“Hi Gigi,” she called out as she ran over to her and jumped in her awaiting arms.
“Good morning, Mrs. Rivers,” I spoke as I watched her and Cheyanne embraced. Just the way Cheyanne clung to her and spoke to her, I could see the bond these two shared.
“Please call me Leann, dear,” she said with a smile.
“Yes, ma’am,” I spoke with a nod.
“Have fun with Gigi today, kiddo.”
“I will. Bye, Mommy. Bye, Daddy,” she called out as Gage handed his mother Cheyanne’s bag for the day.
I didn’t miss the intake of air from Gage’s mom as she looked down at Cheyanne and then over to me. I gave her a simple nod and a smile, to which she smiled back at me, understanding the meaning behind my unspoken words.
“Bye, sweetie. Be good for Grandma,” I told her as I walked over to the island to grab my purse and computer bag.
We walked out of the penthouse shortly after Gage’s mom left.
“This morning felt different, but in such a good way,” Gage said as we waited for the elevator.
“It did. It felt like how our mornings should be.”
“You’re great with her, and I can tell how much she loves you already. She’s never taken to anyone the way she has with you.”
“It’s easy to love her. She’s an amazing little girl, and I’m honored to be in her life.”
“And we’re thankful to have you in ours,” he admitted as we walked into the elevator to head into work.
Chapter 17
Gage drove me to work, which I tried to convince him that he didn’t need to do, but he insisted. I felt like he was hiding something with the way he kept insisting that he drive me, but I didn’t ask. It felt odd, but in a good way, to have him take me to the office. It felt like we were domesticated in a way.
He even walked me to my office door, before he placed a chaste kiss on my lips.
“Dinner tonight. I’ll be here to pick you up,” he said as he watched me from the entryway set everything down on my desk.
“Is that why you insisted on driving me here today?”
“Maybe.”
“Then I can’t wait.”
“Good. I hope you like where we’re going.”
“You could just tell me and then you’ll know if I’ll like it.”
“Not gonna happen, sweetheart. Nice try. Just enjoy the surprise tonight.”
“Fine. If you insist.”
“I do. Have a good day at work. Think of me often.”
“Always.” I smiled up at him as I watched him turn and leave.
Two of the ladies in the office walked over to me as I was on my way to the break room to make my morning cup of joe.
“So that’s the elusive husband? Damn, girl. He’s fine,” the younger one spoke. Her name wasn’t ringing a bell this morning. Millie stood beside her full of smiles as they waited to get the juicy story. One I wasn’t going to give them. My private life was just that. Private.
“That’s Gage. And, thank you.” I placed the cup on the counter and poured myself the caffeinated goodness.
“You’re one lucky woman. He seems to adore you,” Millie spoke. This is the most we’ve ever spoken. She kept to herself, and I kept to mine.
“He does and yes I am. I count my blessings every day,” I replied as I poured in my cream and sugar and stirred the cup.
“Have a good day, ladies,” I said as I walked away. I could be polite, but I wasn’t one to enjoy being in the limelight. Shutting them down was the best option to keep from becoming the office gossip story.
The rest of the day passed without incident, and as I shut down my computer I heard the pitter patter of little feet coming toward my office door. I placed my laptop in my bag so I could finish up a contract tonight and as I looked up, Cheyanne came rushing around the corner and into my office.
“Mommy, we have a prize for you,” Cheyanne spoke as she ran up to me and jumped into my arms.
“You do?” I replied as I took in her appearance. She had changed into a beautiful blue and white dress with matching white shoes and white tights. We must’ve been going somewhere rather fancy for Gage to have changed her clothes. The orange bows were swapped out with white ones. Shockingly her braids were still in place.
She nodded her head up and down and pointed to Gage who was leaning on the door frame taking the two of us in.
“A surprise, huh?”
“Yes, a surprise. You ready to go?”
“I sure am.” I placed Cheyanne on my hip and grabbed my purse and computer bag off the desk.
