"Nice to meet you Emmett," Jake greeted him, having finally let Rose out of a bear hug. "We've a heard a lot of things about you, you must be something else to catch Rose, eh Mickey?" He nudged his friend who just huffed.
"Yeah, you're a lucky man Emmett. She did tell you all about us, didn't she? You did, didn't you Rose, you told him."
"Take it easy pal, she told me so don't get yourself in a state over it. She said you used to be her boyfriend, back when she was nineteen or so. Everyone's grown up now, we've all moved on."
Emmett crossed to where Donna was sitting, she was still gawking at him. Rose noticed and thought her editor would go crazy when she realised he had a twin who was coming to the wedding and who knows, Donna could get lucky. Emmett took Donna's hand and kissed the back of it.
"You must be Donna, it's a pleasure to meet you. I apologise for keeping Rose from finishing her book, it's entirely my fault for distracting her but I promise you, she'll have it completed soon after the wedding. Are you gonna be her bridesmaid?"
Donna let out a laugh. "Blimey Rose, where did you find this one? No, I'm not a bridesmaid, I'm matron of honour, or something like that and yes, I know she'll finish her book though she's still ahead of her schedule so there's plenty of time. So Rose, you got your detective after all then?"
They all laughed, including Emmett, who saw the funny side and the dinner went well. They rested on Tuesday, Rose and her mother looking online at floral arrangements for both the house and the large marquee that was going up though the house was going to be out of bounds to everyone but the caterers, who were only getting access to the kitchen and specially invited guests and then Rose and Emmett were looking at cakes.
They finally had a date and settled for two weeks on Saturday. When Rose had mentioned going to Broadchurch next week, Jackie had thought it would be a good idea if she and Tony went down so Pete said he would take a week off and they would book two large caravans near to each other so Tuesday evening, Rose called Alec's number from Emmett's phone to ask the name of the caravan site, since there were a few. She had gone into a smaller sitting room since Tony and Emmett were playing with the boy's zeppelin and police car collection and it was getting rather noisy when Tony asked Emmett how an American police car sounded and it was making her mother laugh at his attempts to imitate one.
Alec answered the phone, thinking it was Emmett.
"Hello Carver, how's things? How's Rose?"
"I'm fine thanks Alec, how are you?"
"Rose, I didn't think it would be you calling? I take it your journey from California wasn't as bad as mine? I just bet you got your stepfather to send that jet for you?"
Rose smiled. "You gave Emmett the idea, it was partly your fault I seem to recall Alec. Anyway, I called to ask about the caravan site, which one is the nearest to you, there's quite a few. Is it in Broadchurch itself?"
"Yes, it's the one on the harbour, it's called West Bay, I can go get the number for you, if you like?"
"No it's fine, we'll find it now. Dad's gonna call tomorrow, they all wanted to come down and mum needs a break from planning the wedding and we thought we'd all have some time together before the big day. We've got a date."
That was something Alec hadn't really wanted to hear but she sounded happy and he had promised he would be at the wedding.
"I'm glad to hear it. So when is the big day?"
Rose smiled, something that sounded in her voice, apparently. "It's two weeks on Saturday. We're getting the invitations printed, well the date inserted, mum had them on standby the day after Emmett proposed to me, I've not even seen the design yet. So we may have to post yours to you though we're hoping they'll be ready for Saturday, dad's put a rush job on them."
Alec let out a laugh. "I bet he has. He must be proud of you, marrying a detective, an American at that."
"Alec, do I detect just a hint of jealousy?" Rose asked.
"You don't happen to know my ex wife do you? She said exactly the same."
"No but is she right?"
"I don't know what either of you are talking about. I'm looking forward to receiving your invitation Rose, I'd like it better if I received it from you and Emmett personally."
"Yeah? We'll do our best then. So if we arrive sometime on Saturday afternoon, we can meet up with you and go out to dinner, yeah?"
"I'd like that Rose." What he really wanted to say he couldn't actually bring himself to come out with it.
"Anyway, I'd better go rescue Emmett from my young brother, they're playing police cars. Oh, will you be bringing anyone to the wedding with you Alec?"
What was she trying to do to him? "No Rose, no-one to come with me unless I can talk my daughter into coming with me. It's a long journey though, I'll have to book a hotel for the night and I'm told they're very expensive in London."
"Not if you book one in the outer London area. Besides, I know a really good place that's very cheap."
"A dive in the back of an alley?" Alec laughed.
Rose laughed back. "No, it's called the Tyler mansion. You're very welcome to come and stay with us, my mum will insist on it once she's met you and as for a date, don't worry about that, my editor's dying to meet you."
"That's very generous of you Rose, thank you. I may just take you up on that if I come alone."
"Oh don't worry, there's plenty of room for your daughter, there won't be anyone else staying here during that time. We'll make the arrangements when we see you on Saturday."
"Then I accept and I'm looking forward to seeing you both again." Well he was looking forward to seeing Rose, Carver was just part of the package and she was trying to make him feel better by getting him a 'date' for the wedding.
They said goodbye and Rose sat with Emmett's phone in her hands. Emmett was looking for her.
