Page 127 of Gabriel & Skye

“What?” She walks backward. “Everything happens for a reason, you said it yourself.”

“While that’s true, everyone in my family will put my brother’s accidental non-divorce down to him being a forgetful ass, not GB’s woo-woo.”

“She kept hinting at you being single, that first time I came for my interview… and look what happened.”

“That’s because my sister likes to play matchmaker.” I smile at the mere idea of Georgia keeping her nose out of anyone’s business. It would never happen. “And while I think Brook and Eden should stop fighting their chemistry, so much time has passed.”

“That’s true, but if they are meant to get back together, they will.”

“Except she has a boyfriend,” Skye puts in.

“Yes, well, don’t mention that to Brook — he’s already pretty dark on good old Kirk.”

“I don’t know,” she singsongs. “I think love could be in the air.”

I feel my chest swell like never before when she turns and gives me that bright, big smile.

My hot nanny.

My girl.

I’m the luckiest man in the world.

* * *

The week rolls by and on the way to dinner, we figure now’s a good time to broach things with Trinity before we announce our relationship to the family.

“Trin, you remember how I told you Skye was only here for a short time until Daddy can find a new nanny? She was going back to North Carolina.”

I see her nod in the rear vision mirror. “Yeah,” she sighs. Sometimes it feels like she’s five going on twenty-five.

“Well, we have some exciting news, don’t we, Skye?”

Skye glances at me as we pull up and I park outside my parents’ house. “Yes, we do.” She turns around. “How would you feel about me sticking around for a little longer?”

Trinity’s eyes light up and she claps her hands together. “Yes!”

I take Skye’s hand in mine. “Trin. Skye and Daddy… we’ve fallen in love and we’d like to be together, that means with you too. How would you feel about Skye being my girlfriend?”

She giggles, jumping up and down in her car seat. I turn in my seat and reach back, popping the buckle so she can crawl through the middle. Daisy pops her head up from sleeping and tries to follow her. “Yay! Skye’s your gwirlfriend?”

I smile as she climbs into my lap and I kiss her forehead. “Yep, and Daddy’s very happy about that. Are you happy, too?”

She puts her arms around my neck and my heart melts when she hugs me. “Me happy, Daddy. Skye’s staying?”

I rub her nose with mine. “Yes, so that means we have to be extra nice to her and be on our best behavior.”

“Especially Daddy,” Skye chimes as she reaches back to grab Daisy. I give her a look but I can’t keep a straight face.

Trinity switches tact, moving over to Skye as she passes me the puppy. “I told Miss Davies I have a Skye,” she says.

My heart warms as I see Skye smiling at her, pushing the hair out of her eyes. “You did?”

“Yeah, ‘cause Jenny… she also has no Mommy… we paint and color, and she likes flutterbyes.”

“You mean butterflies?” I correct gently.

“Butterflies! Do you like butterflies, Skye?” Her big eyes look into Skye’s and I shake with laughter. This kid is a million miles a minute and babbles a lot.

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