He pulled her upright and pointed her toward the powder room. “You can change in there.”
Addison glanced at the sleeping kids. “I think I’m okay here.” She kicked off her heels and reached behind her for the zipper on her dress.
“Logan might walk in,” Gabe said, but he didn’t actually make any move to stop her from unzipping and letting the dress pool at her feet. She was bare naked now, thanks to the ripped thong, and yeah, he wasn’t sorry about that at all at the moment.
She watched him as she slipped on his shirt, buttoned it, and then pulled the boxers up underneath. “There. All good.”
Except for the fact that Gabe had never seen anything as beautiful and sexy as Addison wearing his shirt and standing in his mother’s foyer with their kids sleeping ten feet away.
Until she crossed the room and picked up Stella in her arms and then lay down on the couch, settling Stella alongside her on the cushions. Addison smiled up at him as she reached to her hair for the clips holding the elegant twist up. She pulled them loose, letting her hair fall, and tossed the clips onto the table. Then she laid her head on the pillow and pulled the blanket up over her daughter and her.
And that was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. Addison cuddling Stella on the couch in his mother’s living room while wearing his shirt.
The desire that slammed into him took his breath. And it was new desire. It wasn’t the red-hot physical and sexual desire but rather a soul-deep want that encompassed everything from the sweet smile Addison gave him to the soft snore from Stella.
He took off his belt and toed off his shoes, then followed suit, scooping up Cooper and settling down with him on the other couch. Thankfully, Cooper had chosen the longer of the two couches, and Gabe was able to stretch out his legs as he wrapped an arm around his son.
“Night, Gabe,” Addison said softly.
“Night, Ad,” he said. Then added, “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
He was, somehow, able to bite back the other words he wanted to say. The ones that went something like, Marry me, Addison, and do this with me forever.
The morning after the masquerade ball was more of the same feel-good, sunshine-and-rainbows, I-want-this-forever stuff.
They had breakfast together in his mom’s kitchen. They all helped make the French toast and bacon and eggs and hash browns. The kids helped stir the batter, Caroline was in charge of the griddle, Gabe manned the frying pan, and Addison handled the scrambled eggs. While still wearing his shirt and boxers.
But the only comment anyone made about it was Stella asking why Addison was wearing a shirt that was too big. And when Logan walked in and saw Addison’s long, bare legs.
Stella’s comment was simply that it was nice of Gabe to loan Addison one of his shirts, just like Cooper had loaned one of his to Stella.
Logan’s comment was that he was curious as to why there was a lipstick smudge on the bottom of the shirt where it would have been tucked into the front of Gabe’s pants.
Caroline distracted the kids with whipped-cream smiley faces. But Gabe’s attempt to distract Caroline with chocolate creamer in her coffee and whipped cream on top did not work. She gave them both a knowing, though pleased, smile. Gabe really did love his mother.
They finished a delightfully noisy, messy breakfast prep, eating, and cleanup. And then it was time for Addison and Stella to leave.
And Gabe wanted to beg her to stay. He couldn’t, of course. Because it probably would have included the word forever, and that wasn’t a good idea. Yet.
But Gabe could always count on his kid.
“When can Stella come back?” Cooper wanted to know.
Stella looked up at Addison, who was back in her dress and heels. And pantiless. Gabe couldn’t forget that. “Yeah, when, Mommy?”
Addison put a hand on Stella’s head. “I’m not sure. But Gabe and I will talk about it, okay?”
“Next Saturday!” Cooper said. “We can make clay alligators like we talked about!”
Stella bounced on her toes as she said, “Yes. Mommy, I have to.”
Addison grinned. “Well, that sounds amazing, but you can’t next weekend. Maybe the weekend after.”
Gabe frowned. “Why not?” he asked before thinking. Not that thinking would have changed his reaction.
Addison met his eyes. “I’m going out of town for work on Wednesday and not coming back until Sunday,” she said.
“Where are you going?” She’d just moved here after six months of this being her out-of-town work spot.
