Never The Bride(57)

'I love him, despite the whole peeing in my mouth incident,' I told him.

'Good. I was worried I might have done the wrong thing.'

'Best surprise ever,' I nodded, stifling a yawn.

'Tired again?' Miller asked, flashing me a look of concern.

'Hmmm,' I confirmed as I reclined my seat a little and laid one cheek on it so I could watch him driving. I'd never tire of looking at him. 'Everything's caught up with me and we've got to help Daphne pack up and move, then move Quinn in, and before you know it, I'll be doing year-end work for my clients.'

'I'll hire a firm to do all the packing and moving, so all you have to worry about is settling in Teddy and your work, ok?' He reached over to run his knuckles gently down my cheek, and I managed to kiss them before he gave Teddy a gentle head ruffle. 

After a quick pit stop at the supermarket, Miller running in while I stayed with our boy in the car, we made it home. Teddy was wide awake and spent the next hour sniffing around the ground floor of his new home, as we did our best to puppy proof it and set out his new beds and food bowls. I made sure Sumo's dog flap was locked, not wanting Teddy to escape.

It wasn't long before there was a knock at the front door, so I opened the top half to find Georgie waiting, hopping impatiently from one foot to another.

'Well? Is it here?' she asked, angling her head to look back and forth.

'You knew about the puppy?'

'Well, duh, of course. We had to have a discussion about whether you were ready, what breed to get, etc. So? Are you happy? Boy or girl? What did you call it?'

'Hey, hey, slow down,' I laughed as she excitedly fired off the questions. 'Come on in, quickly, as he's a fast little bugger.'

She did as she was told and I quickly shut the door behind her. 'You got a boy again?'

'We did. Mr. Barker, Teddy Barker, he's quite the conversationalist. Let's grab a coffee first, then you can come and see him. Miller made a fire, and he's curled up in front of it fast asleep. He's just so adorable, despite peeing in my mouth and all over me.'

'How in the hell did he pee in your mouth?' she laughed. She laughed even harder when I told her my story as I made us some hot drinks.

'So, here he is,' I said as I led her to him in the lounge.

'Oh my God, so much cuter in the flesh than in the pictures Miller showed me,' she cooed as she sat in the armchair by the fire and leaned over to study him. He was fast asleep, totally out for the count. So far we'd had no snoring, grunting, wheezing, or farting. 'I can't wait to start grooming him for you. His hair is so long, I can experiment with different trims and shapes.'

'Oh God,' Miller groaned as he put his arm around me. 'I'm not taking him for a walk with some girlie pom-pom hairstyle, thanks, Georgie.'

'Hello, this is me! With the exception of prancing Portia, who I have to do like that under duress, dogs should look dog-like.'

'He'll look cute no matter what,' I yawned, as there was another knock on the front door.

'I'll get it,' Miller said, kissing my temple before he strode out.

'Is it here?' came Daphne's voice.

'Did everyone know about the pup but me?' I asked. Georgie just grinned and nodded.

'Where is it?' Daphne asked as Miller helped her inside.

I just sat back and smiled as Teddy woke up and regaled them all with some excited woofs and started bounding back and forth between us all for cuddles. His little legs were so small, and he was doing so much running, that he was going to wear himself out again in no time at all.

'He's gorgeous, but it doesn't look like you'll be needing my knitting skills for Teddy, not like you did for Sumo,' Daphne sighed as he cuddled up in her lap for some love.

'No, but  …  oh God, sorry, I don't know what's wrong with me, I'm so tired at the moment,' I mumbled as I yawned again. 'What?' I asked, as Daphne and Georgie exchanged a look and Miller chuckled. 'What?'

'You have no idea why you're so tired?' Daphne asked with a smile.

'I've overdone things.'

'Hmmm, and that's really all?' Georgie said in a sarcastic tone, quirking an eyebrow at me.



       
         
       
        

'Ok, we've been a bit active lately, wedding, honeymoon, and all.' I blushed and Miller started laughing.

'Yes, we have, but that's not what they're implying, Abbie. Do you really have no idea?' he asked.

'I don't know what's going on,' I complained, looking at each of them in turn and trying to get a clue as to what they were thinking.

'When was your last period, Abbie?' Daphne asked.

'I'm due any time, which doesn't help.'

'Gosh, have you always been so slow?' Georgie laughed, shaking her head. 'You're not due any time, Abbie. You were due a few weeks ago. You're pregnant.'

