Page 50 of Gabriel & Skye

“Come in.” Gabriel gestures behind him, holding the door open. “Trinity was just finishing getting ready for school, weren’t you, honey?” He gives her a pointed look, and she runs off.

I follow him inside the large entryway with a huge ornate timber light fixture hanging down from a very high ceiling. The hardwood floors are a golden yellow hue with distinct patterns swirling through each plank. I wonder if the wood came from the property; they have enough of it. Gabriel leads us up the hallway to an open-plan kitchen, living, and dining space, where it appears he’s making his daughter a packed lunch.

The area is huge. The kitchen looks state-of-the-art with a six-burner stove and a commercial sized oven. A long, dark granite island is the focal point of the kitchen, along with the pressed tin copper splash back. The enormous living room sits off to the right with a big sectional couch and a TV the size of Brazil. The dining room is set up to the left with a beautifully carved, long dining table. It has enough chairs to seat twelve people. This guy doesn’t do things by halves.

“Can I get you a coffee or anything while we wait for Geraldine?”

I realize as usual I’m early. I don’t like being late for anything.

I wonder if he’ll see the irony in my reply. “I don’t drink coffee, but tea would be lovely.”

He glances up briefly. “Really? You don’t drink coffee?”

“Is it that hard to believe?” I smile at Trinity as she dances in the living room, twirling around and around with her bunny as she sings.

“I guess it explains a few things.” He presses his lips together, as if he’s trying not to laugh, and walks over to the kettle to click it on.

“Hey, it was my first day.”

“Well, the second time was a lot better.” It would almost be comical if it wasn’t me that had made him such a shit coffee and having him complain about it.

“Was the first one really that bad?”

“Did you think I was complaining for no reason?” He turns back to me, and I’m expecting him to look serious, but he doesn’t. He looks amused.

And when Gabriel Bassett smiles — which I’m guessing isn’t very often — the whole world lights up.

I notice he’s also only half-dressed. Walking around in beige suit pants with a cream-colored shirt, he looks almost casual. Or as casual as Gabriel could get. Maybe that’s because he hasn’t put on his jacket yet; his gold silk tie hangs loosely around his neck.

“I couldn’t see where I went wrong.”

He busies himself, making his coffee while the kettle boils for my tea.

“Are you still going to be working at the cafe?”

“I don’t think I’ll have time once Geraldine leaves, maybe a morning here or there. The days Trinity is home you’re going to need me here, right?”

“Yes, that’s the idea,” he says. “Unless you plan on taking your barista skills to the next level.”

It’s my turn to hide my smile. It’s not even like I can stay mad at him.

I look down at Trinity pulling on my pants leg. “Bunnykins wants to come to school, but Daddy said no.” She waves her bunny up in the air at me.

“Daddy didn’t say no,” Gabe interjects as I take in the beautiful stone feature fireplace under the mounted TV. The place is pretty neat and minimal for a guy with a small child. I’m quite impressed. “Daddy said it was better to leave him here so I don’t lose him. What do you think, Miss Skye?”

Miss Skye? I kinda like that.

Gabriel flicks those deep blues at me and I’m toast. Literally dead. They’re so stinking pretty and I realize that I’m staring.

“I think it’s probably a good idea, Trinity. And I have an idea.”

Trinity’s eyes watch me interestedly, waiting for me to elaborate. “What if Bunnykins rides in the car with us and Geraldine to school, and then he comes home with me and we’ll pick a spot now where he can be waiting for you when you get home?”

I see Gabriel’s lips quirk up in my peripheral. Damn, he has cute lips too.

Trinity seems to like that idea, as she nods excitedly. “Okay. Which spot, Miss Skye blue?”

I laugh at her choice of words.

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