Page 9

My eyes wander inevitably to the form of my husband standing talking to the singer Riordan while he’s taking a break and the band plays an instrumental song.

My husband. I shake my head. I wonder when I’ll get used to it. I look down at the gold band on my finger and twist it. It feels solid and strangely like it’s always been there.

The ceremony went by so quickly. I can’t even remember the words we spoke, just snapshots in my head of moments—Blue’s face soft and almost awed as I slid his wedding ring on. Will sneezing in a quiet moment and then going bright red with embarrassment, causing Blue to get a fit of the giggles. Tom nodding along and mouthing the words as if conducting the ceremony himself. The sun falling through the tall windows, making Blue’s blond hair glow like a halo on a very naughty saint, and always his pale blue eyes watching me. No longer distant and evaluating, but full of a simple joy and a huge love that makes me feel humble.

“Nice ceremony, lad,” Tom says, making me jump as he comes up next to me.

“Thank you. Did you get your drink?”

“I did.” We stand in comfortable silence for a few seconds watching people spin and whirl on the dance floor. Then he stirs. “I suppose I should do a speech.”

“To everyone?” I say, startled.

He immediately grimaces. “Absolutely not.” He turns to look at me, his old eyes bright. “Just to you.”

I cock my head. “Is this the part where you tell me to take care of him?” I stop talking when he begins to laugh. “What’s so funny?” I say, my own mouth twitching.

He rubs the tears from his eyes. “Because I never need to say that to you, Levi. You’ve been looking after that lad since the day you met him and I don’t think that will ever change.”

I shrug. “He looks after me too.”

“And long may that continue. No, lad. I just wanted to say that I wish you both the best marriage and the biggest love you can have.”

“Thank you,” I say, touched. Tom is not given to emotional statements.

“Be patient with each other.” He rolls his eyes. “You’ll need your own and everyone else’s share of patience when dealing with Blue Billings.”

“You’re not wrong. I should have a halo fitted.”

“Make it a big one.” He pats my arm. “I count myself very lucky that one day he walked into my shop, ate all the food, and stayed to sleep it off. He’s become the son I was never lucky enough to have, so I’m very happy to know he’s in the safest pair of hands around.” He clears his throat. “And we’ll never mention this to him, eh?”

“My lips are sealed.”

We shake hands, and I smile as I watch him walk away. Weddings are funny things. People seem to say things they’d rather die than admit on a normal day.

I look back at Blue. He looks so handsome in his suit. It clings to his slender body, the grey colour making his eyes look very blue. I let my gaze drift down to his feet and can’t repress my smile. We’d bought some very expensive shoes, but I’d known that he’d turn up in his old Converse, although someone—probably Will—has threaded rainbow laces through them.

He says something to Riordan and makes his way back through the crowd, exchanging comments, completely unaware of the smiles that follow him. There’s a big crowd in here drawn by both our worlds—comic books and ghosts—and everyone is mingling happily.

I grin at him as he steps in front of me, his hands sliding around my waist. “Hello,” I say. “I think you’d better be careful where you touch me. My husband might be watching.”

His eyes twinkle. “Is he possessive?”

“Excessively. Why only last week he had words with a very handsome man in Sainsburys.”

“That was completely justified,” he says indignantly. “His trolley was far too close to you, and ogling isn’t allowed in the freezer section.” I start to laugh and he grins up at me. “Anyway, I came to get you.”

“For what?”

He steps back and offers me his hand. “First dance.”

“Are we doing that?” I ask, startled.

“We should. After all, they’re playing our song.”

I let him pull me onto the centre of the crowded dance floor as the band breaks into the soft intro of a very familiar song.

“‘Five-O’ by James is our song?” I say, sliding my arms around him and feeling the familiar wiry length of his body against mine. The scent of peaches fills my head as the music plays and we start to sway.