“There’s a bed-and-breakfast in Mobile that’s hired us to do their restoration,” Addison said. “I’m meeting with the owners on Wednesday, and we’re putting all the plans together.”
“Who’s taking care of Stella?” Gabe asked.
“The woman who’s been babysitting on Thursdays,” Addison said. “She’s agreed to come stay at the house until Saturday.”
“She can bring me over,” Stella decided.
Addison shook her head. “No, honey. The agreement is for her to stay with you at our house. I didn’t talk with her about anything extra.”
“Then Stella can just say here the whole time,” Gabe said.
He instantly knew that he shouldn’t have. You didn’t make plans in front of the kids when you didn’t know how the other parent would feel. But, strange as it was, he didn’t like the idea of someone else taking care of Stella for that extended period.
Addison frowned. “No, that’s not necessary. We can get the kids together the next weekend.”
Gabe didn’t like that.
“How well do you know this person?” Gabe asked.
Addison gave him a look that clearly said Really? But she said, “Someone at work recommended her. She’s stayed with Stella several times now. Her name is Debra and she’s very nice.”
“How old is she?”
Addison crossed her arms. “Fiftysomething.”
“And she has kids?”
“And grandkids.”
“What does she do for a living?” Gabe pressed.
“Gabe,” Addison said, the warning in her tone clear.
He didn’t care. He crossed his arms, too. “What does she do for a living?” She could just be off work for three or four days? And how old were her grandkids? Did they live locally? What kind of references did she have besides this person Addison worked with? Addison needed to be sure that Debra was good enough.
“She works for her daughter at her daughter’s dress shop,” Addison said.
Hmm. That didn’t seem like a qualification for taking care of a little girl. “Did you check her references?”
“Of course I checked her references!” Addison exclaimed. “Good grief. What is this?”
“I just want to be sure she should be the one taking care of Stella,” he said, giving her a little frown. “And I’d much prefer that Stella stay here. She knows us, you know us, she’s already comfortable here. And we’d love to have her. Plus, it’s free.”
Addison rolled her eyes. “The cost isn’t really a concern.”
“Still, we want her to stay with us,” Gabe said stubbornly. “I think that’s the best arrangement.”
Addison just looked at him for a long moment, and Gabe braced himself. He was inserting himself into her life. Into Stella’s life. Giving an opinion. An opinion that was contrary to a decision Addison had already made. Yeah, this was dangerous territory. But he didn’t like the idea of Stella with a stranger.
He softened his tone and dropped his arms. “Ad, I just want Stella to be safe and happy. I’m not saying she wouldn’t be safe with Donna—”
“Debra,” Addison corrected.
He nodded. “Right. Debra. I’m sure she’ll be safe. But she’ll be safe here, too. Completely. And more comfortable and happier.”
Addison tipped her head. “You seem really sure about that.”
“I am. Completely.”
“This seems really important to you,” Addis
on said.
“It is.”
She looked down at Stella, who had, interestingly, stayed quiet throughout the conversation. Then Addison met his gaze again. “Okay.”
Gabe was amazed by how relieved he felt at her answer. “Great.” He grinned down at Stella. “It’s going to be an amazing time.”
Stella’s eyes got wide. “Really, Mommy? I can stay here the whole time you’re gone?”
Addison nodded. “Yep. The whole time. Gabe’s totally in charge.”
And he felt his first stirring of trepidation. He was totally in charge. Of both kids. Including one who belonged to a woman he cared about a lot. One that was a girl. He didn’t know anything about girls.
But he gave them a big smile and said, “I can’t wait.”
Addison gave him a smirk. “Me neither.”
Oh boy. That sounded ominous. Exactly as he was sure she meant it to.
Chapter Nine
By Friday night, Gabe was feeling pretty cocky.
