Page 32 of The Forever Match

She glanced at Victoria, who stared at her like she hung the moon.

“Victoria has taught me the power of strength and resilience. The power of belief. The power of love.” Ash took Victoria’s hand and kissed it. Then she turned to the audience.

“You all got a princess, and she’s a pretty fucking good one.”

The reception laughed.

“But me?” Ash paused. “I met my soulmate, who happens to have a quite high-profile job. But she’s assured me there will be work-life balance. If the last three years are anything to go by, she might be lying. But marrying her wasn’t a choice. It was necessity. Because every time she turns up at a key England game, we win, so I did it for the country.” Ash grinned at Victoria, then winked, as the reception roared its approval.

Victoria simply rolled her eyes with a smile.

Ash held her glass high.

“Please. Everybody. Be upstanding and raise your glass to my frankly gorgeous wife, my one and only. To Victoria!”

The room got to its feet: “Victoria!”

Ash drank. Sat down. Then leaned over and kissed her wife full on the lips.

In public.

Again.

What a day.

Chapter 14

“Some speech, that.” Ash’s agent, Marianne, clapped her on the back. “I wondered how you were going to top Victoria, but you did it. There wasn’t a dry eye in the place. Even I cried, and I’m dead inside.”

Ash grinned. She could always count on Marianne to tell it like it was.

“Not too much?”

“It’s your wedding day. There is no too much. You could’ve ridden in on a horse and people would’ve called it tasteful.” She paused. “Talking of which, that chocolate cake was absolutely sinful. I knew I could count on you to raise the cake game.”

Ash laughed and slugged back another mouthful of champagne, then checked her watch — a Cartier, a wedding gift from her wife.

Her wife.

The word still didn’t feel real, hitting her sideways every time.

Only, then she remembered why she’d checked the watch in the first place.

The first dance was happening any minute now. Her stomach churned unhelpfully.

Cam materialised at her elbow, girlfriend Hayley on her arm. Cam had lost her jacket and tie, and her shirt sleeves were rolled up.

“First dance soon?”

“Don’t.”

“Just so you know,” Cam said, ignoring her completely, “we’re on standby. The second it goes south, we flood the floor. Full team rescue op.”

She held up a fist. Ash bumped it.

“Cheers. When I stand on Victoria’s foot for the sixth time, please stage an immediate intervention.”

“Sasha and Nat are warmed up, as are their girlfriends. We just met Michael’s new one, too — Rose — and she is buzzing to dance with the Lionesses.” Cam jerked her chin towards the corner, where Michael and Rose were already deep in something that looked dangerously like banter with Nat and Sasha.