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‘But, maybe, you could come back to me? You and Willow. Whenever you can?’

The church echoed around them as his question hung in the air. Fox felt his blood rushing through his veins as Robyn tilted her head, waves tumbling over her shoulder. She had never looked more beautiful. She reached a hand to his cheek and he pressed himself to her palm.

‘You know I have always believed in the universe and it has never really let me down,’ Robyn whispered. ‘That it will show me the right thing to do. It will give me signs . . . Well, I think the universe has been telling me for some time that my next big opportunity in life is with you. You and the boys, with Willow, in Honeybridge.’

Fox felt himself reeling. It was more than he’d ever hoped for.

‘You wouldn’t be limiting my life, you’d be making it bigger than ever, full of love and laughter, and the family that we could make. Together.’ Robyn squeezed his hands between them.

‘Everything I want is right here.’ She laughed. ‘My travels don’t sound as exciting as they used to, especially when I compare them to the future I can make here. With you.’

Fox could hardly believe it.

‘You want to be with me?’

‘More than you will ever know,’ Robyn said. ‘I love you, Fox.’

‘And I love you, Red.’ Fox drew her closer, wrapping his arms around her waist, until their lips were mere inches apart. Her breath was hot and sweet against his. His voice was hoarse as he whispered his vow to her.

‘I choose you. I commit to you. I love you. And I always will.’

He couldn’t hold back any more. He crushed her against his chest and pressed his lips to hers. He kissed her with everything he had, his head full of his hopes and dreams for their future together.

Her eyes were shining with happy tears when they parted, her cheeks were pink and he loved her more in that second than he thought possible.

‘Let’s go and celebrate,’ he said, enfolding her under his arm and walking her back up the aisle. She leaned tight into him, fitting perfectly, as though she were made to be there, beside him. He pulled open the door to the church and they slipped out into the crisp, bright Boxing Day sun.

Chapter Sixty-Three

Robyn

The wedding reception was in full swing and Fox had not left her side. Reggie and George had given each other funny looks and giggled when they saw their dad holding her hand, but were happy to hear that she was staying – and that she would be moving into the house.

‘Can we get rid of flipping Fiona then?’ Reggie asked, never one to miss an opportunity.

‘There’s more to tell them, too,’ Fox whispered in her ear, ‘about their little sister, but we can work out how to do that later.’ Willow bounced on his knee, sucking on her knuckles, and he looked at her so tenderly that Robyn wanted to cry for the thousandth time that day. This time, they were happy tears. Never had she felt so much love for and trust in someone. Never had she felt so protected and looked after. And never had her future felt so limitless, like an infinity of love, a galaxy of happiness.

Rosie had obviously spread the word and the gang all came over in their own time and kissed Robyn and fist bumped Fox, sharing their happiness. Robyn couldn’t believe that if she hadn’t ended up in this pretty little town called Honeybridge, then she would be living a different life somewhere. An emptier life, without Fox, without these children and these friends. It was unthinkable. She surveyed the room and the people surrounding her, and her chest was full of love. It almost burst when Wren arrived with the twins to join in the celebrations.

‘Toasts for the future!’

Etienne stood at the top table and dinged his knife on his glass. He waited for hush and then said, ‘This is something that my parents used to do on special occasions, and I know that if they had been here today, they would have kept the tradition.’

He poured champagne for himself and his bride and helped Isabella to her feet beside him. She beamed at him and nodded.

‘So my beautiful wife and I,’ he said, to a burst of rapturous applause which took a moment to die down. ‘My wife and I say, may our glasses be never empty and our hearts for ever full.’

There was a murmur of agreement and a clink of glasses as everyone drank the toast, before Etienne and Isabella resumed their seats.

Alex and Amber stood next, raising a blue cocktail and a beer. She whispered in Alex’s ear and he grinned.

‘May our futures be even better than our pasts,’ she announced before sipping her drink and poking a very blue tongue at Alex.

‘Hear, hear,’ everyone agreed before taking another sip.

Wren and Rosie stood next, each holding a swaddled twin.

‘May all our troubles be little ones,’ Wren said. They both indicated the babies and everyone laughed as the two women toasted with glasses of milk. Robyn blew a kiss to her best friend, thanking her lucky stars for the gift that she was.