‘Do you like it?’ She looked up at him, her eyes dancing.
‘I love it. I love you, Caro.’ He found her hand, raising it to his lips.
‘Shall we get married, then? We brought the registrar with us.’ Caro gestured towards the local registrar, who was wearing a suit with a lifejacket and beaming at them from the deck.
‘Yes. Let’s get married.’
Phoenix, Lucas and Mav tumbled into the boat and they cast off, Gramps navigating the craft to the centre of the bay and then dropping the anchor. The other boats clustered around, forming a small floating cathedral bedecked with flowers under the wide arch of the summer sky. When it was time to say their vows, they faced each other, Caro clinging tightly to his hands as he steadied her against the roll of the sea. And when they were pronounced man and wife, a deafening chorus of horns sounded from the other boats.
Drew lifted his new wife out of the boat and onto the dock. The beach was beginning to fill up, with people who’d come overland from the village and family and friends from the boats. But all he could see was Caro. When she looked up at him, her eyes brimming with love, he knew for sure that he was the happiest man alive.
* * *
Their wedding day had been perfect. The food truck, which had raised a few eyebrows when it had arrived on the beach, had won everyone over with gourmet pancakes and delicious finger food, while another truck had dispensed drinks. The cake had been big enough to feed the whole village, and when darkness had begun to fall she and Drew had kicked off their shoes and danced together in the sand.
And now they were going home. They’d decided to spend the first few days of their marriage here, and then two nights in Florida, visiting Caro’s parents for a second celebration. Then, ten days in the Caribbean, with nothing to do but relax and be together.
‘What was your favourite thing?’ Caro asked the question as Drew drove back towards the village.
‘Hmm. Not sure. Mav almost dropping the rings overboard? Phoenix trying to snack on your bouquet?’
‘What! All the things that went wrong, you mean.’ Caro smiled. They’d been two of her favourite things too.
‘What could possibly have gone wrong? You married me, didn’t you?’
‘I did. And you married me straight back.’
‘Yes, I did.’ Drew stopped the car outside their house, leaning over to kiss her. ‘How could I do anything different when you came sailing across the sea to find me?’
He got out of the car, opening the tailgate to let Phoenix out and then folding her in his arms. ‘Our home. Our family.’
‘My lover...’ Caro intimated his soft Cornish burr, and Drew laughed.
‘Yes. Always.’
The house, up in the hills above Dolphin Cove, had come onto the market just a few months ago. It was perfect, big enough for the family that they both wanted, along with a book-lined study for Drew and even an old conservatory at the back, which could be renovated as a workshop for Caro. Drew had pulled out all the stops to make sure that the sale would go through in time for him to carry her over the threshold after their wedding. He lifted her up gently into his arms and Caro clung to him.
‘You don’t have to carry me all the way up the front path. That’s just showing off, Drew.’
‘I’ve been thinking about this for a long time now. I’m not doing it by halves.’
His leg was fully healed now, and Drew could do everything he’d done before the accident. He strode up the path, stopping at the front door.
‘Keys. In my pocket.’
Caro felt in his pocket to find the door keys and unlocked the front door. Drew kicked it open and Phoenix bounded past him. Then he carried her over the threshold.
‘This is my favourite part of the day.’ She snuggled in his arms, kissing him.
‘Yeah. Mine too.’
* * *