Cash refused to let go of Natalia’s hand as they found their way into the adjacent room where the wedding breakfast was being held. He kept rubbing the pad of his thumb over the diamond ring he’d slipped onto her finger—a place it never should have left.

Rupe waved to let them know where they were sitting. Cash acknowledged him then glanced around for Kinga. He spotted her showing anyone within touching distance her wedding ring. It made him smile to watch her. A lot of people in the room didn’t know how ill she was, and she wanted to keep it that way.

An uncomfortable feeling stirred in his chest, the same one that emerged whenever he thought about the weeks and months ahead. He’d put a brave face on, but Natalia’s warning about how tough it was going to get had started to hit home. He’d never been around sick people. When his mum had been comatose, she’d only ever looked like she was asleep. What Kinga was about to face was horrific.

“You okay, ace?”

He glanced down at Natalia’s beautiful upturned face and bent his head to kiss her warm, soft lips. “As good as you are, sweetness.”

Her eyes glazed over as though her memories had taken her far away. When she refocused, her expression was resolute. “You know the best thing about all of this?”

“What?”

“It brought you and Kinga back together.”

He grimaced. “I’d rather she wasn’t sick and I still hated her guts.”

“You never hated her guts.”

“Yes, I did. You know my history with Kinga. All the years I spent fending off her unwanted advances. But it was almost sport for me. Something to liven up my dull personal life. It didn’t really matter, you see, because the women in my life didn’t matter. If Kinga’s power play scared them off, I didn’t give a shit. And then you came along.”

He slipped his hands around her waist. He couldn’t get as near to her these days. Her pregnant belly kept him at a distance, but he nestled as close as he could.

“I knew that first day you were different. Special. And I think that’s why I was never able to forgive her for what she did. She knew, deep down, there was no chance for me and her. And she also knew how important you were to me and that, after years of fucking around, I’d finally found the one. You made me so happy, yet still she tried to split us up, knowing it would break me.” He shrugged. “It made me question how much she really thought of me if she could stand by and watch me in pain.”

“God, Cash.” Natalia brushed his lips with hers. “We need to be completely honest with each other from now on. If we’d been truthful from the start, no one would have been able to split us up. I can stand anything, except being apart from you.”

Cash touched his forehead to hers. “I hear you, baby.”

“Come on, ace. Let’s go and join Rupe and Em. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”

Cash laughed. “You’re always hungry.”

“I know,” she groaned. “I’m going to have to be on a diet for a hundred years after I’ve had this baby.”

“That looked deep,” Rupe said as Cash slipped into the seat next to his.

“You’re a nosy bastard.”

“I prefer to say that I’m interested in the well-being of my best friends.”

“Bullshit,” Cash said. “If you must know, I’ve put the ring back on her finger.”

Rupe punched his arm. “About fucking time. Hey, darling,” he said to Natalia, holding his hand out. “Let’s see it.”

Natalia frowned and then realised what Rupe was going on about. She held out her left hand, drawing a loud gasp from Emmalee.

“Are you sure, babes?” Emmalee said.

Cash clenched his jaw and took hold of Natalia’s hand. “She’s sure,” he said with a glare in Emmalee’s direction.

“I am,” Natalia said, backing him up. “It’s what I want.”

Cash flashed a triumphant look at Emmalee.

She met his gaze with a stern face, and then she smiled. “Then I’m happy for you both.”

Cash tried to hide his amazement, but Emmalee’s wry smile in his direction said he’d failed. He and Emmalee had always had a tricky relationship, moving along the spectrum from almost friends to definitely enemies. She only had Natalia’s best interests at heart, but it grated that she sometimes thought he didn’t.

“Can we keep this between us for now though?” Natalia said. “This is Kinga’s special day. I don’t want anything to detract from her being the centre of attention.”

“Good call,” Cash said. “Today should be about Kinga.”

The wedding reception went off without a hitch, and as soon as the tables were cleared away, revealing a dance floor, Cash tugged on Natalia’s arm. “Come and dance with me,” he said, rising from his chair.

She immediately stood and allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor. He pulled her into his arms and stared into her eyes. She giggled as he whirled her around. “I never did thank Rachael for teaching you to dance.”

“And I never thanked her either. Having that first dance with you is the reason we are together now.”

“Even if you were furious at the time.”

Cash chuckled. “Never has anyone been able to make me as furious as you. Nor as happy,” he added as he bent to kiss her.

“Can I cut in?”

Rupe appeared from his right, and although Cash almost told him to sod off, Natalia’s enthusiastic nod changed his mind.

“If you must,” Cash said with a grin that looked more like a grimace.

He wandered back to their table, where Emmalee was knocking back copious amounts of wine. Her eyes were glazed, a sign she was well on her way to being pissed. But in his experience, pissed Emmalee had a less vicious tongue than sober Emmalee.

“How’re you doing?” he said, slipping into the seat next to her. “Are we friends yet?”

She gave him a tight smile. “Do we have a choice?”

He looked over at Natalia in the arms of his best friend. “I guess not.”

Emmalee hesitated as if considering her next move, and then she scraped her chair back, rose from her seat, and held out her hand. “Come on, then, stud. Show me some of those dance moves.”

Cash laughed as he took her hand. It felt strange having his arms around Emmalee, but at least they were putting the past behind them. Emmalee was Natalia’s best friend, and she wasn’t going anywhere. He wasn’t either, which meant they had to find a way to get along—for Natalia’s sake.

“Cash!”

Natalia’s panicked voice reached him. He let go of Emmalee and spun around. Rupe was on the other side of the dance floor holding Natalia’s hand, his face aghast. Natalia was clutching her stomach. She was wildly looking around, and when she spotted him heading over, her face crumpled.

“What’s the matter?” he said, catching her as she half fell into his arms.

“My waters broke. Oh God, Cash, the baby’s coming.”