A Beautiful Thought (The Beautiful Series) (11 page)

“What other schools have you done?” Gail asked, sounding intrigued.

It made me feel good to see her interested in my job.

“I did a tech college in Chicago, a small elementary school in Denver, and an autism academy here in Lake Tahoe.”

Gail gasped as her eyes bulged over her glass. “You worked on E2 Excellence in Education?”

“Yeah,” I acknowledged as we finished up eating. “You know the place?”

“Yes!” she exclaimed. “Caroline was just accepted there! It’s supposed to be a wonderful program.”

“I only helped design the building, but I heard the program has some of the best trained teachers in the field,” I responded honestly while pondering.

“I’m so happy for her,” Gail crooned.

I deliberated over what Abbey had said to me that day back at the office about Gail helping her family and struggling financially. I guessed that if she was assisting her sister’s schooling at all, E2 Excellence in Education was very expensive. It was a top-of-the-line school but costly. Gail’s endearing generosity for her family made my admiration and respect of her increase to all new heights. It took a certain kind of person to be so giving and to put someone else’s needs in front of her own.

I pushed all the food aside and gently laid her down on the blanket while climbing on top of her. My eyes roamed as my hands traveled over the contours of her beautiful face.

I shook my head in awe of her. “You’re amazing,” I breathed. “You know that, don’t you?”

Her expression sobered as she ran her hands up and down my sides. Her touch ignited my skin.

“So are you,” was all she got out before I spent the next few hours kissing and holding her.

All the while, I silently thanked Abbey for bringing Gail into my life.

~Gail~

“Don’t forget to read
The Princess and the Frog
to her before bed. It’s her favorite story,” Abbey said, putting the book into Pearl’s bag for our sleepover.

“Read
The Princess and the Frog
.” I made a mental note. “Got it,” I said.

“And please make sure she takes a bath at least thirty minutes before bedtime, so her hair can dry,” Abbey continued thoughtfully.

“Thirty minutes. Okay, so seven thirty,” I rambled to myself, adding it to my checklist.

“Oh! And make sure she has a night-light on. She’s scared of the dark.”

I stifled a laugh and could not resist the urge to tease Abbey. “Are you sure you don’t want to write an actual list for me, Mother Hen?”

Abbey rolled her eyes at me. “You’ll understand how difficult it is to spend one night away from your child when you have one someday,” she chided good-naturedly.

“Whoa,” I exhaled, putting my hands in front of me. “Let’s just practice having sleepovers for the time being.”

Abbey laughed. “Speaking of
sleepovers
…” She speculatively stared at me. “How is the living arrangement with Damon going?”

“Good,” I replied, being evasive since Jason and Pearl were in the living room.

“Is that a good or a
good
?” she probed while making goofy animations with her face.

“Um…definitely the latter of the two.” I grinned, blushing.

“Ah,” Abbey purred enthusiastically. “I expect an update on that very soon.” She winked.

“Let me know when you can carve some free time into that crazy schedule of yours, and we’ll have a lunch date,” I said.

Abbey zipped up Pearl’s sleepover bag and handed it to me. “It’s a date.”

She headed for the door, and I followed.

“But first, I have a date with my fiancé.”

Jason walked up to Abbey and me, holding Pearl over his shoulder. Her sweet laughter filled the room.

“I’m missing a person who’s about yay high.” He pointed to his lower chest. “She loves princesses, and her favorite color is pink. Can you help me find her? I think I might have lost her.”

“Hmm…” Abbey and I murmured in unison. We looked around and then at each other.

“Mommy!” Pearl squealed, her hands flaring at Jason’s sides as she hung upside down.

“No, I don’t see anyone,” I said.

Abbey gasped at Jason. “You lost our daughter?”

“On accident!” Jason chuckled.

“I’m right here, Daddy!” Pearl snickered.

“Where?” Jason replied, spinning around with her. He rotated again, lifted one hand, and started tickling her. “Oh, wait! Never mind, I found her!”

“Stop! Stop!” Pearl cried, laughing uncontrollably.

Jason set Pearl down on her feet, and she gazed up at him with love in her eyes.

“I’m gonna miss you, Daddy.”

“Me, too, Princess,” he replied, hugging her.

Abbey walked over to them. “I hope you have lots of fun with Gail,” she said, embracing Pearl before giving her a kiss. “Love you, Princess.”

“Love you, too,” Pearl said to Abbey before turning to beam up at me.

“Ready?” I asked, smiling.

“Oh yeah!” Pearl bounced on the balls of her feet. She grabbed her overnight bag from Abbey and ambled to the door.

