Part Two
"You can't catch me!" Catherine squealed. Racing up the steps to her room. Sheridan smiled after her. This felt...it was almost like they were a family. She glanced at Luis out of the corner of her eye. He looked so...content. "She already loves it here," she said softly. "And you?" Luis asked with a smile. His dark eyes shining at her. Taking in the sparse walls. The empty rooms. "There's a lot of work still to be done."
"I love it here, too," she admitted. "This place is home. Mine and Catherine's home. I can't wait to make memories here, Luis. Fill it up with all the things that say Sheridan and Catherine live here." Only Sheridan and Catherine, he wanted to say. "Sheri! Sheri! Listen!" Sheridan and Luis laughed softly as Catherine's sweet voice seemed to bounce off the walls. "Sheri...I'm afraid of the dark," Catherine pouted. Wrapping her little arms around Sheridan's legs. Forgetting all about her earlier dare.
Luis turned the light switch on then. Flooding the room with light. "Better?" he asked. Kneeling at Catherine's feet and tapping her cute little nose with his index finger. Catherine threw her arms around Luis's neck gratefully and whispered, "Better." Sheridan's heart swelled with happiness and love for both of them as she watched Catherine lay her dark head on Luis's strong shoulder and snuggle close. Luis carried Catherine to the middle of the room where a mound of pillows lay. "Luis," Catherine questioned. "Where will I sleep? There's no bed." Luis's rich laughter filled the room. "Here, of course," he said. Resting Catherine against the pillows and kissing her forehead.
"Does Sheri's room have a bed?" "Nope," Luis chuckled. "Sheri doesn't have a bed either," he stated. Straightening up beside her. When his arm brushed against her side she nearly jumped out of her skin. Her cheeks flushed when he teased, "We'll have to do something about that, won't we? Sheri NEEDS a bed." It wasn't so much the words. But the devilish look in his dark eyes. Sure...slow and steady won the race, Sheridan. But are you sure you won't suffer heart failure before then? "Where will she sleep?" Catherine asked curiously. Sheridan scooped Catherine up in her arms and settled back against the pillows with a sigh. "With you," she smiled. Stroking Catherine's dark curls tenderly.
"Luis," Catherine said. Her tiny mouth forming an "O" when she yawned sleepily. "Will you stay with me and Sheri?" "Catherine," Sheridan said in surprise. "Luis can't stay with us. He has to work tomorrow." "Actually," Luis grinned. "I'm on vacation. Two weeks. Starting yesterday," he said. Laughing at the expression on Sheridan's face. Her blue eyes flashed. "I'm sure Pilar will be happy to see so much of you. Catherine...Luis can't stay with us because he has to go home to HIS family." "Oh," Catherine responded. The hopeful sparkle in her green eyes dulling. Her little face falling with this latest news.
"Hey," Luis whispered. Tipping Catherine's chin up and looking into her eyes. "Why the sad face?" "Nothing," Catherine mumbled. Twisting a curl around her pinkie. Luis held a finger to his lips. Motioning for Sheridan to keep silent. And walked out of the room. Returning seconds later. His hands behind his back. "Catherine," he called. "Catherine...I have a surprise for you. Close your eyes." Catherine crossed her arms and did as Luis instructed. Her full bottom lip jutting out in a pout. Sheridan smiled at him when she saw the surprise. "Now...open them," Luis said. "My bear!" Catherine squealed happily. Hugging the fuzzy creature close and placing a kiss on its button nose. "Merci, Luis," she cried.
"That's not all," Luis laughed. Tickling the soles of Catherine's bare feet. Catherine giggled. Beaming with pleasure at the thought of more. "Sheri's wrong," he said. Ignoring her arched golden brow at his words. "I talked with Mama before I came to see you today, and she and I agreed I would stay with you two for as long as it takes to get you both acquainted with this old house. She doesn't want you to be alone," he qualified. Trying to read the look in Sheridan's blue eyes. "Yay!" Catherine clapped. Her green eyes dancing with delight when Luis said there would be a story, after all. She tucked her dark head under Sheridan's chin and listened attentively as Luis wove a tale of a beautiful Princess and a Knight.
"...and the Knight told the Princess...'Because I love you'." His heart thudded in his chest. It was too quiet, he thought. Wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans. Too quiet. "Sheridan," he whispered. Tracing the lines of her palm. "Sheridan," he repeated. Catherine shifted against him in her sleep. Cuddling even deeper into his embrace, and Sheridan's hand fell from her waist. A sheepish smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he realized...she was asleep. Fast asleep. She hadn't heard a word of his confession. The story was about him and her, of course. Maybe she was trying to tell him something, he thought. Stifling the laughter he felt rising in his chest. He kissed the crown of her golden head and pulled her closer to his warmth. His smile stretching wider as she sighed softly in her sleep. "Luis," she breathed. "Love you," she mumbled against his chest. Me too, Princess. "Me, too," he said. And shut his eyes. Maybe tomorrow.
