‘Maybe not. But that’s the only literary reference I have, I’m afraid.’ Danny grinned.

Nicole stared into his green eyes and felt her cheeks flush.

‘But I guess if writing is no longer your thing, you could take up flipping houses.’

‘Doing what to houses?’

‘Flipping them. Buying cheap, renovating and then selling for a profit.’

Nicole shook her head. ‘I think you’re overestimating my renovation abilities there.’ And my budget, she thought.

‘Well, unlike literature, this is an area I do know something about, and for a rookie renovator, what you’ve achieved so far is pretty impressive.’ A smile spread across his face and Nicole was rendered speechless.

‘You okay?’ he asked, touching her forearm.

‘Yeah.’ She scrambled to change the topic. ‘They’re just so cute.’ She looked at Mandy and Trevor, who were wrapping up their performance.

‘Shall we outdo them?’ His eyes were bright with daring.

‘Not possible. That would be like competing with —’

‘Fred and Ginger?’

Nicole nodded.

‘Perhaps not, then.’ Danny winked. ‘Can I get you another drink? You’ve hardly touched that one.’

‘No, I’m done for the night.’ The last thing she needed right now was alcohol to cloud her judgement.

‘Water? Squash? Cup of tea?’

He was looking so earnestly at her. She couldn’t keep rebuffing. ‘I could do with a water, I guess.’

She watched him as he walked to the bar and let out a long sigh.

‘Oh boy, that song is going to kill me one of these days,’ Mandy said as she appeared at Nicole’s side.

‘If it’s any consolation, you looked great.’

‘Much consolation, indeed.’ Mandy fanned her cheeks with her hands.

‘There you go, ladies.’ Danny returned with two glasses of water. ‘Compliments of the winning captain.’

‘Last of the big spenders, this one.’ Mandy laughed.

‘But you love me anyway.’ Danny gave her a kiss on the cheek.

‘True.’

‘I’ll leave you ladies to it, then.’ He slipped back through the crowd and rejoined his teammates seamlessly.

Nicole coughed and moved her attention back to Mandy. ‘You’ve done that dance a few times, I take it?’

‘More than a few. It’s kind of our song.’ She grinned. ‘Every time it plays Trev takes me for a spin like we’re teenagers again.’

‘Hang on,’ Nicole said. ‘You have blue eyes.’

‘Yep.’

‘Then how come …’

‘Well, Trevor believed for years the words were “bright-eyed girl” and when we first started going out he’d sing it to me. I didn’t have the heart to correct him. He was so darn cute and it was only when he decided that it should be our wedding song and went looking for a copy of it that he realised.’

‘Oh no.’ Nicole raised her hand to her chest.