Beautiful Dreams (The Beautiful Series) Page 5
I recalled when the three of us had gone out on my last trip to Lake Tahoe. We had all had a really great time—eating at the bar, having a few drinks, and dancing for a few hours.
“Let me check with Kyle, and I’ll get back to you. My cousins will be visiting on Friday, too, but I’m not sure what our plans are for the evening.”
“Sounds good.” She smiled kindly. “Just let me know. We’d love it if you could join us.”
“Okay, I’ll talk to Kyle later.”
Abbey pulled her phone out of her back pocket. “Here, let me get your number. I’ll text you, so you have mine, too.”
I rattled off my cell phone number, and she saved it in her phone.
Kyle emerged in the kitchen. “The table is ready to go, Mom. Would you like me to arrange the place settings?” he asked as he strode to my side. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my temple before pulling back to look at Grace.
“Yes, please,” she answered.
Kyle started opening cabinets and then drawers. He pulled out plates and glasses as I continued to chop more fruit and veggies. It sure took a lot of food to feed eight people.
He stopped next to me, playfully nudging me with his hip. “Excuse me,” he said with a smirk.
“Hey!” I teased, pushing him back.
His hip bumped mine once again with a tad more force, and my whole body moved to the side.
“Just doing my job and trying to get some silverware,” he said while opening a drawer.
Abbey and Grace were snickering in the background while watching Kyle and me banter back and forth.
I chuckled. “No, Mr. Muscles, you’re tossing around your weight, thinking you can barge into my space.”
Kyle tilted his head down at me with a gorgeous grin. “Mr. Muscles? That’s a new one.” He smirked. His head lowered closer to my ear while his left hand softly grasped my hip, pulling me to him. “I think I like it,” he said.
“Mr. Muscles?” Ryan piped in, entering the room with Kate at his side. “You might not want to call him that one. It could go straight to his head,” he said, his voice full of amusement. “How about Mr. Pain in the Ass?”
Kyle’s chest vibrated me with laughter before he turned his head to face his brother. “I can’t take that one. You already have that title.”
“Ha-ha, funny,” Ryan chortled while glaring at his brother.
“Oh no, wait a minute! It was Twigs!” Kyle exclaimed, unable to contain his amusement. He threw his head back and chortled.
“No one has called me that in years,” Ryan retorted.
Abbey coughed in her hand and muttered, “Until you just reminded me.”
Ryan and Kyle embraced with manly slaps on each other’s backs, and then Kyle hugged Kate, too.
“Hi, Kyle. How are you?” Kate asked him.
Kyle smiled softly at her. “I’m doing very well, Kate. And you?”
Her hands went to her now much larger stomach, and I inwardly started counting how many weeks it had been since I last saw her. I thought about how I always heard that pregnant women just popped out a belly one day, and Kate had certainly done that.
“Annabel and I are doing great. Although, I can’t see my toes anymore.” Kate beamed as she glanced downward in hopes of seeing her feet, but of course, her belly was still obstructing her view.
The atmosphere abruptly changed as the whole room came to a standstill. All of our mouths were gaping in awe. With a gasp, Kate suddenly slapped her hand over her mouth, realizing her revelation of their daughter’s name.
“Annabel?” Gavin said from the entrance of the kitchen, his voice full of wonder. He stepped forward and placed one hand on Ryan’s shoulder and the other on Kate’s. “My first grandbaby is going to have such a fine name.”
Kyle took a step backward until he was standing just off to my left but still slightly in front of me. He stretched his arm backward, reaching for me. I enclosed my hand over his, squeezing it once with excitement. He slowly tugged me to his side and wrapped his arm around my waist.
“Oh, Kate, Annabel is a lovely name,” Grace added while coming to a stop next to Ryan.
Gavin moved to stand at his wife’s side.
“Thank you,” Kate said, addressing everyone. Then, she tilted her head up to look at Ryan. “We think so, too.”
