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So when’s the wedding? Don’t tell me next month. I’ve got me next bus tour starting then.

Matthew

Ha. Ha. No wedding yet. But I’ll be sure to keep it to myself, seeing how well THIS news was received.

They laughed at his text, though Matthew set aside the image that their own messages had prompted. Winnie in a white gown. Matthew in his top hat and tails. The two of them dancing with loved ones around them.

It was way, way too early to be thinking about such things—even if they were exactly what Matthew wanted in his future.

Cedric

Proper chuffed for you, Matt. Really.

Graham

She’s great. Hope you are happy together.

Finn

Yeah, congrats, mate. You both deserve all the happiness!

Finn

Bring her along to the next race. It’ll be good to catch up with you both.

Matthew

Will do. If you can all promise to behave yourselves this time.

Finn

Yeah, that’s not an option for us. Sorry.

“Texting your friends?”

Matthew looked up as Winnie joined him in the stables, her hair hanging loosely down her shoulders.

“Yep,” he said, putting his phone away, though the buzzing texts continued.

He’d much rather pay attention to Winnie, but his friends couldn’t possibly understand. None of them had a girl like her in their lives.

“I can always tell you’re messaging them when you have that smile on your face,” she said, encircling her arms around his waist.

“Well, you should know, then, I was smiling because I finally told them about us.” He leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose.

“Did you? How did they take it?”

“Not as excitedly as Char,” he said.

He drew up the memory of his sister hugging them both over and over again throughout the evening the night of that first festival together.

“But they’re well happy for us,” he said, “which is nice to hear.”

“Very nice.”

Matthew peered down at her, admiring her features in silence.

A mere week had passed since her decision to stay at Foxwood and nearly two months since they’d first met. In a way their time together seemed brand new, but in other ways, it seemed like she had been there forever, a permanent fixture in his home, a permanent figure in his life.