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Never The Bride(48)

By:Charlotte Fallowfield


'Miller?' I whispered, my bottom lip starting to wobble as his mouth repeatedly opened, then closed, no words coming out. How stupid was I going to feel if he said no now, and I had to pick up my basket and my Pooh head and shuffle out of here, then get another load of abuse from the next rude cab driver?

'Abbie, I  … ' He shook his head and ran his hands up over his face and into his hair, leaving it in that ruffled mess I'd always loved so much. 'You're really willing to leave Dilbury, to leave England, for me?' he asked, astonished. 

'Yes,' I breathed, with no millisecond of hesitation. I wanted him to be sure of my feelings for him. He swallowed a lump in his throat and nodded.

'And you want to marry me? You're asking me to marry you?'

'Yes,' I said firmly. He nodded again, and I could see the cogs in that brain of his whirring, then he chewed his lower lip for a moment as he studied me.

'Then no. My answer's no,' he replied with a firm shake of his head.

'What?' I cried, my heart exploding into a thousand pieces as everyone around us gasped, and I heard a few murmurs of sympathy. I choked back some tears, wishing I was in a position to get up and run from here as fast as possible, but Miller dropped to his knees in front of me and clasped my face. 'Don't, please don't touch me,' I whispered, a few tears breaching my defences and rolling down my cheeks. He'd just rejected me. Feeling him touching me, seeing his handsome face so close, smelling his cinnamon-bun aroma, it was all too much right now.

'I'm saying no, not because I don't love you, Abbie, but because I do and because I've been an idiot,' he stated earnestly as he held my gaze. 'I've been too scared to take the next step with you, letting my fears come between us. But I'll be damned if I'm going to let you be the man in this relationship. If anyone's going to propose, it's going to be me, and I'm going to do it properly. So no, right here, right now, my answer is no. But you'd better say yes the moment I ask you, ok?'

'You're  …  you're saying you'll ask me?' I whimpered, more tears cascading down my face. I was on the emotional rollercoaster of my life this year, most of it having happened in the last ten minutes.

'I am,' he confirmed, and a loud cheer almost lifted the roof of the lobby off, then people started applauding as I sniffed and laughed, then whacked him with one of my huge paws.

'You just nearly gave me a heart attack,' I moaned. 'And I'd better be clear, I want to get married soon. I wasn't proposing to have some ridiculously long engagement if you're thinking you can string this out. And I want a baby. Again, soon.'

'A baby Davis?' he queried, his eyes going wide. I swallowed and nodded, wondering if I was pushing him too hard. We'd never really had a proper discussion about children, about how he felt about them, or if he even wanted them.

'Soon, to it all,' he agreed, a soft smile breaking out on his face. 'No stringing, though I am having a hard time taking you seriously right now. Do you have any idea how ridiculous you look in that outfit?'

'Well, duh!' I scoffed with a roll of my eyes. 'That was the whole point.'

'Thank you, thank you for making a fool of yourself and proving to me that I wasn't alone in this.'

He dipped his head and lay a passionate kiss on me, still clutching my face, our lips merging in a heated and fiery, and long overdue, reunion  . I melted, sagging against him as everyone's clapping intensified and the cheering got louder. I flung my arms around his neck, never wanting to let him go, but we had to break the kiss, both of us laughing, when I realised I'd just nearly knocked him out with my paws. 'God I love you, Abbie Carter,' he murmured. 'But after this little public display, where you've totally emasculated me, I'm never going to be able to pull out the tough and hardened boss card or command the respect of my employees ever again.'



       
         
       
        

'You could go all caveman and dominant, toss me over your shoulder, spank me, then carry me up to your office,' I suggested. He guffawed with laughter and had to let go of me as he clutched his sides.

'You're the size of a small house! How the hell did you get here? Please tell me you didn't fly over in that?'

'No,' I giggled, 'though I got some funny looks at customs when they opened my case, and they sent a load of drug-sniffer dogs to check it out. I was worried they were going to call me into a private room for a rectal examination. I arrived last night and stayed at The Domville, then created quite a scene in their lobby as I waddled out dressed like this and dived head first into a cab. Thomas was an angel pulling me out when I arrived, you owe him a big thank you.'

'An angel. I've heard you called many things, Thomas, but never an angel,' Miller winked up at him.

'There's a first time for everything, sir,' he nodded, still dutifully holding Winnie's head.

