Chapter 19 #2
“You better be careful. I could get used to this,” she teased as she picked up the coffee cup.
His smiled faded as he looked her in the eye. “I fully plan to be sure that you do. I want to make sure that no one could ever in a million years make you as happy as I can. Take better care of you than I can.”
Angelle’s own smile fell as she realized that he was still afraid she’d change her mind. “Boon, you know I’m yours, right? I’m never leaving here. You’re kind of stuck with me.”
Boon nodded and tried to smile but fell short. “I do here,” he said, pointing to his heart. “But here? I’m still convincing myself that I’m worthy of you,” he said as he pointed to his head.
“I’m the luckiest woman who’s ever breathed, because I was made for you, and you love me.
It’s all new for me, too, but I can assure you of one thing…
I’ll never leave you. Not because I can’t, but because I don’t want to be without you.
We belong to each other and the only choices for us in the future are to live happily or live fighting, because there is no quitting.
We don’t walk away. It’s not an option.”
He seemed to breathe a bit easier as he nodded. “I like that. Walking away is not an option.”
“I love you,” she said.
“I love you,” he said, stopping to grin at her for a few moments as he took a towel out of the linen closet and rolled it up before easing it behind her head.
They heard a knock on the door, and then Carnage yelled from the kitchen. “Dahn!”
“Take your time in here. Soak for as long as you want, and add more hot water if you need to. Call me if you need anything. I’m not leaving the house. The porch is as far as I’m going. I’ll hear you if you call for me.”
She nodded as she sipped her coffee.
As Boon left the bathroom, she set the coffee cup down in the tray, and looked at the three heavily buttered biscuits on the plate he’d brought her.
There were three spoonfuls of blackberry jam.
“I hope you really love me because if you keep feeding me like this, I’m gonna gain so much weight,” she said.
“Wouldn’t matter,” he said with a chuckle, as he walked away from the bathroom.
Angelle giggled to herself. Actually giggled. She knew that she could gain three hundred pounds and he’d still love her as much as he did today. “I’m home,” she said, looking around her bathroom.
~~~
Daniel knocked on Boon and Angelle’s door, and immediately heard Carnage yell his name from inside, followed by heavy footsteps and the door being opened by Carnage. “Morning.”
“Feesh?!” Carnage asked.
“I’m ready. You?”
“’Es!” Carnage said happily.
“Morning, Daniel,” Boon said, walking into the room behind Carnage. “Want to come in?”
“Noo!” Carnage said, pushing Daniel back away from the door and walking out onto the porch himself.
“I guess not,” Daniel said.
“What are you doing?” Boon asked his father.
“Feesh!” Carnage said again.
“Have you had breakfast?” Boon asked.
“Yes, I have. Lily can cook as well as Avaleigh. And they’re trading recipes of the things each doesn’t cook so before long, I’m sure they’ll both be equal to world class chefs.”
“Wouldn’t surprise me,” Boon said. “Angelle is in the bath or she’d come say hi.”
“Not a problem. We’re not here to intrude on your privacy; just want to be sure she’s secure and has the opportunity to choose her own outcomes.”
“Appreciate that. Wish you’d explain the privacy thing to him,” Boon said, pointing at Carnage.
Daniel laughed. “I’m sure he knows and just probably doesn’t care.”
Carnage laughed, nodding. “’Mon. Deemah,” he said, waving Daniel to follow him.
Daniel watched as Carnage gathered five poles and a tackle box, leaving two more tackle boxes and a very large basket on the porch. “I’ll get these,” he said.
Carnage nodded.
“Are we going to fish right here?” Daniel asked, looking out at the bayou.
“No, you’re going to Dima’s,” Boon said. “He’s my father’s best friend. He’s a very nice male, very good male.”
“Looking forward to meeting him,” Daniel said.
“His place is off another branch of this bayou. It’s one of my father’s favorite fishing spots.”
Daniel nodded, but instead of walking away, seemed hesitant to leave and unsure of what exactly to say. Finally he looked Boon right in the eye and without flinching asked what he needed to know. “She alright?”
