She sighed. “I want my own house.”
“We’ll have to keep saving.”
“Are we going to buy a place together?”
He shrugged. “Why not?”
She held his gaze, liking the idea. “We’ll keep the topic open for discussion.”
“Sounds like a plan.” He snuggled her against him and grabbed the men’s fitness magazine from his side table.
She settled back, tucked cozy in his arms, breathing in his familiar soapy scent as she stared at her favorite ivy plant, then at Lucy asleep on her bed. She closed her eyes, savoring this perfect moment—a rare flash in time she wanted to remember and hold close. “Reed?”
“Hmm?”
“I was content—really happy before we met.” She turned to look at him. “Then Lucy barged through your front door. Nothing’s the same.”
“Is that okay?”
She nodded. “I don’t know how anything could be better. I just wanted you to know that.”
He kissed her. “I like where we’re at too.”
She rested her head against his shoulder and turned the page, wondering how the guy next door had somehow become “the one.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Bella got out of Reed’s truck and let down the gate for Lucy as she studied Dad’s sad little house in the afternoon sunshine. “This place would be so cute with some flowers out front—maybe a couple of cheery pots by the steps.”
Reed stepped up next to her, sliding his hands in his jeans pockets as his gaze tracked over the property. “Flowers would definitely add something, but I don’t think Vinny’s up to taking care of them.”
She nodded, smiling sadly. “You’re right. I guess sometimes it’s easier to focus on silly little things that don’t really matter.”
He met her gaze with eyes full of understanding as he skimmed his knuckles along her cheek. “They would make a nice addition.”
She leaned into his touch. “I’m just thankful Dad made it through the week without another visit to the hospital.”
He hugged her. “That’s a great thing.”
She returned his embrace, realizing how on edge she’d been since last Sunday, constantly waiting for someone to call her from North Medical Center. “Yes, it is.”
“Hopefully we’ll have another week just like it.”
“We’ll cross our fingers.” She eased away. “We should get inside.”
“I’ll be right there.”
“Okay.” She walked up the steps with Lucy following and knocked.
Dad peeked out the side window and opened the door. “Hi.”
“Hi.” She smiled even as she noted that he’d lost more weight and hugged him, barely suppressing a sigh as she felt his ribs through his shirt. “It’s so good to see you.”
“You’re as beautiful as always.” He stepped back and frowned. “There’s not much to those shorts, though.”
She glanced down at her adorable new off-the-shoulder chiffon blouse and ripped short shorts, all from the Abby Quinn Summer Collection. “There’s nothing wrong with my shorts. This happens to be a very fashionable outfit. In fact, I’m going to the designer’s fashion show this Friday night.”
His frown returned. “A father doesn’t want to see his daughter’s butt hanging out of her clothes.”
She scoffed, “You cannot see my butt hanging out of my clothes.” She looked over her shoulder at her backside. “There are a good three or four inches of denim keeping the world from seeing my derrière.”
“What happened to wearing those shorts that stop at the knees?”
She rolled her eyes. “Daddy, these are fine.” She stepped inside and stopped, staring at the half-dozen pink and purple balloons tied to one of the kitchen chairs. “Balloons.”
“It’s your birthday on Wednesday, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but you didn’t have to do that.”
“Of course I did.”
Reed walked in, carrying a small stack of boxes as he gently kicked the door closed with his foot.
Her eyes welled as she recognized the pale blue box from her favorite gourmet bakery and a present wrapped in pretty paper. “What did you two do?”
Reed set the packages on the table. “I believe they call this a birthday party.”
She looked from her sweet, sickly father to the gorgeous man she absolutely adored. “You two didn’t have to do this.”
“Maybe we wanted to.” He pressed a kiss to her lips.
“Thank you.” She hugged him, then walked to Dad. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He wrapped his arms around her. “It’s nothing fancy. Just some cake and a couple of gifts.”
“That’s plenty. Perfect.”
He moved to the table and pulled out her chair. “How about you take a seat and I’ll go get your present.”
“You didn’t have to get me anything.”
“I’m your dad, right?”
“Yes.”
“Dads have presents for their daughter’s birthdays.”
Not when they left. Not when they handed them snow globes and disappeared for twenty-one years. But she nodded, watching him walk back to the bedroom, noting that his jeans were cinched tight with a belt, and his shirt hung baggier than the last time she’d seen him wearing it. Sighing, she took her seat and stared at the floor.
Reed crouched down next to her. “What’s wrong?”
She swallowed, fighting the sudden emotions choking her. “I’m not sure.” How could she put into words how touched she was by such a lovely surprise or explain how much it broke her heart to know that this was her last birthday with her father?
He tucked her hair behind her ear. “He’s doing okay today.”
She nodded, knowing that was what she needed to focus on. They had today. She would worry about tomorrow later.
“Here we go.” Dad came back, a little more breathless, moving slower, as he carried a thin black box with him.
She blinked her eyes dry, determined to be strong. These moments weren’t just hers. They were Dad’s too. “That looks very interesting.”
Dad grinned as he took the chair next to hers. “I didn’t get it wrapped.”
