Chapter 30

They were scarcely through the front door before they fell into each other's arms.

"Oh, my Nick," whispered Sally in his ear. "I miss you even when we're only fifty feet away from each other separated by my beloved Megan. I see you properly at lunchtime but I can't show you my love as I want to in case someone comes to see you. Nick, I enjoy my work. I enjoy the people I work with, thanks to you, but I have that longing to be with you, to be able to touch you, to kiss you, to be smothered in your love. Oh, my precious darling Nick, I love you so very much."

"I know just how you feel. There you are during the day: so near and yet so far. And yet I know you're there. Perhaps my love isn't strong enough but I can feel yours through two walls, paper thin though they are."

"I suppose I can too. It's just that I want to see your eyes, feel your touch, be with you so that I can look up and there you are." She hugged him fiercely. "It wouldn't work but oh how I wish we shared an office."

Nick smiled down at her. "Fat lot of work we'd get done."

"But we'd have a lot of fun."

"And be out on our ears in no time."

She smiled up at him ruefully. "True, you dull old stick!"

"What? You cheeky little tech assistant. You need showing who's the boss round here."

He whisked her over his shoulder. She smacked his bottom and then stopped, all the laughter suddenly over.

"This is how you carried me out of the cave," she whimpered.

"Yes."

"Oh God, Nick!"

Her arms went round his waist from behind and she clung on to him like a limpet as he carried her upstairs. She hung on as he sat on the side of the bed. He was at a loss to know what to do until she suddenly released him, pushed herself upright and forced him down on the bed. She lay on top of him, her face almost touching his, her hands gripping his hair.

"You bloody man," she ground out. "You saved my life and forced me to love you." Her face lit up. "No you didn't. You showed you loved me more than life. You let me show you the love I already had for you. Oh, my darling Nick, I love you so much it hurts and you keep on making me want to love you even more. I can't. I can't. It's ... it's ... Oh, Nick, I love you so much."

Nick nodded up at her, his eyes shining. "I..." His arms tightened around her and her lips found his. They clung together feeding on each other. Finally they drew apart fighting for breath.

"Do you know?" asked Nick wonderingly. "I brought you up here to make love to you but I don't want to, don't need to. All I need is just to be close to you."

Sally said nothing, just laid her cheek gently against his. "Great minds," she whispered.

They lay like that for the best part of an hour and a half. Finally, Sally stirred.

"I could stay like this for ever," she said gently, "but you must be getting cramp. In any case, I need to keep you alive so I need to feed you." She kissed the end of his nose. "Upsadaisy!"

She tried to roll off him. He hung on to her. "No, darling, Mummy's got to go and cook supper. Mind you, she's going to change out of office clothes first."

"Ooh!"

"Voyeur!"

All she did was undress and put on her dressing gown but not before she had waggled her hips provocatively and grinned mischievously over her shoulder at him.

Nick followed her downstairs once he had also changed into a dressing gown. He poured them both a drink and then sat down at the kitchen table.

"What would you like to do for our honeymoon?" he asked.

"Oughtn't we to fix a date for the wedding first?"

Nick chuckled. "I suppose we ought. Your mother ought to be fit enough by mid-June, don't you think?"

"I'd've thought so."

Nick looked at the wall calendar. "Saturday 16th or 23rd, he asked.

"16th. I want to be Mrs Braithwaite."

"I'll get on to the registry office and the vicar tomorrow."

Sally slipped round behind him and ran her hands inside his dressing gown across his chest. She kissed the top of his head.

"That's my boy," she said softly.

"So what about the honeymoon?"

"How about just taking the following Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday off and staying here? I still won't be able to leave Mum on her own and then in winter when it's all cold and miserable we could go somewhere nice and warm for a bit."

Nick trapped her hands and squeezed them. "That's a very good idea. Full marks. Top of the form."

Sally giggled happily. "Now the guest list," she said. "Sit there and I'll give you some paper and a pencil. You can practise your joined up writing."