We walked out of the office building and got into Gage’s car. Not once had he hinted as to where we were going. I loved surprises, but the anticipation always had my anxiety on high alert.
We drove the short drive deeper into the city and pulled up right in front of the Space Needle. Living here all this time and I hated to admit I’d never been here.
“Prize, Mommy,” she screamed from the back of the SUV.
“Thank you. I’m definitely surprised.”
“We not done yet,” she said as Gage shushed her from the backseat. I got out of the vehicle and grabbed my purse from the backseat.
Gage carried Cheyanne through the busy parking lot and held my hand the entire way to the door. He pulled the pre-purchased tickets from his jacket and handed them to the lovely lady at the door.
We arrived at the top in no time, and the views took my breath away.
“It’s so beautiful from up here,” I said as I left his side and walked to the windows and looked out. The sun was setting and the water shimmered from below. The mountains off in the distance were so beautiful. I couldn’t take my eyes away.
“Mommy,” I vaguely heard Cheyanne say from behind me.
She tugged at the bottom of my dress seconds later when I didn’t respond.
I turned around to find Gage kneeling on the floor behind me and Cheyanne nestled close to his chest. My hand went to my mouth as I took in the sight of them and what this could possibly mean. A white piece of paper was in his hand, and he held it out for me to see.
“I want you to take a close look at the date on this receipt,” he said.
I looked down and noted that the date was just three days after we returned from Vegas. What could he have possibly gotten on that date?
“Okay,” I said, waiting for an explanation.
I looked up from him and around the room. Each and every person had grown quiet as they waited to see what Gage had planned.
He handed Cheyanne a deep burgundy colored box and whispered something into her ear.
She held out the box to me after she opened it and looked inside. The box still faced in her direction so I couldn’t see what it contained.
“I’ve waited what seemed like an eternity to give you this. I wanted to wait until you were ready to accept it. To accept the inevitable when it came to you and me. You see, I’ve known from the moment you kissed me in that bar that you were it for me. Don’t ask me how. I just did. This connection between us may have happened on a whim, but I know deep within my heart that it’ll last. After yesterday, you solidified what I already knew.”
He paused as he signaled for Cheyanne to speak. He spoke with such confidence and conviction.
“Mommy, will you stay wif Daddy foreber?” Cheyanne asked. I swear there wasn’t a dry eye in the place as she spoke those words.
“Yes,” I said as I finally turned the box around to peer inside.
Nestled inside was a gorgeous art-deco white gold wedding set. An oval-shaped diamond sat center of a halo of diamonds. The bands were a leaf and vine vintage style that had diamonds placed at the stem of each leaf. It was breathtaking.
Gage pulled the rings out of the box and placed them on my left ring finger then stood. The entire placed applauded, and he pulled me in for a hug.
“You’re perfect and all mine,” I told him as he held me close.
“And you’re all mine,” he replied.
“Yes, and yours too,” Gage and I spoke at the same time.
Throughout dinner, I couldn’t stop staring at the ring. I also couldn’t stop questioning how this was my life. Not in a bad way. In an amazing way. I never thought I’d get here. Never thought I was worthy enough to be this happy and lucky. But somehow, Gage had chosen me and hadn’t given up when he could’ve cut and run the second we left Vegas.
Before we left, I took the opportunity to go over to the window one last time. I snapped a photo of my left hand with the view in the background and sent it to Lizzie and Madeline.
“Come on, Mommy. Let’s go home and watch Nemo.”
“You want to watch Nemo swim in his tank?”
“No, silly. The mobie,” she clarified, and I laughed as I teased her.
“Alright. Home and Nemo it is.” I picked her up and held her on my left hip in between Gage and me.
A couple was entering the doors just as we were exiting and I stopped them, asking if they would mind getting a photo of us. I wanted something to remember this feeling and tonight’s significance.
