Page 79 of Gabriel & Skye

I can’t help but laugh too, and I realize that I’ve never smiled so fucking much in my entire life since she’s been around. She’s just infectious with her warmth and it makes me gravitate toward her in ways I shouldn’t.

“Trust me, it’ll be worth it.” The track is pretty beat up, but I continue on for a half mile, winding slightly to the lookout. We like to think it’s our little ‘Lookout Mountain’ but it’s not really. Still, I didn’t come here to look out over the landscape, because you can’t see shit late at night. You can, however, see the stars in all their glory.

One thing I’ve learned over the years is to try to remember the little things. Like stars in the sky. Because the night sky here is so clear, they literally light up like nowhere I’ve ever seen before.

Another five minutes and we pull up to the top of the ridge. There’s a small turning circle and I come to stop halfway around.

“Where in the heck are we?”

“Stoney Creek’s very own lookout,” I tell her, my hand on my door. I’m eager to get out now.

“Wait, aren’t there like creatures out here?”

I stop. “Creatures?” God, she’s so fucking cute.

“Yes, like coyotes, black bears… what about elk and cougars?”

I chuckle. “While they are native to Tennessee, they don’t really like the hike up here.”

She swats me on the arm. “Don’t make fun of me. Coyotes and cougars could be up here.”

“We’re gonna sit in the back. It’ll be fine. I’ll protect you.” Her eyes meet mine. “Are you coming?”

I switch the headlights off and climb out. I jog around to the back to lift the tray down. I have it set up for me and Trinity. We often come out here to count the stars and I show her all the constellations. I keep our sleeping bags in the back with a rug and extra blankets. Not that I’m gonna expect Skye to climb into a sleeping bag, but I roll the blanket out.

I grab the flashlight and shine it on the tray as Skye comes to stand next to me.

“You are just a bag full of tricks, aren’t you, boss?”

Boss. My dick hardens every time she calls me that. It’s like the more I try not to think about her in bed, that’s all my mind seems to wander to. But I’m not doing this to get her into bed. As much as I’d like that, she’s here for my kid, and to make my life easier. I don’t want to screw that up. This is only her first week working for me.

“I try,” I finally manage to reply.

Keep your head in the game, idiot.

Not for the first time I realize that this probably wasn’t the wisest idea, but my daughter always enjoys it out here and I figured, what the hell?

I hold out my hand. “Hop up. If you want, you can use Trin’s sleeping bag as a pillow.”

She takes my hand and I swallow hard at how small and warm it feels in mine. She pulls herself up and I keep my eyes off her legs in that dress and those cowboy boots that do nothing to calm my dick.

I jump up behind her. “I bring Trinity out here sometimes. If you lie back, you can see just about every constellation in the sky on a night like tonight.”

She lies back and crosses one leg over the other. I kill the flashlight and follow suit.

As I stare up, the magic of the night sky takes my breath away. It’s a million dollar view.

“Holy shit,” she whispers.

“Told ya.”

“Who turned all those lights on?”

“Right?”

She turns to me. “I bet you know all the constellations, don’t you?”

“Well, I don’t know them all, just the basic ones. Like Ursa Major; also known as the Big Dipper. Fun fact, you can see the Big Dipper all year round in the US, but in places like Australia, you can only see it in the fall.” I don’t have to point that one out because it looks like a kitchen ladle. It’s right there and the most common constellation. I point out the Little Dipper, though, right alongside. “They’re also known as the two bears.”

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