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she hoped he couldn’t feel the way her body trembled.
    With her first step she swayed against him. He put his arm around her and it felt amazingly fabulous to have his solid shoulder to lean on. ‘I swear I haven’t had too much to drink,’ she said.
    ‘I know that. You’re just tired.’
    She supposed he was right. What else could it be?
    ‘As soon as this reception is over, I’ll drive you home,’ Will said.
    ‘There’s no need.’
    ‘No arguments, Lucy. You don’t have your car here, do you?’
    ‘No,’ she admitted. ‘I left it at Mattie’s place.’
    ‘My vehicle’s here. If you’re tired, you need a lift.’
    By now they’d reached the doorway to the marquee and Lucy could see Gina handing around a platter of wedding cake in pink and silver parcels.
    ‘Oh, heavens,’ she cried, slipping from Will’s hold. ‘I should be helping with the cake.’
    ‘Are you sure you’re up to it?’
    ‘Of course.’
    And, as she hurried to help, she knew that it was true. She was perfectly fine when she was safely away from Will.
     
    That went well, Will thought wryly as he watched Lucy hand around platters of wedding cake.
    Already she was smiling and chatting and looking a hundred times happier than she had a few minutes ago when he’d crassly reminded her that life was passing them by.
    Watching her with a thoughtful frown, he recalled the countless conversations they’d enjoyed when they were friends. They’d shared a mutual interest in science, and so they’d been totally in tune about many things. It was only later, when they’d talked about life after university, that their friendship had run into trouble.
    Lucy was adventurous and as curious about the world as he was, but unlike him, she hadn’t been keen to get away. She’d apparently wanted nothing more than to get straight back to Willowbank, to settle down in a veterinary practice.
    Her father was a doctor and she’d claimed that she was anxious to follow his example. She’d worked hard to get her degree and she looked on travel as a waste of time. Why work at menial jobs simply to earn enough money to move on to the next travel spot, when she could stay in Willowbank and build her career?
    At the time, when Will had left on his big adventure with Cara in tow, he’d had a vague idea that he might eventually return and find work closer to home.
    The news of his brother’s engagement to Lucy McKenty had come out of the blue and he’d been shocked by how much it had worried him, by the urge that had hit him to hurry home. Not that he could blame Lucy for falling in love with Josh.
    Everyone in the entire Willow Creek district had loved his outgoing, confident brother—and Josh Carruthers had a habit of getting what he wanted, especially when it came to women.
    Will could easily imagine how his brother had flirted with Lucy. Hell, yeah. Josh would have charmed and courted her so expertly she wouldn’t have known whathad hit her. And Josh would have offered her the exact life she wanted—marriage and a family, with a sheep station thrown in as the icing on the cake.
    But had Josh really, deeply cared for Lucy? Had he wanted to make her happy?
    It surprised Will that he still let these questions bother him after all this time.
    ‘You look down in the mouth.’ Jake’s voice sounded at Will’s elbow. ‘Everything OK?’
    Will turned guiltily and forced a grin. ‘It’s been a fabulous night,’ he said, hoping to avoid answering Jake’s question. ‘Ace wedding, mate.’
    ‘Glad you’ve had a good time.’ Jake nodded his head in Lucy’s direction. ‘She’s a lovely girl.’
    It was pointless to pretend he didn’t know who Jake meant. Will nodded. ‘Yeah.’ He shoved his hands deep in his pockets, as if the action could somehow comfort him.
    ‘Mattie told me you two used to be really close.’
    ‘Close friends,’ Will corrected and he did his best to dismiss this with a shrug, but Jake was watching him in a way that made