Chapter 11
Thane – POV ?
It is an odd feeling – peace.
It’s a soft and gentle feeling, but when you first recognize it, it hits like a tidal wave, and you’re left wondering how you ever lived your life any other way.
Watching Ava run around, throwing piles and piles of grass into the air, laughing and having the time of her life; having Courtney resting against me, her back to my chest, her hands playing with my fingers, a content smile on her face; I have never in my life felt complete and utter peace.
Happiness, joy, excitement – yes, I have experienced those but knowing that I am exactly where I am supposed to be, that my entire life has lead me to this moment and there is nothing I would change about it; it’s like my soul finally settled and I can breath for the first time.
“You okay, back there, big guy? You’ve gone awfully still.” Courtney turned slightly so she could look at me and I couldn’t resist anymore.
I turned her completely around, caging her body between my legs, her hands planted on my chest and those beautiful, chocolate eyes widened as I cupped her face.
“Can I kiss you, honey?” I swept my finger along her bottom lip, “I don’t want to rush you or make you feel uncomfortable, but damn if I don’t want to know the way you taste.”
I kissed her forehead, the corner of her eye, “tell me to stop and I swear I will,” I whispered against her flushed cheek, “but if you don’t, I’m going to kiss the hell out of you.”
Her eyes fluttered for a moment, before her hands tightened on my shirt, and pulled herself up my body to wrap a hand around my neck, “you’re talking too much, Bear,” she sighed against my lips.
I growled low as I wrapped one arm around her soft middle and sunk my other hand in her hair and pulled her mouth firmly against mine.
And damn, if I didn’t see stars.
She moaned and opened up on a gasp and I took full advantage, sweeping in and getting my first taste.
I wasn’t the only one affected. Her fingers flexed on the nape of my neck, and she was pushing herself closer and closer, as if she were trying to climb inside my chest.
Her tiny whimpers and soft sighs set my body on fire. A need so strong nearly dropped me to my knees; I wanted to know everything about this woman, inside and out, yet I had to slow down.
It was one thing to kiss her but to take it further right now was unfair to her and to the relationship I wanted to build, the life I wanted to build with her.
So, I slowed the kiss. I relaxed the tight hold on her and gently swept my hands up and down her body, trying to soothe the ache that I knew was there.
Leaning back, I broke the kiss, putting a small amount of space between us, hoping to cool us off, but she wasn’t having it.
She lowered her arms to circle around my waist and laid her head against me, feeling the rapid beating of my heart and the rise and fall of my chest as I tried to steady my breathing.
It made me smile knowing she was the same. Her hands moved slowly against my back, rubbing up and down, small shudders racked her body and there was a constant, content sigh coming from her.
“You okay, honey?” I murmured against the top of her head, “you’re awful still.”
She snorted and my smile grew a mile wide as she buried deeper into my hold. “I’m the best I’ve been in a very long time,” she said quietly.
“Coco, Coco,” Ava yelled running up to us, with her arms full of things. “Bear, look!”
“Oh wow, sweet pea,” Courtney said, kneeling down to inspect all the fairy treasures, “they left you so much.”
Next thing I knew, I was sitting on the ground as Ava showed off each one of her many treasures. Some of her favorites; a rock, a big leaf, a cup full of pennies – courtesy of my father, a braided necklace – from Devin, a pink ribbon – from Megan, a ‘baby screwdriver’ – from Sean.
“Don’t forget the yummy brownie,” I smiled at her. Mom was not to be outdone and swiped the last brownie, wrapped it up in a paper towel and hid it carefully under one of the many grass mounds in the front yard.
“Yummy brownie,” she whispered in a deep, groaning voice that had me rolling.
I was still laughing as Courtney tied the ribbon in her hair, placed the braided necklace around her neck and put the rock, leaf and screwdriver into the cup full of pennies. “Okay, beloved it’s time to go.”
We all stood up and I grabbed Ava and placed her high on my shoulder while I wrapped an arm around Courtney and led them to my truck.
“Oh, thank God, your mother remembered to take out the car seat.”
I kissed her head again. I have a feeling that Courtney has spent too long taking care of things herself and that’s going to change.
My family was here, and they would no doubt be showing up and chipping in wherever they could and then there’s me.
I was going to take care of as much as she would let me, in whatever way she needed me. I would gladly pick up the burdens that she has been carrying and support her as well.
She wouldn’t have to do a damn thing if she didn’t want to and I plan on explaining that in vivid detail soon.
Ava waited patiently by the truck as Courtney climbed in to show me how the car seat was secured to the backseat, then how Ava was to be strapped in, although she did say that Ava could undo her own buckle, but only with permission.
“Cuz, I’s a big girl,” she smiled at me, clutching her fairy treasures.
“You are Poppy,” I squeezed her cheeks, “the bestest big girl.”