Boon nodded. He’d had no doubt that Daniel would be able to detect the slight shift in his scent now that he and Angelle were mated.
Which in retrospect is probably the reason Carnage was trying to prevent Daniel from entering the house.
“She’s great. We both are. We’re just moving a little more slowly today, taking advantage of the morning to sleep in and hang around the house together. ”
“It’s official, though,” Daniel said.
“Yes, sir. It is. We mutually decided to take the step. Neither of us could consider a future without the other regardless of what else comes our way. Rest assured, I will die for her.”
“Let’s hope it never comes to that. If she’s decided to accept you as her mate, she’d be devastated if anything happened to you. Nobody wants that.”
Boon smiled and nodded.
Daniel put down the tackle boxes and the basket he’d picked up, then embraced Boon. “Welcome to the family, Boon.”
Boon hugged him back. “Thank you, sir.”
Daniel nodded, stepped back and picked up the boxes and the basket again. “She’s in the bath?” he asked.
“Yes, sir.”
“I’ll see you later, baby!” Daniel called out.
“Good morning, Daddy! Okay!” Angelle answered, her voice raised so he could hear her.
She still forgot that he could hear so much better than most. The tinkling sound of the water from her bath as she moved confirming that she was indeed taking a bath.
But he’d already known that because he’d detected no lie from Boon when Boon had told him where Angelle was.
“Have a good day. I have no doubt that you’ll need to relax as much as you can if this party of Lily’s is even half of what she anticipates it being.”
“Oh, no,” Boon said.
“Oh, yeah. Females should not plan the parties. Males should. Just a few people, a little bit of food, and only one drink per person,” Daniel said.
“Because everybody goes home when the food and drink run out,” Boon said.
“Exactly,” Daniel agreed.
Carnage shook his head. “’Arnge wan chocat ice.”
“Chocolate ice cream?” Daniel asked.
Carnage nodded.
“He’s got a problem with chocolate and ice cream,” Boon said.
“I figure with everything Lily’s planning, a little ice cream can’t hurt,” Daniel said to Carnage. Then he focused on Boon meaningfully. “It’s tomorrow.”
“We just mated!” Boon exclaimed.
Daniel nodded. “It’s going to be stressful, but not as bad as it could be, I think. Angelle’s met a few people and we’ll all be there, too. Still, it could overwhelm her.”
“Then I’ll bring her home and we’ll lock all the doors and hide ourselves here,” Boon said.
Daniel grinned. “Good. Hopefully you won’t have to, but if you do, we’ll pack up some food and bring it over; have our own party here.”
“Sounds good to me,” Boon said.
“Feesh!!!!!!!” Carnage insisted.
“I’m coming!” Daniel said, following Carnage down the stairs. “See ya’ll later!” he called out as Boon waved and closed the door.
Carnage went around the house and started through the trees.
Daniel kept up with him with no problem at all, but seemed a little quieter than usual.
Finally Carnage glanced over at him. “Dahn ‘kay?” he asked. His voice was serious, he was obviously concerned.
Daniel nodded as he took in a deep breath and let it out again slowly.
“Yeah. She’s mated. I mean, she can’t be mated if they didn’t mate.
And she’s an adult. And Boon is a good male and I have no doubt he’ll take care of her.
I’m just trying to reconcile the little girl I saw her as a few weeks ago with the young mated woman she’s quickly become.
She’s done a lot of growing, maturity wise, in a short amount of time.
Obviously she’s ready for it, beyond ready, actually.
I’m proud of her, I really am. I’m just not sure that I’m ready for her to be ready. It’s me that has to adjust now.”
Carnage patted him on the back and nodded.
He completely got it. He still wasn’t used to Lily and Carrik being mated, when he found out that Tempest had mated Brandt.
Sometimes he wondered if they weren’t on to something when they hid their daughters away in the Middle Ages to keep them away from males who were interested in them. “Bee ‘kay,” Carnage said.
“Yeah. I still think I liked it better when I could tell her to go to her room and be done with it.”
“’Es! ‘Arnge say saaaame!”