Reflecting On Wishes (The Wishes Series) (18 page)

Lilah put her hand on Angel’s shoulder. “Want to stay here with us while you do your physical therapy?”

Angel hiccupped and put her hand over her mouth to stifle any more. “Yes, I do. But not for free. Dakota said you had work for me. I want to give back for what you’re doing for me.”

“God, I was hoping you would say that! My best friend and co-worker, Chelsea, has been sick for a week and a half and I’ve been working myself stupid. I really need help, Angel. We run our family’s charity from here and assist with other organizations. I know you would be so good at it. I was prepared to beg.” Lilah hugged her.

“I’ve never worked in an office, Lilah but I’m a hard worker. I like keeping busy.”

“I promise you will be busy.” She smiled and sat down at the dining room table. “Dakota told me you are supposed to start your PT on Monday. I have errands to run tomorrow
, but maybe in the afternoon I can get you the admissions paperwork and have you sign the release so we can get your medical records and doctor’s orders so you can start working with Dakota. I’ll let him take you to the exercise area because honestly, I’m wiped out. I haven’t eaten yet and I need another shot of caffeine.”

“That sounds good, Lilah. We haven’t had dinner yet either. He said something about eating in the cafeteria here.”

“How about you and I head on over there and the guys can catch up when they get back. I could eat a horse I tell ya.”

The incessant beeping of the alarm
clock forced him to roll over and slap his hand against it to silence it. Raising his arms above his head, he stretched his lean body and let out a groan. It was six in the morning and the birds were already chirping outside his bedroom window. The cool morning breeze wafted through the sheer white curtains causing them to billow out in soft waves. Only getting a few hours of restless sleep left him feeling weary and groggy. At least it did until he remembered why he set his alarm early on a Sunday morning when it was usually his only day to sleep in late. He was going to put a second coat of paint on Angel’s room today.

A smile crept across his full lips and he rubbed his hand over his closely cropped hair. When he took her home last night after touring
RWR
he promised to bring her a bagel for breakfast and in return, she agreed to have lunch with him at his house after he finished painting. Laughing, he shoved the covers off his naked body and headed for the shower. Slowly but surely he was winning her over and it felt amazing. Dakota turned the shower on and let the water get hot while he relieved himself. Once he stepped into the steaming water and washed the sleep out of his eyes, he thought of Angel while he lathered the bar of soap and scrubbed his body. Remembering the first time he showered with her had his body tensing and desire flooding him with a rush of heat.
Time to switch the water to cold
, he thought to himself. The sharp blast of icy water did little to ease his ache but as he jumped out of the shower and toweled off, he turned his attentions to the day ahead.

With a towel wrapped about his hips, he stood in front of the mirror and lathered his cheeks with shaving cream. While he shaved, he planned what he would make Angel for lunch. A stop by
GiGi’s to pick up some fresh veggies for a salad and maybe some peaches to use in dessert sounded good. GiGi and Poppa had known Angel since she was born and he knew they had a soft spot for each other. His grandparents were friends with Angel’s father. They, like all the other older folks in town, liked to sip coffee and gossip at Ms. Lola’s diner. 

Maybe he could try to impress her with his ice cream making skills and whip up some peach ice cream to go with a fresh chef salad and throw some lemon pepper chicken out on the grill. He decided once he got dressed he would call GiGi and make sure she would be home. It was time to pull out the big guns. Dakota wasn’t above enlisting his family to help him win Angel over
, and everyone loved his GiGi and Poppa. He might even swing by his parents’ house and pick up some farm fresh chicken. After all, he only wanted the very best for his girl.

Dakota was grinning like the cat that ate the canary when he dried off his freshly smoothed cheeks and splashed on some aftershave. Yeah, he liked the thought of Angel being his.
It made him want to puff his chest out and strut like a proud peacock. God…he was so gone. All-out, the whole nine yards, ass over teakettle, in love with Angel Vega.

He felt amazing
despite the lack of sleep.

Teeth brushed and hair combed, Dakota headed for his closet and chose an old black tank top and black basketball shorts that had seen the end of their days. He didn’t mind the fact by the time he got done painting they would probably be going in the trash. He wasn’t a bad painter per say, but he sure was a messy one. He slipped his feet in black flip flops and headed for the kitchen and grabbed the phone. It was nearly seven and he knew his grandparents would already be up and done with breakfast by now. Even though Poppa was a retired Navy SEAL he still had the “early to rise” thing ingrained in him and GiGi didn’t mind it at all. She always enjoyed the early morning hours out in her garden.

After two rings the sweet voice of his grandmother came across the line in her endearing country twang.

“Good mornin’, sugar. How’s my sweet grand baby this beautiful mornin’?”

“I’m great, GiGi. How are you and Poppa doing?” Shaking his head, he laughed. No matter how old he got she would still consider him her grand
baby
.

“Oh you know us, darlin’. We’re finer than frog hair. Just finished breakfast out on the front porch and your Poppa headed out to the orchard to make his rounds.”

“I figured as much. Are you gonna be around in a few hours? I’m heading over to Angel’s house to finish painting her room and then I’m going to make her lunch at my place. I was thinking about stopping by to see you and picking up some fresh veggies and some peaches.”

“Oh that sounds wonderful, darlin’! I would love to see both of you kids. What kind of vegetables do you want and I’ll have
them ready for ya.” GiGi sounded so excited, he was glad he called her. She loved having people over for a visit. Her true southern nature thrived on entertaining.

“I was thinking of making her a chef salad with the dressing you taught me to make and some grilled lemon pepper chicken. Then for dessert, I figured I’d finally use my ice cream maker mom got me for a housewarming present and make peach ice cream. Do you think Angel will like that, GiGi?”

