Page 88 of Saving You

She nods. “I just need my shoes.”

“Okay. Let’s go downstairs and put those on so we can go see the fish.”

She hops up, and we make our way downstairs. As I finish putting on our shoes, Caleb comes down the stairs. He moves with precision as he takes each step. I watch the flex of the muscles in his thighs. When he reaches the bottom, he smirks, and I know he caught me checking him out. He ensures both Charlie and I are properly bundled with gloves, scarves, and toques before we head to the truck.

Arriving at the aquarium, Charlie insists on holding Caleb’s hand, and he smiles as he takes hers. He holds mine with the other, and we get in line to purchase our tickets. I go to reach for my wallet, but his hand instantly goes to mine and he gives me a hard stare and shakes his head.

“Bailey, you’re with me. When you’re with me, my girls don’t pay. I’ve got it.”

He taps his card before grabbing my hand again. When we step inside the door, he shuffles us off to the side quickly. His hand leaves mine, and his arm wraps around my middle, pulling me in close. He looks down at Charlie with a soft smile, then back at me.

He speaks to both of us. “I don’t want you two to need, want, or worry about anything. That means, when we go out, I pay. You need something, you tell me, and I’ll get it. I will always take care of my girls. I promise you that.” He looks down at Charlie, his arm dropping from around my waist as he crouches in front of her. “Charlotte, my Little Bear. You know you can always count on your mom, but I want you to know you can come to me with anything too.”

She nods and wraps her arms around his neck, hugging him. “I love you,” she whispers.

“I love you more, Little Bear.”

Of course, this conversation is happening in the middle of a very public place and I’m now on the brink of tears.

He stands up and pulls me into him. His lips dust over my temple. “I want to take care of you. You’re not on your own anymore.”

He kisses me softly, and we move towards the entrance for the tropical fish. As we get closer, Charlie pulls her hand free and starts to run forward.

“Charlotte,” Caleb calls, and she stops in her tracks and turns to him with a perplexed look. He never calls her by her full name.

He crouches down. She steps closer, and Caleb takes her hands.

“We’re going to set a couple of ground rules, okay?” he asks, and she nods.

“I want you to have fun today, but I need to know you’re safe. There are lots of people here. You don’t have to hold our hand the whole time. You’re a big girl, but we need to be able to see you. So you can’t run too far ahead. You need to make sure you can see us too. If you can’t find us, you find someone wearing a uniform that says security or a blue shirt with the aquarium logo and you have them call us and we will be right there. Okay?”

She nods again, and he leans in and kisses her forehead.

“Okay, let’s go see some fish.”

She grins, turning and making her way to the tank filled with blue fish. Pressing her hands to the glass, she stares inside with a look of pure joy.

A fish swims towards her, and her eyes light up. Bouncing on her toes, she turns towards us. “Daddy, it’s Dory. Come see Dory.”

I freeze. Is Derek here? And if he is, how did he find us? My head swivels, and my eyes are peeled, looking for that familiar frame of the man I used to love. Charlie, impatient, runs up to us, grabbing Caleb’s hand and pulling him. “Daddy, come see Dory.”

All the emotions that rush through me at once are overwhelming. Relief that Derek isn’t here. Love for my daughter and the relationship she’s built with Caleb. Gratefulness to Caleb that he’s been such an influence in my daughter’s life. Joy that we have a man in our lives who genuinely cares for both Charlie and me.

A tear runs down my cheek, and I quickly brush it away before going and joining them in front of the fish tank. Charlie drags us around the entire aquarium, making sure we see all her favourite things. When we finally finish our rounds, we stop for a quick lunch at a nearby restaurant. On our way home, Charlie begs us to watchFinding Nemo, and Caleb, being the softy he is for her, agrees.

We spend the rest of the day as a quintessential family day, and as we sit eating dinner, I realize the three of us do make a family. Caleb has made me feel safe when I wasn’t sure I ever would in a relationship again.

CHAPTER 31

Caleb

Once we put Charlie to bed, I lead Bailey into our room with every intention of keeping that promise I made to her this morning. Closing the door behind me, I lean against it, taking in Bailey’s beauty. My eyes slowly trail up her body, taking in every glorious inch of her.

“Strip.” My voice is low, demanding.

I watch as she does as she’s told. Her arms instinctively come in front of her, and she clasps her hands together. Her reflex is to hide her body, and I’m not having any of that shit. Leaving her standing there, I make my way into the closet and grab a tie.

Stepping out of the closet, I ask, “Do you trust me?”

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