her hard, taking her breath away and bringing heat to her cheeks as all the guests cheered.
Peter laughed as they pulled apart. “Shall we continue?”
Dex looked at her. And Honey nodded. “Yes, please.”
Peter cleared his throat. “I’m afraid I have to ask you once again. Please repeat after me. I solemnly declare that I do not know of any impediment to this marriage between me, Dexter Mark Concannon, and Honeysuckle Summers.”
Dex opened his mouth, hesitated, and briefly glanced around him. And that was it, Honey started giggling, everyone began laughing and Dex’s face broke out into a wry grin.
After that it was plain sailing. They said their vows, and when Peter asked if she promised “to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, and to be faithful unto him as long as you both shall live,” she said yes without reserve.
Once again they exchanged rings, Dex sliding hers onto her third finger.
“These rings serve as a symbol of the vow you have just made,” Peter said, and smiled. “You are now lawfully married.” He grinned at Dex. “Again. And yes, now you may kiss the bride.”
And there, under the palm trees with the sun streaming through and the fantails fluttering in the branches, Honey let her husband take her in his arms and seal the deal with a kiss.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The rest of the day sped by happily with no further unwelcome interruptions, to Dex’s relief. They spent some time under the palms having photographs taken—alone, with Cam, with Honey’s sisters and Koru, with their friends and their partners, some with everyone, and a few shots to laugh at later, with Honey showing off her stockings and garter, him lifting her up in his arms, and one with Dex, Koru, Chase and Jude fooling about.
At one point, watching Honey have a photograph with her dad, Dex wondered whether he should have invited his own father and brothers. Honey had pressed him gently but he’d swept her suggestion aside, not wanting any of his past to intrude on his precious present and future. Watching Cam kiss her cheek and her cuddle up to him, Dex thought maybe he’d been a bit harsh. He’d kept in touch with his father and rang him once a month or so, and thought that Graham Concannon might have liked to see his youngest son get hitched. But Dex had been embarrassed about his family, who were rough and ready and would have looked out of place and uncomfortable in suits, and he hadn’t wanted them to regale Honey and her family with stories of his miscreant youth. He’d rung his mother, who had wished him well, but there had been no question of her coming halfway around the world to see him.
If Charlie had been alive, he would have wanted him there. But Charlie was gone, and life moved on.
Anyway, the wedding was just one day. He had the rest of his life to sort things out. Maybe later, he thought, when babies came along, he might feel secure enough to reintroduce bits and pieces of his old life into his new one. But for now, he was content to have his present and the future he’d promised her.
Finally, the photos complete, they moved indoors for canapés and to greet the guests who were arriving for the reception. The room looked stunning, just like the photos the wedding organiser had shown them. In the end, Gillian had done a wonderful job. There were round tables covered in white cloths, white lilies decorating the tables and green ferns providing a colourful contrast, curtains of golden fairy lights casting the room in a warm pretty glow, and elegant waiters in black tuxes ready to serve the amazing food after orders were taken.
Guests could choose between manuka smoked salmon, marinated and slow cooked pork belly or a vegetarian option of kumara gnocchi in a rich cheese sauce, and there were a variety of delicious desserts to follow. Everyone gave speeches and drank champagne and ate too much, and afterward a local band played popular songs that had everyone on their feet, including Cam, who always protested he didn’t dance.
Throughout the evening, Dex had trouble tearing his gaze away from his new wife. Honey shone brighter than a supernova in the room. Although he knew her well enough to sense the underlying sadness because her mother couldn’t be there to share it with her, still she seemed to be having