Beautiful Dreams (The Beautiful Series) (6 page)

As I set my phone back down on the dresser, Kyle entered his bedroom—
our
bedroom
—and I spun around to face him.

“How’s unpacking coming along?” he asked kindly, his expression light and carefree.

I wondered what had brought on his good mood. Smiling, I gazed up at him. He enclosed me in a tight embrace, keeping his eyes on me, while grinning.

“I’m finally finished unloading the bedroom boxes,” I replied. “What has you in such high spirits?”

His grin broadened, and his right brow rose. “Do I need a reason to be exceptionally happy?”

I chuckled. “Uh, no, I’m just curious.”

“Curiosity killed the cat,” he teased.

A deep laugh left his throat at my bewildered expression. Surely, something was up.

“Oh, fine. I’ll tell you the good news. Are you ready?”

“Yes,” I replied, trying to guess what he could be so exuberant about.

“In a few days…” he started saying. He stalled, watching my expression, and his eyes beamed with humor.

I smacked him playfully on the arm. “Just tell me already!” I laughed.

“Okay, okay!” He snickered. “Jason and Damon are flying in on Friday, so we can go and look at a building that is for sale.” His tone was full of delight.

Stunned into silence, my mouth dropped open.
Friday!

Kyle grasped my chin, smirking. “And
that
look right there”—his thumb grazed across my lower lip—“is exactly the reason for my good mood. Think of the possibilities of your cousins and I working together and how happy you’ll be with your family nearby.”

My mind was still reeling, and my heart was expanding at the thought of so many opportunities.
Jason and Damon…here…with me…in Lake Tahoe.
I had no intentions of ever moving back to Colorado, but my family relocating here would be amazing.

I squealed loudly and jumped into Kyle’s arms. His hands swiftly caught me as I anchored my legs tightly around his waist. I wrapped my hands around his nape.

I was glowing from ear to ear. “That would be awesome!”

Before he could respond, I kissed him, overcome with emotions. After a split second of shock from my attack, he kissed me back feverishly. Lifting his right hand, he lowered it down the side of my face as we parted. We both drew in swift breaths of air.

“Lily,” he said, his gentle tone suddenly serious, “I want to warn you though. We are at a very early stage of planning, and we still have many details to work out between the three of us. It’s not a done deal.”

“I know.” I nodded, accepting that the planning was still at such a delicate phase. “You arranged all of that while I was unpacking?”

“Yes.” He smiled warmly. “I know the market very well here, so I’m aware of what’s for sale. It was only a matter of making a few phone calls and then the three of us agreeing on the finer details. I’m sure that part will take more time, but they’re coming here, so we can discuss it in person.”

I was extremely humbled that he was willing to build a partnership with my two cousins, but I wanted to make sure he was doing this for the right reasons and not just for me.

“Are you sure you want to do business with my family?” I asked, searching the depths of his eyes. “This feels like another big step. You don’t have to do this for me.”

Kyle leaned forward and kissed me sweetly, and then he pulled back. “Yes, and it’s for us.” He rubbed his thumb across my cheek. “I want you to be closer to your family, if at all possible. I think Jason and Damon are not only becoming my good friends and eventually family, but they are also remarkable businessmen. That makes it a great business decision, too. It’s an incredible opportunity for all of us. The possibilities are endless.”

My mind was still stuck on the
eventually family
part. The man could render me speechless with his words, and he did it quite frequently. It was another one of the many things I loved about him.

I kissed him again, unable to contain myself. Pulling back, I glanced up into his handsome eyes. “Thank you,” I whispered, “for loving me the way that you do, so profoundly. I don’t know what I ever did to deserve someone who has such a kind heart.”

Kyle’s eyes softened, warming with tenderness. “That’s what we do for those we love, Lily. I’ll always take care of you, and I’ll do anything to make you happy.”

I smiled up at him, my heart tightening at his confession.

Life couldn’t possibly get any better than this.

My nerves tingled with every mile closer to Kyle’s parents’ house. I was not sure why I felt such apprehension about seeing them again. His parents, Grace and Gavin, along with Abbey, Ryan, and Kate had been more than welcoming on my last visit. I could not wait to get past that awkward phase where everyone was getting acquainted.

