Stay - Book two in The Stormforce series

Chapter 23

Abby slipped her arms around his neck and pressed her hips against his.

"I might just take you up on that offer."

Pod cleared his throat and they turned to look at him.

"I'm going to get a beer. It's getting way too hot in here." He muttered as he walked out the door.

"I guess Helen's still holding out on him then." Gabe joked as he moved his lips along Abbys' jaw.

"Poor guy, I hope she relents before the wedding as I don't want your best man grouchy for our big day."

"Yeah they need to sort it out very soon."

Talk of the wedding reminded Abby what she had originally come in for, before she was distracted by lusting over Gabe. Breaking their embrace she leant to pick up the package that she had dropped onto her chair.

"Speaking of our wedding day, look what arrived."

She pulled two small boxes out of the package and waved them in front of Gabe.

He frowned for a second, then grinned when he realised what they were.

"At last! I've been dying to see what you designed."

She handed one box to Gabe and watched as he opened it. She just hoped that he liked what she had done.

Gabe opened the small velvet box and pulled out the wedding ring to examine it. He sucked in a breath when he realised what Abby had done.

The wedding ring was two thin bands of platinum, held together by a gold double helix. Abby pulled out her ring and Gabe saw that hers was the same except the platinum bands were covered in small diamonds.

Abby shifted uncomfortably as she waited for Gabe to say something, anything.

When he remained quiet, staring at the two rings she started to worry.

"I thought they expressed how we are linked, body and soul. But if you don't like them....." Her voice trailed off as Gabe looked up. His eyes sparkled with unshed tears as he pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Sometimes, Abby Harrison, you undo me." His voice broke slightly as he spoke.

With just a week to go before the wedding, Gaz and Phil arrived with their families. Fiona and Lucy had offered to help with the final preparations. The house was alive with the sound of children and the raucous laughs of the band members as they settled in for the Christmas Holidays.

Gabe and Abby arrived back from Exeter after going for another scan, to be greeted by Helen, Mary, Fiona and Lucy charging out of the house.

Helen grabbed Abby and grinned.

"Come on, don't leave us in suspense, is it a boy or girl?"

Abby looked over at Gabe and winked.

"We've decided we want to wait until the baby is born to find out."

Helen stepped back in shock as the rest of the women gasped.

"But you said you wanted to know. We've been waiting all afternoon to find out. How can you do this to us?" Helen whined.

Abby burst out laughing, she couldn't keep up the act anymore.

"It's a girl."

Gabe thought his eardrums would burst at the shrieks of delight from all the women surrounding him and Abby. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek and then attempted to squeeze through everyone to make his escape.