I shut the door to her happy squeal and got into the driver’s seat. “Where to love?” I asked, backing out of the spot and headed down the long driveway.
“Brownies!” Ava shouted from the backseat.
“I would like to explore the town, learn where things are,” she shrugged, “you know, like the grocery store, bank, Ava’s school.”
“Got it,” I said, driving us back towards Once Again.
“The town is tiny compared to the larger city that is about an hour away, but we have all the necessary stores, and they can order anything you could want or need if they don’t have what you’re looking for. A lot of times though,
we will make a trip into the city to stock up on big items or like mom who has to stock up the house for the tourist season.”
“That’s good to know,” she said. “And when does this tourist season start for her?”
“Normally, people start coming in around the end of April to the beginning of May. We have a lot of parades,” I said, “or festivals that many other towns don’t celebrate and definitely not the cities. Most families like to come once school is done,
although we do get some that like to come during spring-break.”
“So, there are kid-friendly things to do around here?”
We crested the hill that welcomed us back into Once Again, showing off the town in all its glory. “Actually,” I muttered, “no, not really. I mean, there’s nature trails by the dozens around here and some of those places have small lakes that are used for swimming, but no. Nothing just for kids.”
“That’s kind of weird,” she laughs looking back at Ava playing quietly in the backseat, “the town does parades and things but other than that … Don’t get me wrong, this place is gorgeous but if the town is catering to families with kids, I just thought, you know.”
She shifted in her seat to lean on the console and poked me in the side, “how about you design a playground? Or one of those nature trail jungle-gym obstacle course thingy’s?”
“Thingy’s?” I smiled, coming to a stop light.
“Yeah, with rope bridges, climbing walls … thingy’s.”
“A treehouse!” Ava again shouts from the back. “A play treehouse.”
“That’s a great idea, Poppy,” I smile at her in the rearview mirror, although I look at Courtney with a raised brow.
“It’s weird, but she hears everything. You’d think she is busy doing her own thing and boom, she’s elbow deep in your conversation,” she shrugged, obviously used to it. “And that is a good idea, Ava baby, maybe like one of those funhouses we went to at the fair, but up in a tree.”
“That was fun.”
We decided to park the truck and walk around to explore the area. Ava hopped along using our arms to help her jump further along as I explained more about the stores and how nearly all of them were privately owned businesses.
I was shocked by how different the people were acting towards me as I walked with Courtney and Ava. Of course, it could have been because I didn’t look like a grumpy ass mountain man anymore, but I think it was because of those two. They were full of life and magic.
We stopped in front of a store with a handwritten sign that read “Burn Bright” that had dozens of candles displayed in the windows.
Ava was admiring all the colors; her small hands pressed against the glass, whispering words of ‘how pretty’.
Courtney had knelt down to talk to her, but she kept her hand in mine, smiling the entire time.
They were full of life and magic, I thought again as I pulled Courtney up and kissed her soundly, swallowing her surprised gasp.
“You’s kissed her,” Ava shouted, gathering everyone’s attention.
Whistles and several claps sounded around us as we broke a part. “Yeah, I did, Poppy. I did.”
We continued our journey around town. Stopping at several stores and buying a few things, but really for me to introduce the girls to people. Once Again was a small, close-knit place and I wanted them to feel included, to feel like they belonged here.
Because I wasn’t going to let them go.
We went by the bank and grocery store on our way to look at Ava’s school.
It had been a long time since I came to the side of town that had the school and was happy to see that it looked freshly painted, with flowers beds in full bloom and a happy, if not small, playground that had kids running around it.
Ava was beyond excited to see other kids and though we couldn’t let her actually go inside to play, we did manage to speak to the secretary and get all the paperwork done for her to be signed up for the upcoming school year.
The principal was nice enough to show us around and took us to see her soon-to-be classroom and her teacher, Ms. Andromeda Onasis, who went by Ms. Andi, was there to greet us.
“I’s excited to start.”
I scooped her up as we left, gathering up the bags we stowed behind the secretary’s desk and headed outside. “I bet you are going to have a blast with your new teacher.”
“She’s weal preddy and nice.”
“I think you’re going to do great with her, beloved,” Courtney said, coming up beside us and giving her a kiss on the cheek.
Ava was happily swinging her feet back and forth, content to let me carry her around. “How about we head back to the truck so we can go to the Inn?”
“We’s done?”
“Well, almost,” I said, juggling her from one arm to the other so I could wrap my freed arm around Courtney. “I thought that maybe we could make a stop at the bakery and –”
“Brownies!”
Laughing, I ignored Courtney’s groan, and agreed with Ava, “yep, brownies. I think Sean and Devin were sad they didn’t get any.”
“Oh’s no,” Ava looked so sad. “I’s share them this time, then they’s be happy!”