After hitting the sack at a reasonable hour, and surprisingly achieving a solid eight hours of sleep, Jessica Sabatini had woken at the crack of dawn with a firm belief that even at twenty-two years young, her life couldn’t possibly get any better. At least not until she and the love of her life had the two children they’d spoken at length about – a boy and a girl, two boys, two girls, she didn’t care, just as long as they were healthy, their dad was Morgan Savage, and they were all calling Savage Acres their home. Then her life would be all she’d ever dreamed of and more, she was sure of it. And as the hours had ticked by, she’d savoured this safe, joyful feeling deep down in her soul. Had tucked it away for the rare days she might need a reminder of just how lucky she was. A realist at heart, she knew life was never all roses. Doing her best to avoid the prickly thorns was all part of the journey.

Now, standing on the balcony of the ritzy penthouse suite at the new Silverton Shores Resort, she smiled as brightly as the mid-morning sunshine caressed her olive skin and the sea breeze stirred her long brunette curls. She looked to the canopy of powdery blue sky stretching cloudlessly to the sun-soaked horizon, then to the turquoise sea sparkling as if studded with diamonds, and her smile spread even wider. She couldn’t believe, after imagining it for six years, that the big day for her and Morgan had finally arrived – and by the looks of it, Mother Nature had most certainly come to the party, too. If only her grandparents could have made it across the ocean, but Florence, Italy, was a long way, especially when her nonna’s health was deteriorating.

Way too rapidly.

Inside the penthouse, where they were having their hair whipped into elaborate updos by the town’s only mobile hairdresser, her two bridesmaids, older sister Annie and best friend Shanti, cackled like a pair of kookaburras. The sound of their laughter sent Jess’s already buoyant happiness soaring into the heavens, where she hoped it would meet their recently departed local priest, Father Harris. He’d had a good wicket, making it to one hundred and one, but even so, she was sad he wasn’t the one to be marrying her and Morgan. Not wanting to allow her mood to plummet with grief at his passing, she focused on the music playing from the portable speaker inside when Brad Paisley’s ‘Waitin’ on a Woman’ was abruptly cut short then Trisha Yearwood’s ‘She’s In Love With The Boy’ began.

‘Oh my gosh, I love this song!’ she called through the open French doors.

‘We know you do!’ A united response came from Annie and Shanti.

Jess chuckled. ‘Oh, do you now?’ How could they not, when she’d basically played it to death?

Singing the lyrics with gusto, she jiggled on the spot, once again feeling like the luckiest woman alive to have the hunkiest, kindest, most loving husband-to-be, the greatest of friends, and the most supportive of parents. Very soon she’d officially be calling Morgan’s wonderful mum and dad, Carol and Gary Savage, her own, too. Ever since her brother Roberto’s best friend, and her secret crush for as long as she could remember, the incredibly desirable Morgan Savage, had leant in and kissed her the night of her sixteenth birthday, her world had been a magical place. And now, in a matter of hours, in front of their family and friends, she’d be hooking her arm into her father’s and taking steps down the aisle to legitimately become the Mrs Savage. Then, in a matter of days, she and Morgan would be jumping aboard a plane for their chosen honeymoon destination of Florence, Italy, with possible side trips to Venice, the Amalfi Coast and the five seaside villages of Cinque Terre.

Ahhh, la dolce vita … the sweet life.

Her hands going to her swooning heart, she sighed with pleasure. It had been four years since she’d been to what she considered the most romantic city in the world, and she couldn’t wait to introduce Morgan to her father’s hometown and see her doting grandparents again. An entire month of glorious Italian sunshine, delicious handmade pastas, creamy gelato, juicy Florentine steaks, plenty of lip-smacking vino, and days and nights spent wandering the cobblestone streets hand in hand after making the sweetest of love in their Airbnb – their honeymoon was going to be an absolute dream come true.

Caught up in her Italian heaven, she briefly closed her eyes and exhaled softly. Blessed. Happy. Content. Excited. Optimistic. Head over heels in love. She was all these things, and more. Momentarily transfixed by the jaw-dropping view of her quaint seaside hometown surrounded by lush, green mountains that reached for the skies, she took another tentative sip from her glass of pink bubbly. Raising her hand to shade her eyes, she shifted her gaze from two seagulls sailing overhead to where waves rose, rolled, and then reached for the white-sand shoreline, caressing it with foamy kisses. The ebb and flow of nature’s heartbeat was so strong here, and so beautiful to bear witness to.

‘Hey, Jessie, it’s your turn for hair and make-up.’ Her singsong voice carrying, Shanti stuck her roller-clad head out the doorway. ‘Would you like a top-up while you’re being pampered, my darling bestie?’

