‘Come on, wife of mine, this country boy wants to dance with his woman.’
‘I don’t know if someone once told you that voice was sexy, but it really isn’t.’
‘You sure ’bout that?’
No. I wasn’t sure. It might have been the wine. Could have been the beautiful night. Either way, I was feeling a definite something sexy for Patrick Charles Cooper as we swayed to the next hopelessly romantic ballad, my face pressed against his shoulder.
‘Does Bridget know about this secret music obsession?’
Did I imagine it, or for a brief second did Cooper’s whole body stiffen?
I must have imagined it, because the next moment, he pulled back, took my face in both his hands and kissed me.
* * *
Cooper
By the end of the week, Cooper still didn’t know what to make of married life. After filming more predictably restrained interviews, Ben had headed off to Dublin to shoot a wedding, so it had just been the two of them. Which should have been easier. Only, he’d realised as he’d pounded out a ten-K run that Sunday morning, Ben had been a good excuse for the distance that still hovered between them; his easy-going manner created a flatmate atmosphere, removed the pressure to act like a newly married couple.
The date had been good.
The kiss had been lovely.
But when Emma had gone to fetch them coffee, he’d fallen asleep in the chair.
He’d done the same in the taxi home.
And on the sofa.
And then in bed, while she was in the bathroom brushing her teeth.
He’d apologised several times. Too many times, judging by the flash of irritation when he tried to explain once again about how he’d been up the entire night before…
And, of course, he couldn’t help thinking what could have happened if he’d stayed awake.
Wondering if Emma hadwantedhim to stay awake.
Wondering if a tiny part of him was glad that he hadn’t. Somehow, once the marriage had been consummated, it would feel a whole lot more real. And if it didn’t go well, what then? He liked Emma, a lot. But he knew he wasn’t in love with her yet. Would having sex breach the gap, or only highlight it? It was probably pointless to even think about it, seeing as Emma had given no indication of wanting to take things further since their date. They’d exchanged morning and hello kisses. He’d rubbed her feet after a long Saturday at work. Held her hand as they sat through Moses’ sermon in church on Sunday morning. As they’d joined the convoy to the farmhouse for Sunday lunch, got stuck into setting plates out and carrying serving dishes, pouring drinks and eating more food than he’d thought humanly possible, he’d felt one of the family. Then when Gabriella announced that Helen Richards had given birth to a ten-pound baby boy, Emma had rolled her eyes and smiled at him over the top of her water glass in a way that made his heart squeeze.
‘To Jake and Helen.’ Bridget held up her glass in a toast. ‘What a good job he found the contents of her jumper so irresistible. Wouldn’t you agree, Cooper?’
In the warmth of the Donovan family, surrounded by everything he’d hoped for and more than he’d ever dreamed of, he would agree, yes.
* * *
By Tuesday evening, he wasn’t so sure. Bridget had burst into his office at lunchtime.
‘I need your help.’
He saved the table he was working on and swivelled around to see her pacing up and down the tiny square of empty floor space, her lab coat flapping over faded jeans and a multicoloured T-shirt. ‘What’s Prof done now?’
‘Prof? Oh, no, nothing. It’s not work. I got an email from the freaky shop lady saying my dress is ready, but I feel weird and I think I might hate it now. I think I want a normal dress. Something stylish and classic like Emma’s. Beautiful and wifely and like something someone would wear who’s ready to commit and has no reason whatsoever to change her mind now. None of them good ones, anyway.’
Cooper looked at her. ‘Given that I’m assuming in the middle of all that you were referencing a wedding dress, why would you want my help?’
‘I need you to come with me for my final dress fitting. Emma’s too busy making one million wedding cakes.’
‘Bridget, you have three other sisters.’
