Infinite Love (10 page)

As Gerry started walking us the short distance toward him and we passed our few guests I had to look up at the ceiling and take a gulp. All the women had already started crying and even Robert was dabbing his eyes.
Do not cry Mia Page, you will not cry,
I ordered myself. It was a stupid promise to have even thought of trying to keep to myself. As soon as Lexi took my flowers off me and Gerry kissed me before leaving me standing next to Gabe I felt my eyes start to water. That was before we even turned to look at each other and both took in a gasp at the same time.

‘Mia … I …
wow
… you look … so … damn it, I can’t talk again,’ he laughed as his eyes filled up with emotion and tears. ‘You’re
stunning
,’ he sighed as he took my right hand and squeezed it hard. He gently cupped my face with his other hand and leaned in and planted a tender kiss on my lips, and I let out a soft moan to feel him so close, to smell him again. He chuckled as he straightened up and I shook my left hand at Lexi who immediately handed me a tissue.

‘I wasn’t going to cry,’ I moaned as I dabbed my eyes delicately. He was in a black suit with tails, with a white shirt, gold waistcoat and cravat and looked so dashing. The most handsome groom that ever walked the earth.

‘Me neither,’ he nodded as he wiped his eyes and scanned me again. ‘
Amazing
dress, baby.’

‘Thank you,’ I giggled as I recognised the look in his eye as he discreetly eyed up my cleavage. I felt him nudge my fingers apart as he laced his between and we never let go all through the service, not until after we’d completed our legal vows and were allowed to say our personal ones and exchange rings.

‘Mianna Page,’ Gabe said with his face and voice full of emotion. He stalled and held the outer corner of his eyes as he tried to compose himself, before looking deeply into my eyes as he put my delicate platinum band on my finger. ‘The sun rises and sets with you and you’re the moon and star light in that void between. You’re the air in my lungs, you control my breathing, the blood in my veins which gives me life and purpose, you power the beat of my heart. You’re the marrow in my bones which helps me stand and make it through the time that we’re apart, and you’re the joy in my soul which makes me love you, and my life with you, more and more each day. I intend to devote every moment of my life making you as happy as you make me. I’m going to love you, cherish you and protect you for the rest of your life, you’re my everything baby,
my forever
.’ He whispered the last part and I had to wipe my own eyes as his words wrapped around my heart and squeezed it, reminding me just how much this wonderful man loved me and would do anything to make me happy. And he did.

I thought I’d had butterflies in my stomach when I’d looked at him in the past, or when he’d said the words “I love you” to me, but nothing compared to this. It was as if a million of them had been released and were working their way up through my body, making me feel like I was floating above the ground. I swayed on my heels and he reached out immediately with his right hand to grip my waist and steady me, leaving barely any space between us as I looked up at him, all blushing schoolgirl in love. I’d rehearsed my vows over and over and didn’t care what anyone else thought of them, I’d written them so that Gabe would understand what they meant, he’d know what I was trying to say.

‘Gabriel Austin. When you found me, I was a worthless chassis, underneath my bonnet was a heart that was just an empty shell, incapable of love, but you rebuilt me. You pieced me back together and filled my heart with so much love it aches every time I look at you. You were the jump leads that I needed to restart me and I never believed I could ever hurt so much when we are apart. I love you, I treasure you and I’m going to keep loving you for the rest of my life and try to give you everything that you ever dreamed of because you deserve it, you deserve to be as happy as you make me every second of every day,’ I looked up at him as I felt tears trickling down my cheeks, my bottom lip wobbling with as much emotion as I could see reflected back in his own face. He let me go for a second and wiped his eyes again before I slipped the platinum wedding band, set with a single black diamond onto his finger. ‘I love you Gabe, you’re my engine, everywhere I go you’re with me, you drive me. I was proud to be your girlfriend, but I’ll be even prouder to be your wife and one day, I hope, the mother of your children. I’m yours, without reservation, for life.’

‘O baby,’ he sighed and hauled me against him and kissed me, knocking the air from my lungs with the passion in it. We broke apart laughing and wiped our eyes as Doug started hollering behind us.

‘He hasn’t actually said “you may now kiss the bride” yet, Gabe.’

‘Sorry,’ muttered Gabe with a quick look at our registrar, who just smiled.

‘I now pronounce you man and wife, you may
now
kiss the bride.’

I giggled as everyone started clapping when Gabe swept me into a Hollywood kiss and didn’t come up for air for over a minute.