As I glanced over at Ryan, his eyes were glowing with affection and happiness, mirroring Kate’s. I was moved to see the two of them standing in front of their family with such utter bliss radiating off of them in waves after announcing the name of their unborn child. It was truly one of those picture-perfect moments.
Ryan turned to address us. “Thank you, everyone. We were planning to tell you all later tonight”—he gave Kate a spirited oops-you-let-it-slip look—“until Kate here just spilled the beans early.”
Kate giggled and leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss Ryan’s cheek. “Sorry, honey, it just slipped. I’ve been so excited for everyone to finally know,” she said softly.
“Finally?” Ryan joked, chuckling. “Baby, it’s only been a week since we made it official.”
Kate rolled her eyes. “A week is a long time to keep a secret.”
The room erupted into laughter. Ryan leaned forward to give Kate a smacking kiss, embracing her and her round belly.
“Alright, you two, no smooching in my kitchen.” Grace teasingly shooed them out of the room with a movement of her hands. “Ryan, why don’t you accompany Kate into the living room for a little while? She needs to take a break and get off her feet for a few minutes. Dinner will be ready shortly.”
The rest of us slipped into overdrive. Grace removed the chicken from the oven. Then, Gavin took over to start cutting it into portions. Abbey, Kyle, and I each carried full platters into the dining room and placed them near the center of the large cherry wood table. Gavin brought in the final dish with the chicken on it. The table seemed as though it had enough food on it to feed twenty people on Thanksgiving.
Finally, we all took our seats. Kyle and I sat next to each other with Abbey on my right. Ryan and Kate were on the opposing side while Gavin and Grace occupied either head of the table. We all began passing the prepared platters to the right after filling our own plates.
When the last of the dishes was set down, Abbey let out an exasperated sigh next to me. “Okay…I am totally the odd man out here with the whole couples thing we got goin’ on here,” she said, pointing her finger at each of us.
Ryan chuckled. “That’s because you are an odd man.”
Abbey’s lip twitched as if she was holding back a smile, and then she glared at him. “Don’t make me pop your happy-go-lucky bubble over there, Twigs. I’m just saying I think maybe we should all mix up the seating next time. You know”—Abbey shrugged—“to make it easier on my wounded ego.”
Kyle and Ryan both chuckled.
Grace cut in to the sibling rivalry before they could continue. “Oh, honey, don’t worry. It will be your turn next,” she said, reassuringly patting the top of Abbey’s hand.
“Thanks, Mom.” Abbey smiled.
“So, how is work going, Abbey?” Grace asked.
“Work is great. Kyle is keeping me busy as usual.”
Kyle laughed. “Can’t have you twiddling your thumbs with boredom.”
“I hope you’re not overworking her, Kyle,” Grace said worriedly.
“Nope.” Abbey grinned while shifting food around on her plate. “I love the dynamics of a fast-paced job. It keeps me intrigued and focused.”
“That’s wonderful, Abbey. I’m so happy that you are settling into your new career so well,” Grace said before turning her attention to Kyle. “And what’s new with you, dear? Are you enjoying being home again and back at work?”
Kyle nodded at his mother. “Yes. Lily and I are still getting all of her belongings unpacked, and I’ve been starting office work from home. Then, on Friday, I’ll be checking out a new building on the market.”
“Oh, how interesting,�
�� Gavin piped into the conversation. “Which one?”
“The large building on Lakeview Avenue. It’s next to your favorite coffee shop. It’s only been on sale for a few months, so I’m hoping to make an offer in the next couple of weeks,” Kyle said to his dad.
“The old two-story fitness building that closed?” Ryan asked after taking a bite from his plate.
“That’s the one,” Kyle answered.
“Wow, that is a huge building, and it needs some serious renovations. Sure you’re up for that kind of work?” Gavin questioned before pouring more gravy on his chicken.
“Yep, if all goes according to plan, I hope to have it finished by next spring,” Kyle responded.
“What do you plan to do with it?” Ryan asked Kyle.
