‘Last of the Mohicans!’ Ash and his lads were congratulating one another for identifying the film, ignoring Hardcase the music trivia expert arguing that it wasn’t the film’s main theme. ‘You don’t hear this until halfway through the movie. It’s called “The Kiss”.’

Drifting away from them, Carly checked on the kids again – two fast asleep in the buggy, the third still charging round with his cousins – then she stood alongside Bridge, hugging herself tightly, both watching Luca play.

‘He can stay.’ Bridge was breathless from dancing. ‘As my grandma used to say: “If music’s the food of love, there’s no aphrodisiac like an Irish fiddler”.’

‘Did she really say that?’

‘Of course not. We’re a totally unmusical family. Uncle Pat plays the spoons, but it’s two bits of cutlery clacking together at the end of the day. This man’s fingers are pure sex appeal on a G-string.’ She lowered her voice. ‘But someone should tell him he only needs to lose that beard and the village wives would be on their knees.’

‘Maybe that’s why he has the beard?’ Carly grinned, grateful for Bridge’s dryness.

She ruined it. ‘You wouldn’t say no, admit it.’

‘I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.’ Carly was mortified she might have given that impression.

But Bridge, a stranger to discretion, was in waspish mood. ‘C’mon, queen, you’ve been like a cat with two fecking tails this afternoon, and on heat.’

‘Take that back!’ Carly snapped, glancing around to check that Ash was still talking film trivia out of earshot.

‘It’s all right, your man Luca’s besotted with Pax, so he’s no heed of it.’

‘You’re so wrong, Bridge.’

‘They’re star-crossed, trust me.’

‘Wrong about me! How can you imagine I think that way?’

‘Crazy, isn’t it? What would the woman married to the sexiest man in the village want mooning after Ronan Keating over there?’

‘Like you mooning over Ash, you mean?’ Carly felt mean as soon as she’d said it. Most of her friends in the garrison had fancied Ash. She’d never minded.

Bridge’s eyes narrowed, chin lifting. On the familiar music danced, fast and furious. She tapped her foot in time defiantly. ‘Was it that fecking obvious?’

‘You said it, he’s the sexiest man in the village.’

‘In my defence, I was under the influence of some very black magic at the time.’

Reading this as a typically cynical Bridge joke, Carly laughed. ‘Yeah, it’s called a boring marriage.’

‘Whose are you calling a boring marriage?’ Bridge flashed.

‘Easy, tiger! You’re always complaining that Aleš is getting on your nerves and—’

‘I am not!’ Bridge was quickly at her testiest. ‘My husband is a charming man who can build things and sing and cook and shag, all at the same time on occasion. And I’ll have you know he’s a fantastic lover. With a huge dick.’

‘Talking about me again, girls?’ laughed a voice behind them as Flynn sauntered across carrying a handful of brimming cups, Ash scowling behind him flanked by Hardcase and Ink.