The last two days with Stella had been great. His mother had handled breakfast and dinner each day, but Gabe had dropped off the kids at their respective preschools—they were going to have to get them into the same preschool soon—and picked them up again. He’d been in charge of evening activities and had shared bedtime tasks with his mom. Except for Thursday night when he’d covered the bar, as usual, and Logan had pitched in. Apparently, Logan did much better voices for the bedtime stories anyway—something Cooper had long maintained and that Stella had confirmed.
There hadn’t been any arguments, nightmares, or tantrums. Stella had turned down the cooked carrots on Wednesday night but had eaten everything else. She’d also spoken to Addison each night before bed, which meant Gabe also got to speak to Addison each night. And last night, he’d kept her on the phone long enough to get to his bed and have a little phone sex.
So yeah, he was feeling pretty full of himself and this father-of-two thing he was trying on for size.
Until the thunder started.
And all hell broke loose.
“Dad!”
Gabe came awake like someone had slapped him. Because someone had. Cooper was “patting” Gabe’s cheeks. Hard. Gabe caught his little hands. “Coop! What is going on?”
His son’s eyes were wide in the faint glow from the night-light Gabe kept on for just such occasions.
“Stella is really scared! She’s crying, Dad!” Cooper was clearly panicked.
Gabe swung his legs over the bed, processing the words more slowly because he’d been dead freaking asleep. He ran a hand over his face. Okay. Stella was scared. And crying.
Shit.
He grabbed for the T-shirt on the floor next to the bed and pulled it on as he started for the door. Cooper was panicking because they simply didn’t have crying females in their house. Ever. Caroline was not a crier. Which was why Gabe was also feeling panic welling up.
He hated the idea of Stella being scared. Especially in his house with him. This was a safe place. But then the panic hit him full force when he stepped into Cooper’s room. There were three night-lights burning around the room. Cooper always slept with two, but they’d added another tonight so that if Stella woke up, she would be able to tell instantly where she was. Where she was at the moment was huddled in one corner, clutching Cooper’s favorite stuffed dog, and literally shaking.
Gabe slowed down, not wanting to stomp over to the little girl. But the adrenaline pumping in his veins made it an effort to go easy and force a smile and lower his voice.
“Hey, Stell,” he said softly, moving to crouch in front of her but not too close to make her feel caged in. “What’s going on, sweetheart?”
“It’s storming,” she said in a loud whisper.
On cue, lightning flashed outside the window, illuminating her face fully. And the tears on her cheeks.
Gabe felt his heart and gut squeeze so hard, he had to consciously drag in a long breath so he didn’t reach out and grab her and crush her to his chest. It was not okay that Stella was scared and crying. But grabbing her certainly wouldn’t help anything.
“It is storming,” Gabe agreed. The wind was howling, the rain was pounding, and the thunder was growling, in fact. “You don’t like storms?” he asked.
She shook her head quickly, her eyes wide.
“Damn, sweetheart,” Gabe said, then grimaced over the damn, “I’m really sorry.”
“My mommy says that it’s just air crashing around,” Stella said.
Gabe nodded. “That’s right.”
“But I still don’t like it.”
Another loud clap of thunder boomed, and a flash of lightning lit the sky, and Stella literally shuddered.
“What is air crashing around?” Cooper asked, wiggling in between Gabe and the wall to his right. Cooper peered at Stella, another stuffed dog under one arm. He’d gone through a dog phase as well.
“The thunder,” Stella said. “The air gets hot from the lightning, and then it shakes and makes noise.”
Gabe looked down to see Cooper watching Stella with definite interest. “The air shakes and makes noise?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“That’s really cool,” Cooper said. He wiggled out of the space again and went to climb up on the window seat. “Lightning is electricity,” he said, to no one in particular. “So it’s like when you hear a pop when you touch something with static.”
Gabe couldn’t help his smile. God, he loved his kid. Gabe would have never been able to explain to Coop what made thunder, but he sure could have looked it up. It seemed that Cooper had a new interest. A weather fascination might be cool.
Stella had turned her attention to Cooper and the window. She made no move to join him, but she was no longer shaking.
