Page 56 of Bound by Their Christmas Baby

‘Ready?’ Gabe asked after a moment.

She nodded and forced a smile to her face, breathing in her husband, her baby, their first Christmas together. The phone clicked, just like an old-fashioned camera, taking the photo, so they’d always have a photograph with which to remember this moment. Abby didn’t break the pose though. Just for that small fraction of time, she let herself pretend that this was all real. Normal.

That Gabe was marrying her because he wanted to, that Raf had been conceived in love. Emotion hitched, heavy, in her throat. It was Christmas; couldn’t she wish?

‘Gabe…’ She looked up at him, not entirely sure what she wanted to say. Their eyes locked and she felt the force of her emotions throbbing around them, so strong and urgent that she wasn’t sure she could ignore them. She knew she didn’t want to.

‘Open your present,’ he suggested, taking Raf from her arms. He held their baby so naturally, as though he’d been doing it all his life, and Abby could only watch, those same emotions intensifying at the proof of Raf’s parentage.

‘He’s so like you.’

‘He’s my son.’

She nodded, spinning away from him. The cloying feelings were heavy inside her, swirling like the hurricane he often called her. Now that she knew how she felt about him, it was impossible not to be conscious of it whenever they were together. She walked towards the gift—it was large in size. A box of something?

‘Open it,’ he said again, close behind her.

Her fingers were trembling when they reached for the ribbon. It was store-wrapped, she noted, pulling at it so that the bow gave easily. She slid her fingers under one edge of the paper and then the next, and finally opened the slit at the back, unpeeling the gift with interest. The back of the box was white, giving no hint of what it contained. But when she turned it over it had a thick plastic window, showing cream lace.

She lifted the lid and stared inside, her lips tugging downwards.

Though the dress was folded into a neat rectangle, there could be no mistaking what Gabe had given her.

‘A wedding gown?’ She lifted it from the box so that she could see it at full height.

It was incredibly beautiful, just what she might have chosen for herself. Lace, long, like something from the twenties, with beads down the back and slightly off the shoulder.

But why was he giving it to her?

She bit down on her lip, turning to face him, her expression quizzical.

‘You wanted to make today memorable,’ he said, the words oddly lacking any emotion whatsoever. Only his dark eyes showed a hint of intensity. ‘So? What do you say? Shall we get married?’

Abby stared at him, her blood rushing so fast she was sure he must hear it. ‘We are getting married.’

‘I mean now.’

‘You mean…today?’

He laughed. ‘Yes, today. Well, once Raf has had another nap perhaps,’ he said as the little baby yawned in Gabe’s big, strong arms. ‘Will that give you enough time to get ready?’

Abby was numb. She nodded, but everything was going too fast, as if she’d inadvertently stepped into quicksand. She draped the wedding dress over a chair and when she smiled at Gabe she didn’t meet his eyes.

Everything she wanted was before her, but it was a poisoned chalice. Marrying Gabe, knowing the limits of what they were—it was like being dragged beneath the ocean.

‘I’ll take him upstairs.’ She held her arms out for Raf, the words stilted, but Gabe shook his head.

‘I’ll do it. You go. Start to prepare.’

Prepare? Could she ever?

‘A priest will be here just after lunch,’ he said with his trademark confidence. ‘Monique and Rosa will witness the wedding for us. Just as you wished.’

Abby nodded, but her whole body was resisting. Not because she didn’t want to marry him, but because marrying him like this would break her.

She needed him to see that! Because if he didn’t, she knew her heart would be a lifelong casualty.

But Gabe was walking away, talking in soft Italian to Raf as he carried him up the stairs. Abby watched them go, her heart sinking further. On autopilot, she lifted the dress, carrying it carefully up the stairs and into her bedroom.

---