“That’s okay.”
He handed it to her.
“Thank you.”
“You haven’t opened it yet.”
She smiled. “I mean for the thought.”
“Open it up.”
She flipped open the lid and stared at the delicate silver and diamond bracelet with an ornate B-shaped clasp. “Daddy, this is stunning.” And expensive.
“As soon as I saw it, I knew you had to have it.”
She wanted to give it back as much as she wanted to treasure it. He couldn’t afford to shower her with such lavish gifts. But how could she possibly refuse when his eyes were so bright with pride? “It’s truly beautiful.” She stood, hugging him and holding on tight. “I love it. Thank you.”
He gripped her hard. “I have a lot to make up for.”
She shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut, struggling not to cry. She didn’t want to do this—have this conversation while she opened her presents. “You’re here now. That’s all that matters.”
“I wasn’t for a long time.”
“You’re here now.” She drew away and sat down, gently taking her new jewelry from the box, considering the topic closed. “Will you help me put this on?”
He nodded. “Sure.”
She held out her wrist while he fastened the clasp in place.
“That should do it. You’re all set.”
She touched the cool silver against her skin as the diamonds caught the light. “So, what do you think? How does it look?”
He took her hand, gently twisting it from side to side. “Like it belongs there. Gorgeous and classy like my daughter.”
She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Daddy.”
He captured her jaw in his hand. “You’re a good girl. I love you very much.”
She covered his hand with hers. “I love you too.”
“Let’s see what Reed got for you.”
She nodded. “We should definitely see what Reed got for me.”
Reed slid the gift in front of her. “Go ahead and find out.”
She tore at the silver-swirled paper and opened the robe-sized box, gasping. “Is this what I think it is?”
“It’s custom-made.”
She pulled the black leather jacket from the tissue paper. “Reed, this is amazing.”
“Abby gave me a hand with the sizing. Now you’ll be comfortable on our rides.”
She stood and slid it on, feeling the soft leather against her skin. “This is perfect.” Leaning down, she cupped his cheeks. “I love it. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He kissed her again. “I’m taking you to the b-e-a-c-h later.” He gestured to Lucy as he spelled. “Ice cream and a walk after a nice ride.”
Grinning, she wiggled her eyebrows. “I can’t wait.” She put the jacket back in the box, wanting to keep the scent of stale cigarettes off her new clothing.
Reed kissed her forehead and stood. “What do you say we break out a couple of sweet treats?”
She looked at Dad and saw that he was starting to tire out already. “I’m game. I’m particularly intrigued by that little box.” She pointed to the small package on top of the bakery box.
“This one’s for Lucy.”
She frowned. “For Lucy?”
“This is a party, right? I stopped off at Paws last night.”
She grinned, remembering that it wasn’t all that long ago when he’d given her a hard time for buying things at a pet bakery. “You went to Paws for our girl?”
He shrugged. “I didn’t want her feelings getting hurt.” He pulled out a cookie decorated like a cupcake.
She laughed when Lucy hurried to the table and grabbed her treat. “I think she’s pretty excited.” She stood and pressed a noisy kiss to Reed’s lips. “You make my heart happy.”
He tugged gently on her hair. “Right back at ya. Now for your special treat.” He opened the bigger bakery box, pulling out a cupcake with pink frosting and purple sprinkles. “These are for you.”
She laughed again, truly delighted. “Just like Mom made.”
“You were so excited the day I walked you to preschool and you shared those with your friends.” Dad smiled. “You told me they were better than the cake your pal brought in for her birthday a few days earlier.”
She wished she remembered, wanting to hold close any memories she could get. “I did?”
He nodded. “You were always proud of your mom’s baking.”
“She made delicious things.” Or she had. Somewhere along the way, Mom had let her culinary magic disappear. “Do you remember her raspberry jam?”
Nodding, Dad grinned. “I’ve never tasted better. That was a prime patch of bushes we had in our backyard, and your mom knew what to do with them. She always had a gift in the kitchen. I told her she should go to school for her baking instead of hair.”
She studied his eyes, watching them light up as he talked about Mom. “You never stopped loving her,” she said out loud when it was a thought she meant to keep to herself.
He looked down at the table. “You get only one love of your life.”
She wanted to tell him that he’d wasted a precious gift—that Mom had been there the whole time, yearning for him the way he’d clearly yearned for her.
Reed stuck a white candle in the top of her cupcake. “Should we light it?”
She nodded. Now wasn’t the time to stir up old wounds. “Sure.”
Reed and Dad sang “Happy Birthday,” and they started on their cupcakes.
Bella stared at the two bites Dad had taken. “There’s one left over. Dad, you should keep it and have it for dessert tonight.”
“I’m good.” He patted his belly. “You go ahead and take it with you.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
She glanced at her watch. “I still need to get to the store for you.”
He shook his head. “I went myself.”
She blinked. “You did?”
“I needed a break from the house. I grabbed one of those electric carts and got my juices and a couple other things—plus your balloons.”
