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‘Are you ready to party?’

‘Yeahhhh! Wooooo!’

‘Then let’s do this!’

With a kerrang of electric guitar and a drum roll, the band launched into their cover of ‘Best Day Of My Life’ by American Authors. The crowd whooped and cheered, already on the band’s side.

‘What?’ he asked, leaning in so close to Zennor that he could smell her perfume. ‘What’s the worst timing, Zennor?’

‘Us. This. What I want to say to you – have to say to you.’

He almost staggered forward in shock. He didn’t dare to believe what he might be hearing. ‘I thought there was no us. I thought – you’re getting back with Trev, aren’t you?’

‘Trev? No! I – No. I’m talking about the us as in you and me. I thought there couldn’t be an us, but now I realise I’ve been trying to fight it, to deny that I still – I still have feelings for you.’

‘F-feelings?’ Matt stammered. ‘You mean the kind that I have? That have never died, despite everything. I don’t dare believe it …’

She stepped closer and that heady fragrance filled his senses again. ‘Believe it. I’m trying to say that I’m still in love with you. I always have been. That’s why my marriage to Trev didn’t work – and you only told me what I already knew deep down. That I should have taken more time before committing to Trev. Then I might have realised … it wasn’t fair to him. And it hurt us both.’

‘This is so sudden, Zen. I can’t take it in. It’s wonderful. It’s amazing but what’s changed your mind?’ Even now, he daren’t believe his own eyes and ears. It would finish him if he had his heart ripped apart again.

‘It’s not sudden because I’ve known it for so long. I did love Trev, but it was in a different way than with you. I was – I let myself be swept away by him but that’s not his fault. It was all my responsibility.’

‘But, Zen …’ Matt wanted to tell her that it was Trev. That he had very much done wrong but he couldn’t destroy this moment he’d dreamed of for so long.

‘No. Let me speak. After the divorce, I spent a long time wondering: what if you hadn’t crashed our wedding? I blamed you for causing the split but you only highlighted the truth: that I wasn’t in love enough, not deeply enough or in the right way, to make our marriage last.’

Matt’s heart was fit to burst with joy, yet he had to let Zennor get everything out. She took hold of his arms and looked up into his face. ‘Even after the divorce, I did everything I could to deny that. I threw myself into making the business work. There was no point looking back. I’d lost my marriage and you were never going to be on the scene and then you landed back on my doorstep. Literally on my doorstep and I was so angry.’

‘God, don’t I know it …’ Matt murmured, feeling shaky that the tantalising prospect of everything he’d wanted for so long was within his reach; so close he could reach out and grasp it.

Yet he’d thought for so long that the prospect was gone that he didn’t dare accept it. It had to be a dream, or it was about to be snatched away again.

He shivered. ‘I’ve made so many mistakes, so many stupid decisions of my own …’ he said, holding her hands now.

‘You have. I have.’ She laughed. ‘But today – earlier – when I saw you with the kids on the beach and how much you cared and how much real connection you have to the club and people you love … it was seeing you just being you. You can’t help it, with your maddening, annoying way … and it was such a contrast with …’ She shook her head. ‘That doesn’t matter. No one else matters but us and I – I had to run down here and tell you before I lost my nerve.’

Matt felt almost light-headed at this magical, miraculous turn of events. He ought to be full of joy because this was the moment – right now, right here – when all his dreams came true with fireworks and bells ringing. This should be their happy ending – happy beginning, all of those things – and yet …

‘Zennor, I – This is wonderful. It’s incredible …’

‘Then kiss me or something. Sweep me off my feet. Just do something.’ She laughed.

Needing no other invitation, he pulled her into his arms and their bodies and mouths met and everything around them disappeared. There was only the two of them, alone together, in a kiss that was the best of his life by a million miles.

‘Oh my God!’

They both flinched as a bang exploded, so loud it could be heard above the band. Flames and smoke billowed out from the area behind the stage.

Then Matt realised. ‘It’s the marquee!’ he yelled, letting her go. ‘It’s on fire!’

He took off with Zennor half a second behind.

She caught up with him metres from the marquee. One side was ablaze, flames shooting up against the darkening sky. The music had stopped, replaced by screams from the audience.

‘Move everyone back!’ Matt shouted but people were already scrambling to get as far away from the fire as possible. The stewards were taking over, marshalling them away from the stage and off the beach.

Matt’s mind leapt from one horrible thought to another: what about the electrics on stage and in the marquee? What stuff had the fire jugglers stored in the vicinity? Was there anyone in the marquee?