Page 21 of The Brit and the Bridesmaid
The strains of distant music could be heard through the closed door. “Dance with me?” she asked.
He didn’t hesitate, didn’t debate for the length of single breath. Matt took her hand in his and settled his arm around her waist. He pulled her up and close to him. She could feel the warmth of his breath rustling her hair.
Abby closed her eyes and leaned in to him. Being with Dirk had always meant constant attention to her posture, to her appearance, to how other people might judge her. But thatmoment, in Matt’s arms, she didn’t worry about any of those things.
He swayed with her to the music. “Does this mean I get a second chance?”
“Honestly, you never really lost your first chance. I was working on convincing myself to call you.”
He pulled back the smallest bit. Abby looked up at him.
“You were going to call me?” he asked, an eager hopefulness in his tone and eyes.
Abby nodded. “I missed you too. I was embarrassed and a little hurt, but I guess I never completely believed you were a jerk.”
His grin grew on the instant. “That’s not exactly a gushing compliment, but, honestly, it's one of the best I’ve ever received.”
She pulled her hand from his and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding tightly to him. His arms tucked around her as well.
He pressed a kiss to her temple then whispered in her ear. “Can we start again?”
“No.” She almost laughed at the look of surprised worry on his face. “I don’t want to start over,” she quickly explained. “I want to go back to being happy together and figuring each other out. Back to where we were before things fell apart.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You realize ‘where we were’ was making out on my couch.”
She felt a blush creeping up her neck. “Would you settle for being my date for the rest of the wedding?”
“For now,” he said.
He kissed her forehead, then the tip of her nose. They’d stopped dancing and simply stood in each other’s arms. Matt pressed a sweet kiss to her lips. She loved that he was so often tender and gentle, but in that moment, she wanted him to kiss her like he really meant it.
She shifted her hands to the back of his neck and returned his kiss with fervor. Matt didn’t need any more encouragement than that. He kissed her deeply and passionately there in his office against a background of wedding music and the now-cherished aroma of fuchsia.
Caroline had been right all along.
In the end, her wedding day turned out absolutely perfect.
Bonus Epilogue
Abby walked through Heathrow Airport, holding Matt's hand. It was more than a matter of liking to hold hands with him; Heathrow was overwhelming.
"When do I get to the part where being in England makes me fall in love with England?" she asked. "Caroline swore that's what would happen."
"It will definitely not happen in the airport," he said with a laugh.
"But by the time I get to Stansbury? I hear it is the crown-jewel of London."
That made him laugh even harder. How had she ever thought he was a snob?
"I predict," he said, "that you will decide England is a brilliant place within five minutes of being at Mum's house. She'll convince you."
Abby smiled over at him. "I already love your mum."
They'd talked on the phone dozens of times since Caroline's wedding. They were meeting in person at last. She might have been nervous if not for the fact that Matt's mom was really, really great.
"I think I'm most excited about meeting her Star on the Wall." Abby pressed her lips together to stop herself from bursting out laughing.
"I'll have you know, that star is the only reason you are here right now."
