It was a short service, but heartfelt, and afterwards they took everyone to the restaurant for a meal to celebrate.
The staff had opened the restaurant specially for the afternoon, and it was a meal to remember. They pulled out all the stops, and the food was amazing, but there were not supposed to be any speeches. Matt said he wasn’t going to give Ben a chance to get back at him, but there was some good-natured rivalry and a lot of love, and in the end Ben had his way.
‘I don’t have a lot to say,’ he began, which made Matt laugh so hard he had tears running down his face, but Ben waited him out with a patient smile, and then he started again.
‘I just wanted to say how much this means to all of us, to see the two of you together again. I’m not going to make any cruel jokes about what a lousy brother you’ve been, because you haven’t. You’ve supported me through some pretty tough times, and I wish I could have done more for you, but I don’t suppose anyone could. However, I can take credit for bringing you together again a year ago tomorrow, even if you didn’t appreciate it at the time, and the consequences are delightful!’
At that point Josh gave a shrill squeal and banged his rattle on the table in front of Liz, and everyone laughed.
‘So, no bad jokes, just a few words to wish you well, and to say how glad we all are that this day has come for you at last. Ladies and gentlemen, can we please raise our glasses to Matt and Amy!’
‘Matt and Amy!’ they chorused, and Matt leant over and planted a lingering kiss on her lips. It was full of promise, and the smile in his eyes warmed her to the bottom of her heart.
They went back to the farmhouse for the night. As usual they were in Matt’s room with Josh, with Ben and Daisy next door with Thomas, and Amy lay there in Matt’s arms in blissful contentment.
‘All right, my darling?’ he murmured, and she made a soft sound of agreement and snuggled closer.
‘It was a lovely day.’
‘It was. You looked beautiful in that dress.’
She tipped her head and searched his eyes in the moonlight. ‘It was only a simple little shift dress.’
‘It was elegant and understated, and you looked amazing.’
She smiled. ‘Thank you. You looked pretty amazing yourself, and Josh was so good. I was sure he’d scream all through the service.’
She saw his lips twitch. ‘He’s probably saving that for tomorrow, for the vicar.’
He wasn’t. Josh and his cousin Thomas were both as good as gold for their christening, and the vicar remarked on how alike they were.
‘It’ll be hard to tell the difference between these two,’ he said with a smile as he handed Josh back to Amy.
‘No, it won’t,’ they all chorused, and then laughed. He was right, they were very alike, but there were differences, more so than between Ben and Matt, and to their parents and grandparents the differences were obvious.
They filed out into the sunshine, and Matt and Amy hung back behind the others for a moment, Josh squirming in Matt’s arms.
‘OK?’
She nodded. ‘It was lovely. Just right.’
It had been. Before the ceremony, the vicar who’d married them had asked for a few moments of silence while they remembered Samuel.
They hadn’t cried. Their tears had been shed, their love was stronger, and they were looking forward to their future together. It might not be untroubled, but it would be shared every step of the way, and whatever happened, they would always know that they were truly loved.
What more could they possibly ask for?
‘Come on, you two, or we’ll eat all the cake!’ Ben yelled, and Matt laughed.
‘He’s not joking. Come on.’
And putting his arm round Amy and drawing her in close to his side, he walked her out of the churchyard with a smile…
ISBN: 978-1-4592-8248-3
THE FIANCÉE HE CAN’T FORGET
First North American Publication 2011
Copyright © 2011 by Caroline Anderson
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