Page 25 of Stone
“When will it be? Because I don’t want to miss it, and we have a weekend we have to spend with Dad,” Taylor worried.
“Mom, were you able to get Dad to change weekends so we don’t miss the commemoration weekend and all the fun?” Regan pressed.
“I’m still trying,” Naomi sighed, trying to keep her voice steady. She did not want to have her girls left alone with him under any circumstances, and she hoped they could figure a way out of it.
“I don’t want to go ever,” Beck said softly.
“Well, that seems like something we could work on. How about you let all us adults figure it out? You let me worry about it, and you don’t need to. If it becomes a problem, then your mom can tell you when it’s your turn to worry,” Tori comforted.
“Thanks, Aunt Tori. I can try,” Beck relaxed.
“If everyone is done, I know some people need to get to work, but would you girls like to go to Broken Hearts Brewing? I’ll buy everyone a book and a snack to take home with you. I have time to do that and then get you back to the compound before I need to work,” Stone injected smoothly.
“Yay,” the girls yelled.
“Thank you,” Beck said.
“Yes, thank you,” the others called.
Naomi stared at Stone. She was newly divorced, but each minute she spent with Stone had her wondering what if. What if she put herself out there and kissed him? Or what if she maybe did more? What would his response be?
Chapter Fourteen
Stone finished his drawing of the tattoo for Naomi. He glanced at the clock: one a.m. It was probably too late to show her.
He’d had a great morning with Naomi and the girls. He’d had to be at work at noon, so they’d spent an hour perusing the items at Broken Hearts Brewing before deciding what books they wanted. They’d ordered the snack items but then left them there for pickup.
He’d texted Brody to see if he could bring them over to the rescue and let the girls play with some of the animals in the playroom. Brody had been happy to have them over, and they’d spent an hour there with the girls playing with the kittens and cats first, then the dogs and puppies. He’d had no idea how many animals the rescue had.
Afterward, they’d picked up their snacks, and he’d delivered them all to the compound. He’d showered and gotten back on the road to the shop just in time for his first appointment.
He was tired, but when he got home, he couldn’t shut his brain off. Seeing Naomi smile with the girls today and have fun, he couldn’t stop thinking about getting her tattoo done.
He’d heated up leftovers when he got home and immediately started working on the drawing. After stopping and restarting multiple times, he’d finally got the design to look like he envisioned it.
He couldn’t wait to hear Naomi’s thoughts on it. It was a Saturday night, so it wasn’t outside the realm of possibilities that Naomi was still awake. Maybe he’d take his nighttime stroll and see if she was still up.
Once the thought was in his mind, he couldn’t not check. He took the sketch and headed over to Locks. Once he was there, he walked around to the window he knew was Naomi’s. He wasn’t a stalker or anything, but he had asked a couple questions that had told him which suite of rooms was hers and the girls’. He could text her, but he didn’t want to wake her if she was asleep.
He grabbed a couple small rocks, almost gravel-sized. They should make a nice sound but not damage the glass. He tossed one, then another, up to her window. Her room was on the second floor. He gave it a couple seconds, then tossed a couple more. Maybe she was already asleep. He’d be disappointed, but he could always show her at lunch tomorrow. The curtains moved, and Naomi was standing there. He waved, and she tugged the window open.
“Stone?” she whispered into the night.
“I got your sketch done and hoped you were still awake,” he called up softly.
She smiled. “Give me a sec and I’ll be down.”
He stood waiting, then paced back and forth. He drew so many tattoos, but for some reason, hers meant so much more. What if she hated it?
The door opened and she was there. Her hair was loose, her feet were bare, and she had a light robe over a pink silky nightgown that ended at her knees. She belted the robe as she walked across the patio to where he was standing.
“Did I wake you?” he checked, his low voice barely carrying across the lawn.
“No, I was still reading. Can I see it?” she asked eagerly, her eyes sparkling.
He unfolded it and handed it to her. She was quiet for a minute, then her finger traced the lines. He hadn’t added color yet because he wanted her to approve the design.
“Oh, Stone, it’s gorgeous. It’s even better than I imagined,” she choked out, tears in her voice.
