Page 88 of The Honeymoon Affair

‘I admit I messed up,’ says Steve. ‘I told you why. I’d have been wrong to marry you feeling the way I did. It was because I cared for you that I broke up with you, and it’s because I care now that I’m telling you not to do this insane thing.’

‘Stop trying to make excuses,’ I say. ‘I’ll do whatever I damn well please.’ I end the conversation at the same time as my fiancé returns to the table.

Everyone oohs and ahhs over my latest ring at work.

‘I prefer it to your previous engagement ring,’ Katelyn says, as she extends her hand in front of her and watches it sparkle beneath the office lights. ‘Not that that one wasn’t lovely, of course, but this is stunning.’

‘You make me sound like I get engaged every week.’ I make a face at her.

‘Hey, as many times as you need to find the right person,’ says Natasha.

‘I thought I had with Steve,’ I tell her. ‘But I know I have with Charles.’

‘You’ll have to bring him to the pub some night so we can all meet him.’

‘I will,’ I promise. ‘He’s very impressed by my job. He might turn it into a book one day. We X-ray a container and find a body. Can you imagine! I must suggest that one to him. In the meantime, though, can I have my ring back?’

When the Ice Cube is safely on my finger again, Natasha and I head for the car and drive to the docks to do our inspection on the most recent arrival. I might be #TheHappiestGirlInTheWorld, but I still have a job to do.

When I tell Celeste my ring is from Warren’s, she’s impressed.

‘I don’t think you can walk out of there without dropping five figures on a piece,’ she says.

‘You can,’ I say. ‘Just about. But we didn’t.’

‘It’s absolutely stunning.’ She spins it around on her finger. I don’t ask what she’s wished for, although the tradition is usually for a lovely mother-in-law.

‘And to think how devastated I was when Steve dumped me.’ I smile when she hands it back. ‘I was heartbroken in the Caribbean. Life’s amazing, isn’t it?’

‘Will you go back there for this wedding?’ she asks.

‘We haven’t talked about it yet,’ I reply. ‘But I’m thinking that a massive do in Dublin this time, with you as my bridesmaid, would be perfect.’

‘Oh, Izzy.’ She flings her arm around me. ‘Thank you. That’s exactly what I wished for just now.”

‘What can I say?’ I grin. ‘I’m the girl who makes wishes come true.’

Now that we’re officially engaged, and my fiancé and his agent-slash-hopefully-soon-to-be-officially-ex are pushing ahead on the divorce, Charles turns his attention away from engagement rings and back to his book. I thought he could take his time about editing it, but apparently there’s another deadline for this.

‘Maybe I should read it again for you,’ I suggest. ‘I’m your beta reader after all.’

‘But not my editor.’ He says this dismissively and I frown. ‘Sorry. Sorry. I’m a bit stressed at the moment,’ he adds when he sees my expression. ‘I’m always stressed by this part, and the worst this time is that Sydney’s damn changes have meant rewriting three bloody chapters. Three!’

‘If it makes it harder to figure out who the killer is, that’s a good thing,’ I console him.

‘You’re not the one doing all the work.’

‘Janice Jermyn—’

‘I’m not Janice bloody Jermyn,’ he snaps.

‘I know. Sorry.’

We sit in silence for a while. It’s Sunday and my day off, so I’d asked him if he’d like to meet. We haven’t seen each other much since we bought the ring, and we’re having lunch in an airy café within walking distance of his house. It’s packed with families, and I get the feeling that Charles doesn’t find this very restful.

‘Let’s go,’ I say.

‘What about coffee?’