They happily agreed telling us how beautiful our family was. We thanked them when they handed my phone back to me and walked out into the rain. Hurriedly, we walked to the vehicle and got Cheyanne inside without her getting too wet. I didn’t walk over to my side of the vehicle though. I waited for Gage to shut her door before I pulled him into me.
The rain came down around us, soaking our clothes through, but I didn’t care. I wanted to kiss my husband in the rain. His mouth crashed down onto mine, his tongue immediately licking my lips for access. Which I readily gave him. Our tongues caressed each other as Gage’s hands framed my face. My hands went behind him and held on for dear life. Man, he could kiss. He knew just how to set my body on fire with just a simple kiss. I hoped this never got old.
“What was that for? Not that I’m complaining,” he asked when he pulled away.
“I needed to see what all the fuss was about.”
“Fuss?” he questioned as he turned his head to the side. Confusion etched in his features. His brows furrowed as he waited for an answer.
“Kissing in the rain.”
“Did one of your precious book boyfriends kiss his lady in the rain?”
“He sure did. And let me tell you, holy shit it was hot.”
“Ours better have been hotter,” he commanded as he led me around the vehicle and opened my door for me to hop inside.
Once I was sitting in the seat, he shut the door and ran around the front before hoping behind the wheel.
I couldn’t contain my laughter as he shook his head, rain flying off the strands of his hair.
“Hotter?” he asked, waiting for me to agree.
“Meh, it was okay,” I replied. Unable to contain myself, I let out a full belly laugh.
“You’ll pay for that later,” he warned.
“I can’t wait, dear husband,” I taunted.
“It’s on, my sweet wife. It’s so on.”
Chapter 18
That night, Gage stayed true to his word. He showed me repeatedly, until the wee hours of the morning, how much I meant to him and how I should never taunt him about book boyfriends being better than the real thing. The tiredness I felt the next morning was totally worth having my body ravaged.
Lizzie and Madeline texted me that night asking for details, but I didn’t reply. They could suffer until this weekend when I could share with them over a glass of wine.
The next few days flew by and finally Saturday arrived. Lizzie had gotten back from her honeymoon late last night, and we were set to have a girls’ night at my apartment.
Gage, Cheyanne, and I had a lazy Saturday morning. We ate breakfast on the couch while we watched her favorite cartoons. Cheyanne fell asleep just after lunch between Gage and me. It was a picturesque moment that I wished we could freeze in time.
We didn’t even get out of our pajamas until late in the afternoon. It was a day we all needed. Just the relaxation alone had me feeling refreshed from the business of the week.
I stretched as I stood from the spot on the couch I proudly claimed all day.
Cheyanne got up behind me and mimicked my actions.
“Don’t forget I’m going to meet up with the girls tonight,” I reminded Gage.
“I didn’t forget. Cheyanne and I are going to make tacos and play some board games. Isn’t that right, kiddo?”
“I wanna go too,” Cheyanne pouted up at me and batted her pretty blue eyes.
“Hey, kiddo. It’s for grownups only. You don’t wanna hang here with Daddy?”
“No, Gage. It’s okay. She can go too. We’re just going to eat some food and talk. Oh, and did I mention we are going to polish our nails too?” I said, directing the latter part to Cheyanne.
“I go wif Mommy, Daddy. It’s a girls’ night,” she said to Gage before she ran off down the hall.
“She’s sassy, isn’t she?” I joked.
“Yeah, she’s something. Are you sure you want to take her? I know you want to catch up with Lizzie and hear all about her honeymoon.”
“It’ll be fine. She can hang with us for a couple hours and eat dinner. When it’s time for bed, you can swing by and get her.”
“You’re coming home, right?”
“Of course, silly. Why would you ask that?”
“I just wanted to make sure you didn’t plan on staying over there. I rather enjoy snuggling in my bed with you every night,” he said as he gripped the sides of my waist and pulled me to him.
“You do, huh?”
“I’ll show you just how much tonight,” he replied as he raised his eyebrows up and down.
“You might need to be gentle with me.”
“Are you sore, sweet Avery?”