'Can you call my driver for me? I'd like him to escort Miss Carter back to The Domville.'

Thomas nodded and headed over to reception to make the call.

'I'm not staying with you?' I pouted. I'd missed him so much, and now that we were seriously doing this, I wanted nothing more than to fall asleep in his arms tonight.

'Unfortunately I have a few urgent calls to make that I can't put off. Why don't you go and get out of this,' he gesticulated at my sweltering suit, 'and change into something a little sexier. I'll pick you up later to take you out to dinner. Pack to stay with me and we can talk then, ok?' He planted a tender kiss on my forehead, lingering for a moment, and then helped me up. I blushed as I saw everyone watching us, some of the women with soft looks on their faces, others looking distraught that he was taking himself permanently off the market. 'It really means a lot that you did this for me, Abbie,' he repeated as he held my gaze.

I smiled shyly at him, feeling a cocktail of emotions as we just stared at each other. We were doing this, really doing this. I wanted to do my Teddy Bear dance again, I was so happy. Mixed up in my joy was a tiny sliver of sadness as it sank in that I'd be leaving Dilbury behind, only returning from time to time. New York was going to be my home now.

'Sorry to interrupt, Sir. Guido has just left the parking garage, he'll be pulling up outside any moment,' Thomas advised as he sidled up beside us.

'Then I'd better walk Miss Carter out,' Miller stated.

'Thank you, Thomas, so much. Would you like a cookie?' I offered as I managed to hook my paw through the basket handle and lift it up. 

'I couldn't possibly, they're very special and very personal cookies,' he replied.

'Then I'm going to bake you some special "Thank You" ones, as I couldn't have done this without you.'

'Well, if you insist,' he grinned. 'I'm rather partial to peanut butter ones.'

'Consider it done,' I confirmed.

'Many congratulations on the upcoming engagement.'

'Thank you,' I smiled, managing to get close enough to give him a peck on the cheek, which made him blush. I took Miller's arm and he roared with laughter as I shuffled along, polishing his marble floor with my big padded feet as I swayed, my stuffing-enhanced hips bouncing off his firm ones.

'I've missed this, us,' he admitted.

'Me too. And I have so many questions for you, including all about Quinn. You have a twin sister!'

'I do,' he nodded with a proud smile on his face. 'I think you're going to get along really well, she's a really sweet girl, despite the crazy haircut and piercings. I'm so sorry about the wedding. I was going to come and talk to you at some point, but I saw how jealous you looked to see me with Quinn and I saw the chance to get back at you, which was very immature of me. I just wanted to make you feel like I did when I found Heath at your house. I didn't expect the whole cat fight, cake wrecking, fleeing from the country scenario to go down.'

'Apology accepted, but in the future, let's talk to each other, no more running,' I suggested, as we stepped out of the air-conditioned building and the heat of the New York summer slammed into me, taking my breath away. I was going to need some serious hydrating as soon as I got back to the hotel, and it was going to take some adjusting to a new climate.

If Guido the driver was bemused by the appearance of his boss with a headless Winnie the Pooh and Thomas carrying the oversized stuffed head behind us, he didn't show it. He just tipped his cap and opened the back door of the black town car. I assured them all that after getting in on my front, then struggling to roll over and sit up to get out, I was best going in bottom first to lie on my back. After a few minutes of me trying to force my backside in the car, and them pushing me from the front, it was clear it wasn't working.

'Why are we messing around? Let's just unzip the suit,' Miller suggested, reaching behind me to tug on it.

'No,' I cried, batting him with my paws. 'I'm only wearing underwear. I can't walk into The Domville in my bra and knickers with Winnie the Pooh's head under my arm and a basket of cookies in the other.'

'Only bra and panties? Really?' he purred with a twinkle in his eye. 'Are they sexy ones?' he whispered in my ear.

'No, but they will be by the time I see you later,' I whispered back.

'Excellent,' he grinned, his tone making me giggle and my cheeks flush.

'Ok, new plan. I'll go in sideways, head first, but you'll have to lift me up and feed me in,' I suggested as I looked at all three of them, and they reluctantly nodded. My basket and the head were put on the pavement and I squealed with laughter as they lifted me up and managed to slide me horizontally into the back of the car. Guido set the head on the passenger seat and went to get into the driver's side as Thomas waved goodbye to me.