‘Candy didn’t feel it appropriate, given that the pregnancy is already showing, to get married in a church, but we might renew our vows there.’
He dealt with the drama and examined his thumbnail at one point as they droned on and on and then, finally, he smiled. ‘Perhaps you’d like to tell your daughter that.’ He handed her the phone. ‘Your parents want to speak with you.’
She took the phone and braced herself for whatever her mother would fling at her and closed her eyes.
‘Complimente...’ her mother said, and it was so unexpected, so far from what she’d anticipated, that Candy burst into happy tears as her mother continued to speak. ‘He sounds a nice man...’
‘A very nice man,’ Candy said.
A very nice man who was playing with her breasts and kissing her neck and was ready to get on with his honeymoon.
‘Better?’ Steele said as she hung up the phone.
‘Is that why you wanted an evening wedding?’
‘Yep. I didn’t want to scare them calling late at night,’ he said, ‘and I knew you’d be worried.’ He gave her a smile. ‘Come here, Steele.’
‘Steele?’ Candy said, and then realised that was her surname now.
‘Well, “Mrs Candida Steele”, if you want to be formal.’
She was back to her dental commercial and smiling as he took her in his arms.
They were back to before.