Never The Bride(11)

'Woodworm check?'

'Yep, that's right,' I called as I dragged myself up and dusted off my knees. 'Happy to report I couldn't see any wriggly worms anywhere. No, sir. Not a single worm in sight. How about you, Georgie?'

'No, pleased to report no worms here,' she confirmed, rising up to join me. 'I pronounce this window woodworm free.'

'You both know that woodworms are actually beetles, right? The maggots only live in the wood before they transform, so if you had woodworm, you'd only see the beetles crawling around on the windowsill.'

'Ermmm, no, didn't actually know that. Very helpful tip though, thank you, Heath,' I nodded, plucking up the courage to turn and face him to find him standing with his hands on his hips, a knowing smile on his face. Damn, he definitely knew we'd been checking him out. And why wouldn't we? I was finding it hard to keep my eyes on his and not wandering down that chest and six-pack he was sporting. 'Can I help you with something?' I asked, trying to erase the excited squeak from my voice.

'Like his big tool,' Georgie muttered quietly as she turned around to stand next to me.

'I wanted you to come and look at the hedge, to see if you wanted me to take it back any further. But it err  …  looks like you already got a good look, as you were  …  woodworm hunting.'

'An excellent look,' I nodded vigorously. 'I mean, an excellent trim, it looks gorgeous, I mean fine. Fine, the hedge looks fine.'

'Great,' he grinned. 'I'll go and shape it, then I'm done and we can discuss a date.'

'A date?' I squeaked, as Georgie elbowed my side.

'To come back and do your back garden and the painting,' he reminded me.

'Oh right, sure,' I replied, feeling mildly disappointed. 'Can I get you another coffee?'

'I'd love one please. I'll leave you and your friend to your  …  err, woodworm hunt.'

'Great, thanks,' I nodded, feeling my cheeks flame.

'Nice to meet you,' Georgie called. He did that cute lopsided grin and winked before striding off, my shoulders slumping immediately.

'Oh God, could that have gone any worse?'

'On the plus side, you didn't end up wet like you did with Miller,' Georgie reminded me as we headed to the kitchen and I flicked on the kettle. 'So, he seems nice, good looking, hot body. Are you going to ask him out?'



       
         
       
        

'If you can find the balls and courage that I seem to have misplaced lately, sure. Are you having a coffee?'

'I'd love to, I'd love nothing better than to be here to see how you handle this, but I really have to get back. Portia's mum will be coming to pick her up in a while and I haven't finished styling her.'

'Go, go, then,' I retorted, shooing her towards the open French doors in the kitchen. 'Abandon your best friend in her time of need, in favour of a poodle named Portia. I know where I stand now.'

'You know I'd stay if I could,' she replied, giving me a peck on the cheek. 'I'll pop over as soon as I'm done, see how it went. Don't back out, Abbie, I like him. And if he is single, he won't stay that way for long, not looking like that.'

I rolled my eyes, then gave her a parting kiss and watched her hurry out and down the back garden towards the gate to the field behind. I let out a sigh, then made the coffees and went to stand by the stable door, which he'd fixed in a matter of minutes by shaving off some of the wood down the sides. I just needed to buy some matching paint to touch it up and it would be as good as new.

'Coffee,' I yelled, not wanting to get near him while he was wielding a chainsaw-looking device. He turned it off and ambled over, stripping off the thick gloves he was wearing. I had to admit I'd always been a Naval Officer fantasy sort of girl, but this rough and ready lumberjack-style look was really doing it for me. Then again, after eighteen months of being single, pretty much anything did it for me. He took his cup from me with a smile, and I leaned on the lower stable door as we both sipped in silence. Embarrassed as I was, it seemed rude to walk away to leave him to drink on his own.

'What exactly is that?' he eventually said, flicking his head to Mr. Sumo's walker. He burst out laughing when I told him. 'Seriously? He doesn't walk? You pull him along on that?'

'Seriously,' I nodded.

'Does he fit on it?'

'Barely. He's a bit overweight and those extra bits I tried to fix on to accommodate him are starting to come loose.'

'I could build you a new one if you like,' he offered.

'I should say yes, but  … ' I blew out a deep breath. 'I can't bear to part with it. My dad made it for me and he  …  he passed away and  … ' I shook my head and sucked my lips into my mouth, feeling emotional at the reminder.

