Charlie looked at him guiltily, and then she smiled sweetly and said innocently; “I loved yours. They were very off the cuff.”
Matt laughed and knew that it was impossible for him to be mad with her, and as they walked out into the bright sunlight he swung her around into his arms before kissing her again.
“Charlie your vows were beautiful,” Emily said after she’d walked over to join them. The tear track marks on her face were evidence of the sincerity of her words.
“Thanks,” Charlie said hugging Emily.
“Congratulations Matt,” Emily said before hugging him.
He noticed that there was no tension between them, and he wondered if this had anything to do with the man that was hovering by her side and who he now noticed was the same man that had walked Charlie down the aisle.
“Do I know you?” Matt asked holding out his hand to the man. “My wife and friend clearly do.”
“This is Patrick,” Emily said as Matt shook his hand and looked from him to Charlie.
“Emily and Patrick have been dating for a few weeks. They met when Emily came with me to track him down,” Charlie said. But Matt looked at her confusedly, wondering why she’d tracked him down.
“Patrick was the paramedic that was called to my crash. He stayed with me until they managed to cut me free. He kept me chatting and conscious for as long as he could, and he told me sweet little lies so I wouldn’t be scared,” Charlie said smiling at Patrick.
He looked embarrassed, but he returned her smile.
Emily looked at him proudly, and Matt noticed that they were holding hands. Yet he felt blindsided for the second time that day. He had recognised this man in the church. He knew him from the hospital, and it now transpired that he’d also helped save Charlie’s life.
“That’s why you asked him to give you away?” Matt asked Charlie somewhat distractedly, as an image of her trapped inside a wrecked car filled his mind.
She looked at him and whispered; “I’m right here, and I’m okay.” He looked at her with amazement at how well she knew him, and she smiled at him.
“I think I need to shake your hand again,” he said turning from Charlie to Patrick and holding out his hand once more for Patrick to shake.
“Thank you,” Matt said as Patrick shook his hand again.
“It’s my job,” Patrick said smiling kindly at Matt.
“She’s my life,” Matt said to him as Charlie pulled him into a hug.
Emily and Patrick smiled, and then they walked away hand in hand.
“Come on,” Matt said taking Charlie’s hand in his and leading her away from the church.
“Where are we going?” Charlie asked. “What about our guests?”
“I think we waited too long before consummating our marriage the last time that we did this,” Matt said; “and we’ve had some pretty bad karma since then.”
“You could just say that you can’t wait to get me into bed Mr Grayson,” Charlie said jokingly.
“You’re right,” he said smiling; “I just can’t wait to get you into bed Mrs Grayson.”
Charlie smiled, and he whipped her legs from beneath her. He hoisted her up into his arms, and as she began to laugh he started to run.
The End
Splintered Memory Page 29