Nick took a swipe at her bottom but missed as she skipped out of reach.

"Very slow!" she chided him.

"You wait."

Sally slid the paper and pencil across from the other side of the table, stuck the tip of her tongue out at him and pealed with laughter.

"You are a very cheeky girl."

"Yup! Mum. Your parents. Catriona and family."

"And bossy to boot," grumbled Nick.

"Have to be if you ever want to get anything done in this household."

Nick leapt from his chair with a roar. Screaming with laughter Sally ran round the table. He chased her. She put a chair in his way and cocked a snook at him. He roared again. At last she let him catch her. He put her over his knee, raised the hem of her dressing gown and gently smacked her bottom. He then picked her up and placed her facing him astride his knees. He kissed her tenderly.

"I love you my little puss cat."

She linked her arms round his neck and they gazed into each other's eyes.

"And I love you my darling Nick."

They continued to look at each other until Nick with a groan enfolded her in his arms. Nothing was said for some while.

"I must do the vegetables," whispered Sally at length.

Nick released her and picked up the pencil again. He wrote down the names Sally had given him. "Go on," he said.

"All the managers and their wives."

"Yes."

"Trevor and Merry."

"Yup. What about Nell and her husband. They might make it more fun for Ellie."

"I haven't had anything to do with them since I left home but I'll ask Mum."

"OK. Question mark against them."

"What about your old boss?"

"Yes indeed. Megan and David?"

"You bet."

"I can't think of anyone else at the moment."

"Nor can I."

"No rush. We can't do anything until the registry office and the church are booked. Actually, I'm going to be a bit pushed to do that tomorrow. You and I are going to drive Trevor's route."

"Why me?"

"I need my tech assistant to work the stopwatch." There was a derisive snort. "And to hold my hand in the car."

"Ah, a much better reason."

Their happiness continued all evening and after they went to bed. They enjoyed the following day together too apart from it being a useful exercise. Nick was astounded and very touched when Charlie offered to put up Trevor's driver for two nights.

It was not until Wednesday that Nick was able to ring the registry office or the vicar. He achieved an eleven-thirty booking at the former. The vicar expressed his delight at their wish to have their marriage blessed and they agreed to four o'clock. The Damsels were booked to do lunch and a drinks party with small eats.

Nick rang his family that evening. Catriona accepted like a shot for everything.

"We'll ditch the kids," she said, "but we'll drive home afterwards. It's only a couple of hours."

Geraldine also accepted for everything but insisted that, provided Ellie could by then manage a normal bed, they would take her home with them to give Nick and Sally time on their own. She did not broach her long term plan for Ellie but insisted that she would come over to meet her before the wedding.

The following day Nick rang Trevor Kirkwood and Peter Holdsworth. He stressed that he and Sally would not be hurt if they decided that it was too far to come. Both said they would not miss it for the world. Nick's offer to book them into a hotel was accepted. He was also able to tell Trevor that Plan A for the working visit had been reinstated. Trevor was delighted but insisted that he and Merry would still stand Nick and Sally lunch on the Friday. He promised also to give Nick a hand with shifting the beds out of the spare room before they left. He was also most impressed by Charlie's offer. He thought to himself that Nick was not only doing a thoroughly good job in getting Liverpool going again but must have gained the loyalty and affection of all the staff as well.

Apart from the PM interviews on Wednesday and Thursday (Ian McGregor and Dennis Arkwright were chosen) Nick spent the rest of the week finalising the plan for the visit. On Friday, Megan sent it by email to Head Office and distributed copies to all managers internally. At Managers' on Monday Nick went through it with them all in detail. At the end of the meeting a beaming Sally shyly invited them all to the blessing of their marriage and the party afterwards. Everyone accepted with delight.

Megan buttonholed Melanie. "I'll bet they haven't even thought of flowers in the church," she said. "Do you think it would be all right if I got in contact with the vicar and asked him if there is someone in the village who does the flower arrangements for the church? I could then arrange something with her and then have a whip round."