'It has memories for you,' he suggested in a soft tone. I nodded. 'How about I create a larger seating area, a tray of sorts, and we attach that to the existing skateboard instead of these two bits of wood that you've tacked onto the sides. The rest looks pretty sound. I can even put some sides on it to make sure he doesn't fall out, and hinge one to make it easy for him to walk in and out. It could be a sort of ramp that you could then lift up and secure shut.' 

'You can do that?'

'I'm good with wood,' he smiled, almost making me choke again at the reminder of mine and Georgie's conversation about his tool.

'Ok, as long as the skateboard stays, and he can still see over the sides, let's do it,' I nodded.

'I'll finish the hedge, then measure it up, and then I'd better get going. I've got another job this afternoon.'

I took his cup off him and headed back to the kitchen to wash it up, trying not to look at him as he started up his trimmer again. I went to carry on with Georgie's accounts in the lounge, where Sumo was snoring loudly. What a life. Eat, sleep, fart, get pulled around on a trolley, and be subjected to a bi-monthly doggie spa experience. He had no idea how easy he had things.



I handed over Heath's cash when he came to tell me he was done, his tight khaki top back in place, but not erasing my memories of what I knew lay under it. Could I really do this, ask a guy on a date? I'd never done it before and my stomach was churning at the thought of it. But what if I didn't? Would I kick myself for a missed opportunity, just like I'd been doing for the last two weeks with Miller?

'I'll see you in few weeks then, Abbie,' Heath smiled.

'Are you seeing anyone?' I blurted out before I had a chance to talk myself out of it. He looked surprised and blinked a few times.

'No, actually I'm not.'

'Oh, ok,' I nodded. I bit my lower lip as he gave me a puzzled look. Was I supposed to do more? Did I need to make it clearer? 'My friend Georgie thinks you're really cute, that's all, and I wondered if you were available.' Way to go, total cop out, Abbie Carter, I scolded myself. And now he was going to say, "Actually, I really fancy her. Can I have her number?"

'Oh, right. Well, as it happens, I just got out of a ten-year relationship with a girl I'd been with since college, so I really wasn't looking to rush back into dating quite yet.'

'I'm really sorry to hear that, but I'll let her know,' I nodded, feeling a touch relieved. 'See you in a few weeks.'

'Sure,' he smiled. He turned around and started walking up my path, then hesitated and turned back. 'Abbie?'

'Yes,' I answered.

'I was kind of hoping it might be you that was interested, you know, for when I am ready to get out there again.'

'Oh.' My eyebrows raised in surprise. What were the odds? Two guys that I found attractive in two weeks, and they both preferred me to Georgie. This was unheard of. Tell him, Abbie. 'Well, when you feel like it's the right time, if you come to ask me if I want to go on a date, and I'm still single too, I  … ' I hesitated, feeling shy again all of a sudden. I was used to men doing this, taking charge and asking me out.

'Would you say yes?' he asked, a hopeful look on his face. Damn it, Abbie, you're twenty-eight years old, not twelve.

'I'd say yes,' I confirmed, feeling a familiar blush spreading across my cheeks. He broke into a wide grin.

'Then I'd better hope you're still single by the time I sort myself out. See you in a few weeks.'

'See you,' I waved. I shut the top door and flopped back against it, feeling a little giddy. Wow, I was on fire this month.





Chapter Four


Dress Ten



       
         
       
        

December



'GREAT, TODAY OF ALL days you want to go for a walk, when there's a few inches of snow on the ground. Uh-uh,' I advised him with a waving finger as he stood by the front door. His little curled and stumpy tail hadn't mastered the art of the wag, so instead he shimmied his whole butt in time to his wheezy panting.

I'd just come down, dressed in my black skinny jeans and warm, fleecy black Ugg boots. I was also wrapped up in a grey V-neck jumper over a loose white shirt, a grey felt cloche hat, and grey wool fingerless gloves. Sumo whined at me, giving me his best pleading face, but I didn't have time. Today I was putting on bridesmaid dress ten for Julia, and the taxi was due any minute. Georgie had been invited as my plus-one, but couldn't make it. And as much as the flirting and banter was going well with Heath, he still didn't seem anywhere near over his ex. He talked about her a lot in casual conversation whenever he came to do his bi-monthly gardening work, which had made me wary. No one wanted to go out with someone who was still in love with someone else. Even I wasn't that stupid. So I was going to this wedding on my own.