“My goal is to keep it and turn it into a large headquarters for a new full-service construction company offering customers more options for both residential and commercial sites.”
As I glanced around the table at everyone, Gavin and Ryan both raised their eyebrows in interest while Grace’s eyes beamed with pride.
“Meeting such a wide variety of needs is a very good business plan. How will you keep up with the manpower?” Gavin asked after swallowing a bite of his chicken.
“I plan to bring in other business partners and combine all of our personal specialties and resources,” Kyle answered.
“That will be some company, and it sounds great, son. We don’t have anything like that around here yet,” Gavin replied with admiration in his tone. “Let me know if you need any help.” He smiled.
“And how will your sister be incorporated into these new changes, dear? Will she still work with you?” Grace asked in wonderment.
Kyle nodded his head and then leaned slightly forward to glance over at Abbey. His eyes were sincere and soft. “Of course. Abbey will always have a job at my company for as long as she wants one. She is an exceptionally hard worker, and now, she has a project of her own to keep herself busy.”
Abbey’s eyes glowed at the compliment from her brother. “Well, thank you, brother of mine,” she said lightly. “And I have no intentions of going elsewhere.”
“Wait, what new project does Abbey have going on?” Gavin asked with a puzzled expression. He turned his head toward Abbey. “What secrets are you keeping?” he teased.
A huge smile spread across Abbey’s face. Kyle turned in her direction and nodded in a go-ahead gesture.
“You know that last deal I closed that took months of back-and-forth negotiations?” she said to her dad.
“Yes, of course. You were quite cranky with how long it was taking.” He chuckled.
“Well, Kyle surprised me this morning, and he gifted that contract to me…all of it.” Abbey beamed.
“Oh, Abbey, why didn’t you say something earlier?” Grace cried with excitement. “That’s wonderful! Congratulations, sweetie!”
“Thanks, Mom.” Abbey smiled shyly.
Gavin looked taken aback for a brief second before smiling proudly between Kyle and Abbey. “What a great thing to do for your sister, son,” he said to Kyle.
“She deserves it,” Kyle said to his sister.
Grace chimed in, “Who would have ever thought the two of you would be working together? I’m so proud of each of you kids and how far you have all come in your lives,” she said while looking at her three children.
“Thanks, Mom,” they all said in perfect unison.
After dinner, we all sat in the living room and visited for an extra hour before deciding to call it a night.
On the short ride home, I realized how worn out I was from the long travels and the last few weeks of moving.
After we made our way into Kyle’s house, we both headed straight for the bedroom and changed into relaxing pajamas.
Once dressed, Kyle walked over to me and gathered me in his arms. “Ready for bed, beautiful?”
I lifted my arms and draped them around his neck, holding him close. “I am,” I answered. Then, I leaned forward to kiss his soft lips.
Pulling back, I glanced up to meet his gaze. His eyes looked as tired as my body felt.
“Traveling is exhausting.”
Kyle chuckled softly from low in his throat. “That it is. How about we catch up on some well-needed sleep and start out fresh tomorrow?”
I grinned. “That sounds positively wonderful.”
We climbed into bed, snuggling close like we always did. Kyle pulled me along his side, so we were facing each other. He rested his arm on my waist.
The dinner with Kyle’s family replayed through my memories. The part about Kyle’s and Abbey’s careers was on the forefront of my mind. It suddenly occurred to me that I had no idea what kind of job Ryan had, and I noticed that he hadn’t said anything about it.
“What does your brother do for a living?” I asked, breaking the silence.
“He works in advertisement for a large company based out of Carson City, which is about half an hour from here,” Kyle answered quietly. His hand stroked up and down my side.
“Oh, that isn’t too long of a commute.”
“No, it’s not. Plus, he spends most of that time on his Bluetooth, making phone calls, so he doesn’t have to bring work home with him,” he replied.
“Well, that sounds like a win-win then. Does he enjoy his work?”
