Cart Before The Horse by Bernadette Marie Page B

in his seat and rested his hand on her shoulder. “I know. Holly always does it backward, but who the hell cares? Are you going to worry so much about what your mother thinks for the rest of your life?”
    She gritted her teeth. “No, but—”
    “Didn’t your mother ever make a mistake?”
    Holly thought back to what she knew of her mother’s first marriage. Getting pregnant at fifteen so that she could run away with a man seemed a big enough mistake to Holly. Her mouth became uncomfortable in the frown she’d formed as she thought about all the times her mother had gone on and on about how men would ruin your life. All because she’d first chosen the wrong one, Holly thought. “That’s why I can’t make a mistake with this. It has to be perfect.”
    “It’s as perfect as it’s going to get.” He turned back
in his seat.
    Holly did a quick inventory of their brief life together. She certainly wouldn’t call it perfect, but then again she had to concede that it had been nice. It was nice to share meals with someone, and stories of your past. Getting to know Gabe was an adventure. And aside from the recent comment about her thinking, he’d accepted her, flaws and all. She’d never given anyone a chance to do that before.
    Gabe watched her then shook his head. “Why am I bothe ring?” He opened the door and climbed out of the car, stepping into the icy wind.
    Holly followed. “Where are you going? You can’t leave.”
     
    “I’m not leaving, Holly. I’m driving. You’re making
me crazy.”
    Her jaw dropped and she stood there staring at him. “Why do you make my head spin when I’m around you?”
    “Chandra says it’s because you like me and just won’t a dmit it.”
    It could have been the wind blowing straight through her, or the fact that maybe he was right, that pierced her gut and prickled on her skin. “I don’t like you.”
    “Too bad.”
    “That’s not what I meant.” But at this point she didn’t know what she meant. She shivered in the cold, a sharp contrast to the angry heat that boiled in her. Yes, she liked him, or she wanted to at least. “Get in the car.” He took a step to move around her.
    “No.”
    “I’m freezing out here. Did you not see the wall of snow headed our way?” He pointed off to the west and over the mountains to the big gray band of clouds that slowly enveloped the mountain range
    “I’m not done talking to you.”
    “It didn’t seem like you were talking to me at all.”
    She stomped her foot, took a deep breath, and grabbed the lapel of his coat. She dragged him against her until he stumbled and had to grab hold of the car to hold himself up. She pressed her cold lips to his and kissed him until her mind was blank and her breath was gone.
    “There. I feel better now,” she said as she let go of his coat.
    “Warmed me up. What’s going on?”
    Her stomach twisted uncomfortably. “I’ll marry you.”
    The corner of his mouth turned upward, and he raised his eyebrows. “Did I ask?”
    She dropped her shoulders and let the weight of disa ppointment sink into her gut. “Don’t make me feel like an idiot.”
    Gabe smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist.
 
    “Ho lly, will you marry me?”
    His body blocked the wind that had been assaulting her skin. The warmth of his touch soothed the cold and her nerves. He gave her comfort, and she had to admit to herself that she truly enjoyed that. “Yes.”
    “That’s a great start.” He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips and tucked his hand under her coat. He rested it on her stomach. “You don’t have to love me, that’s okay. But I want you to know I love this baby with everything that I am. And that makes you one very special person. I won’t tell you again that I love you until you’re ready, but Holly, I think I do.”
    “Gabe…”
    “Now you know where I stand, okay?”
    “Okay.”
    “And do you want to discuss big weddings with your mother, or should we plan to go and get