“I’m sorry I’m a little late for the speeches, ladies and gentlemen, but I’m sure Merry here can deliver a far better speech than me. However, I do want to raise a glass to the happy couple.” He looks around for a drink. “Even though I don’t appear to have a glass myself.”
I reach for the spare glass of water in front of me and hand it to Alex.
“Thank you.” He lifts the glass. “To the bride and groom.”
Everyone mirrors Alex’s movements and echoes his words.
He takes a long pull on the water, then clears his throat. “I can’t tell you how proud I am to call you both family. You complement each other perfectly. How does that saying go?” He looks over at me with a smile. “Behind every great man is an even greater woman.”
My heart swells as my eyes pool with emotion.
Alex turns and looks back down at Finn. “I know you’ll take good care of your wife, because if I’ve taught you anything, it’s hownotto do things.”
“Dad—”
Alex raises his hand and faces the crowd. “I made the biggest mistake of my life twenty years ago.” He looks back at me.
Everything blurs as if looking through a watery lens.
“And tonight I almost made the same mistake.” He takes my hand in his. “Almost. But I’m here now and I won’t be making the same mistake again.”
My smile pushes my cheeks up, forcing my tears to drip onto my cheeks.
Alex reaches into his pocket and hands me a handkerchief. “Can you forgive me?”
I nod through a stream of happy tears as I dab at my eyes, careful not to smudge my makeup.
Alex lifts the mic to his mouth. “Let’s get this party started. Drinks are on me.”
The crowd cheers, and the band plays “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree.” A laugh bursts through my tears as Marley and Celeste are the first ones on the dance floor.
“Great speech, Dad.” Finn pats Alex on the back. “I’m surprised you sorted the deal out so quickly. Well done.”
“Yeah. It was easy, really.” Alex doesn’t take his eyes from me as he gazes down with a huge grin on his face, as if he’s just won the lottery.
“I’m glad you made it back,” I say, fisting his shirt, not sure whether I should hug him for making it back here, or punch him for leaving in the first place.
“Want to dance?” He gently holds my elbow, guiding me to the dance floor.
“Sir,” Janice shouts over the music as she rushes towards us with her mobile in hand. “Sir, I have Max on the phone. He’s asking what time you’re arriving in Candy Cane Key. I don’t know what to tell him.”
“Tell him I’m dancing with my wife, then I’ll be spending Christmas with my family. If he wants to talk business, I’ll be free next Monday. I can probably set up a Zoom call from England.”
Janice stares at him, her mouth agape. “Sir?”
Alex doesn’t acknowledge her as he continues to lead me onto the dance floor with a goofy smile on his face. He signals to the band and they slow things down with a Bing Crosby tribute.
“You’re going to England?” I swallow the bauble in my throat.
“I’ll be wherever you are, Merry. If you’ll have me?” His hands slide over my arms and down to my waist as we sway together to the music.
“You didn’t sort out the deal, did you?” My eyes grow wide as I realise what he’s given up to be here now.
He shakes his head, but his smile doesn’t falter.
“What about the million-dollar deal? You could lose it.” My hands glide over his grey suit and rest on his shoulders for support.
He swipes a stray hair from my face and tucks it behind my ear. “No deal is worth more to me than the deal I made thirtyyears ago when I made you my wife and vowed to love and to cherish you till death do us part.”
