Chapter 12

Skye

I dress in a pair of floaty black high-waisted pants and a short-sleeved teal colored blouse. Opting for flats seems like a good idea, since I’m doing the school run. I wear my long hair up in a high ponytail and tie a ribbon in my hair.

I keep my makeup minimal and understated, but still give my lashes a generous helping of mascara to make my eyes pop.

Gran has kindly lent me her car again, because she doesn’t need it all that much, and she says she can use Gramps’ Camry if she needs to go anywhere.

I’m in high spirits for the day, and for the rest of the week. I ended up exchanging numbers with both Georgia and Celeste, and we’re all on for Friday night drinks at Moose’s. I chuckle to myself thinking about the way Georgia described the moose-riding entertainment called ‘the raging moose’.

Stoney Creek’s version of a raging bull ride where you have to hang on for dear life.

Apparently, Hudson holds the record for the longest time on the Moose-ride. Being an ex-bull rider, I guess he’s experienced.

I’m not sure I’ll be tackling the raging moose anytime soon, but it could be fun watching the others. I can’t quite imagine petite Georgia-Blue being thrown around on a giant moose while she tries to hang on, but she says she’s pretty good at it. Maybe on Friday she’ll demonstrate her moose-riding skills.

I’m excited about today. I ended up telling Aunt May at my shift yesterday about my new job with Gabriel Bassett, and that I can still do Thursday this week. I can also still help in the mornings if not doing the school run.

She was more than understanding and glad that Gabriel had found me to help out. She was happy for me to keep a couple of shifts here and there if I wanted, but I’m kinda hoping the new barista works out, so I’m off the hook.

I guess I’ll see how the day goes. I’ll have a couple of days to learn the ropes with Geraldine before she leaves next week. Travis is starting Monday and will be learning the ropes from Hank in his new role as sheriff. I’ve told him to enjoy the freedom while it lasts because he only has this week left. He loves what he does and is chomping to start.

I navigate to the distillery again with ease. There are signposts, but they’re all to the parking area and tasting rooms. I pull into the entryway, where the gates adjoining the large limestone wall are swung open. I pull out my cell to check Gabe’s instructions.

So if I keep traveling down the straight dirt road for about half a mile, I should find the turning. Seems easy enough.

I pull back onto the dirt road and continue forward until I find the other unmarked entrance. There’s an automatic gate that’s been left open. I drive straight in and through a canopy of trees from either side, creating a kind of tunnel effect. I hit the bend, and the road diverts right, and then left. His instructions were to keep on driving past Brooklyn’s large homestead with stables on the right, another half mile, and his place is on the left.

It amazes me that the farm is this huge. It expands for as far as the eye can see. Rows and rows of barley grow on either side, creating a real country feel. Travis said the whole family lives on the property which I think is pretty awesome, and why not? They have the space.

After a few more bends, I finally see his house in the distance.

It’s a single story and has huge glass windows at the front with a sloping, mono-pitched roof in dark gray with cladding on the outside. It has a mixture of contemporary with hints of rustic charm, but it’s also very eye-catching.

The trees surround the back of the property for miles. The house just kind of nestles into the backdrop, looking completely at ease with itself. It’s homey, I decide.

I know I really don’t know a thing about Gabriel Bassett, but when I drive up to his house and take a look at the sleek lines and soft edges of his house, I get the impression that this place is really his style. It suits him. And it is just a little bit adorable that a CEO like Gabriel lives on a farm with chickens over in a pen on one side of the house, and a veggie garden on the other.

I shut off the engine and straighten myself out before I step onto the gravel driveway, relieved I wore flats. I walk up to the huge wooden front door and ring the bell.

I hear running footsteps a few moments later, and then the door swings open.

I look down and see Trinity smiling and waving her bunny toward me. Gabe follows behind, catching onto the door before it swings back.

“Good morning,” I say brightly as Trinity leaps forward and hugs me around the legs.

Gabriel stares at her, surprised, to say the least. “Trin, let Skye get in the doorway.” He glances at me apologetically. “Good morning.”

