Second Best Husband Part 14

He's so shallow, so, so..."

" Unimportant to us and our future together," Stuart suggested lovingly.

" Shall we just consign him to the past, and close the door on him,then?

I can certainly think of far more important things we can talk about."

" Such as?" Sara asked him dizzily.

" Such as how it felt to hold you in my arms last night, to hold you andmake love to you, and how much I want to repeat that experience... somuch so that I don't think I can wait another three weeks."

" You really did make that bed for me, didn't you?" Sara marvelled,blus.h.i.+ng a little as she heard the pa.s.sion, the desire in his voice.

" I really made it for both of us," he teased her, but yes, the carvingwas for you. A symbol of my love. a labour of love, if you like. Lastnight.

I didn't mean it to happen, you know. I just wanted to rea.s.sure you, toshow you that you were wrong, that you were desirable, but when Itouched you."

She felt him shudder.

" I just couldn't control my reaction to you, my need for you, my love,and then when you were so... so inviting... so responsive, I wanted tostay with you, to wake up with you in my arms, but I was afraid ofcrowding you, of pressing too much intimacy on you too soon. I stillcouldn't bring myself to wake you up and send you home, though. If Icouldn'thave you in my bed, then at least I could keep you under myroof. I love you, Sara."

" I love you," she responded, the words blurred and softened by thepressure of his mouth.

" Well, no one could possibly doubt that they're in love," Margaret commented softly to Ben as they stood side by side, watching as Sara andStuart emerged from the church, his arm around her, her face turned uptowards his as he paused to kiss her.

The bells pealed an exultant message of joy, the pageboys protestedshrilly that they wanted to change into their jeans, the bride's motherdabbed at her eyes, the sun shone and the happiness of the occasionspilled out across the ancient churchyard, enveloping both the guestsand the onlookers.

" When Sara first told me she was going to marry Stuart, I..." Margaretbroke off, shaking her head.

" I' we never seen her look so happy... so... so fulfilled."

" Don't say that too loudly," Ben warned her with a grin, adding, whenshe gave him a puzzled look, the fulfilment bit isn't supposed to happenuntil tonight, or am I being old-fas.h.i.+oned?"

" Hopelessly," Margaret told him forthrightly, kissing him fondly on thecheek.

" Still love me?" Stuart murmured softly in Sara's ear.

She turned her head, giving him such a luminous and betraying look ofadoration that his heart turned over in his chest.

" Do you really need to ask?" she whispered back.

" Mmm... No, not really."

" Do you love met" Just wait until tonight, when I can show you as wellas tell you."

Sara flushed a little and laughed, and then whispered teasingly," Thinkyou'll still love me in four months' time when I'm starting to look likea balloon?"

For a moment she thought he hadn't under stood, but then the realisationdawned in his eyes, and his hand tightened on her arm as he demandedincredulously," Are you trying to tell me...?"

" That I'm pregnant," she supplied for him.

" Well, I'm not one hundred percent sure, only ninety-nine point nine,but yes, I think so."

She heard him laugh and groan at the same time as he exclaimed," What atime and place to choose to tell me!"

" I wasn't really sure myself until last night. I know it's a bit soonerthan we'd planned."

He must have caught the anxiety in her voice, because he pulled her tohim and held her tenderly telling her softly," It couldn't possibly betoo soon as far as I'm concerned. I love you, Sara." He bent his headand kissed her, oblivious to the amus.e.m.e.nt of the onlookers, and thearrested, disgusted look on the faces of the two small pageboys.

" Yuck," the elder commented to his sibling.

" Look at that, soppy things... kissing!"

" Mmm. Soppy things indeed," Margaret murmured to Ben," And long may they continue to be so. Which reminds me..."

" Have a little respect, woman," Ben urged her, trying not to laugh.

" Remember this is sacred ground."

" That doesn't seem to be stopping Stuart and Sara," his wife pointed

out sweetly to him.

" No, it doesn't, does it?" he agreed, his smile broadening, and hefollowed Stuart's example and took his wife in his arms.

end.