CHAPTER 66
B ELLE
Party lights glow in the sapphire twilight as Beast and I walk hand in hand through the throngs of people. It’s our second attempt at the Twilight Barbecue and the park is bustling with activity. There is a line up to get Mrs. V’s chili, and the array of food the old ladies and the club girls are having fun dishing up.
The delicious aroma of barbecue is heavy in the air, and the band plays to a happy crowd.
Tonight is a success. You can feel it in the warm breeze. People are happy. Beast is happy. I am happy.
I tighten my fingers through his. I feel so goddamn in love with this man.
We stop under a string of party lights, and he kisses me, cupping my face in his hands. He is gentle and loving, and it makes me wonder how on earth we managed to leave our bed this evening.
Since renewing our vows last night and Beast finding out about the baby, we’ve barely come up for air. I don’t know if it’s the pregnancy hormones or what, but I can’t get enough of him. And the feeling is very mutual.
“How long before we can leave?” he asks over my lips.
“Anyone would think you have somewhere better to be.”
“I do.” He brushes his lips over mine. “In bed, making my wife scream my name.”
“Don’t let Demri hear you say that.”
“She’ll understand. I’m on my honeymoon.”
He kisses me. But it doesn’t last. Because Annika taps him on the shoulder.
“Sorry to break this up, love birds. But there are some eager young fans waiting for selfies with the club president,” she says, gesturing toward a group of kids from the local hospital waiting for him by the popcorn stand.
“You’d better not keep them waiting,” I say.
He smiles. “You’re right. But after I’m done…” He leans down and brushes his lips to my ear. “I’m taking you home and doing bad things to you.”
I give him a wink. “Ditto, Mr. President.”
Annika pulls a face. Like she’d rather pull her teeth out than watch us being all loved up. “Thanks, perverts. I think my eyes and ears are bleeding.”
I laugh. “Sorry, honey. But what can I say. I’m on my honeymoon.”
She gives me a wink as she drags her cousin away.
Watching them walk over to the waiting kids, I draw in in a deep breath and feel giddy. That’s my man. The hot giant wearing the president’s patch.
Smiling, I cast an eye around the busy eating area for Uncle Maurice. He’s doing well, completely recovered from Gaston’s attack, and receiving the help he needs with his gambling addiction. Warmth spreads through me when I spy him walking with Mrs. Blumfield toward the chili tent. They’re holding hands.
Hearing someone call my name, I look around and see Dani and Aurora walking toward us.
“Beeeeeeeelle!” Aurora cries, her little arms wide open as she flies toward me.
I quickly scoop her up in my arms. “Princess Aurora.”
I glance at Dani to make sure she isn’t shooting bullets from her eyes at me, or about to start yelling at me. Or call me a slut.
The last time I saw her she was pretty hostile.
But she’s smiling. In fact, she looks cautious as she approaches.
“I’ve missed you, Belle,” Aurora says, her big eyes twinkling up at me. “I have so much to tell you. Where have you been? Mommy said you left, and I cried because you didn’t even say goodbye.”
“I told her it was my fault,” Dani says, giving me an apologetic look when she reaches us. “That sometimes adults make mistakes.”
Aurora pouts. “Daddy said you left because mama was mean.”
I give her big wide eyes. “He did? Well, I think he misunderstood.”
Dani looks sheepish. “I owe you an apology, Belle. That night… I said some terrible things to you. Things that weren’t true. Things that were wildly uncalled for. I was in shock, I guess, and it brought out a nasty side of me. I hope you can forgive me. I tried to find you sooner but thought you had left town because your house was boarded up and looked vacant. I wanted to apologize. I would’ve kept looking but divorcing a pathetic man-baby is very time consuming.”
“Cotton candy!” Aurora cries out when she sees Mya and Isla walk past with sticks of it. “Can I have cotton candy? Please, Mommy, please.”
“Maybe later, darling. Mommy is talking with Belle.”
Mya stops. “I can take her over to get some if you like? It’s just over there by the chili tent.”
She gives Aurora a wink and wins Aurora over immediately.
“Mommy, pleeeeeeease…”
Dani laughs and nods. “Just this once.”
Aurora wriggles in my arms until I put her on her feet, then she takes Mya’s hand.
“She misses you,” Dani says as we watch Mya and Aurora walk over to the cotton candy stand. She sighs. “I’m sorry, Belle, I feel like a class A bitch. You deserved to be treated so much better than how I treated you.”
I take her hand and give her a warm smile. “I accept your apology.”
She blows out a relieved breath. During the time I worked for her I never saw a moment of uncertainty on her face. She was always so confident. So self-assured. And I hate that it’s gone. There is something wounded in her eyes. The last year has taken its toll on her.
But she looks good. Still very well put together. Prada handbag. Diamond earrings. A thousand dollar haircut. Stilettos she navigates with ease on the grass.
“I threw Julian out,” she explains. “Things hadn’t been working for a while, and I guess I tried to pretend they were fine. Then I saw the two of you together and I was just so angry. I can’t tell you how much I regretted my words to you, Belle. I treated you like a villain. But I know it was him.”
“I did try to explain.”
“You did. But when I walked in and saw my lecherous husband all over you, well…there’s no excuse. Call it a momentary lapse of reason. Or insanity. Whatever it was, I’m sorry. I’ve done a lot of work on myself to be a better person since booting that weasel out the front door.”
“You don’t need to keep apologizing. Its lovely to see you.”
She looks like she’s about to cry and pulls me in for a big hug. “Thank you.”
When she takes a step back, she dabs tears from under her eyes.
“I don’t supposed you’d be interested in a job as a nanny?” she asks.
I think about the secret growing in my belly and feel a surge of warmth spread through me. I place my hand on my slightly curved belly, excited for when I really start to show.
“I think I’m going to be a bit busy in the next few months.”
She glances at my hand. “You mean you’re…oh, Belle.”
She hugs me again.
And I get the feeling I’m going to get a lot of these in the future. Which is a nice feeling. I’ve missed having little Aurora in my life. And I think Dani and I might actually become friends.
“Well, hot damn,” Dani says, releasing me. “Who the hell is that?”
I follow her line of sight to where Beast is talking with Sticky.
“The tall one is my husband.”
“I figured. But I was talking about the hot piece of eye candy he’s talking to.”
“Really?” I have to clear my throat to hide my surprise. “I mean, that’s Sticky.”
“My goodness,” Dani says, fixing her hair as she eyes Sticky like he’s a tall glass of water. “I think you’d better introduce me.”