Page 90 of Heal
"Do I have to have this on all night?" Jeff fidgeted with the tie.
"Not all night, but for a while. I'll help you loosen it after we get some pictures." Beau worked his own tie into place. "You girls almost ready?" He called up the stairs.
Warren walked down the stairs, rolling his eyes. "They're in the bathroom trying to get their hair just right."
"How come Warren gets a different tie?" Jeff stared at him.
Beau took note of Warren's bow tie. "It's just a different kind of tie. If you like those better, we can buy you a few the next time we go shopping, but for tonight, you'll wear the one you have on."
"Sorry," Warren mouthed.
Beau waved it off before calling upstairs again. "Girls, we're going to be late." He'd forgotten how long it took teenage girls to get ready. He remembered his mother always yelling at his sister to hurry up.
"We're coming," Faith called.
He thought inviting Faith would help Lisa feel more comfortable, but now he was wondering if it was a mistake. The two of them together could easily be the death of him.
"Thanks for inviting me to join you tonight." Warren sat down on the couch.
"Of course. You're part of the family now." Beau smiled. He couldn't have picked anyone better to spend time with the kids. Warren was perfect for the job, and Beau meant it when he said he was included in the family. Warren just fit in, it was that simple.
The doorbell ringing gave him an excuse to step away for a moment. He rushed to the door, opening it, already sure who it would be. "I thought you'd never get here." He smiled as he stared at Parson dressed in his tuxedo. He looked so good, Beau wanted to undress him piece by piece and explore what was underneath. "You look amazing."
"So do you. It almost makes me want to keep you here and not share you with everyone tonight." Parson stepped inside, pausing to give Beau a kiss.
When Parson went to pull back, Beau stilled him, deepening the kiss, enjoying the feel of Parson tightly against him.
"They're kissing again," Lisa muttered.
"Yep, just like my dads. You learn to ignore it," Faith told her.
Beau forced himself to break away from Parson, but kept his arm around his waist as he turned to look at the girls. His breath caught as he stared at them both. He'd never seen Faith dressed up in a formal, and she looked amazing, but what had his attention most was Lisa. She'd transformed from a shy, mousy looking girl into a young woman. The light touch of makeup, the curl to her hair, the lavender dress that fit her way better than Beau liked, even though it was now very obvious she was pregnant. She was gorgeous. "Girls, you look beautiful." He stepped forward, taking Lisa's hand and spinning her around. "You are going to be the belles of the ball." He pulled Lisa to him and hugged her.
Faith grinned. "I told you."
Lisa blushed. "I've never worn anything like this. I almost feel like Cinderella."
Beau realized how true that probably was. Lisa had come from abuse and poverty into a whole new life here with him. It had to be overwhelming for her and Jeff. "Just don't let any prince steal you away." Beau smiled.
It took another ten minutes to get everyone in the car, but once they were pulling out of the driveway, Beau was overwhelmed with how great his life had become. As he looked around the car, he hoped this was exactly what his future held. He wanted this to be his family. He wanted Parson by his side, raising Lisa and Jeff, and Warren, if he chose to stick around, had his place as well. Beau cared about each of them. This was the family he always dreamed of having, but never thought he'd find.
As if reading his thoughts, Parson reached over and placed his hand on Beau's thigh. It was a simple gesture, but it connected them, and that was what Beau needed. As excited as he was for the fundraiser tonight, he was also thinking about the team. He hated when they did big stings, and knowing there were armed guards around only made it worse. He'd had to talk himself out of blowing off the event and going to the STK house for the night, just so he could be there just in case.
Parson was aware he was worried about the team, but he hadn't told him exactly why or who they were going after. The man was one of Parson's co-workers, and he didn't want to put Parson in the position to have to face him over the last few days and hide what he knew. It was best to wait until it was over, and then explain it all to him.
He forced himself to focus on the fundraiser. He had a huge night ahead, with three musical performances, dinner, dancing, a raffle, and Santa, not to mention the autograph and photo sessions. He needed to stop worrying about the team and worry about the money they needed to build a new home for the kids.
The event was sold out, thanks to several big-named celebrities that signed on to just hang out and pose for pictures. He had Parson's dad to thank for a lot of them. While his own family knew people in the business world, Parson had been able to hit the Hollywood elite, the people who attracted the fans and would bring in the audience he needed to promote his cause.
"Okay, you guys stick with either Beth or Warren if I'm not around. No matter what, none of you are to go off on your own or with anyone else." Beau glanced at Warren who gave him a nod.
"Where will you be?" Jeff asked.
"I'll be around and I plan to spend as much time as I can with you guys, but since Parson and I are the ones throwing the party, we might have to deal with other things from time to time. More than anything, I'm excited to introduce you guys as my family, as my kids." He smiled at Lisa and Jeff.
He'd asked the kids earlier if it was okay with them if he publicly told people he was adopting them and called them his kids. They'd both been happy to have him do that, and Jeff had even said he'd tell people he was their dad. It wasn't quite as good as having Jeff call him Dad, but it was close enough. His heart had swelled and he doubted he'd ever feel that content with life again.
Once he had the car parked, and had given the speech about staying together again, he forced himself to get out of the car. The arena he'd rented for the night was full of activity, and from where they stood in the back-dock area, he could see a line of fans watching through the gate, hoping to get a look at their favorite stars. Luckily, that wasn't him. He wasn't anyone fans flocked to most of the time. While they all knew his name, they didn't chase him like they did the actors and singers.