"You can't catch me!" Catherine squealed. Racing up the steps to her room. Sheridan smiled after her. This felt...it was almost like they were a family. She glanced at Luis out of the corner of her eye. He looked so...content. "She already loves it here," she said softly. "And you?" Luis asked with a smile. His dark eyes shining at her. Taking in the sparse walls. The empty rooms. "There's a lot of work still to be done."
"I love it here, too," she admitted. "This place is home. Mine and Catherine's home. I can't wait to make memories here, Luis. Fill it up with all the things that say Sheridan and Catherine live here." Only Sheridan and Catherine, he wanted to say. "Sheri! Sheri! Listen!" Sheridan and Luis laughed softly as Catherine's sweet voice seemed to bounce off the walls. "Sheri...I'm afraid of the dark," Catherine pouted. Wrapping her little arms around Sheridan's legs. Forgetting all about her earlier dare.
Luis turned the light switch on then. Flooding the room with light. "Better?" he asked. Kneeling at Catherine's feet and tapping her cute little nose with his index finger. Catherine threw her arms around Luis's neck gratefully and whispered, "Better." Sheridan's heart swelled with happiness and love for both of them as she watched Catherine lay her dark head on Luis's strong shoulder and snuggle close. Luis carried Catherine to the middle of the room where a mound of pillows lay. "Luis," Catherine questioned. "Where will I sleep? There's no bed." Luis's rich laughter filled the room. "Here, of course," he said. Resting Catherine against the pillows and kissing her forehead.
"Does Sheri's room have a bed?" "Nope," Luis chuckled. "Sheri doesn't have a bed either," he stated. Straightening up beside her. When his arm brushed against her side she nearly jumped out of her skin. Her cheeks flushed when he teased, "We'll have to do something about that, won't we? Sheri NEEDS a bed." It wasn't so much the words. But the devilish look in his dark eyes. Sure...slow and steady won the race, Sheridan. But are you sure you won't suffer heart failure before then? "Where will she sleep?" Catherine asked curiously. Sheridan scooped Catherine up in her arms and settled back against the pillows with a sigh. "With you," she smiled. Stroking Catherine's dark curls tenderly.
"Luis," Catherine said. Her tiny mouth forming an "O" when she yawned sleepily. "Will you stay with me and Sheri?" "Catherine," Sheridan said in surprise. "Luis can't stay with us. He has to work tomorrow." "Actually," Luis grinned. "I'm on vacation. Two weeks. Starting yesterday," he said. Laughing at the expression on Sheridan's face. Her blue eyes flashed. "I'm sure Pilar will be happy to see so much of you. Catherine...Luis can't stay with us because he has to go home to HIS family." "Oh," Catherine responded. The hopeful sparkle in her green eyes dulling. Her little face falling with this latest news.
"Hey," Luis whispered. Tipping Catherine's chin up and looking into her eyes. "Why the sad face?" "Nothing," Catherine mumbled. Twisting a curl around her pinkie. Luis held a finger to his lips. Motioning for Sheridan to keep silent. And walked out of the room. Returning seconds later. His hands behind his back. "Catherine," he called. "Catherine...I have a surprise for you. Close your eyes." Catherine crossed her arms and did as Luis instructed. Her full bottom lip jutting out in a pout. Sheridan smiled at him when she saw the surprise. "Now...open them," Luis said. "My bear!" Catherine squealed happily. Hugging the fuzzy creature close and placing a kiss on its button nose. "Merci, Luis," she cried.
"That's not all," Luis laughed. Tickling the soles of Catherine's bare feet. Catherine giggled. Beaming with pleasure at the thought of more. "Sheri's wrong," he said. Ignoring her arched golden brow at his words. "I talked with Mama before I came to see you today, and she and I agreed I would stay with you two for as long as it takes to get you both acquainted with this old house. She doesn't want you to be alone," he qualified. Trying to read the look in Sheridan's blue eyes. "Yay!" Catherine clapped. Her green eyes dancing with delight when Luis said there would be a story, after all. She tucked her dark head under Sheridan's chin and listened attentively as Luis wove a tale of a beautiful Princess and a Knight.
"...and the Knight told the Princess...'Because I love you'." His heart thudded in his chest. It was too quiet, he thought. Wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans. Too quiet. "Sheridan," he whispered. Tracing the lines of her palm. "Sheridan," he repeated. Catherine shifted against him in her sleep. Cuddling even deeper into his embrace, and Sheridan's hand fell from her waist. A sheepish smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he realized...she was asleep. Fast asleep. She hadn't heard a word of his confession. The story was about him and her, of course. Maybe she was trying to tell him something, he thought. Stifling the laughter he felt rising in his chest. He kissed the crown of her golden head and pulled her closer to his warmth. His smile stretching wider as she sighed softly in her sleep. "Luis," she breathed. "Love you," she mumbled against his chest. Me too, Princess. "Me, too," he said. And shut his eyes. Maybe tomorrow.