"Ok honey?" he asked, sitting beside her and folding her into his arms, pocketing his phone as she handed it back. "Hey, are you gonna show me around tomorrow peaches? I'd love to go on that London Eye, you gotta kiss me when we get to the top you know."
Rose smiled at the thought. "You have to book in advance Emmett but if we book tomorrow, we can go on Thursday, ok? Why don't we get you some more new clothes tomorrow?"
"Are you tryin' to tell me something honey?"
Rose smiled and buried her head in his chest, unfastening a couple of buttons. "Hey, not here, Rose, let's take this to our room, we're not at home now."
Rose got up but led him back to the family room. She still hadn't told her mother she had planned on asking Alec to stay and Emmett needed to know.
"Of course he can stay Rose," Pete said. "If he's become a friend of yours, he's got a long way to travel. Anyway, I have some work to do. Emmett, do you have a few minutes, I'd like to talk to you."
Rose looked at her stepfather, who shook his head. "Don't worry Rose, he whispered, "I'm not having 'That' conversation with him just yet."
Rose was relieved but he would be having that particular conversation with Emmett shortly and she was thinking now it maybe was not such a good idea to leave it until after the wedding and meant to talk to him about it.
All Pete wanted to do was assure Emmett he approved of him as he sat down a nervous groom to be.
"Relax Emmett, I'm just having a father of the bride chat with you. I'm sure you've had it before?"
Rose was left on her own. Tony was being put to bed after getting over-excited by Emmett chasing him around and Emmett being told off by the boy's mother and wanting to keep on her good side, they'd had to call it quits which was why Emmett had gone in search of Rose. He found her trying to watch TV, finding his future mother-in-law had left and breathed a sigh of relief. The woman was a bit over-powering in large doses and Tony was a handful compared to his daughter at that age.
Wednesday morning, they went online and found the caravan site, Rose seeing pictures of the harbour area and spotting a blue chalet on the opposite riverbank and wondering if that was Alec's and Pete called the site and got two caravans just opposite each other, both having two double bedrooms and decking with all the facilities they needed and Tony was getting even more excited. Fortunately, there was a school holiday that week but on the odd occasion Tony had been off for some reason, he was issued homework and it was always completed.
Rose had got Alec's number from Emmett's phone and sent him a message 'See you on Saturday detective' and Alec had smiled when he received it, now he had her phone number. He had texted back with a 'looking forward to seeing you all' message. Rose had managed to book tickets for a flight on the London Eye for Thursday afternoon and although she would have loved to go on a river cruise with Emmett, they settled for a sightseeing bus around the capital for a few hours instead but she didn't know Emmett was planning on trying to get over his fear of the water after he had almost drowned once. He had confided in Pete during their little talk a few evenings previously and Pete had contacted a friend of his who specialised in hypnotherapy. So when they got off the tour bus, he told Rose he had an appointment the next day after they got back.
"That's great Emmett. Do you want me to go with you?"
"Yeah honey, I'm doing it for you, so we can go swimming together and I can take you on boat rides and stuff. You've seen me Rose, I can barely walk on a pier and last Sunday, I was terrified even on the beach. I have to do this, for you. I love you Rose, I want to make you happy."
"You do Emmett, I've never been as happy as I have since being with you. After I came to live here, being taken away from where I grew up, I never thought I'd fit in, never thought anything could make me happy so I buried myself in my writing, to take my mind off things and I found I was good at it but now, with you, my life actually makes sense. I know now why I became a writer, so I could go over to Gracepoint and meet you. I love you too, hunnybunny."
"Rose, if we weren't already engaged, I'd ask you to marry me," he smiled.
"If I remember correctly Emmett, you never did. We just sort of read each other's minds and you bought me a ring. So go on then ask me or are you afraid I'll say no?"
"Honey, I'm confident you'll still say yes but I can ask you. Will you marry me Rose?"
"Yes Emmett, I'd love to marry you." She leaned forward to kiss him.
They were sat in the small living room that led out onto the patio. Emmett smiled. "It's just as well then peaches, I'm not brave enough to tell your mother the wedding is off. I may haul in dangerous criminals back home but they're nothing compared to what your mother would do to me if I upset you."
Rose put her arms around him. "Aw, her bark is worse than her bite, don't worry about her though don't ask for Mickey's opinion, she often used to slap him for bringing me home too late."
Emmett had no intention of getting a first hand demonstration, he didn't want to have to haul in his soon to be mother-in-law anytime soon for assaulting him.
Friday morning. Rose was packing for the two of them though not as much as she had taken to Gracepoint then they got Pete's driver to drop them at the address Pete had given Emmett, in the famous Harley Street district of London and Pete had told him not to worry about the fee, he would take care of whatever treatment was given. Rose was just glad she had not gone in her jeans and t-shirt, having selected a knee length blue jersey dress and a black jacket, Emmett dressing as normal in a new suit Rose had successfully persuaded him to get on their shopping trip.
