The Fiancé He Can't Forget (14 page)

‘Really, Mr Walker, that's so unprofessional.'

‘I like to keep tabs on my staff.'

‘Well, just make sure you're only keeping those sort of tabs on one member of staff, please,' she scolded, and he chuckled and hugged her closer.

‘Absolutely. So—is that a yes?'

‘Was that a proposal?'

He smiled wryly. ‘I've already asked you once. And I haven't got a ring to give you.'

‘I've still got the one you gave me. It's in my jewellery box, with Samuel's scan photo.'

His lips parted, and he let his breath out slowly and hugged her. ‘Oh, sweetheart. I thought you would have sold it.'

‘Why would I do that?'

He shrugged. ‘To fund your trip to India?'

She smiled sadly. ‘I could never have sold it, and I didn't need much money in India. All I did was walk along beaches and sleep under the stars and think.'

‘On your own? That doesn't sound very safe.'

‘I didn't care about safe, Matt, and it didn't cost a lot which was good, because I didn't have much. But I
would never have sold your ring. It would be like selling part of myself.'

He picked up her hand, stroking her ring finger softly, his heart pounding. ‘Will you wear it for me again?'

‘You could ask me again, just so I know you mean it.'

‘I just did, and you know I mean it, Amy,' he said, and then gave a rueful laugh and gave up. He wasn't going to get away with it, obviously, but he wasn't going down on one knee. That would mean letting her go and he didn't plan on doing that any time soon, so he shifted so he was facing her, still holding her hand, his eyes locked with hers.

‘I love you, my darling, and I want to spend my life with you, and with Josh and any other children that might come along in due course, and I want to grow old with you, so you can trim the hair in my ears and buy me new slippers for Christmas and remind me of where I've left my glasses. So will you marry me? Share your life with me? I'll put your tights on for you when you can't bend over any more, and I promise I won't steal your false teeth.'

She started to laugh, but then her eyes filled with tears and she rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. ‘That sounds lovely. So lovely.'

‘Even the false teeth and the hair in my ears?' he laughed.

‘I'll buy you one of those gadgets. And that's a yes, by the way. I'd love to marry you, as soon as you like, but—can we have a quiet wedding? Just family and a few friends.'

‘Sure. Where?'

‘Here? In the church where we were going to get
married before? And maybe—if we got married on a Saturday, perhaps we could have Josh christened there on the Sunday, while the others are around?'

‘That sounds lovely,' he said softly. ‘In fact, if you want, maybe the vicar could say a few words before the service, to remember Samuel.'

Her eyes flooded with tears. ‘Oh, yes. Oh, Matt, that would be—'

She broke off and he hugged her. ‘Shh. Don't cry any more, my love. It's going to be all right.'

‘Yes. Yes, it is.' She looked down at Josh, fast asleep at her breast, and smiled tenderly.

‘It's all going to be all right.'

 

The wedding took place in September, on the anniversary weekend of Ben and Daisy's wedding, in the family's little parish church outside Harrogate. It was decorated with flowers from the lady who'd sold them the posy they'd taken to the cemetery, and it looked lovely.

So did Amy.

She was wearing a simple, elegant cream dress—not a wedding dress, because she'd refused to go down that route, and he hadn't wanted to argue with her. Not about their wedding. All he was doing this time was listening. And when he saw her as she walked towards him on his father's arm, carrying a posy of those lovely, natural flowers, Matt thought he'd never seen anyone more beautiful.

It was a short service, but heartfelt, and afterwards they took everyone to the restaurant for a meal to celebrate.

The staff had opened the restaurant specially for the
afternoon, and it was a meal to remember. They pulled out all the stops, and the food was amazing, but there were not supposed to be any speeches. Matt said he wasn't going to give Ben a chance to get back at him, but there was some good-natured rivalry and a lot of love, and in the end Ben had his way.

‘I don't have a lot to say,' he began, which made Matt laugh so hard he had tears running down his face, but Ben waited him out with a patient smile, and then he started again.

‘I just wanted to say how much this means to all of us, to see the two of you together again. I'm not going to make any cruel jokes about what a lousy brother you've been, because you haven't. You've supported me through some pretty tough times, and I wish I could have done more for you, but I don't suppose anyone could. However, I can take credit for bringing you together again a year ago tomorrow, even if you didn't appreciate it at the time, and the consequences are delightful!'

At that point Josh gave a shrill squeal and banged his rattle on the table in front of Liz, and everyone laughed.

‘So, no bad jokes, just a few words to wish you well, and to say how glad we all are that this day has come for you at last. Ladies and gentlemen, can we please raise our glasses to Matt and Amy!'

‘Matt and Amy!' they chorused, and Matt leant over and planted a lingering kiss on her lips. It was full of promise, and the smile in his eyes warmed her to the bottom of her heart.

 

They went back to the farmhouse for the night. As usual they were in Matt's room with Josh, with Ben and Daisy
next door with Thomas, and Amy lay there in Matt's arms in blissful contentment.

‘All right, my darling?' he murmured, and she made a soft sound of agreement and snuggled closer.

‘It was a lovely day.'

‘It was. You looked beautiful in that dress.'

She tipped her head and searched his eyes in the moonlight. ‘It was only a simple little shift dress.'

‘It was elegant and understated, and you looked amazing.'

She smiled. ‘Thank you. You looked pretty amazing yourself, and Josh was so good. I was sure he'd scream all through the service.'

She saw his lips twitch. ‘He's probably saving that for tomorrow, for the vicar.'

He wasn't. Josh and his cousin Thomas were both as good as gold for their christening, and the vicar remarked on how alike they were.

‘It'll be hard to tell the difference between these two,' he said with a smile as he handed Josh back to Amy.

‘No, it won't,' they all chorused, and then laughed. He was right, they were very alike, but there were differences, more so than between Ben and Matt, and to their parents and grandparents the differences were obvious.

They filed out into the sunshine, and Matt and Amy hung back behind the others for a moment, Josh squirming in Matt's arms.

‘OK?'

She nodded. ‘It was lovely. Just right.'

It had been. Before the ceremony, the vicar who'd married them had asked for a few moments of silence while they remembered Samuel.

They hadn't cried. Their tears had been shed, their love was stronger, and they were looking forward to their future together. It might not be untroubled, but it would be shared every step of the way, and whatever happened, they would always know that they were truly loved.

What more could they possibly ask for?

‘Come on, you two, or we'll eat all the cake!' Ben yelled, and Matt laughed.

‘He's not joking. Come on.'

And putting his arm round Amy and drawing her in close to his side, he walked her out of the churchyard with a smile…