I waved good-bye to the two lovebirds before heading out after Pearl.

After taking Pearl out for pizza, we arrived at my apartment. We still had some time before Damon would come home from his business meeting with Kyle, so Pearl and I popped in a Disney soundtrack and started making a fort in the living room. We draped and secured blankets over the love seat, and Pearl said we would be sleeping in the fort tonight. I even lucked out and found a flashlight and a night-light in my closet, so Pearl wouldn’t be scared in the dark.

After her bath, we each slipped into a cozy pair of pajamas. Returning to the front of the couch, we snuggled into the array of blankets, and I started to read her a bedtime story. Pearl intently listened to each page, and she even recited a few pages by heart. By the time we finished, Damon walked into the apartment, carrying a stack of folders in one hand and a bag in his other.

“Hey, Uncle Damon!” Pearl exclaimed with excitement, running to him.

Damon set down his items and caught her, hugging her tightly. “Hey, Princess,” he said, drawing back. “Are you having fun on your sleepover?”

“Yep!” She beamed up at her uncle.

I watched the two of them, observing how great he was with her. The endearment made my heart swell.

Pearl tugged on his arm, leading him to the living room. “Gail and I made a neat fort!” She pointed toward it.

“Wow,” Damon replied, glancing over at the heaps of blankets while walking toward them. “That looks really cool.”

“It is!” Pearl agreed. “Come on! You can play with us, too.”

“Uh…Princess?”

Damon skeptically looked at the fort as Pearl bent down to climb inside.

“I don’t think I can fit in your fort. How about I watch from over here?” he asked, gesturing to the couch.

Pearl placed her hands on her hips as she stared at the blankets, looking determined. “I bet if we move the green blanket over here and the brown one over the backside,” she said thoughtfully, showing us her plan, “then you could fit.”

Damon readjusted the fort according to Pearl’s suggestions, making it wider and a tad taller, until it was large enough for him. We rearranged a bunch of pillows and crawled inside.

If I’d thought Damon was adorable when he hugged Pearl at the door, it was nothing compared to seeing him lay on the floor in a fort with his niece, making up bedtime stories with her. As I listened to her giggles and his laughter, I decided right then and there that nothing would ever be sexier to me.

Damon and I were lying on our stomachs with our arms folded atop our pillows, staring at each other, as Pearl was fast asleep in between us. The night-light outside the fort illuminated the enclosure just enough so that I could see the outline of this face.

Damon’s eyes had that thoughtful look in them.

I softly asked, “What are you thinking right now?”

He let out a slow, deliberate grin. “How you are
way
too far away from me, especially since I want to lean over and kiss you.” He pointed to his beautiful sleeping niece. “But I can’t, and it might damn near kill me to wait until tomorrow night.”

Butterflies soared in my belly at his honesty.

I glanced between the two of them. “I love the way you are with her.” I reined back my emotions, or I was going to be a sobbing mess. “She loves you and her new family so much.”

“And we love her,” he answered sincerely without delay. “From the day she walked into our family, she’s been one of us, and she always will be.”

I wondered if he foresaw having a family someday down the road. I wanted to see if this thing between us was going somewhere, but it was too soon to ask, and I knew that. Every other man in my past had only confirmed that asking too many questions was never a good idea.

He was not even sure if California was a permanent residence for him. I reminded myself to keep my feelings in check. Damon had not made me any promises, nor had I with him. This was just casual. For all I knew, he was just helping me out by living with me, and we were only roommates with an undeniable attraction. No matter what our future held, I would forever be grateful for his help.

“And what’s on that mind of yours?” he asked, breaking my concentration.

I blinked over at him, unsure what to say, so I offered, “Just life and how mine keeps changing courses.”

“That’s a deep thought,” he said in an attentive tone, studying my face. His left hand reached out for one of mine, and he caressed his thumb over my palm. “Are you happy with the path you’re on now?” he questioned quietly.

“Very much so.” I smiled, absorbing this moment with him.

Before I drifted off to sleep, I wondered how long Damon would be here. Besides my father, every man who had come into my life always left me at one point or another. My subconscious glowered at me, and I knew that Damon could wound me deeper than any man had before.

The next morning, Jason and Abbey picked up Pearl by ten, saying they had missed her. They had only been away from her for one night, yet it was so sweet to see how eager they were to have Pearl in their arms again.

I had barely closed the door before Damon had me over his shoulders. As he sauntered toward his bedroom, I clung to him, so I wouldn’t fall.

“What are you doing?” I laughed.