They exchanged a glance, and he could see just how much they adored each other. So maybe Bailey was right and this would have a happy ending. Maybe he should start to believe in love again.
‘Righty.’ Bailey tucked her arm into his. ‘Let’s get this over with. Come and meet my lot. They’re the nicest family in the world, but I’m going to apologise in advance because they’re a bit—well—full on.’
‘Italian,’ he said.
She nodded. ‘Even though Dad’s English, living with my mum and the rest of us has kind of made him Italian.’
‘That’s nice,’ Jared said, and let her lead him over to her family.
‘Jared, this is my mother, Lucia, my brothers, Roberto and Giorgio—Rob and Gio for short—and my dad, Paul.’
Jared shook hands and kissed cheeks as expected, and then turned to Bailey. ‘How come you don’t have an Italian first name?’ he asked.
‘Because I was born on Christmas Eve, and in my family it’s tradition to watch It’s a Wonderful Life every single Christmas Eve—including the year I was born, because Mum had me at home. So she really had to call me Bailey, after George’s family.’
‘It could be worse,’ Lucia said with a grin. ‘I could have called you Clarence.’
‘Clarrie. Yes. That’s so me.’ Bailey flapped her hands in imitation of an angel’s wings and laughed.
‘She’s kept you very quiet, Jared,’ Lucia said.
‘Because we haven’t known each other very long, and I know what you’re like, Mamma,’ Bailey said. She switched into rapid Italian; clearly she was asking her mother not to interrogate him or embarrass her, Jared thought. Mischief prompted him to ask her if she realised that he spoke Italian, just to tease her; but, knowing Bailey, she’d call his bluff and speak in Italian for the rest of the evening, so he resisted the temptation. Just.
‘Sì, sì, bambina mia.’ Lucia pinched Bailey’s cheeks, and then continued her interrogation. ‘So where did you meet, Jared?’
‘At work,’ he said carefully.
‘So you’re a doctor?’
‘For a football team, yes.’
Bailey’s dad smiled at him. ‘Which one?’
Jared named the premier division club. ‘I work with the youth team—and they’ve got real potential.’
‘Oh, the team Bailey’s testing her box of tricks on?’ Paul asked. ‘I thought you said the team doctor was about to retire, Bailey?’
‘He did. Jared took over from him,’ Bailey said. ‘Are you going to grill the poor man all night, or can we talk about something else—like how gorgeous my best friend looks in her lovely floaty dress?’
‘She does indeed.’ Paul gave her a hug. ‘And so do you, darling. We don’t see you dressed up like this very often.’
‘If you came to see me with a sports injury and I looked like this when I treated you, you’d be worried that I didn’t have a clue what I was talking about and think that you were going to be injured and in pain for the rest of your life,’ she said with a grin. ‘That’s why I don’t dress like this very often.’
It turned out that they were at a table with Bailey’s family for the wedding breakfast, and Jared was surprised by how easily they included him in the conversation, as if they’d known him for ever. In turn, he got them to talk about the restaurant—and learned a lot about Bailey as a child. Her family was merciless in telling tales; but they clearly adored her, because she was laughing along with the rest of them and giving just as good as she got by telling tales about them, too.
He discovered that Bailey, when she was with her family, was incredibly tactile, so it was just as well they hadn’t agreed a no-touching rule, because she would’ve broken it several times a minute. He already knew that she talked with her hands, but this was something else. She touched his arm, his shoulder, his face, his hair. He wasn’t used to that at all, but he was surprised to discover that he liked it. That he wanted more.
Though that wasn’t part of the deal. He was her fake partner for tonight, not her real one, he reminded himself.
The food was excellent, but best of all was the cake. ‘This has to be the best cake I’ve ever had in my life,’ he said.
Rob looked pleased. ‘I’m glad you like it. Actually, it’s one of mine,’ he said diffidently.
‘Bailey said you were good—but she didn’t say you were this good. And I’m going to beg for seconds.’
‘You weren’t listening properly,’ she said, cuffing his arm. ‘I told you Rob was the best pastry chef in the universe. And who do you think made that chocolate cake I gave you?’
‘Oh, now, with those two pieces of evidence, I agree completely,’ Jared said with a smile.
Funny, he’d been faintly dreading the reception. But it was all easy, from chatting at the tables to listening to the speeches. And then finally the band started playing and the dancing began. The bride and groom danced together first, followed by Bailey and the best man. Jared couldn’t take his eyes off her. The way she moved was so graceful, so elegant. This was yet another side to the clever, slightly acerbic doctor he was used to. She’d turned out to be full of surprises.
And then she came over to him. ‘Dance with me?’
How could he say no? Especially when he’d been wanting to hold her close all day, and this was the perfect excuse.
When he danced with her, it was the first time he’d ever noticed her perfume; it reminded him of an orange grove in full bloom, yet with a sweet undertone. Sparkly and warm, just like her personality. And he could feel the warmth of her body against his.
To keep his mind off that fact, he asked, ‘Why do I recognise the guy playing guitar with the band?’
‘That’s Olly, Joni’s brother—he was one of the ushers, so you would’ve met him at the church,’ she explained.
‘Oh.’
‘Sorry about my family earlier. As I said, they’re a little intense.’
‘Don’t apologise—I like them. They love you,’ he said, ‘and it’s pretty clear they worry about you.’
She rolled her eyes. ‘I’m thirty years old. I can look after myself.’
‘Families are supposed to worry about you,’ he reminded her.
‘Does yours worry about you?’ she challenged.
He smiled. ‘When I let them, yes.’
‘So you’re as bad as I am—except I bet you keep yours at bay by being grumpy.’
‘And you keep yours at bay by sparkling,’ he fenced.
‘Sparkling?’
‘Like vintage champagne in candlelight,’ he said.
Oh, for goodness’ sake. Anyone would think he’d been drinking way too much of the vintage champagne. He simply didn’t wax poetic like that. But something about Bailey made the words flow and he couldn’t stop them.
She smiled. ‘You think I’m sparkly?’
‘Very,’ he admitted.
‘Thank you—that’s a really lovely thing to say. Especially as I’ve pretty much neglected you today, and you’re doing me a huge favour by being