However, I was glad to have the chance to spend more time with Abbey, too. Her carefree spirit reminded me of Brooke. It was refreshing to be around that type of person. People like that could always lighten my mood.

Once Kyle pulled into the driveway, he put the car in park and looked in the direction of the other two cars in the driveway. “Looks like my brother and sister are early, too,” he said.

“That means we’ll have extra visiting time, and we can help your mom out with the cooking,” I replied.

“I’m sure she’d appreciate another set of hands.”

After we exited the car, Kyle came to the passenger side and interlocked his fingers with mine. He lifted our joined hands to his lips and kissed my knuckles.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Yep.” I smiled, feeling better.

Kyle and I walked side by side up the driveway. Abbey burst through the front door, her smile radiating a mile wide, before Kyle could knock.

“You guys made it!” she exclaimed. “Excellent timing, too. Mom is firing orders around left and right, trying to get dinner prepared in time. So much for relaxing,” she joked, rolling her eyes.

“Hi, Abbey,” I said warmly, closing the distance between us to embrace her. “I’d be more than willing to lend a helping hand.”

“That would be fantastic,” Abbey replied. She lifted her hand and gestured to the kitchen. “Head that way, and I’ll be right behind you.”

Kyle hugged Abbey. “Just tell us where you need us.”

The three of us quickly made our way into the kitchen.

Grace was washing an assortment of fruits and vegetables. She looked over her shoulder and offered a friendly smile. “Hello, Lily.” After finding a towel to dry her hands, she strode toward me. Her hug was gentle. “Thank you so much for joining us.”

“Hi, Grace. Would you like some help?” I asked.

“That would be wonderful, Lily. I found myself a few hours short today.” Grace chuckled. “Would you mind chopping those for me?” she said, pointing to the newly washed food on the counter.

“I’d be happy to,” I replied kindly.

I walked over to the items as Grace grabbed a cutting board from a lower cabinet. She placed it next to me and then brought me a cutting knife.

“Thank you, sweetie.” Grace shifted her attention to Kyle. “Ryan and Kate are in the basement. Ryan is helping your dad move around some furniture. They should be finished shortly. Would you mind grabbing the leaf that goes in our dining room table and the extra chairs from the spare room?”

“Sure,” he answered before leaving Grace, Abbey, and me in the kitchen.

Abbey started to peel potatoes in preparation for what I presumed was going to be mashed potatoes.

“So, Lily, how are you settling in? Do you like Lake Tahoe so far?” Grace questioned, her voice full of sincerity.

“It’s beautiful here. I love the warm weather, and there’s less humidity, too.” I started to chop the watermelon first. “Unpacking is a work in progress. I never dreamed of having so much stuff to move.”

“I bet. We only moved once when our children were still very small. And I’ll tell you, it was a chore and a half to move five people. Afterward, I told Gavin we would live in this house forever,” Grace said, chuckling. She opened the oven to check on what appeared to be chicken, and she sprinkled a little seasoning on it before closing the door again. “I can only imagine how much we have accumulated over the twenty years since then.”

My eyes widened, thinking of how many boxes I had for only three years. “Yes, I’m guessing that would definitely be a lot.”

“Did you ever move with your family as a child? Or were you raised in one home?” Grace asked.

“I was born and raised in Colorado, and I grew up in one home.”

Grace smiled affectionately. “That’s very nice. Gavin and I wanted our children raised in one house, too.” She sighed, and a small frown outlined her features. “It’s sad to see how rare that is nowadays. So many families now have two parents working outside of the home. Not to mention, many families have to move multiple times with job transfers and such.”

“It is,” I agreed. “Do you think you and Gavin will stay here permanently? Or do you have traveling plans?”

“Oh, yes, we’ll retire here since all our children have stayed so close to home. It truly is a blessing.”

I nodded my head in agreement, pondering over all the people who had to travel so far to see family, including me. I promised myself that I would make more trips to Colorado in an effort to visit my aunt, uncle, and cousins more often.

After Abbey finished blending the potatoes with a mixer, she rotated to face me. “Oh, Lily, I forgot to ask you earlier today if you’d like to go out with me and the girls, Kristen and Gail, on Friday night. It’s our ritual to go out dancing together once a month since we don’t get to see each other often,” she said.

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.”