Page 87 of Gabriel & Skye

“That’s really sweet, Gabe.”

My eyes flick down to her lips. We were that close to kissing last night, it wasn’t even funny. Nothing is going to stop me if I get the chance again. I won’t be able to contain it or control myself.

“Skye, Skye!” Trinity pulls at her skirt again.

Skye averts her gaze from me and bobs down to my daughter. “Yes, sweetie?”

“You have daisies all over your shirt!”

She’s wearing a knee length denim skirt with a light blue floaty blouse, and true to Trinity’s word, there are daisy flowers all over it.

“That’s right, I love daisies.”

“Me too!”

“Wow, you do?”

Trin nods her head up and down as I reach for some napkins because she has ice cream all over her face. I can’t help but smile.

My two girls.

The thought shocks me. It may have come out of my own head, but it’s also out of left field.

Do I need to shake it off? Or go with it? I can’t work that part out yet because of my moral dilemma. But is it really that bad? Maybe a little cliche with the nanny?

Skye isn’t mine, not by any stretch of the imagination. But the more we’re together, even like this; in a casual setting in the cafe, the more I gravitate toward her. She has this energy that just reels me in.

And the larger part of me wants to be unraveled by her. I want her to see what’s underneath, even when that small voice in my head tells me to guard my heart.

But I've kept myself guarded for so damned long. Maybe it’s time to just let go and fall.

Come what may.

Maybe I am already falling, and I just don’t know it yet.

22

Gabriel

The next few hours go by in a blur. From the pleasant car ride to Macey’s, to sitting on her kitchen floor with three little puppies running all over the place.

Trinity is in her element, watching them. There are two darker brown boys, and a lighter brown girl, and they’re all as tiny as each other.

“Just sit calmly, Trin, and let the puppies come to you,” I tell her. She is very good around Sunny now. She doesn’t pull on her tail or do anything annoying toward her. I’ve tried to instill into her that with animals she needs to be respectful.

She sits with Bunnykins at her side when one of the little boy dogs comes running up to her. Grabbing her bunny, he tries to take off with it, but it’s bigger than he is. “Bunnykins!” She giggles as he tries again. Trin grabs the other end of it where a little tug of war ensues.

“Here,” says Macey, “give him this squeaky toy, sweetie. That way, he’ll drop your bunny.”

She takes it and gives it a little squeeze, capturing his attention, and the attention of the other two dogs. I walk over to take the bunny off her so he doesn’t get damaged while they’re playing. The last thing I need is a torn apart bunny rabbit.

“Do you want to have a little hold?” Macey asks.

Trin nods frantically, and we all laugh. Skye already reaches down to pick up the light brown little girl. She’s a little more reserved than the other two and not running around as crazy.

“Why don’t you hold the girl puppy, Trin, while we catch the boys?”

“Yes!” Trinity cries happily.

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