They had been expected and Emmett gave his basic details and waited to see the specialist. Emmett wanted Rose to go in with him but he was told he was best going in alone and was assured that his anxiety problem over water was one that was easily treatable and hopefully only required one session. So Rose waited for him, picking up a magazine that had a four page spread about her and Emmett's whirlwind romance and their relationship. Rose had never actually read the stuff and was surprised where the media had got their information from, never realising so much could be found out about her by a basic search.
She meant to have words with Pete about that as well and get Jake to go about taking some of it off and she still had to talk to her stepfather about telling Emmett who she really was and where she came from. The more she thought about it, the less she liked the idea of Emmett being told but if Pete was right, he would still love her afterwards.
Emmett finally came out, a smile on his face.
"Hi Rose, ready to put my treatment to the test next week when we go on holiday? I've been assured my treatment will be a complete success."
He turned to the specialist and shook his hand. "Thanks very much, you've no idea what this means to my fianc e and I, I've had that fear for a long time."
"Well Emmett, you can forget about it now, you can get on with your life and have more leisure activates and may I say congratulations to you both, I hope you'll both be very happy together. Miss Tyler, please give my regards to your stepfather, if you will."
They left the office hand in hand and waited to be picked up to go for an early meal and then to the theatre to see 'Much Ado about Nothing' but Rose was disappointed her favourite actor was no longer in the production. She had also missed him in another Shakespeare play while she had been touring the country last November and December and narrowly missed him before the play had ended in January. She thought she might catch something he was in one of these days but at least she had got to see the live broadcast in a cinema when she had been in the north of England.
They had a pleasant evening out and returned to the Tyler residence to find Jackie waiting for them just after ten thirty. She normally went to bed at ten and Rose thought there was something wrong.
"Oh no sweetheart, there's nothing wrong, well not much and I wanted to find out how Emmett got on today."
Pete had just joined them. "Well don't keep us guessing Emmett, how did it go?"
Emmett wasn't used to being the centre of so much attention, especially his new family's. "It went fine, honestly. Is there something wrong?"
"No," Pete assured him. Rose wasn't so sure.
"So are we all ready for tomorrow then? Did you have trouble getting Tony to bed?"
"No. He couldn't wait to get to bed so he would be up early so I'd lock your room door you two if you don't want him bouncing on you at seven in the morning. It's just well, I can take your mother and Tony down but you'll have to bring them back unless I can get away next Saturday, I have to go over to Paris, to the Vitex headquarters over there. It's important, I'm sorry so you'll have to go without me. I have to leave on Monday evening."
"Can't it wait Dad? We've all been looking forward to it since we booked it."
"Sorry sweetheart, it's next week or the week before your wedding. We're re-structuring the French branch and I have to be there to oversee it. I can't do it the week leading up to your wedding, there's too much to do, getting Emmett kitted out with a suit and getting mine and all the other stuff, I can't leave you to deal with it. I'll try and be back next Saturday. You two can take Rose's car, there should be enough room if you all have to come back together, if not, I'll send Nigel down. You two are ok with that aren't you?"
"Yeah, it's ok but I'm driving. I don't trust Emmett to drive on the right side of the road," Rose joked.
Well at least Emmett hoped she was joking. "Gee honey, thanks for that vote of confidence."
"Does Tony know yet?" Rose asked, taking hold of his arm.
"No. We didn't see any sense in upsetting him. He'll be fine, he'll be having too much fun, especially now Emmett can go in the water with him."
Rose smiled. "We'll have to go get him some swim shorts first though."
"All taken care of honey, I was planning on going to try anyway, even just to watch. I didn't wanna miss out altogether."
What he really wanted to say was he was now dying to see his fianc e in her swimsuit.
When they got to bed, Emmett asked her what she meant by not trusting his driving.
"Come on huggy, I was just joking. To prove it, I'll let you drive when we get to Broadchurch, ok? I'll have to call my insurance company in the morning to get you covered, it won't take long. We can do it before we set off. Tony will take ages to get ready anyway, he can never decide what toys to bring with him though he kinda likes the police car you got him, he's not got a California Highway Patrol one. Maybe next time, we can get him one of those bikes?"
Emmett put his arms around her. "Sure honey now come here and I might forgive you for talking about my driving huh?"
They took the advice given to them and had locked the bedroom door before going to sleep, something Pete wasn't keen on since the Cyberman attack but since she was with Emmett, he wasn't too bothered. Rose had explained to him and he said he could understand her stepfather's concern and had assured Pete he would keep her safe.
So the next morning, Emmett kept Tony amused while Pete packed the car and Jackie fussed she had got everything and Rose had got Emmett on her insurance, having to pay more because Emmett didn't have a GB driving licence. Then Emmett went to pack Rose's car, Jackie telling her to remember the towels and the kitchen items they would need and mentioned to Rose that they should all share the same caravan come Monday but Emmett wasn't so keen on the idea, not wanting Rose's mother watching his every move.
Rose agreed with him it would be rather difficult to partake in spontaneous snogging sessions with two other people around, they were prone to a bit of on the spot groping as well as Rose could testify. A package containing the wedding invitations had just arrived, so they dug out Alec's one and Rose put it in her purse and left the rest for one of the staff to take to the Post Office either later that day or on Monday but leaving out Jake's, Mickey's and Donna's.