Page 78 of An Italian Wedding Adventure

‘Yeah, Sophie!’ Lily added with a whoop, laughing when Sophie scowled at her and shook her head.

Andreas strode through the water with enough purpose for Sophie to take a wary step back, but when he paused, his eyebrows raised, she allowed him to tug her in the direction of the pounding waterfall.

But instead of dragging her all the way there, he slipped an arm around her waist and hauled her up against him, making her squeak. His skin was slippery and warm. His hold was firm. And although she squeezed her eyes shut and cringed as the first drops of water stung her skin, she also laughed, the action bubbling up from the mixed-up place deep inside.

‘Argh, cazzo!’ she squealed as the water drenched her, dumping onto her back and battering her head.

Just as quickly as it started, it stopped again, as Andreas bore her to the other side of the waterfall where only steaming spray remained. Hoisting her up higher in his arms, he kissed her – light and fleeting and nowhere near enough.

‘How was that for flirting?’

A smile stretched on her lips. ‘Not bad for a beginner.’

‘That should stop the others anyway,’ he said with finality.

‘Is that what that stunt was about?’

‘Partly. Mostly, I just wanted a kiss.’

30

Andreas leaned on the bar at the hotel with an espresso cup next to him, lost in thought as he waited for Sophie in the early evening the following day. The wedding was tomorrow. After a washout today that had meant a change of plans for the bachelor party, the forecast was better for Friday, as though Sophie had submitted a weather request as part of the wedding paperwork. It would be hot and he’d warned the group that they needed to depart early, but otherwise conditions looked fairly harmless for this wild wedding.

Lily and Roman had decided to go ahead with the Cima Rocca climb. They’d wanted to celebrate what Lily was capable of and she wanted to see her pregnancy as part of that strength, not a return to ill-health.

Andreas had to admit the week had been something special. He was in awe of Sophie for making it happen, so quietly and efficiently, and yet with her whole heart.

Roman wandered in from the terrace and caught sight of him, approaching with a smile that Andreas warily returned. A giddy groom was not usually his idea of good company. Bachelor parties were often raucous and occasionally bawdy, but Roman was so gratingly in love with his fiancée that when the others had joked about girlfriends past and present, they’d watched their words around him.

He’d noted the tension in Tom, the late arrival who’d caused Sophie to give up her room. Andreas would have to make sure Tom and Lucia were nowhere near each other for the via ferrata tomorrow.

Shaking Roman’s hand firmly, Andreas offered the groom an espresso out of habit, but Roman demurred. ‘Thanks for today. It was a shame we had to cancel the climb, but I always wanted to try canyoning, so maybe the rain was a blessing in disguise.’

Andreas shrugged and mumbled something about doing his job.

‘I’ll have to go again with Lily when… you know.’ He leaned his forearms on the bar but straightened again. Then he copied Andreas’s stance, elbows back, reclining. He sent Andreas a sheepish look. ‘I am a bit nervous, to be honest.’

‘Why?’

Roman laughed and slapped him on the arm. ‘Because it’s my wedding tomorrow.’

‘But aren’t you already legally married? And you and Lily… you’re like an old married couple already.’

‘Yeah, signing the marriage register was a pretty big moment too, but there’s something about the words, about speaking them aloud – especially up there in nature, somewhere important to both of us.’

Andreas wished the words hadn’t touched him.There’s something about the words…Legal documents could be legally struck down. Marriage could be undone, but words could never be unsaid.

He continually wanted tosaythings to Sophie, but the words were dangerous.

‘And we’ll exchange the rings, of course – something traditional to show it’s really serious.’

Andreas understood that statement too. He’d understood it in that market in Islamabad eight years ago, although he’d called himself a fool a hundred times afterwards for buying the stupid thing – the stupid thing he’d taken out of his sock drawer and brought with him, even though there was no chance of needing it.

‘And you’re off on an expedition after the wedding?’ Roman asked.

Andreas answered with a nod.

‘How does Sophie feel when you’re away?’

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