‘I love you, Mrs. Austin,’ he murmured against my lips and I melted in his arms.

I tore myself away from my conversation with Gerry as Gabe squeezed my hand under the table and I turned to look at him. I took in a sharp breath as his ecstatic face smiled at me, I don’t think I’d ever seen him look so happy and relaxed.

‘What can I do for you, husband?’

‘Wife,’ he grinned. ‘I haven’t had a minute alone with you all night.’

‘I know,’ I sighed. It was amazing having everyone here, but I really just wanted to spend a few hours in his arms, on our own. ‘Gabe, what you’ve done today I …’ I sighed as I felt myself tearing up again. We’d had champagne with canapés of caviar and smoked salmon blinis, some without caviar just for me, goats cheese crostini and blue cheese and pear on tiny crackers before an amazing meal of scallops in lemon butter, sorbet, tranches of fresh Scottish salmon in hollandaise sauce with asparagus, fine green beans and parmier potatoes and more sorbet. I’d squealed with delight and clapped when they brought out a towering Croquembouche of choux buns filled with French patisserie, drizzled in caramel sauce and covered in spun sugar with lit sparklers sticking out of it. It had been our wedding cake, as Gabe knew I wouldn’t have wanted a traditional one. ‘It’s been the most perfect day I could ever have imagined.’

‘Really?’

‘Yes,’ I nodded vehemently. ‘The décor, the food, you all co-ordinated I …’ I broke off as I smiled at him.

‘Baby,’ he sighed and kissed me again. ‘I’m so glad you’re happy. I was seriously restrained, just to please you.’

‘You do please me Gabe, more than anyone ever has.’ I lifted his left hand and gently pulled off his ring and handed it to him. ‘I had it engraved inside for you.’

‘You did?’ he smiled. ‘I did yours too.’

We burst out laughing when we read the virtually identical inscriptions in our rings. I’d put “Forever & an Engine, all my love Mia x” and he’d put “To my forever, your Engine. Gabe xx.”

‘I’m so happy,’ I whispered.

‘Good, me too. I can’t wait to whisk you away this evening to make love to you and give you your birthday presents. Can’t we just go now?’

‘I’d love that, but our families are here.’

‘We’re spending tomorrow with them.’

‘We are?’

‘Yes, we’re having our Christmas Day lunch in here, all together and then nibbles in the evening. Then we’re leaving the morning of Boxing Day for our honeymoon, just the two of us, baby.’

‘I can’t wait,’ I grinned as I pecked his lips again, but he held his hand behind my head and made it last.

‘God, put her down for a minute son,’ laughed Robert.

‘Robert, leave them be, they’re happy,’ giggled Sofia as she slapped his arm.

‘Ok, who’s for some dancing?’ asked Doug as he stood.

‘Yes please, I need to wear off some of this meal,’ laughed Mum. Gabe hauled me up and led me to the far side of the lake house, where there was a small clear area to act as a dance floor as Doug fiddled with his iPod on the dock and we had our first dance to “How long will I love you” by Ellie Goulding, as Mum and Sofia started crying again.

‘Our song,’ I smiled up at Gabe.

‘Our song,’ he confirmed as he spun me around.

‘Our other song,’ I giggled as he looked surprised when Etta James “At Last” started playing. ‘I picked this one, you’re not the only one who had Doug on the wedding music mix mission.’ Gabe suddenly sighed and buried his face in my neck. ‘Gabe?’

‘I’m sorry, I just … I wish Mum was here to see this.’

‘I wish she was too,’ I whispered as I kissed his hair and stroked the back of his neck. ‘She’d have been so proud of you Gabe, you’re an amazing man and you’re going to be an amazing husband. I love you so much.’

‘Come on Gabe, it’s time for Mia to dance with her old man, you have the rest of your life with her,’ interrupted Gerry.

‘Sure.’ Gabe smiled as he straightened up and I saw him pull himself together quickly. I flashed him a reassuring smile. I’d been worried about him all morning, having the wedding on the anniversary of Tabby’s death meant that he’d missed his annual ritual with his dad visiting her grave today. Robert, Sofia, Gabe and I had all gone two days ago. It had been an emotional experience for all of us, with Sofia and I heading back to the car to leave the two men to have some time alone with her after. Gabe and Robert had insisted they were fine and that Tabby would have been happy to know that Gabe was spending the day celebrating, instead of mourning her, but I knew a small piece of each of them was hurting still.

