfortunately. I’m literally gripping the car seat as we pass the sign for Beaconsfield. Josh’s family home is a farmhouse on the outskirts of town. He turns up a lane and pulls into a parking area next to a big open barn. There are three cars already outside, and Josh points them out to me. Georgia’s, Scott’s and Emma’s. He rolls his eyes as he parks up.
“No Caroline yet. What a surprise. She’s usually late, or bails at the last minute, so you might not even get to meet her today.”
I can hope. I have more than enough of his family members to meet already.
Josh’s parents’ house looks fantastic. It’s a solid red brick country home that must’ve seen better days, sure – but that only adds to the character. The place has a country vibe that’s a stark contrast to the city, and the difference hits me like a tidal wave. I’d forgotten just how quaint and quiet the countryside can be, and I get a pang of homesickness for my own childhood, and my teenage years, when I didn’t really appreciate my surroundings.