I wrinkle my nose. ‘Me too. Well done for holding out to have it here. It’s so lovely being at the castle and hearing the sea. I love the way that in every room we go in you can look right out across the bay. And it’s worked so well for the wheelchairs.’
He raises an eyebrow. ‘Would you like to dance?’
As I look at his Adam’s apple moving as he swallows and hear the up tempo beat ofDon’t Look Back Into The Sunbeginning, I’m very torn. However much I’d love to, I am technically working. ‘If I take my eye off the wedding ball, that’ll be when it spins out of control. Thanks for the offer, but I’d rather not risk the carnage.’
He nods. ‘I thought you’d say that. That’s why I’ve put our dance track on almost at the end. That way you can relax and enjoy it’
‘We have our own dance track?’ It’s ridiculous how much that makes my stomach contract.
He laughs. ‘We do – and before you ask, I’m saving it as a surprise. In the meantime, we can sit and enjoy the playlist. I hope your mum would approve, I was thinking of her when I put it together.’
My heart was already full, but after that it’s bursting. ‘You’ve gotTiger Feet?’
He nods. ‘Of course. AndUptown Girl, obviously.’
‘The Summer of ’69?’ I see another nod. ‘Every Time We Touch,All By Myself,Amarillo…’ I take in more nods. ‘Bon Jovi’sAlways,My Heart Will Go On?’
His eyebrows arch into a smile. ‘They’re all there, with a few well-chosen recent tunes I know she’d have liked too.’ He gives a shamefaced shrug. ‘I have to admit, I went through your CDs when you weren’t looking. But the upside to that is I rediscoveredThe Time Warp.’
I nudge him. ‘In that case I’ll forgive you.’ It’s not that I’m going soft on him, it’s just too late to give him a hard time.
It’s one of those evenings when even though I don’t see the hands on my watch moving, hours flash by in the space of minutes. It’s a whole lot later when Immie and Poppy wander over.
Nic stiffens next to me. ‘Don’t look now … but watch out for flying masonry!’
The ‘hello again’ punch on the arm Immie gives Nic nearly sends him off the wall. ‘You have to agree, Nic, we nailed it with our team work here?’
His mouth twists into a genuine smile. ‘So long as you don’t demolish anything in the next twelve hours, I might recommend you to my friends and colleagues.’
She chortles and punches him again. ‘You can trust me and Pops, we’re looking out for you all the way.’
Poppy joins in. ‘And we’ve come to say, after everything you’ve done today, you two are due some down time, so we’ll be sorting out any problems from now on.’ She bends and breathes into my ear. ‘When we replaced the condoms in the emergency basket, I dropped a few in your bathroom, just in case.’
My eyes go wide as I hiss back at her. ‘Why would you do that?’
Her low voice is full of laughter. ‘However determined you are to keep your hands off the sizzling space captain, it might be the ideal opportunity … to cross the bridge properly this time.’
‘Absolutely not – but thanks for thinking of me.’
She laughs. ‘You’re welcome.’ She gives me a wink. ‘Thank me again tomorrow if they come in handy.’
Nic stands up, and a moment later he’s back with a tray of full glasses. He hands them to me, Poppy, and Immie and takes the last himself. ‘There you go, Milla Vanilla. You can allow yourself a glass of fizz now.’
‘Cheers.’ Poppy and Immie are staring at me as I take my first sip.
Poppy smiles. ‘You’ve come so far since Valentine’s Day, Mills. We’re all very proud of you.’
Immie’s waving her glass at me too. ‘Brides Go Wild is already big – by next year it’s going to be huge.’
Poppy’s brow wrinkles. ‘What we’re saying is, you have to tell us you’re staying on with us in St Aidan.’
Nic’s looking at me like I’m his protégée, not the other way around. ‘She’s just promised me that she will.’
As I sip the fizz, the bubbles are pricking my nose. ‘I can’t actually think of being anywhere else now.’ I really should be thinking of my lunchtime walks along the high-tide mark with its tangles of driftwood and pebbles and cockle shells. Falling asleep to the rush of the surf, waking to the view from the tiny porthole in the bedroom, of the sun sparkling off the water. The clatter of Poppy baking in the kitchen, the buzz of the wedding shop down below. But for now, the clearest image in my mind is the outline ofSnow Goose’srigging against the sky at sunset. I push that out of my head and smile. ‘It’s all thanks to you two and all the friends who’ve helped me.’
This time Immie pulls me into a hug and Poppy follows. ‘No arguments. You’re on Team St Aidan with us now.’
AsDon’t Worry, Be Happydrifts out of the speakers, Nic catches my eye. ‘Not wanting to break up the friend-fest, but this is our cue – three minutes, and we’re on.’
