What was he saying to me?
I stared at him, trying to analyze all that he just said.
“Chad… you bought a house for my mother? And.. here in this neighborhood?”
“Well like I said someone needed to be with the lilies, and she loved them the most. Plus you like her being close by. I love her too. She always makes that soup I like and her own croutons. I imagine when my mom comes to visit they’ll get on really well and trade recipes and do all that mom stuff.”
“I can’t believe you.” Tears stung the backs of my eyes even though I wanted to laugh at his playful words. Mom had wanted a house with a garden for so many years, so many I couldn’t count. It was like it was her dream.
“Believe it baby. You should have seen her face. It was similar to yours, but she couldn’t stop crying. She was so ecstatic that her precious lilies had so much space, and the earth was rich.” He chuckled.
I threw my arms around him loving him so much my soul soared into forever with elation. “Thank you so much Chad, Thank you, thank you.”
“You’re welcome Miss Billie, like Billie Holiday.”
I pulled back. “You have no idea what that would have meant to her. God, I don’t have anything that great for you. Next week, I planned to take you to the new jazz café on Main.” It sounded so lame in comparison to all he’d done for me.
“I will definitely adore you for doing that, but baby, you’re the gift that keeps on giving. All I need is you, all I want is you. As in forever.” He nodded and those damn tears came streaming down my cheeks.
Tears of joy.
“I love you Chad Arnaud. You have me forever.” I promised.
He brushed his nose against mine and smiled. “I love you too, you’re stuck with me forever too.”
He took my hand and twirled me around as the song changed to one of my favorites by Billie Holliday, The Very Thought of You.
It seemed so fitting at that moment. And fitting to him.
Being with him was happiness. True happiness.
It was true love.
Epilogue
Billie
Three and a half years later…
We were still dancing…
It was Monday and these days my husband and I celebrated our actual wedding anniversary every week, instead of the day we met.
It encompassed it all. That’s what Chad said.
Every week we’d do something different and wonderful.
Mom would look after Thierry and Pierre, our two sons, while we did some incredible thing my man had conjured up, and he always outdid me.
When we traveled these days didn’t stay away for long because our babies were only one and two years old, but we still did something amazing every week. Similar to all that we did before we got married and the year before the babies came. Those days were wild and Chad took me to every country on the globe that we could visit. Sometimes we stayed away for months.
Today was one of those days and we probably did something a little too farfetched , but called for since we hadn’t travelled in a long time.
We were in Japan.
Yes, Chad took me to Japan. It was our favorite place ever and we were here.
Dancing under the stars on the terrace of our hotel room and to our favorite Billie Holiday songs.
Surrounding us was the scenic beauty Kyoto had to offer. Even at night the place was beautiful.
Off in the distance the Golden temple sparkled and lit up the pink cherry blossom trees that adorned its garden.
It was beautiful. Truly, truly beautiful.
This was a surprise getaway Chad insisted on and got his mom in on the idea too so we could be away for the week knowing the boys would be well taken care off. Two grandma’s who loved them to death was spoilage. The two grandmas who’d become best friends because of their love for cooking and doing other mom stuff as Chad put it. I guess I could be included in the mix now as I was a mother too.
The thing was the babies loved their grandmothers, but it was their grandfather who they couldn’t get enough of. The both of them were crazy for him, and he was just as bad making excuses to come by and check on us nearly every other day. I wasn’t sure I was right, but a few months ago month I guessed what he was doing when he came by and told us he dreamt we got caught in a hurricane so he came to check our windows. A hurricane in the middle of Chicago.
It was the kind of excuse Chad would come up with so I just humored him and left him too it. His checking of windows was an all day visit that saw him taking the boys to the park, then out for ice cream, then watching a host of kids films. Then he had to stay over for two more days because the kids cried when he tried to leave.
It was funny. It really was, and nice.
“Aren’t you tired?” Chad asked pressing his cheeks to mine and we swayed in tune with the music.
His voice broke into my thoughts, but the rich, smooth timbre was like warm honey seeping into my mind.
“No, never.” I cooed. I was too excited to be here to be tired, although we’d been traveling all day. “I just can’t believe we’re here.”
“We’re here baby, and don’t you dare think about anything else besides us. Not work, the kids, not anything.”
I wouldn’t. The kids were fine and work was fine too.
I got that job at the Tribune a few months after I applied. I was right. When they met me they loved me and I was so glad to have had Zoila to encourage me to go for what I wanted.
Zoila was married with kids too. She lived in LA with her husband who played for the prestigious football team the Gladiators.
It worked out well for the both of us. It really did. Chad too because he and his father were able to rebuild their relationship.
Patrick was still in prison, but that was something we never talked about because of the nightmare of it all. No one wanted to remember all he did, or the fact that one or both of us could have died because of him. At times I knew when Chad was thinking about it, but he never said. He never talked about it, but I respected that he would when he was ready because that was the relationship we had.
As for Arnauds, Chad took over the place and made it amazing. Truly a place that looked out for the community with that zeal to do more good.
It was him all over. My guy.
“I have an idea Mrs. Arnaud.”
“What now?” I gazed into those amazing eyes of his with keen anticipation.
“Trust me it’s a good one.” He promised, leading me back into our hotel room. “It involves you and me naked, tangled together under the moonlight.”
“That’s a really good idea.”
“Good, is that a yes?”
“Yes.”
I giggled as he swooped me up and carried me the rest of the way.
Like always I relished in the happiness I had with him.
This was the stuff dreams were made of.
The End
___________________________________________________________________
Thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed Billie and Chad’s story.
Feast your eyes on my upcoming novels, all on their way to you.
You’ll be able to find them here amazon.com/author/bellafontaine
About the Author
Bella Fontaine is the multicultural and interracial romance pen name of bestselling author Khardine Gray.
The name is to honor the strong, super talented, and courageous women in her family who inspired her to write and do what she loves most.
As with her other books expect hot, steamy, contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Expect drool-worthy heroes and sassy heroines. People falling in love and the wild, sexy fun they have on their journey.
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Acknowledgments
To my readers.
Where would I be without you….
This one’s for all of you.
I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your support, and for reading my stories.
Hugs and LOVE xx
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