“Aw, honey…listen to you. You want to impress your sweetheart dontcha?” GiGi giggled and Dakota’s face heated with embarrassment.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

“Come on now, GiGi. Don’t be giving me a hard time.” He laughed and leaned against his counter.

“Oh shush. Let this old woman get a chuckle out of teasing you. If you’re lucky, I’ll behave when you bring your sweet girl over.”

“Yes, ma’am! I’d much rather you pick on me about it now instead of when we come over.”

“I’ll bag you up some of everything and you can pick what you want to use for your romantic lunch, darlin’.” Her voice was still carrying that delighted chuckle and he couldn’t help but laugh with her.

“Alright, GiGi. I appreciate it. We’ll be over after I get done painting.”

“You know, you should have a picnic with her. It’s a beautiful day outside. Then maybe a candlelit dinner later…I’ll bag you up some new potatoes and green beans too. And I have some fresh steaks. I’ll check my strawberry patch and see if there’s enough ready for you to use for a dessert tonight.”

“Slow down, GiGi. She may not want to have dinner with me too. Might be sick of me by then since I’m getting ready to head over there now and it’s not even eight in the morning.”

“If she’s smart, she’ll keep you around forever. You’re a catch, Dakota. And I’m not saying that just because you’re my grand baby!”

His GiGi was the best. His confidence was shaky at best lately when it came to Angel. But his sweet grandmother just gave him
the boost he needed.

“I love you, GiGi. I’ll see you and Poppa later on. And thank you.”

“I love you too, sweet boy. See you later.”

He hung up the phone and grabbed his keys and his cell
phone. One last check in the mirror and then he was out the door and starting up his truck. On the drive over to Angel’s he stopped by the bagel shop and picked up two cinnamon crunch and two strawberry-vanilla bagels with honey-walnut cream cheese and two tall vanilla cappuccinos. By the time he paid for it and walked out to his tuxedo black Ford F-150 his stomach was growling with hunger. At least the drive to Angel’s house would only take five or ten minutes at the most. Otherwise he might be tempted to devour a couple of the bagels before he got there.

As he drove down Hig
hway 129 his stomach flip-flopped and his chest ached when he passed the site of her accident. He came so close to losing her it made him sick to his stomach every time he thought about it. A life without her in it wasn’t acceptable.

Pulling into her driveway and shutting off the engine, Dakota smiled because the driveway was empty. That meant Vito was already gone. Time alone with Angel was a precious commodity. He intended to use the time to its fullest and do his best to make her smile. She didn’t smile enough now days. One of his goals was to change that. Another goal was to help her get as mobile as possible. Gaining more of her independence back would do her a world of good.

Grabbing the bagels and cappuccinos, Dakota headed to the front door, grinning when he recognized the song she had blaring on the stereo. It was an
Usher
song,
U Got It Bad
. Boy did he ever. Did that mean she did too since she was playing that song? Or had it come on the radio randomly? Either way, it was fitting of how he felt.

He could see her at the dining room table next to her totes full of letters. She was singing her heart out while she worked her way through the piles of mail. He pushed the doorbell and gave her a big smile when she spun around and her face lit up as she waved at him to come in.

“I’m a little early but I figured since I was bringing caffeine and food you wouldn’t mind,” he said as he came in the screen door.

“I’d never be upset at you for bringing me fresh bagels. Or food in general.”

He leaned down and gave her a kiss.

She put her hands on his cheeks and rubbed his face. “Mmm, freshly shaved too. And you smell good. Got all spruced up for me huh?”

“Ha, ha…maybe.” He eyed her from her long, thick rope of braided hair that rested on her shoulder, to the cream colored crocheted sun dress that left her toned arms bare and gave him an eye-f of slender legs and bare feet. Her skin looked butter soft in her natural sun-kissed hue that made his mouth water.

“You can stop staring at me any time, Dakota.” Angel nervously tugged the hem of her dress down as far as it would go.

“I could see you every single day for the rest of my life and never get tired of staring at you.”
And that’s the honest truth
, he nearly added. But he refrained because he didn’t want to push too fast, too soon.

Angel gave him the prettiest smile and kissed him again.

“Bring that to the table, big guy. I’m hungry.” Angel pulled back into her spot and pushed a stack of mail to the side.

Instead of sitting on the other side of the table he sat right next to her at the end of the table and pulled the bagels from the bag and set them on a napkin.

“You know, I don’t know why you don’t like coffee but you’ll drink cappuccino. It’s basically the same thing, but adding milk and sugar to it.”

“Oh no it’s not the same. Coffee tastes terrible. Cappuccino tastes like sweet heaven.” She tore a piece off a strawberry-vanilla bagel and sighed when she bit into it.

He snorted and shook his head. “You would probably like it the way my mom and dad drink it. They call it chocolate coffee. It’s coffee with milk, sugar and a packet of hot cocoa in it. Sometimes with fresh sweet cream on top.”

She eyed him curiously. “Does it taste like coffee?”

“Nope. It tastes like a hot cocoa with a kick.”

“I might be willing to try it.” She conceded.

“I’ll make it for you one morning. You’ll like it, I promise.” He shifted in his chair, thinking of her sleepy eyed and fresh out of bed with sleep ruffled hair sipping the chocolate coffee he would make her. It gave him a sheer burst of pleasure at the thought of taking care of her that way. Of waking up next to her and serving her something he made just for her.

“Does that mean I would have to stay the night in order for you to make it for me?” She asked it with an innocent tone, but when he choked on his bagel and looked into her eyes he could see mischief there and maybe even a little heat.