Anna sighed and flipped her laptop closed. She was just going to have to be patient with him the way he’d been patient with her. And in the meantime, she’d just have to do her best not to be eaten alive by her own curiosity.

Chapter Thirty-Four

‘WHAT ABOUT THIS one?’ Gabi emerged from the changing room and twirled around, grinning. Anna could hardly see her for a cloud of white tulle and taffeta.

‘It’s lovely!’ she said.

Just like the last three wedding dresses Gabi had tried on. Anna was still a little fuzzy about how they’d ended up in a bridal boutique. They were supposed to be finding Anna a dress for Teresa’s party next Saturday. All she remembered was Gabi muttering something about this shop also doing evening wear, and before Anna had known it, they’d been inside the door, and when the sales assistant had assumed they were there to try bridal gowns on, Gabi hadn’t corrected her. Instead she’d shushed Anna, who’d been about to explain, smiled widely at the woman, then reached out and grabbed something off the rail.

Anna hadn’t minded at first; she’d been going with the flow, but she’d been sitting on this padded bench for almost half an hour now. ‘Gabs?’

‘Yes?’ Gabi said, twisting this way then that as she studied herself in a full-length mirror.

‘Is there something you’re not telling me?’

‘Such as?’ Gabi rearranged her breasts to get just the right amount of cleavage in the scooping neckline.

‘Gabriela!’

Gabi stopped what she was doing and spun around to face Anna. The dress continued to rustle and move for a few seconds afterwards.

‘Has Lee…? You know…?’

‘Proposed? You know I would tell you first if he had!’

‘I was starting to wonder whether all of this’ – Anna waved her hand to encompass the luxurious fitting room – ‘was leading up to something.’

Gabi swished her way over to Anna and sat down beside her on the upholstered bench. ‘No, he hasn’t proposed.’ Normally, Anna would have expected Gabi to deliver news like that with big, sad, puppy dog eyes, but it looked very much as if she were biting back a smile. ‘But I think he might!’ she added, bouncing up and down slightly.

Anna studied her friend’s face. ‘Really?’

‘He texted me last night to say he wants to talk about our relationship – that there is something big he wants to ask me.’

‘Something big?’ Anna said. ‘He used those precise words?’

Gabi scrunched her nose up. ‘Let me think… He said… I don’t remember what he said exactly. But it has to be something big, don’t you think, if he is taking me out to dinner in a really nice restaurant? It has to be more than if I want pizza or Indian next time we get takeaway!’

‘Well, yes. It sounds as if it’s something more than that, but it could be anything, Gabi. I know you really like him, and you’d really like to settle down, but don’t you think you’re getting ahead of yourself?’