My cheeks heated at his brazenness. I still hadn’t gotten used to the way he just said what was on his mind.
“I’ll take that look as a yes. Don’t worry. We’ll go nice and slow,” he replied, kissing my stomach through my shirt.
“I can’t wait.” I grinned before I left him to go get ready.
I dressed in a pair of yoga pants and a tank top with a jogging jacket. Comfort was best on these types of girls’ nights in.
I quickly pulled my hair up in a messy top knot and slipped on my tennis shoes before I left the bedroom to find Cheyanne.
Gage had dressed her in something similar to what I was wearing, and she was ready to go when I met them at the entryway.
“You ready to go meet my two best friends?” I asked Cheyanne while putting her coat on that hung on a hook by the door.
“Yeah. Polish nails too.”
“You can even pick out the color. Madeline has tons of colors to choose from.”
I quickly leaned over to give Gage a kiss before I grabbed my purse that he held in his arms. He placed a set of keys in my hand.
“What are those for?”
“My car has her seat in it. It’ll just be easier to take her over there in it rather than transfer it to your car then back to mine.”
“I have one. I went and got one earlier this week,” I told him, placing the keys back in his hand. He stood there in relative shock that I’d been so thoughtful.
“Alrighty then. Be good, kiddo. I’ll come get you in a little bit.”
“Otay, Daddy.”
We arrived at the apartment twenty minutes later. Cheyanne hummed the Baby Shark tune the whole way there and up the elevator. Lizzie and Madeline were already inside when we arrived.
“It’s about time, bio…” Madeline started to say before I cut her off.
“Hey there, you two. I brought someone with me who wanted to join in on our girls’ night,” I said as I took off my and Cheyanne’s coats.
She hid behind my leg when they walked into the room to see who was with me.
“Hi there. You must be Cheyanne. I’m Madeline and that’s
Lizzie,” Madeline said as she leaned down with her hand out to shake Cheyanne’s hand.
She peeked around my leg with her tiny hand held out as she let Madeline shake her hand.
“You want some dinner? We got spaghetti from our favorite restaurant.”
Cheyanne beamed up at the mention of spaghetti, one of her favorite meals.
I cut up the portion I scooped out onto her plate and gave her a piece of the garlic bread.
“How was your honeymoon? And keep it childproof until later,” I asked while we dug into the food.
“It was amazing. Grant was so attentive if you know what I mean. I’m one lucky woman,” Lizzie exclaimed. She had a bronze color to her skin. The beach agreed with her.
“I’m glad. We can talk all about his attentiveness later.” Madeline winked.
“How about you, Avery? How are things?” Madeline asked.
“Everything is amazing.” I held up my hand so they could see the ring in person.
They stood from their seats and took turns admiring the rings.
“He did an amazing job. That man has taste,” Lizzie said.
He sure did. I often caught myself staring down at it as I admired its beauty.
“Have you been staying here? I went in your bathroom and your stuff wasn’t in there,” Madeline questioned.
I hadn’t told them about moving in with Gage. I wanted to discuss it all tonight.
“I’ve been staying over at Gage’s.”
“She libes with us now. I keep her foeber. Right?” Cheyanne revealed. I was trying to be discreet, but she went and snitched on me.
“She does? Do you like her living with you and your daddy?”
“Uh huh. She gets me dressed and braids my hair. And she reads to me,” Cheyanne said in between bites.
“Avery’s pretty great, huh?” Lizzie asked.
Who knew I’d have so much to reveal in just one short week? There was so much they didn’t know, and I knew Cheyanne was about to correct Lizzie.
“That’s Mommy,” Cheyanne spoke as she looked over at me with a spaghetti smile. Sauce was all over her face, but she was enjoying her food and had already almost eaten it all.
Lizzie and Madeline’s forks fell from their hands, causing a loud clanking noise to echo through the kitchen. They looked at me with a deer in the headlights expression as they waited for me to say something.
The Right Mistake Page 13
