Page 150 of Kiss Me Like You Mean It

‘I—’ I open my mouth. ‘They were different colours. The necklines weren’t the same.’

‘I’m wearing your grandfather’s cufflinks,’ he says, pulling up his sleeves. ‘Your brother cried when he gave them to me.’

‘What?’

‘Well, he said it was sawdust, but I think we all know there’s not a speck of the stuff in here.’

‘Oh my god.’ My hands go to my earrings. ‘Gran’s earrings. Something borrowed, something blue.’

‘And I don’t know if you noticed but it’s like a florist’s shop exploded downstairs. I’m pretty sure there’s a string quartet down there as well. Possibly some doves. They might have run away with things a bit… I can only assume there was a town meeting involved.’

They played me, I realise. They all played me like a fiddle. Especially Cynthie, making me feel like I’d be a monster not to wear her too-long, photo-shoot-reject dress, which I now realise is obviously couture bridal wear. I suppose the woman is one of the greatest actors of her generation so it was hardly a fair fight, but still.

‘They threw us a secret wedding?’ I murmur. It finally sinks in. ‘The whole town threw us a secret wedding!’

‘Welcome to where I was about an hour ago.’ Nico nods. ‘And you know, if this isn’t what you want then I get it. It’s a lot. I know about a dozen different ways we can sneak out of here and drive off into the sunset. We could head straight back to Vegas, the two of us.’

He grins, and every time I think I can’t fall any more in love with him, it happens all over again.

‘What do you think?’ I ask.

‘I think you look beautiful. I think everyone we love is downstairs. I’d marry you right now, or any other day, anywhere, any way you want.’

‘Okay,’ I say, slipping my hand in his, the decision as easy as that. ‘Let’s do it.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Oh yes,’ I smile up at my husband, at the man I’ve loved for as long as I can remember, ‘I’m sure.’

I wonder if there’s ever an end to this, a floor or a ceiling to how much love I can hold for him, or if it’s just something that spins on forever, infinite.

I suppose I have a whole lifetime to find out.

Epilogue: One Year Later

Nico

‘It was nice of Frankie to give us the same room,’ my wife says, standing by the enormous window that offers a spectacular view over Las Vegas.

‘Well, you only get one second, first wedding anniversary.’ I wrap my arms around her from behind, pulling her against me.

She trails her fingers over the tattoos on my forearm, the daisy and the bee inked in swirling black lines. A perfect set.

‘As opposed to our first, second wedding anniversary in three weeks’ time?’ she laughs. ‘This is going to get confusing.’

‘Nah,’ I kiss her cheek, ‘we should be celebrating as much as possible. Want to get married a third time? Maybe we could have an anniversary in the spring, too.’ I’d like that. I want to fill our house with daisies and promise her my whole life over and over again.

‘I don’t think we need any excuse to celebrate,’ Lee murmurs, and I can’t argue with that.

There’s been plenty to celebrate over the last year: putting several stamps in Phoebe’s passport, including a family trip to Norway to see the Northern Lights; Jack and Cynthie’s wedding; Gran’s continuing good health (who knew the woman would become best friends with Cynthie’s terrifying personal trainer?); Phoebe’s first ballet recital, with her entire family in the front row; Tara and Luke getting engaged after six months of long-distance dating; my photography exhibition at a local gallery; breaking ground on our house extension, complete with a separate granny flat for whenever Gran comes to stay, and – Lee is adamant – a library ladder of her very own.

But for all the big things there have been a million tiny, perfect inconsequential moments with my wife that matter even more. Cleaning up the kitchen the morning after we had our friends over for New Year’s Eve, bickering over the grocery list, watching Lee teach Taco how to roll over on command and acting like they were ready to take Crufts by storm, pouring her a glass of wine when she stays up late working at her laptop, becoming a regular fixture at Darlene’s line-dancing night.

A whole album full of family photographs already, with the promise of more to come.

I hold her for a moment, enjoying the feeling of her in my arms. It’s been the best year of my life, but sometimes it still takes me by surprise – the way I feel, the happiness I didn’t even know I was capable of.

‘Tell me the truth,’ Lee says after a moment. ‘Should we be worried about Phoebe?’