She wasn’t sure how much she liked the idea of him out among the germs. “Can I cook something for you?”
“I’m liking soup the most right now. I have a few cartons of that organic stuff in the fridge.”
“Okay.”
“I think I might sit down and put on a movie.”
His color was starting to look a little off. “You should. Maybe catch a nap.”
“I might.” Dad stood and walked to his favorite chair, sitting down and covering himself with a blanket.
She knelt down next to him. “I want you to consider coming and staying with me. I know you like to do your own thing, but it’s something to think about.”
He nodded. “I’ll think about it.”
It surprised her that he didn’t immediately refuse. “Thank you for such a special afternoon.” She kissed his cheek.
“You’re welcome.”
“Call me if you need anything.”
“I will.”
“I love you, Daddy.”
“I love you too.”
Reed grabbed the box with her new jacket in it and tossed the wrapping paper in the trash. “Are you ready?”
She couldn’t leave fast enough today, but she also wanted to stay. Dad needed her. “Yeah.” She gave her attention back to Dad. “I’ll see if I can get up here sometime this week.”
“You have a life, Bella.” He patted her hand. “The weekends are nice.”
“Okay. I’ll see you Saturday or Sunday. Lucy, come on.”
Lucy got up from the opposite side of Dad’s chair and walked to Reed.
He opened the door. “Come on, girl. Let’s get in the truck. Thanks for having me up, Vinny.”
“Thanks for grabbing the cupcakes. It’s handy that Bella left your number for me.”
“Call anytime.”
“Thank you.”
“Bye, Daddy.” Bella made sure the door was locked and stepped out, settling in the truck and buckling up as Reed shut Lucy in the back.
He got in and looked at her, studying her through the amber tint of his lenses. “What’s up?”
“Nothing,” she said, shaking her head. “I had a nice time.”
He raised his brow.
If he kept looking at her, she was going to burst into tears. “I had a nice time,” she repeated.
“Okay.” He fastened his seat belt and turned over the ignition. “Let’s go home.”
She nodded and stared out the window for the hour drive back to the Palisades.
~~~~
Reed glanced Bella’s way when one of her favorite songs started playing on the radio. Typically, she turned up Justin Timberlake’s fun, funky beat and they sang along, but today she stared out the window on their silent drive home. “How’s it going over there?”
“Good,” she said, folding her arms tighter across her chest.
He lifted his eyebrow. Bella was a terrible liar. “Should we stop off and grab something to eat for later?”
She shook her head. “I’m still full from my cupcake.”
He clenching his jaw and focused on the road. This afternoon hadn’t turned out quite like he’d hoped. In hindsight, he wasn’t sure what else he’d been expecting. Celebrating a birthday with a dying loved one didn’t exactly rate high on the fun-o-meter. “We could get grilled chicken sandwiches from Malcoms. I know how much you like those.”
“No, thanks.”
He slowed as they approached a red light and merged into the right lane, turning toward the beach. He’d wanted to take her out on the bike and drive this way later, but Bella needed her favorite spot now. Having her party had been for Vinny as much as Bella—Vinny wo
uldn’t get another chance to sing “Happy Birthday” to his daughter—but they weren’t in Reseda anymore. No matter the intention, today’s focus hadn’t been entirely on Bella; that was going to change right now.
She turned, finally looking at him. “What are we doing?”
“Going for a walk.”
“We don’t have to.”
“Sure we do.” He pulled into a parking spot at the surprisingly quiet beach and got out. He let down the back for Lucy, then opened Bella’s door, extending his hand. “Come on. Walk with me for a little while.”
She laced their fingers and pulled off her sandals as they approached the sand.
He grinned when Lucy ran away, barking and chasing her gulls. “And she’s off.”
Bella sent him a small smile. “There she goes.”
He took off his flip-flops, studying her troubled eyes through the light tint of her sunglasses. Today had done a number on her. Things weren’t good when Lucy couldn’t make her laugh. “Ready?”
“Yeah.”
He said nothing for several minutes, keeping their pace lazy, letting the endless breeze and rush of waves work their magic. Eventually, her fingers relaxed against his, and he pulled her closer, hooking his arm around her shoulders. “Do you want to talk about it?”
She shrugged. “It’s been a long day—a great day,” she added quickly.
He stopped, facing her. “I’m sorry this afternoon upset you.”
She shook her head adamantly. “It didn’t.”
“Bella—”
“It didn’t,” she repeated. “You made everything so special. The jacket’s wonderful. And the bracelet.” Her bottom lip trembled before she turned away and covered her face with her hands, crying quietly.
“Hey.” He pulled her back around, wrapping her up in a hug. “Today was tough,” he said close to her ear.
She pressed her forehead to his chest, sucking in several unsteady breaths. “I tried so hard to focus on the good things—on how much thought you and Dad put into my party…” She clutched at the sides of his shirt when her voice broke again. “I’m just so sad.”
“Of course you are.” He slid his hands up and down her back. “There’s nothing easy about what you’re going through, Bella.”
Deceiving Bella: Book Eleven In The Bodyguards Of L.A. County Series Page 36