“Yes, I think so. He got his job right out of college because of his high GPA score and the extensive apprenticeship resume he had under his belt. But he works long days, sometimes putting in almost sixty hours a week. I hope he cuts back when Annabel is born.”
“Do you think he will, being a father and all?”
“Yes, Ryan will be very involved,” he answered confidently. “It’s how we were raised,” he added with affection in his tone. “And did you see the expression on his face when they talked about Annabel? He looked so happy.”
I smiled into the darkness. “I did. He and Kate were glowing with that new parent joy.”
Kyle laughed fondly. “Yeah, they were. It’s so nice to see things going well for him.”
“I thought your mom was going to cry at the table when she talked about how proud of you all she is. I could tell she truly loved having her family together under one roof.”
“Yes, she loves when we can all spend family time with each other,” he responded while tightening his arm around my waist, drawing me closer.
His warm body pressed against mine soothed me as I fought against the battle of sleep. I loved these calm moments when we could just talk, but my heavy eyelids were quickly closing.
Kyle slightly lifted his head and kissed my forehead. “Sleep, beautiful.”
I closed my eyes. “Good night.”
Wednesday morning, I woke up feeling refreshed and well rested. As I stretched and turned over to face Kyle, I realized the other side of the bed was empty. I rose from the bed and made my way into the bathroom while wondering what Kyle was up to this early in the morning.
Still clearing the leftover sleepy haze from my mind, I undressed and stepped into the shower. The warm water beat against my skin as I washed my hair and body, thinking about what to do today. I definitely needed to get my butt in gear and start working again.
I began to plot out a few scenes in my head. Knowing that my characters deserved a fairy-tale ending after all they had been through, I tried to work out the specific details of how I planned to do it while envisioning a happy epilogue to match the story. I thought about skipping a few years to show where I pictured them in their lives down the road. They would definitely be married by then, but would they have any kids?
It made me think about my own life and how fast things could change with good and bad events. We all had to overcome hurdles in our lives to get to the next Kodak moment.
After I finished in the shower, I dressed in a pair of loose-fit Gap jeans and a comfortable T-shirt. My mind was still swarming with ideas for my book, and I was excited to finally have the time to start writing again.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Kyle said with a loving smile on his face as I entered the kitchen.
Harley wagged his tail while looking up at me from his spot on the floor.
“Morning,” I replied, smiling. “What has you up so early?”
“Early?” Kyle laughed. “Lily, it’s almost eleven in the morning.”
I blinked in shock at him. Whoa…no wonder I feel so rested. I slept the morning away. “Eleven?” I screeched while doing a double take at the clock. Sure enough, it was 11:03 a.m.
Kyle perked his eyebrow up at me. “Yep, and you still sleep like the dead. I’ve been making all sorts of ruckus out here for hours.”
I sat on a bar stool at the kitchen island and placed my elbows on the counter. “And what kind of ruckus would that be?”
Kyle’s eyes suddenly changed, now appearing with a mixture of shyness and satisfaction. He cleared his throat quietly while approaching me. “I, uh…started unpacking more of your boxes,” he said, lifting a Pampered Chef utensil, “and I came across this nifty gadget.”
“Ah, yes,” I responded while glancing at the tool that I recognized as my own. Then, I looked back up at him. “Although, I don’t think that is meant for chopping bacon.”
The corner of his lip twitched. “Well, it works quite well,” he said, pointing in the direction of the bacon. “Look, I chopped up all of the bacon into the perfect size and put it right into my omelet.”
He had a way of making food sound so complicated, and I had to laugh.
“I see. Well, at least you put it to good use, considering I love bacon and eggs, too.”
Kyle’s grin widened. “I even chopped up ham with it and added that, too.”
“What else did you put in there?”
He strode over to the stove, picked up an enormous pan and a plate, and then returned next to me.
“That is a huge omelet.”
He tipped the handle of the pan and let the omelet slide onto the plate. I opened my mouth to protest that I could never eat that all by myself, but he beat me to the punch.