‘Hmmm.’ Jess looked to her almost empty champagne glass, then back to Shanti wrapped up in her pink BRIDESMAID robe. ‘I want to say yes, but I better not, otherwise I’ll be stumbling down the aisle like some drunk-ass beach bum.’

Chuckling, Shanti joined her on the balcony. ‘Ha, whatever, you’re always class, Miss Jessie.’ She poked herself in the chest. ‘Whereas I’ve earned the title of being the ass of our duo, wouldn’t you agree?’

‘Nooooo, you are not an ass, you loon.’ Jess gave her friend a playful shove. ‘You’re just a free spirit with a wild child that comes out to play when you’ve been drinking.’

‘For reals, I can count the times I’ve held your hair back on one finger.’ Shanti held her pinkie up and wiggled it. ‘And as for you holding my hair back, I don’t have enough digits to make a legitimate show of fingers.’

‘True that.’ Jess laughed out loud. ‘And don’t you ever change, because I love you just the way you are, girlfriend.’ She grinned wickedly. ‘As does my brother.’

‘Oh, stop it already, there’ll be no shooting of cupid’s arrow from your romantic bow, thank you very much.’ It was Shanti’s turn to give Jess a little shove. ‘Roberto likes me as a mate, and that’s that.’

‘Righto.’ Jess pulled an I’m-not-buying-it face. ‘Whatever you say.’

Grinning, Shanti gave her the two-finger salute. ‘Hey, shouldn’t your mum and dad be here by now?’ She looked at her watch. ‘It’s almost eleven.’

‘Yeah, they should be.’ Jess huffed. ‘God only knows what’s held them up, literally.’ She chuckled. ‘Most likely Mum wanting to stop at every roadside produce trailer on the way back from the church Dad was pastoring at.’

Shanti rolled her eyes at the thought – Julie Sabatini was well known for her love of roadside fruit and vegetable stands. ‘Maybe give them a call, or I can if you like, while you start getting your hair done?’

‘Nah, all good, I’ll give them a quick ring.’ Grabbing her phone from her BRIDE robe pocket, she dialled her mum’s number. ‘Can you let the hairdresser know I’ll just be a sec, please?’

‘Sure thing, soon-to-be Mrs Savage.’ Shanti beamed then disappeared back inside.

Five rings sounded in Jess’s ear, then her mum’s recorded voice greeted her. ‘Hi, you’ve reached Julie and Enzo, we’re busy right now so please leave your message, and we’ll call you back as soon as we can. Ciao.’

‘Hey, Mum, it’s me, where are you? I hope everything’s okay. Call me back as soon as you get this message please.’ Hanging up, she gulped a breath of salty air as her heart began to beat faster.

Taking a moment, she tried calling again, but once again it went to message bank. ‘Me again, please call me back as soon as poss. I’m starting to get worried.’ Turning then stepping inside, she looked to where her big sister was pouting as she had lip-gloss applied. ‘Hey, Annie, I just tried calling Mum and Dad, twice, but there was no answer.’

Taking a moment to reply, until the make-up artist was done with her lips, Annie swivelled in her seat to face her. ‘They’ll be here soon, I’m sure. Dad likely just got caught up trying to leave church.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘You know how much they all love his sermons and like to tell him so afterwards.’

‘Yeah, you’re probably right.’ Jess offered the hairdresser a smile as she settled into the seat in front of her. ‘It’s not like them to be late, though, to anything, let alone my wedding day.’

‘Annie’s right, mate, they’ll be here soon.’ Reaching out, Shanti gave her arm a reassuring squeeze. ‘Your mum’s most likely knocked the silent button again, and she just can’t hear your calls coming in.’

‘Yeah, you’re both probably right, but you know me, I’m a worry wart sometimes.’ Trying to ignore the snowballing sick feeling in her belly, Jess looked Annie up and down. ‘Wowsers, sis, you look bloody amazing.’

‘Ha, yeah, take my scrubs off and I can scrub up like the best of them, my sweet Jessie.’ Hugging her fluffy pink BRIDESMAID robe to her, Annie turned left to right, posing as if she were Marilyn Monroe. ‘You just wait until I pop my bridesmaid dress on, then I’ll be turning heads quicker than you can say bombshell.’

‘Truth, Annie, I’m so used to seeing you in your nurse’s uniform, I forgot there’s a whole lotta woman underneath all that starched blue.’ Chuckling at her much older and, in her opinion, much prettier sister as she struck a few more poses, Jess tried her best to ignore the growing sense that something was wrong…