by Amy Andrews
Beth’s eyes welled with a fresh batch of tears. ‘I love you too, Gabe Fallon. I’ve loved you since that first night when I was so sad and you rocked me in your arms.’
Gabe felt hope for the first time. ‘Really?’
Beth nodded. ‘Really. And I will marry you and I will keep you to your promise to put me and the baby first. You can count on that.’
Gabe chuckled. ‘I have no doubt.’ He stood and sat on the edge of her bed. ‘You mean it? You really do love me?’
Beth wiped away her tears. ‘Really. I really do.’
‘You know you’ve just made my day.’ He grinned as he leaned closer. ‘God, I want to kiss you very badly at the moment.’
Beth laughed and then winced as it reverberated through her facial muscles. ‘Right—black eye and hard collar. I must look so appealing.’
Gabe grinned. ‘I think this is the for-better-or-worse part.’
Beth sobered. She raised a hand to cradle his jaw, his stubble grazing erotically against her palm. ‘Are you sure, Gabe? You’re giving up a lot here.’
‘I’m not giving it up. Just changing direction. It’ll take a while to wind things up at home but I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.’
She caressed his lips with her thumb. ‘I love you,’ Beth whispered, hardly able to believe she could actually say it to his face. She opened her arms and he went into them.
He gently laid his head against her chest where her heart beat solidly, careful not to hurt her while fighting the urge to crush her to him.
‘I love you too,’ he murmured against her neck.
And he knew he was going to spend the rest of his life showing her just how much.
EPILOGUE
IT WAS a fine cool winter’s day in Brisbane when Beth and Gabe finally tied the knot two months later in a small civil ceremony in the Botanic Gardens. Paperwork and several trips back and forth to England had held them up but nothing had derailed Gabe’s determination to get married before the baby was born.
Beth wore a cream, princess-line gown, which accentuated her twenty-eight-week bump. She had a garland of flowers in her hair and a matching posy in her hands. A spectacular peridot necklace adorned her slender neck and complemented her square-cut peridot and diamond ring. Peridot had rapidly become her favourite stone.
‘You may kiss the bride,’ the celebrant intoned.
Gabe grinned down at his wife. ‘At last,’ he whispered, and claimed Beth’s mouth in a possessive kiss that told all and sundry she belonged to him.
The Winters clan clapped and cheered and then rushed forward to congratulate the newlyweds in a noisy flurry of hugs, kisses and excited exclamations.
Beth held her hand out to David and Andrea and she accepted her son’s embrace gratefully. ‘Thank you for coming,’ she said huskily.
‘He’s a great guy,’ David said. ‘I’m happy for you.’
Beth felt tears spring to her eyes. They’d been making tentative steps towards each other these past couple of months and she’d been so thankful. Andrea and Gabe had been encouraging and with their help she and David were slowly bridging the gap.
‘Thanks for coming, you two,’ Gabe said as he approached, giving Beth a hug from behind. He held out a hand to David.
‘Look after my mother,’ David said, grasping Gabe’s hand in a firm grip.
Gabe nodded. ‘I will cherish her always.’
David nodded as he and Andrea were pulled away by Penny. The extended family had welcomed David and Andrea into the fold with open arms and while there had been some challenges, they were all working together to overcome the obstacles.
‘Did you hear that?’ Beth whispered, turning in her husband’s arms. ‘He called me his mother.’
‘Yes, darling,’ Gabe said, dropping a light kiss on her nose.
‘I didn’t think this day could get any more perfect,’ she said, staring up at her handsome husband, her mind still reeling from David’s acknowledgement.
‘Stick with me, babe,’ Gabe teased. ‘Every day is going to be more perfect than the last. That’s a promise.’
All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all the incidents are pure invention.
All Rights Reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises II BV/S.à.r.l. The text of this publication or any part thereof may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.
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First published in Great Britain 2008
Harlequin Mills & Boon Limited,
Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR
© Amy Andrews 2008
ISBN: 978-1-4603-5629-6