The party was in full swing with everyone dancing and laughing when Lexi suddenly screamed and I looked up and saw Sam standing in the doorway, with his guitar in his hand. She ran over to him and kissed him and I wasn’t the only one who saw Doug wince. He headed out to the balcony, his camera still around his neck.

‘Let me,’ I advised as Gabe went to follow him. I pulled the bi-fold door shut behind me and shivered as the crisp air hit me. That log fire roaring in the room behind had made me forget how cold it was out here. I leaned on the bannister next to Doug and gently shoulder bumped him.

‘Hey.’

‘Hey you,’ he smiled. ‘So best birthday ever?’

‘Hell yeah,’ I grinned. ‘He’s going to have trouble topping this one next year.’

‘You look stunning, Mia. I’m so happy for you both.’

‘Thanks. So how are you doing?’

‘Bloody lousy,’ he sighed as he quickly looked behind us into the room. ‘Part of me misses Sarah, part of me … shit.’

‘Misses Lexi?’

‘Yeah,’ he nodded with a guilty look back at me.

‘Do you love Sarah?’

‘I think so, but Lexi’s still in here as well,’ he frowned as he put his hand over his heart. ‘I thought I was doing ok until
he
just turned up. She was so happy to see him.’

‘Probably just so happy to know she was having sex again tonight,’ I advised him. ‘He’d said he couldn’t make the wedding so even I’m surprised he’s here. She’s ended it with Dan, you know.’

‘Really?’ he looked at me surprised.

‘She didn’t love him Doug, and she doesn’t love Sam. It’s purely physical, she’s still not over you either.’

‘Don’t tell me that Mia, I’m trying to move on, I
was
moving on. I can’t wait forever, you know?’

‘I know, but I don’t want to see you all unhappy. Not today. It’s Christmas Eve, it’s my birthday and it’s my wedding day. If that’s not reason to set aside your woes and celebrate I don’t know what is.’

‘Come on then, if twat face is going to bloody play the guitar and sing and show me up, I’m going to slot in a dance at some stage with the prettiest girl in the room tonight.’

‘Just tonight? Charming,’ I winked. ‘And “twat face?” Seriously?’

‘Well, look at him with his rock star good looks and all his bloody money. He’s probably flown over in his private jet and now he’s going to bloody sing and play guitar and make me feel even more inadequate?’

‘Ok, I’ll go with twat face for tonight, just for you, Doug.’

‘Cheers, Mrs. A.’

‘Mrs. A! Holy shit, I’m married,’ I giggled.

‘Yes you are and he’s pacing in there already, throwing looks our way. You’ve got him whipped, Mia.’

‘No, but I’m thinking I could role play one night and dress up dominatrix style with an actual whip, that would put a smile back on his face.’

‘Stop with the visuals,’ he laughed as he opened the door and we stepped back into the warmth. ‘Right, I need to get seriously pissed. Love you, Mrs. A.’

‘Love you too, Doug,’ I smiled and kissed his cheek before heading over to Gabe.

‘Baby you’re freezing,’ he frowned as he rubbed his hands up and down my bare arms. ‘Do you want a drink? We have a fully stocked self-service bar,’ he nodded to the corner.

‘I’d love a Baileys or two.’

‘Your wish is my command, come on, you haven’t had a chance to meet Doug’s parents. Come and sit by the fire and say hello, they were really good to me as a kid. I’ll go get your drink.’

‘Where’s Lexi?’ I asked as Gabe told me he was ready to leave everyone to it. I was more than happy to agree. Watching him all night in his suit, with that happy smile all over his face had me swooning every time I looked over at him.

‘She went to pack an overnight bag for you.’

‘Why? Aren’t you moving into the suite with me tonight?’

‘No, that was never the plan, besides Lexi’s staying in there with Sam, we’re spending the next two nights somewhere else. Not too far away, but far enough that no one can interrupt us until we’re ready to see them.’

‘I’ll go find her then, see you in a minute.’ I pursed my lips for a kiss and carefully made my way up to the hotel, being stopped by everyone I passed in the main hotel who wanted to congratulate me and tell me how stunning my dress was. I rummaged in my bag for my room key and opened the door and froze, unsure of what I was seeing in front of me on my bed. There was a tangle of limbs, and I was sure that there were too many. As it suddenly registered who and what I was seeing my eyes went wide as saucers. ‘Shit,’ I uttered as I closed my eyes and spun around to face the door.