Eden over-corrected, throwing her shoulders back and extending her neck like a bird. Maggie gave a forced laugh. “Children. Your work is never done. Edie, have you spoken to Sienna and David yet?”

Eden’s shoulders collapsed. “Not yet.”

“Well hurry up. You need to say congratulations.” Her mother hooked an arm through hers. “Come with me, we’ll go now.”

Eden glanced at him, her gaze imploring. Maggie clucked her tongue. “Don’t be tiresome. He’s talking with Kane, now let’s go.”

Willow watched as his girlfriend was marched away. He didn’t want them to be separated, but what was he supposed to do? Punch her mother in the gut? He got stuck talking to Kane about Scotland and football for the next twenty minutes. Eden’s cousin Toby and her brother Augustine joined in. It was only by pretending to go to the bathroom, that he managed to shake them off.

Unfortunately, he did need to go to the bathroom and when he emerged, he was sucked into more football talk with George Cartwright and three of Eden’s uncles. It was another half hour before he could duck away again.

At least I don’t need to worry about her family liking me, he reassured himself as he hunted for Eden. But was that a good thing? There seemed to be no love lost between any of them. She ignored them and they treated her like she was a nuclear spill. Was it because she was a DJ? The only person in their family with visible tattoos? Surely the Cartwrights weren’t that stuffy. His Grandad was as formal as they came, and half his grandkids had ink. The crowd was looser now. Laughter rang across the backyard and at least fifty people were dancing to Neil Young’s ‘Harvest Moon.’ As he moved closer to the marquee, he saw Eden standing by a stack of gold-wrapped presents. She was chatting to…

“Fuck me dead.”

Willow had seen hot couples before; Derek and Mara. The Hammers’ captain John Yarding and his wife Betty. Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban. But with all of them, there was a glitch; Derek’s neck tatts. Yarding’s bald spot. The waxy surrealism of the Urbans. This couple was flawless. The guy was tall with smooth dark hair and a square jaw. The girl was slim with a waterfall of light blonde hair. They looked like Ken and Barbie come to life. He was sure it was Eden’s sister, Sienna, and her fiancé… whatever his name was. Had Eden actually said? He moved toward them, feeling nervous. What if Eden saw him standing next to her brother-in-law and realised she was punching ten belts below her weight?

The guy spotted him first, smiling from ear to ear. The fucker had perfect teeth.

“Hey,” Willow said. “How’s it going?”

“Good thanks, you?”