‘You’re trying to work out the flaw in everything I said, aren’t you?’ Evie said. ‘You think I’m wrong but you can’t work out why?’
Dan twisted his mouth, gave his coffee another stir, and nodded.
‘I don’t think I’m wrong,’ Evie said. ‘And I think it’s really important to talk about things that upset you, otherwise they eat away at you.’
‘I don’t actually know what I think now,’ Dan said, round a sudden very large lump in his throat. He took a big drink of his coffee to hide his face because it felt like his eyes might be glistening. ‘Oh myGod,’ he said.
‘Coffee really sweet and really cold?’
‘Sodisgusting. I’m almost gagging.’
Evie sniggered. ‘I think you put about eight sugar cubes in there. Want one of those chocolate truffles to take the taste away? They’re quite bitter. I’m just going to say one more thing about the accident. Talk to Max. Tell him what you told me andlistento his answer. Anyway.’ She reached for the plate and handed it to him. ‘Funny how dark chocolate’s more addictive than the sweet stuff even though it isn’t even that nice.’
‘I think it’s the caffeine content. And something like theobromine. I read about it recently.’
As happy chatter bubbled around them, and Dan and Evie’s conversation meandered from chocolate and tastebuds through favourite books to great film adaptations, thoughts about the accident and Max chugged away at the back of Dan’s brain.
When they stopped talking to clap while Sasha stood up to give the first speech, Dan said under cover of all the noise, ‘Evie, thank you. For your pep talk. I think it might have made sense.’
‘Hey. Ialwaysmake sense.’ She smiled at him. ‘I really do think you should talk to Max about it.’
Dan looked at his older brother’s profile. Max turned round and caught his gaze and grinned at him. Dan smiled back. Maybe he actually would talk to him.
Although… Yeah, it would be hard. And right now it was Sasha’s wedding reception. Another time.
When dinner was over, Sasha hauled a supposedly reluctant Angus up onto the dance floor for the first dance.
‘Oh mygoodness.’ Evie’s jaw was literally on the floor. Most people’s jaws were. ‘Angus isamazing. He must have been having serious lessons. He’s like aStrictlypro.’
‘I know. Wow. Hmm. He’s setting the bar high for the rest of us. The perfect excuse not to dance this evening, I think.’
‘What? No. Youhaveto dance. It’s your sister’s wedding. You can’t let her down.’
Dan rolled his eyes but allowed Evie to draw him towards the dance floor when the first song ended and Sasha beckoned everyone over. If he was honest, he’d always had a lot of fun dancing with Evie in the past.
They joined a large group of enthusiastic dancers, including Max and Greggy, Lucie and her husband, and various friends and their other halves.
About five songs in, the band changed to a slow song, and, following Sasha and Angus’s lead, everyone around them coupled up into waltzing stances. Dan looked at Evie. It would probably be strangernotto dance with her than to dance with her. He raised his eyebrows at her and held his arms out a little. After a moment’s hesitation, she smiled at him and stepped forward.
And as soon as he was holding her close, it feltgood.One arm round her waist, the other holding her hand, able to inhale her – frankly, seductive – scent, feel her gorgeous softness against him, he was overwhelmed with memories of their night in Vegas. Kind of wrong of him, given Matthew – currently playing golf, apparently all he ever did – but they were only dancing. It wasn’t like he was going to act on his thoughts.
They danced slowly, languorously, closely, their fingers laced together, swaying in time to the music, not really talking, just enjoying the moment. Dan was enjoying it, anyway, and he was pretty sure that Evie was now, from the way that for a few seconds she’d held herself tense and at a slight distance, and then she’d relaxed right against him.
The next one was also a good one for slow dancing to.
It was a disappointment when the song ended and a very upbeat one – which made it kind of ridiculous to carry on with the waltzing – started.
They were still swaying together gently, when Greggy tapped Dan on the shoulder and said, ‘It has to be my turn to dance with gorgeous Evie now. I think she deserves a partner who can pull someseriousmoves, and, if I’m honest, I’d have to call you a little conservative as a dancer.’
‘Are you joking?’ Dan said. ‘I’ve been moving my feet and everything.’
Evie laughed and loosened her arms from where, Dan now realised, they’d still been round his neck. Dan reluctantly took his own arms from around her.
‘Fancy some fresh air?’ Max had popped up on the other side of them from Greggy.
‘Yeah, why not?’ Not really.
Dan couldn’t resist looking over his shoulder as he and Max walked towards the marquee entrance, just to take a quick look at Evie and Greggy. He frowned as a man he didn’t recognise held out his hand to Evie and gave her a quick twirl, and then relaxed when she shimmied back towards Greggy.