'No!' I exclaimed. 'No way, we only started trying just before the wedding and I'm not due until now.'

'No, baby, you're late,' Miller confirmed, kissing me as he gave me a loving smile. 'You're regular as clockwork, but you've probably lost track since we've been so busy. You're constantly tired, you've started getting a bit irritable, you – '

'I'm not irritable,' I bit back, feeling panic rising. I'd wanted a baby for so long, but I'd prepared myself for a long period of trying and failing. Not everyone was lucky enough to get caught right away, if at all.

'Yeah, right,' Georgie scoffed. 'Irritable example right there,' she pointed as she swirled her finger at me. I swallowed hard and looked over at Daphne, who nodded, then I glanced up at Miller.

'I'm really overdue?' I whispered. 'I could be pregnant?'

'There's only one way to find out,' he confirmed, planting a kiss on my forehead. 'I picked up a couple of tests when I did the grocery shopping. Come on, let's do it now.'

He led me to the cloakroom, where he'd already set the packets out on the sink, then told me to come out when I was ready. I shut the door and picked up one of the boxes, reading the instructions in a daze. How could Miller and my best friends have picked up on the signs before me? Surely I'd know first, they had to be mistaken. I was just late from all of the stress of the dress and the wedding. That was what it was. It was just stress.

I walked back into the lounge ten minutes later in a daze. Georgie and Daphne were sitting down, Teddy still sleeping on Daphne's lap, but Miller was anxiously pacing in front of the fire. All three of them turned their heads in my direction, with expectant looks on their faces. I took a deep breath and nodded, still in shock.

'I'm pregnant.'

Daphne and Georgie immediately cheered, with exclamations of "I knew it!" Teddy woke up and started barking, and Miller  …  I'd never forget the look of pride and happiness on Miller's face. He strode over to me, hauled me against him, lifted me up, and kissed me as he spun me around in a circle. 

'We're having a baby,' he beamed, as I clutched his face and bit my lower lip, feeling anxious.

'We just got a new puppy. I don't even know if I can be a good mum to Teddy yet, what if I'm rubbish with a baby?' I moaned, needing some reassurance right now. I was thrilled and terrified all at once. It was a very strange feeling.

'Don't be ridiculous,' he laughed. 'Besides, we have months before it will be here. You'll have had plenty of practice with Teddy by then and he'll be completely house trained.'

'He's a dog, Miller. This is a baby, a real life baby! I'm not sure I'm ready. I'm Abbie Carter, disaster Carter, I'm not responsible mother material. What if I screw this up?' I uttered in a panic as he set me down.

'Sssshhhh,' he coaxed, cupping my face in his hands as he kissed me again. 'For a start, you're not Abbie Carter anymore, you're Abbie Davis, and it will be a first for me too, but we'll make it work.'

'No mother's ever ready, Abbie, no matter how much she may want a baby. Finding out you're having one is a life-altering event. I know there's going to be times that you wish you had your mum here to tell you what to do, to be a shoulder to cry on, to help out as you find your feet, but you have me,' Daphne said in a calm and reassuring voice, nodding gently at me as I looked over, trying to pull myself together.

'And me. I've got no knowledge or mother skills, but I can be the supportive best friend. Bring you cups of calming tea, cuddle you when you need some love or want to cry, slap you when you turn into a raging hormonal bitch,' Georgie offered, making me shake my head as I laughed. 'And you've got Charlie, too.'

'And Quinn, and me, Abbie. I'm going to be here for you every step of the way, and you know that after what I went through, this kid is never going to want for anything, emotionally or financially.' Miller ran his thumb over my lower lip as his eyes sparkled with happiness. He gave me a reassuring smile as well, one that calmed me down immediately. He was right. Together we could do this, with the support of Daphne and my friends. It was time to put the old Abbie Carter behind me. I was now Abbie Davis, wife and mother of a white fur ball and soon-to-be baby.

'I'm so happy for you, Abbie, congratulations,' Georgie uttered, as she came over with tears in her eyes to hug me. I let a few out as I returned the embrace. I was pregnant. I was having a baby. I had to keep repeating it to myself to make it sink in.

'Hey, am I not much cop?' Miller said, throwing one of her favourite British phrases back at her in his best English accent, which made us all laugh. She turned to hug him as I looked over at Daphne and bit my lip again. She stayed seated but held out her arms, and I ran over and kneeled beside her. We managed to embrace even with the arm of the chair in our way.