Page 58 of Coming Home to Sturcombe Bay
“It’ll be worth it when you taste it,” Vicky insisted. “I got to scrape the mixing bowl.”
“Greedy,” Tom teased, giving her shoulders a squeeze.
There was that look again, slanting between them. Pure love. Cassie felt her heart skip, but she refused to let herself glance at Liam who was standing across to her left, his hand resting on his small daughter’s curly blonde hair.
Struggling to cut the cake with both of them holding the knife reduced Debbie to giggles. They managed to get a slice onto a plate, and fed each other a bite with small silver dessert forks.
“Mmm, you’re right.” Debbie’s eyes were dancing. “It’s absolutely delicious. Do you think he’d give us the recipe?”
“Absolutely not.” Vicky laughed. “He keeps it so secret, he bakes them at midnight on a full moon, with two Rottweilers guarding the kitchen.”
“I don’t blame him.”
* * *
One of the waiters lifted the cake carefully onto a catering trolley and wheeled it off to the kitchen to be sliced. Liam smiled down at his little daughter as his mother came over. “Well now, time for you to be off home with Granny and Gramps.”
“Oh, Daddeee . . .”
“Amy and Noah are coming with you for a sleepover,” his mum reminded her.
“Oh, yes!” The child bounced with excitement, all objections instantly forgotten. “Night night, Daddy.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a big kiss on the cheek, then did the same to Cassie. “Night night, Auntie Cassie!”
“Night night, sweetheart.”
His mum slanted Liam a questioning glance, but he just smiled vaguely as Robyn ran off to fetch her friends.
“That’ll be fun,” Cassie murmured with a hint of dry humour. “I hope you’re going to buy your mum a big bunch of flowers for dedication beyond the call of duty.”
He laughed. “Of course.”
With the children gone, the adults lingered a while over their champagne before drifting back into the ballroom for the evening. The room was subtly lit by the wall sconces, and the DJ was ready to start the music as the bride and groom reluctantly moved out into the middle of the dance floor for their first dance.
He glanced around for Cassie, but she was no longer by his side. He searched the room and saw she was over by the bar, chatting to her brother.
Before he could move towards her, his sister-in-law Julia came up behind him. “Ah, this is one of my favourite songs.” She swayed as the strains of a beautiful old soul ballad swelled through the room.
“It’s just unfortunate that Bill dances like one of his cows,” Liam responded dryly.
“Debbie doesn’t seem to mind — she’s dancing on air.”
“And she’s pretty good at keeping her toes away from his size twelves.”
The song ended to a soft ripple of applause, then several more couples moved to join them on the dance floor.
“Are you going to dance?” Liam asked.
Julia smiled. “If you’re asking?”
In the past he’d always enjoyed dancing with Julia. She had a good sense of rhythm and moved easily, spinning out and back as they jived to a series of lively sixties hits. When at last the music changed to a slower number, Luke appeared at his shoulder.
“Do you mind giving me my wife back?”
“No way,” Liam retorted. “We’re running away together.”
“Oh, fine.” Luke shrugged his shoulders in casual dismissal. “You’re welcome.”
He pretended to turn away, but Julia caught him by the collar. “Hey, you don’t get away that easy!” she protested.
