This time the ends of his lips are hinting at a smile. ‘It’s your big moment, Milla Vanilla, what kind of a guy would I be if I missed that? I had to be here to support you.’ His full smile finally breaks loose. ‘Don’t worry, I brought my umbrella.’
I hiss at him under my breath. ‘Like you’ll need that in this star zone, Captain K.’ Then I grin at him. ‘Have you been here long?’
‘You could say that.’ He blows out his cheeks. ‘At first I raced after you. When I was too knackered to run anymore and still hadn’t caught you, I decided to have a look around and wait for you to bump into me.’
If I can’t hold back my grin it’s because I’m suddenly feeling really bouncy when I thought I was whacked. ‘I can’t believe how at home you look.’
He shrugs and shuffles the stack of flyers he’s picked up. ‘I’m that kind of a guy – easy wherever I am.’ He’s biting back his smile. ‘Or it could be because I’m wearing the team uniform.’
‘Excuse me?’ Obviously, apart from Jess with her linen trousers and Gucci loafers, we don’t have one.
He gives me a nudge. ‘Pure coincidence. Have you noticed how similar our denim is.’ His smile widens. ‘And please note, I’m wearing a shirt today.’
I’m pursing my lips so this banter stops there. ‘And moving on, how about we take a look at Clemmie’s afternoon tea? I’m told the dainty sandwiches are spectacular.’
He nods. ‘They absolutely are.’
‘You tried them already?’
‘Yes.’ He takes in my surprise. ‘I was waiting a while. And before you ask the question, the answer’s yes, yes, and yes again …’
I’m frowning. ‘Yes, what?’
His eyebrows rise. ‘Yes, that’s what we’ll have for our wedding.’
We have to keep this straight. ‘You mean Pixie’s wedding?’
When he smiles this much, the dimples slice up his cheeks. ‘Isn’t it the same thing?’
I’m aware there’s something more important to root out here. ‘What will you have?’
He smiles. ‘The afternoon tea … and Poppy’s cake with petals sticking to it …’ He wafts his hand towards the country-garden blooms in bottles on Clemmie’s tables. ‘… And flowers like those ones.’
I’m opening and closing my mouth. ‘Just like that … you decide three things all at once?’
He’s looking pleased with himself. ‘I’m not deliberately awkward, I just hadn’t seen anything right for Pixie before.’ He’s raising a finger. ‘And the woman from The Deck gallery in St Aidan …’
I’m narrowing my eyes. ‘You mean Plum?’
He nods. ‘That’s the one – we’ll have her sea-glass key fobs, and invitations with the shells painted on. And Rory’s personalised Mr and Mrs beer.’
I’m picking my jaw up off the floor. ‘So, twenty minutes’ browsing and you’re almost done?’
‘Hell, no, Milla.’ He’s looking at me like I’m the amateur here. ‘There’s some serious tasting to do on that last one. You have no idea how many beers there are to choose from. And I’m no closer to deciding on the cocktails.’
‘But great progress otherwise?’ As Clemmie passes with a plate of mini cream-filled meringues, I take one and pop it in my mouth. Then as I crunch and the powdery sweetness explodes onto my tongue I let out a soft moan of pleasure.
Again, Nic stares at me like I’ve gone mad. ‘You saw the thickness of that wedding file. We’re barely scratching the surface. There’s still all the clothes to do.’
I’m mentally comparing his laid-back country choices today with his weakness for slash-to-the-waist dresses at Cally’s wedding. ‘I may need a word with the bride about the dress.’
His eyebrows shoot up. ‘You think?’ It’s obvious he doesn’t.
‘The dress can make or break a bride’s day, so it’s important Pixie feels amazing and relaxed.’ It could be a big part of the budget too – not that he ever mentions that. But with the extra considerations of her wheelchair combined with her reluctance, we might struggle to get this right. ‘If I have a chat with her, I promise not to give any of the other secrets away.’
‘Great, we’ll sort you some FaceTime.’ He’s staring off into the distance. ‘In the meantime, what the hell is that huge red thing over there?’
I peer at where he’s looking, but fail to see over the heads of the crowd. ‘Please tell me it’s not a fire engine.’
