Chapter 33
Samuel hadn’t wanted to tell Danielle about Jessica. He’d wanted to start fresh without bringing that cloud along with him, but it hadn’t seemed fair to keep it from her. She needed to know that he could do long-term relationships, and he didn’t trifle with girls. Even when he was traveling.
She had been right about pilots, at least some of them. Samuel had heard stories and he’d seen things with his own eyes. Otherwise good men, even some married ones, going home with flight attendants for one-night-stands or even having long-term affairs.
But he didn’t do that. Still, it would be a hard thing to prove. Traveling so much made trust difficult to establish and maintain.
He knew firsthand from both sides. When Jessica was in Afghanistan with the male soldiers, it had been difficult. They’d gotten through it by constantly staying in touch with daily phone calls and emails.
He had some time to kill after an appointment out toward Katy, so he stopped back by the Memorial City Mall and walked aimlessly waiting for the time to pass until he could see Danielle again. He wanted to get her something for the baby. He wanted to be the first person to give her a gift. Had she even thought about decorating the baby’s room yet?
She’d had so much to process in such a short time, it probably hadn’t even occurred to her yet. A baby gift would open the door to allow him to offer to help her decorate.
He hoped she would find out ahead of time whether it was a boy or a girl. His older sister had waited to find out, and the whole nursery had been decorated in yellow and green. His younger sister had learned from that and was able to do the room in pink beforehand—a much better choice in Samuel’s opinion. Practicality was totally underrated.
He wandered around a bit until he came to a Build-A-Bear shop. He had gotten one for each of his nieces and nephews. Perfect.
He spent the next hour shopping among the store full of mothers and children picking out the perfect teddy bear and outfit for it.
After choosing a dark gray bear, he looked around at outfits until he found a pilot’s uniform. Grinning, he picked it up and took it with him. On the way to get the bear stuffed, he passed accessories and snagged a little stuffed camera.
“Do you want to pick a sound?” The girl, not a day over eighteen, asked.
“Sound?”
“We have sounds now. You can pick out whichever one you like.” She explained how the kiosk worked and played some of the different sounds for him.
“Can I add one later?”
“Of course.”
Next, he had to insert a heart into the back of the bear. Following the lead of a six-year-old, he kissed the little heart and tucked it carefully into the bear’s stuffing.
Finally, it was time to create a birth certificate and name the bear. “Cute.” The girl commented as she checked him out and tucked the bear into a little box. “Enjoy!”
He was left with just enough time to take a quick shower, stop by the market, and head over to Danielle’s.
When she answered the door, she looked different. She was wearing a dark blue sheath dress with navy ankle boots. Besides being dressed up, she looked different.
“Whoa. What’s the occasion?”
“Nothing,” She tossed her very straight hair.
“Did I forget something?”
“No.” She smiled. “I just stopped by the Dry Bar for a blow out.”
He followed her inside and she closed the door. “A blow… what?” His mind went down a path he couldn’t even follow.
“I had my hair blow-dried.”
He reached out to touch a soft strand of hair that lay against her shoulder. “It looks great.” He followed her into the kitchen and set down his bags. “You’re dressed up.”
“Yeah.” She ran a hand down her dress. A dress that accented her tiny waist – she wasn’t showing yet. “Pretty soon I won’t be able to wear these clothes anymore. At least not for a while, so I thought I’d just wear them.”
“I thought I’d missed something.”
She grinned. “What did you bring?” She peaked in a bag.
“Kale vegetable salad. Since you’re eating for two, I thought we’d try Tuesday healthy night.”
“That’s a great idea.” She said.
Except that now that he’d said it out loud, he realized that it was a terrible idea, because next Tuesday he wouldn’t be here. Or any Tuesday after that.
Damn. This was not working out like he wanted it to.
He would have to make the most of what he had. “I brought you something.” He kept his voice light, despite his sudden despondent mood. “It’s for you, but also for the baby.”
He brought out the box with the bear and handed it to her.
“Oh! A baby gift. What is it?”
“Open it.”
She took it over to the dining room table and examined the air holes in the box. “Is it a kitten?”
He shrugged, and mentally filed away the idea that she might like a kitten.
She opened the box and pulled out the traditional bear that he’d chosen for her. “A teddy bear.” Her face exploded into a smile.
“I wanted to be the first person to give the baby a gift.” He reached into the box and took out a certificate. “I made it myself and dressed it in the little pilot uniform. And look; it has a camera. And I gave it a name.”
She looked at the paper. “You named it Pappa.”
“Yeah. For Pappa’s Burgers.”
Her eyes grew moist.
“What’s wrong?” He drew her close and wrapped his arms around her and the bear. “You don’t like bears?”
“Nobody ever made a bear for me.”
“Oh honey. It’s going to be okay.”
She pulled back and wiped a tear from her cheek. “It’s like a combination of both of us.”
He smiled. “I know.”
