Page 35 of A Wedding at The Cornish Garden Café
‘Ooh… That looks good.’ Wyatt smiled.
‘Want a taste?’ she asked, and his eyebrows rose.
‘Yes, please.’
She held the glass towards him, and he lowered his head, so his lips touched the glass. But he kept his eyes on hers, and her heart started thudding.
He sipped the margarita then nodded before licking his lips.
‘Wait,’ she said, reaching for him. ‘You have some salt…’ She touched her finger to the corner of his mouth just as he licked it with his tongue, and she gasped as his tongue flicked her fingertip. ‘Right there.’
She brought her hand to her mouth and licked the same finger he had, and something twinkled in his eyes.
‘Edith, are you flirting with me?’ he asked.
‘I don’t know, am I?’ she asked, peering up at him flirtatiously from behind her lashes.
‘I think you are and I like it.’ He set the icebox down on a table. ‘Now let’s get you a refill, and I’ll have one of those too.’
He placed a hand on the small of her back, and they crossed the grass to the bar. Wyatt asked Lucas for two more margaritas.
While they waited, Edith finished her first drink and tried not to stare at Wyatt. They’d always had incredible chemistry, but now it seemed to have ramped up, as if the time apart had created an electricity that had developed over the years. She’d felt it that first time she’d seen him again back in London, but her negative emotions had made it hard to decipher what it was. Now that he’d been so kind and helpful, she was seeing past the sadness and the grief and viewing him in a whole new light. Not that the past had disappeared, not at all, but it was easier to put it to one side when he was being such a thoughtful human being. Time had changed them both in some ways and it seemed it hadchanged Wyatt for the better. He was still the Wyatt she had known and loved, but an improved version.
Fresh drinks in hand, they wandered over to the table where Finn and Titus were sitting with Rosie and Reggie. They sat down, and Edith relaxed as Wyatt chatted to Titus. She was sitting so close to him she could feel the warmth of his big muscular body and smell his crisp woody cologne. It would have been so easy to rest her head on his shoulder and melt into him the way she used to do, but she restrained herself, knowing this was not the time or place. But simply having the feeling, along with the gentle buzz from the margaritas, was pleasant, and she settled back to enjoy a lovely evening with friends.
The tables were set with glass jars filled with wildflowers, and citrus candles burned in small terracotta pots at the centres to ward off any biting insects. Pearl wove around them all, placing bowls of homegrown salad, baby potatoes, and baskets of freshly baked bread on the tables. She added jugs of water so cold that beads of condensation sat on the outside of the glass like diamonds, and slices of lemon floated in the water, imbuing it with their zest.
Pearl and Ellie served the cooked meat on platters with cheeses and chutneys, and everyone ate like they’d been ravenous for weeks. When Pearl and Ellie joined them, it felt like their party was complete.
As dusk fell over the café and the wine flowed, Edith allowed herself to move a bit closer to Wyatt. When their arms brushed against one another, she didn’t move away and neither did he. Instead, he reached for her hand beneath the table and laced his fingers with hers, and it felt like the most romantic thing that had ever happened to her.
Sitting next to her former lover, Edith felt a profound peace settle over her like a warm blanket. If moments in life could be perfect, then this was one of them.
Finn and Titus getting married had brought Edith and Wyatt together again and she felt giddy with the joy of it all. This was what a union should be about: love and friendship, companionship, and kindness, and the sense of belonging somewhere.
Right here in this moment, she was sitting next to the man she had loved.
Was he, she wondered, the man she loved still?
24
WYATT
Wyatt was conscious of Edith sitting close to him, how warm she felt and how beautiful she looked. This evening, she was wearing a white dress with a wide brown belt and leather sandals. Her chestnut hair was pulled back loosely, letting soft waves frame her face and brush against the smooth curve of her neck. Silver hoops glinted at her ears, and a lone pearl on a slender chain nestled against her chest. Her scent of vanilla and wildflowers was tantalising. He yearned to press his nose against her hair and then her slender neck.
He was very aware of her presence and of the effect it was having on him. That he knew her so well, that he had cuddled her and kissed her everywhere, watched her face as he made love to her, and known how to please her did not escape him. They’d had an incredible connection, some might say a once in a lifetime connection, and he had walked away from it. He cursed the foolish younger man he’d been while understanding that he had done it thinking for the best.
When Finn, now a few margaritas in, stood up and called for music, Pearl fetched some Bluetooth speakers from inside andset them up in the garden. Finn linked his phone so he could play what he called ‘The Finn and Titus Playlist’.
The first song was Whitney Houston’s ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody’ and soon Thora, Lucas, Pearl, Ellie, and Finn were up dancing.
Titus was telling Wyatt about his plans for expanding his business, and Wyatt was half listening. He was trying to pay attention, but Edith was still holding his hand, and he didn’t want to ever let go.
‘Edith!’ Rosie skipped over to them. ‘Come and dance.’
Edith glanced at Wyatt. ‘I don’t know… I…’
‘Oh, come on!’ Rosie grabbed Edith’s other hand, and Wyatt suppressed a groan as she let go of him and went with Rosie.
