A Surprise Christmas Wedding - Phillipa Ashley Page 0,2
powder between her toes.
‘Wait here,’ he ordered, his hands at her elbows, putting her into position. The temptation to steal a look was killing her.
‘You can open them now.’
She blinked against the sun but Connor wasn’t in front of her. She looked down. He was at her feet, balanced on one knee on the sand.
Her heart rate went into overdrive. ‘What’s this?’
‘What does it look like?’ He reached into the pocket of his shorts, wobbling a little on the sand.
‘No …’ Her hand flew to her mouth.
‘Yes.’ He took her other hand, opened the palm and placed a small blue box in it.
She was shaking. ‘You can’t.’
‘I can and I am. Open it.’
Her fingers trembled as she undid the clasp on the box and the fire of diamonds glittered in the evening sunlight. ‘Wh-where did you get this?’
‘Here …’ He looked at her a little sheepishly. ‘That little jewellery maker by the shell shop in Porthmellow.’
A gold ring nestled in the box, the stones glinting in the sunlight. ‘Y-you mean you decided while we were here?’
‘Yes. No. I’ve wanted to ask you for a while and I was going to ask you and wait until we could choose a ring together but then I saw you admiring the jewellery in their window and I thought, why wait? Why not just got for it? I hope it fits. Have I done the right thing? Though I suppose I ought to actually propose to you, first.’
Lottie was dumbstruck. She hadn’t expected this. It had come, literally, out of a clear blue sky.
‘OK, I’ll just get on with it.’ He took a breath. ‘Lottie Hargreaves,’ he said, gazing up at her. ‘Would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?’
What? Words would not come, only emotion: shock, excitement, joy, shock … robbing her of breath. He’d kept this secret for a whole week – no, longer than that …
‘This is so – sudden, Connor.’
‘Not that sudden. Not unexpected, surely? We’ve known each other for years. Plus, I love you. That’s all that matters.’
‘I love you too …’
He laughed. ‘Then what else do we need?’
What else? To commit to a lifetime …
He searched her face, doubt filling his eyes. ‘Have I made a huge mistake?’
‘No. Not a mistake. I’m just shocked. I mean I’m flabbergasted. I never expected this.’
‘But it’s not a “no” as in “no, I don’t want to marry you”?’
‘No. I mean, yes. Yes, I do want to …’ The words slipped out before she’d even realised.
His eyes lit up. ‘Thank God for that. Would you mind if I got up now? I think I’m kneeling on a sea urchin.’
Laughing though still stunned, Lottie helped him to his feet. It wasn’t a sea urchin, only a broken shell that had grazed the skin. He rubbed it and they hugged each other and kissed for what seemed like forever. If he was willing to make a lifetime commitment, she was ready to meet him. Her heart danced like the waves on the sea and her spirit soared like gulls wheeling impossibly high in the sky.
She genuinely wondered if it was possible to burst with happiness.
Connor took out the ring and slipped it on her finger. It fitted perfectly and its fire caught the rays of the setting sun.
Hand in hand, they’d wandered back to their holiday cottage, where Connor produced a bottle of champagne with a beautiful card featuring a painting of the cove where he’d proposed. Lottie wasn’t sure if he’d written it before or after she’d said yes but frankly, she didn’t care.
It thanked her for accepting his proposal and said she’d ‘made him the happiest man alive’.
They took the glasses upstairs, but even after they’d made love, she couldn’t sleep for excitement, allowing herself to imagine the future stretching on forever with Connor, imagining children … grandchildren.
The next day, on the long journey north, all she could think about was how excited Steph would be when she found out her four-year-old twins were going to be bridesmaids. It was too momentous a piece of news to be delivered by phone, she thought, driving home while Connor dozed in the passenger seat. It had to be in person, preferably with Connor by her side.
She’d get him to come with her the following evening after work, make a big occasion of it, maybe get a taxi so they could all have a bottle of champagne. Yes, that’s how she’d break the news. She knew Steph would be as thrilled as she