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A muffled bark sounded behind Callum before the little fox-like dog trotted gleefully to the front of the garden, clearly enjoying the attention as everyone watched her. As soon as she reached Jake’s feet she collapsed, all four feet in the air while grinning wolfishly. ‘This is not how we practiced this,’ he complained as he wrestled her upright, only to have her immediately jump away and play bow. ‘C’mon, Tilly. You’re showing me up here!’

Callum fought back a laugh. ‘I guess this is why they say you should never work with children or animals.’

‘I don’t know, I think they’re adorable. I always quite liked dogs, but it wouldn’t have worked in the city.’ Liv leant in close, her perfume filling his senses as her silky hair brushed against his bare arm, momentarily stealing his concentration from his brother’s proposal. He wondered if he would ever find someone who would want to share his and Sarah’s life, and found his eyes wandering back to Liv, smiling warmly at him.

‘Aha!’ Jake’s triumphant cry dragged Callum’s attention back to where he’d finally succeeded in wrestling a bag away from the small dog. He emptied two boxes into his hand and flipped them open, holding them out to his new family. Even from where he sat, Callum could see the light bouncing off the gems and splitting into rainbows that danced across the garden.

‘Just magical,’ Liv breathed next to him. And he couldn’t help but agree. She was enchanting.

* * *

‘Callum really got chased by a chicken?’ Liv fought to keep her expression neutral.

‘Girl Scout’s honour.’ Angela held up her hand in salute. ‘And not only that, but she chased him right into the duck pond.’

‘That’s brilliant.’ Liv gave in to the laughter.

‘It gets even better,’ Jake joined in. ‘This was when his medical degree was all shiny and new, and he went out in his shiny suit and equally shiny shoes. And he splodged back to our parents’ house with pond weed in his pockets.’

‘It’s not true.’ Callum rolled his eyes.

‘So, you didn’t get chased into a duck pond by a chicken?’

‘Maybe I slipped when trying to avoid further upsetting an already distressed animal.’

‘Yeah, you just keep telling yourself that.’ Jake snorted into his drink.

‘Keep winding me up, you’re the one needing a best man.’

‘True.’ Jake grinned good-naturedly at his brother. ‘But I can always ask Nick.’

‘And, bro . . .’ Callum flung his arm around his brother’s shoulders, before tightening his grip into a headlock. ‘I can always give him plenty of embarrassing photos and dirt.’

‘He knows everything anyway.’ Jake jabbed his brother in the ribs.

‘Even about your girl posters that you stuck all over the inside of your wardrobe door?’ He laughed as Jake tried to wriggle out of the headlock. ‘Which, now I think on it, did feature a lot of blondes.’

‘Shut up!’

Evelyn laughed as she joined the group and rolled her eyes at Liv. ‘These two. They’re worse than the kids, honestly.’

Liv glanced at Summer and Sarah who were excitedly examining Summer’s new necklace and already planning their bridesmaid dresses, then looked back to Callum and Jake who were attempting to wrestle each other to the floor. ‘I can’t really argue with that.’

‘Give, give. I give!’ Callum held up his hands. ‘Get off me!’

Once the tussle had stopped, Evelyn realised she could hear a familiar ringtone: Callum’s. ‘Surgery line?’

Callum nodded as he pulled the phone out of his pocket and flicked his fingers across the screen. ‘Callum Macpearson.’ His breath was rough between gasps and Liv couldn’t help but think how similar it sounded to the moments after he’d thoroughly kissed her. Despite her best intentions, she felt heat flood her cheeks. To try and hide her reaction, she took another gulp of her drink, and then regretted it. If it was a medical emergency, she’d need her wits about her. Though neither she or Callum were on call — and she had every right to enjoy a drink or two — she was also well aware that there was no such thing as being off duty. That was as true in this village as it had been in the city. Probably more so as, except for major incidents, there was always someone else on call at the hospital.

She watched Callum for signs that she might need to start grabbing her things together, and that the fun, relaxing party might be about to come to an abrupt ending.

‘They are good-looking, these Macpearson boys.’ Evelyn sat next to her.

‘What? I wasn’t . . .’ Liv felt the heat in her cheeks again. She bit her bottom lip, trying to will the embarrassment away. ‘We’re just colleagues.’

‘Oh? My mistake.’ Evelyn gave her a knowing smile.

‘Really,’ Liv insisted, trying to convince herself as much as the woman sat beside her. ‘We’re just colleagues. And temporary ones at that.’