She ran her hand along the bear’s fur. “I apologize. I’m not normally this emotional.”
“It’s to be expected. You have a lot going on. I brought you this too.” He reached inside the box and pulled out a baby name book and a yellow highlighter.
“A name. Oh. My. I forgot I had to name it. There’s so much to think about.”
He chuckled. “That’s why I’m here.” He took her hand and led her to the sofa. “You sit here. Put your feet up, and spend some time with this book while I make dinner.”
Tomorrow, he would pick up a copy of What to Expect When You’re Expecting.
The more time he spent with her, the more he knew that he needed to be here with her. Not in Dallas. Not flying people around the country.
What kind of spell had she cast over him to make him want to stay on the ground and out of the sky?
Chapter 34
The next morning, Danielle put on some leggings and a sweater dress. Her mother was coming in sometime that afternoon, so she wanted to be presentable. She also liked the reaction she got from Samuel when she’d dressed up.
They’d had a surprisingly good kale salad with lots of different vegetables, then sat talking on the sofa for a while, looking at some of the names she’d highlighted. They’d ended up kissing until midnight. Samuel declared that he would not be responsible for her turning into a pumpkin.
“Cinderella doesn’t turn into a pumpkin.”
“Well, something does, and I won’t be responsible.”
She walked him to the door in her bare feet, then kept his lips on hers for another twenty minutes before she told him to get out so she could get some sleep.
As a result, she was a little tired today. Her mother was planning to only stay one night, so Samuel was going to be on standby, but the plan was for them to skip tonight.
That meant they only had three more evenings together. She thought several times about calling and asking her mother to wait until next week to visit, but her mother wouldn’t show up without a good reason.
She took an Uber to work as always and was absorbed in her work when
Samuel showed up at her door.
“Is it noon already?”
“I’m early. I wanted to give you this.” He handed her a book about being pregnant.
“I never even thought about getting a book. I seriously don’t know what I’m going to do without you.”
He hadn’t answered her, but instead had helped her into her coat. “My younger sister has a copy with highlights and color-coded tabs.”
“I am not that organized.”
“Creative people usually aren’t.” They headed toward the elevator. “The usual?”
“You know what? About that-- I was thinking maybe we could have Mexican instead.”
His face lit up. “I know just the place.”
Relief washed over her. She’d been reluctant to change their lunch spot since he’d gone to the trouble to get her a teddy bear and even named it Pappa. Technically, she supposed he’d gotten it for the baby. But still…
When they were seated at the restaurant, she asked something she’d been curious about. “So technically, you’re working for my father right now?”
“Yeah. He’s paying me for two weeks to pack and relocate.”
“But are you? Relocating?”
“No. I’m keeping my house, and I’ve rented an Air BNB in Dallas for the next two weeks. So it’ll be like staying in a hotel.”
“So what do you do all day?”
“I spend a lot of time with you.”
She smiled. “Other than that.”
“I actually am packing and doing errands. One of my specialties, if you recall.”
She nodded.
“And I’ve met with two people about an airplane.”
“An airplane? What do you mean?”
“I’m looking into buying a small airplane.”
“Wow. You haven’t mentioned that.”
“Yeah. I haven’t decided for sure that I’m going to do it. It’s a big investment. I’m not even sure that I’ll have time to use it after I go to work for your father. It’s my understanding that he keeps his pilots flying four to five days a week.”
“Huh.” There were so many implications in what he had just said that she needed to process everything.”
“I wouldn’t be able to buy it outright.” He clarified. “I’d have to borrow most of the money, so I’ve met with a couple of banks, too.”
“You’ve been busy.”
“Yeah. I’m not fond of driving. I mean I don’t mind driving around Houston at all. But I really try to avoid driving long distances. And with my family here, I’d like to be able to get here quickly and often. It’s something I’ve been thinking about since I took the job with your dad. Then this week, I really started to take some steps to make it happen.”
“Since it’s getting closer to time for you to leave.”
“Yeah. That and you.”
Me. Did that mean he wanted to be able to continue to spend time with her? There was a big difference in driving from Fort Worth and flying.
Of course, after he rented a car and drove from the airport, the time would probably just about equal out.
Danielle received a message on her phone. “I think it’s the author.”
“She’s just now responding?”
“I think she’s had the flu or something.” She read the message, then passed her phone over for Samuel to read it.
“She loves it.” Danielle nearly bounced in her chair.
“She said she’s never seen such chemistry portrayed on a cover.”
“She likes it.”
“We should celebrate,” Samuel said. “How about a strawberry lemonade?”
Danielle laughed with a burst of happiness. She had a happy customer and a handsome boyfriend who celebrated with her by buying her lemonades at lunch.
She’d always heard that it was the little things that make people happy.
Chapter 35
Claire Beauchamp Worthington Moore arrived at Danielle’s apartment in a limo. She stepped out wearing a black sheath dress with a short black jacket and black pumps with red bottoms.