“Hi. And what a lovely greeting, Trinity. Do you remember me from the Bake’ n’ Shake on the weekend?”

“Yep, Bwake and I had wocky wode!”

“Aw, that’s right, you did. How was it?”

“It was great!” Bunnykins does a little dance and I can’t help but laugh.

“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.

“It’s just Miss Skye,” Gabriel corrects her, but I can’t contain my amusement. “Blue is part of Aunt Georgia’s name, remember?”

Trinity makes a point of really thinking about this with one hand on her hip and the other on the side of her cheek. “But the sky is blue, Daddy!”

“Well, you got me there.” He laughs.

“You can just call me Skye if you want to,” I say to Trinity. “If Daddy says that’s okay?”

We both look at him and he nods. I get the feeling this little angel could melt the frostiest heart and get any damned thing she wanted.

“Why don’t you go and get your picture for Skye and show her what you were drawing all night while I finish making our drinks?”

“Can I have a warm milk, pwease?” she asks, running off into the den and rummaging around on the large coffee table with her pens and pencils lined up in rows.

“Already on it, princess.” He gives me an amused look. “My daughter doesn’t think I know her very well. How do you have your tea? I have some herbal concoctions — courtesy of my sister — and black tea.”

“Black tea is fine, thank you.”

“English breakfast?”

“Sure.”

“Milk?”

“I can drink it either way, but if you have it, yes, please.”

He nods and walks over to pour my tea while Trinity comes running back with her picture.

“Look, Skye, I made this just for you!”

“Oh, Trinity, thank you.” I take it from her and hold it up to have a look. “That’s a lovely picture.”

There’s some multicolored stick people, and some love hearts, and a big rainbow at the top. “Wow, this must have taken you a long time.”

“It did. See, there’s me.” She points to the smallest figure drawn in green with pointy fingers and toes. “And this is Daddy.” She points to the stick figure of her dad in a dark gray hue.

“Wow, are they love hearts for eyes, Trinity?”

“Yep.” She nods. “Because I wuv my daddy.”

“I bet you do.” I can’t help but smile.

Gabriel passes my tea over the counter and offers me a seat at the breakfast bar while he passes Trinity her small cup of milk.

He glances at the picture and says, “And who’s this?” He points to the little brown squiggle ball with legs next to the green stick figure.

“That’s our puppy, Daddy. And this is Skye!” She points next to the red squiggle with green circles for eyes.

I can tell this is the first time Gabriel’s seen the picture as he squints and looks further.

“That’s Skye?” he says, taking a sip of his coffee.

“Yup, can’t you see the pwetty green eyes? Daddy said Skye has pwetty green eyes!” She puts her cup down, giggling behind her hands, and grabs her bunny again. Dancing around instead of getting ready.

I glance at Gabriel, who laughs and looks at me with a shrug. “Kids,” he says, shaking it off. I’m a little speechless. Gabriel said I had pretty eyes? “Trin, that was very sweet of you to draw Skye in your picture and the new puppy we don’t have yet, but why don’t you go and get your school bag and finish getting ready, please. Geraldine will be here soon.”

She does a little pirouette and runs off up the hall.

Gabriel pulls out a chair and plonks down with a sigh. “Sorry about that,” he says.

“About the pretty eyes thing, or?”

“No, about the fact she’s already drawing you into the family picture.” He runs a hand down as his face.

“That’s very sweet of her,” I say. I want to ask him if it’s true; if he did say I had pretty eyes. I mean, kids don’t lie. To think he’s been talking about me makes me feel… all warm and fuzzy. And that is a very stupid thing for me to feel now that I’m working here.

“She’s a good kid. Very sweet.”

“Does she take after her dad?” I joke.

He tilts his head as he puts his coffee cup down. “I may be a lot of things, Skye, and you’ll come to know this if you spend a bit of time around here, but one thing I’m definitely not is good… or sweet, for that matter.”

I smile, because I’m realizing the more I’m around him, that statement couldn’t possibly be true.

I only have to look at little Trinity to know that.