Christmas Promises: The Christmas Eve Bride\A Marriage Proposal for Christmas\A Bride for Christmas by Lynne Graham & Carole Mortimer & Marion Lennox

Author:Lynne Graham & Carole Mortimer & Marion Lennox
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780373837670
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2012-10-01T21:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

‘OKAY, SO WHAT DO we do now?’ Cally asked as she and Noel sat at her kitchen table a short time later drinking coffee, Lissa safely ensconced in front of the television for a few minutes with juice and biscuits.

Noel shrugged. ‘Well, the general consensus seems to be that we’re all going out for a meal later this evening—’

‘That isn’t what I meant, and you know it!’ Cally cut in irritably. ‘I like your family, Noel, they’re nice—’

‘Thank you.’

She sighed. ‘I didn’t say that included you!’

‘No,’ he accepted softly, bending towards her slightly. ‘But you do like me, don’t you?’ he murmured huskily.

‘No, I—yes,’ she sighed in defeat as he raised sceptical dark brows at the vehemence of her denial. ‘But I was actually referring to the fact that I don’t like deceiving your family in this way—’

‘Then let’s not deceive them,’ he suggested, getting up to go down on one knee in front of her on the tiled floor, taking one of her hands firmly in his. ‘Cally Turner, will you marry me?’

Cally stared down at him in horror. ‘Will you get up?’ she instructed desperately, pulling her hand away from his, all the time casting worried glances in Lissa’s direction as she sat only feet away from them in the sitting-room.

‘Not until you give me an answer.’ Noel remained on one knee.

Cally could feel the heat of confusion in her flushed cheeks. ‘You look ridiculous,’ she spluttered agitatedly.

‘I know.’ He grinned unconcernedly. ‘But I intend staying this way until you give me an answer,’ he assured her happily.

She looked at him speechlessly now, totally nonplussed by the unexpectedness of what he was doing.

But what if his proposal had been a real one...?

She would still have said no!

Wouldn’t she...?

The problem was, she didn’t know any more. Until yesterday she had thought her nearest neighbour to be an arrogant show-off, with his fast cars and helicopters arriving on the front lawn. An arrogant show-off who didn’t make good on his invitations! But this last couple of days she had come to know what he was really like. And, if she were honest, she did like him!

Noel had shown her yesterday that he wasn’t afraid of hard work. Had proved by his actions this last couple of days that he was a caring, considerate son. Had got down on the floor and played with Lissa as if he were six instead of in his mid-thirties. And as for the way he kissed...!

Cally shied away from remembering that, determined to think only of the fact that he wasn’t really serious about this marriage proposal, that until recently he had actually been engaged to marry someone else.

She stood up abruptly, stepping round him to move to the far side of the small kitchen. ‘My answer is no,’ she said. ‘And I think, the sooner you tell your family the truth, the better it will be for everyone.’

She could only feel relief as he got slowly to his feet, although she wasn’t quite

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