“If I turn on the light, the lightning won’t seem so bright,” Gabe said, still trying to figure out how to make this situation better.
“No!” Cooper protested. “I want to see the next one really good!”
Stella gave a little shiver. “I don’t like it when it’s super loud and surprises me.”
“Yeah, I can understand that,” Gabe told her. “Do you want me to turn on the light?” Cooper would deal with it. There would be more lightning. When there wasn’t a frightened little girl in his bedroom corner.
But Stella was still watching Cooper. “No,” she finally said. “It’s okay for him to see it.”
Gabe felt his heart thump. These kids. He’d always known he wanted more than one, but he’d had no idea what that would really be like. It was damned amazing was what it was.
“Do you want to call your mom?” Gabe asked. “I think she’d want to talk to you if you’re scared.”
Stella looked at him again. “She always talks to me when I’m scared. She tells me what the storm is and that it’s just air and not to worry.”
Gabe nodded. That sounded like Addison. Take the fear away by being practical.
“People can die if lightning strikes them,” Cooper said, almost as an aside as he continued to stare out the window, waiting for more lightning. The rain pounded against the window, and the wind wailed.
“Coop, that’s not helpful,” Gabe chided.
“Not if you’re inside,” Stella told Cooper.
Cooper shrugged. “But outside.”
“But if it’s raining outside, you should be inside,” Stella insisted.
“Sometimes you can’t help it,” Cooper replied.
Stella frowned at him. “But lightning doesn’t hit you automatically when you’re outside.”
Cooper finally turned. “I know. But it can.”
“But thunder doesn’t kill people,” Stella said, still frowning and going up onto her knees.
Gabe thought about intervening in the argument, but he was fascinated by the interaction.
“I know that,” Cooper said, as if that were the dumbest thing anyone had ever told him. “It’s just air shaking.”
“You know that because I told you,” S
tella said.
“Yeah, I know,” Cooper said. “But thunder can’t hurt you. Just the lightning. And not if you’re inside.”
“I know,” Stella returned.
“So why are you scared if you’re in here?” Cooper asked.
Gabe turned wide eyes on Stella. He hoped that the little girl could tell that Cooper was honestly curious rather than teasing her.
Stella scowled at him. “Because it’s loud.”
Cooper thought about that, then nodded. “Yeah. That can be scary.”
Gabe wasn’t sure he’d ever been prouder of Cooper. He turned to Stella. “What would make you feel better?” he asked. “Should we call your mom?”
She sat back on her behind and nodded. “Okay.”
“Coop, will you go get my phone off my table by the bed?” Gabe asked. He finally gave in to the urge and reached out to stroke a hand over Stella’s head. “I want you to feel safe with us, Stella. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
She nodded.
Cooper came running back into the room with Gabe’s phone as Caroline poked her head into the room, blinking sleepily. “Everything okay?”
Gabe nodded. “The storm has us a little spooked,” he said.
“Ah,” Caroline said. “Do you need anything? Cocoa? Cuddles? I’ve got both.” She gave Stella a smile full of affection.
Again, Gabe felt that grab in his chest.
Stella shook her head, though. “I’ll talk to my mommy.”
“Oh, that will fix everything,” Caroline agreed. “Okay, well, you let me know if you need anything.”
“Thanks, Mom,” Gabe said.
Caroline shot him a look that was full of affection and pride as well. Gabe had never appreciated his mother as much as he had since becoming a parent himself. Their dad had passed away when Gabe was only four and Logan two. He didn’t remember Tom Trahan well, and that made him sad, but his mom had done an amazing job, especially going it alone, and Gabe made a note to be sure to tell her that more often.
Gabe dialed Addison’s number, feeling his heart thump in anticipation of hearing her voice, even if the reason for the call wasn’t entirely sunshine and roses. And it was two a.m.
“Gabe?” she answered huskily a moment later. “What’s wrong?”
Going Down Easy (Boys of the Big Easy) Page 17