Danielle watched from the window as her mother waited for the limo driver to unload her luggage. She took out her phone, and Danielle’s rang.
“Hi Mom.”
“Where are you?”
“I’ll be right there.” Danielle smiled and went out her door and hugged her mom.
Claire pushed back and, putting her hands on the sides of Danielle’s face, examined her daughter. “You look good.”
“Thanks. So do you. Come on in.”
Claire motioned for the limo driver to bring her luggage, and they followed Danielle into her apartment.
Much as her father had done, Claire walked through the apartment and gave her nod of approval. “Nice place.”
“Thanks. I like it here.”
“Do you want to get dinner?”
“Sure.” Danielle opened her phone. “We’ll have to get a taxi.” Her mother didn’t use Uber.
“The limo driver is waiting. Do you know a good place?”
“There’s a nice Italian place nearby.”
She climbed into the limo and sat next to her mother. “How long do you have the limo?” Danielle asked.
“Just tonight. It’s a long way down here from the airport.”
Half an hour later, when they were seated at a table, Claire ordered a club soda instead of her usual red wine.
Following her mother’s lead, Danielle ordered the same.
Claire was quiet, but she fidgeted with her napkin, her fork, and finally leaned forward. “I have to tell you something.”
“I have something to tell you, too.”
“Okay.”
“You first,” Danielle said. Her mother looked like she was about to burst.
“Okay I’ll go first. Danielle, I’m pregnant.”
Danielle stared at her mother, who was obviously ecstatic. “Wow.”
“I know. Grayson and I are so excited. I wanted to come and tell you in person.”
“How far along are you?”
“About seven weeks.”
Close to where Danielle was. Surely this was not happening. “I don’t know what to say.”
“I know it’s unexpected.”
“I’m happy for you.” Danielle hoped she sounded happier than she felt.
“What did you want to tell me?”
Danielle couldn’t do it. She couldn’t tell her. She couldn’t risk taking that ecstatic grin off her mother’s face by shocking her mother. Claire, after all, was happily married.
“I have a new boyfriend.” She blurted.
Chapter 36
“How did it go with your mom?” Samuel stretched out his legs across from Danielle’s desk. He’d brought them coffee from Starbucks – hers a caffeine-free latte. It was early, not even nine o’clock, but he’d missed seeing her last night.
“Interesting.” She put her elbows on the desk, her brow furrowed.
“Somehow, I have a feeling she didn’t take it so well.”
Danielle bit her lip. “I didn’t tell her.”
“Oh. What happened?”
Danielle looked at him for about a minute, then looked down. “She had something to tell me as well.”
“It must have been something important.”
She took a deep breath and looked back at him. “She’s pregnant.”
Samuel didn’t say anything. He was too stunned.
“I had the same reaction,” Danielle said.
“That’s got to be… um… kinda weird.”
“It’s so weird, I can’t begin to wrap my head around this.”
Samuel laughed. He couldn’t help it. “It’s not funny.”
But then Danielle was laughing with him. “How am I going to tell her?”
Samuel sobered. “We’ll fly out and tell her.”
“We?”
“Yeah. I’ll have my new plane by the end of the week.”
“You got it?” She jumped up and ran aroun
d to kiss him on the lips. “That is so exciting.”
“Exciting and scary all at once.”
“I’m so happy for you.”
“Do you want to see pictures?”
“Of course.” She sat down next to him, and he scrolled through pictures on his phone of the little plane he’d just bought. It had a single black stripe down the tail.
“When are you going to take me up?” She asked.
“Well, it won’t be this weekend, but if everything goes as planned, how about the next weekend?”
“Sounds perfect.”
He was going to ask her to meet his family that weekend, too, but he wasn’t quite ready to broach the subject. They only had two more evenings together, and he didn’t want to overwhelm her.
“Do you still want Mexican food?” He asked. “Or are you craving seafood again?”
“Mexican sounds great.”
As they sat together on a bench waiting for a table, Samuel reached over and took her hand. He didn’t want to leave. He didn’t want to leave Houston anyway – his home and family – but he especially didn’t want to leave Danielle.
Though it was just under two weeks instead of two years, it was like Jessica all over again. Only this time, he was the one going away. At least he wasn’t going to war, and he could come back any time he wanted to.
Danielle reached up and ran a finger between his eyes. “Such deep thoughts.”
He turned and looked into her green eyes. “I don’t want to leave you.”
“But it’s exciting to be starting a new job.”
He shook his head. “I don’t care about the job. I mean, I’m honored to be working with your father, but I’d rather be with you.”
She smiled, and he kissed her.
“Since you’re not sick any more, do you want to get out and do something tonight? Maybe see a movie?”
Chapter 37
“I have feeling that’s the last time I go out to a movie.” Danielle settled on the sofa with Samuel, pulling a blanket over them as he handed her a mug of hot chocolate.
“Why would you say that?” He sipped on his own steaming hot chocolate.
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