Part Three
She blinked against the sunshine. A smile on her face as she stretched her aching limbs. What a wonderful dream she had had. She hoped with all her heart it came true someday. Soon. Blue eyes opened. Only to see a sight that made her heart feel it were going to burst from her chest. Catherine proudly presented the tray in her hands. "Sheri," she singsonged. "Luis and I made you breakfast." She reached out a hand to brush a stubborn black curl from Catherine's forehead and tucked it behind her ear. "Wow," she smiled. "You made this for me?" Catherine giggled happily. "Oui. But Luis helped."
Her eyes traveled up toned denim clad legs and his muscular chest before she reached his twinkling brown eyes. She bit her lip self-consciously. Oh why did she always have to get caught? Luis winked at her. "I don't know, Sheri. Catherine did most of the work. She IS an expert on chocolate chip pancakes, you know." "Yes, she is," Sheridan sighed. Taking a bite of the rich concoction and moaning in delight. "These are fantastique. Where's yours?"
Luis sank back against the pillows. Leaning back on his elbows and pulling Catherine against his chest. "We're all going to share, aren't we Catherine?" Catherine's dark curls bounced as she nodded her head. Grinning from ear to ear as Luis picked up the fork and speared a piece of the sweet treat and made airplane sounds. "Luis," she giggled. "Whoa! Hold up, Luis. Looks like Catherine's had quite enough accidents for today," she teased. Wiping the smear of chocolate off Catherine's cheek with her thumb. "Luis," Catherine bubbled. Leaning her dark head against his chest contentedly. "It's Sheri's turn." Luis smirked as he deliberately stopped just a whisper from her lips. Teasing her.
"Luis," she huffed. "Aww. The Princess is a little demanding this morning." Catherine's laughter filled the room as she watched them. "Luis," she pouted. Tracing her fingertips feather-light along his arm. "Don't be mean. I'm hungry," she whispered. "AHA!" she squealed in triumph when she seized the fork from him in a moment of distraction. "Piece of cake." Luis groaned and jumped to his feet. But not before mussing Catherine's curls and earning an engaging smile from the little girl. "Luis...I was just playing,"
Luis took the plate from her hands and handed it to Catherine. Then grabbed her hands and hauled her to her feet. "I know," he breathed. Flitting his thumb across her cheeks with a smile. "I thought we might go into town. Find a few things to fill up this place. What do you say? Are you up to it?" "Sheri!" Catherine squealed. "Oui! Say oui! I want to go into town. Please," she begged. Tugging on the tail of her shirt excitedly.
"Okay," she smiled. Catherine jumped up and down in delight and clapped her hands together. "Yay!" Luis chuckled at her exuberance. "Are you as excited as she is to go get furniture?" he smirked. She shoved him playfully. "Get out, Luis," she ordered. "Us ladies need to get dressed." "Dressed? Who says you have to wear clothes?" A pillow chased him out the door.
Thirty some odd minutes later, the pair emerged from Catherine's room. A lovely vision in matching pale pink sundresses. And Luis couldn't wipe the smile from his face when Catherine held her foot up for him to inspect. "Look Luis. Aren't my new sandals pretty? Me and Sheri match." He scooped her up in his arms. "Very pretty," he agreed. He held out his hand for her, and she took it trustingly. Savoring the feel of his hand in hers. "Ready?" "Ready," she whispered.
Hours later, they trudged through the doors tiredly. But Catherine had energy to spare. "Sheri...can we go swimming now? You promised Luis would teach me." "Catherine," she sighed. "Sweetheart...it's almost dark. Maybe tomorrow." "Sheri," Catherine whined. "Tomorrow," Luis promised. "We have to keep our promises," he said. Looking at her out of the corner of his dark eyes. "Don't we, Sheri?" "Yes," she said reluctantly. Her feet were sore. Her whole body was sore. Shopping with Catherine was exhausting Shopping while pondering a future with the man in front of her...well, she got a little carried away and bought almost everything with Luis in mind. She couldn't even think about tomorrow OR swimming right now.
"Okay," Catherine relented. "Tomorrow. Luis...I'm hungry." Luis laughed out loud. "Stop it, Luis," she warned. "So I'm not a master chef. I CAN cook a few things. And I'm willing to learn more." "Luis," Catherine divulged in a not so quiet whisper, "Sheri burns stuff a lot." "Alright, you two. Great. Not even two days in the same house together...Catherine! You traitor!" she yelled. Laughing despite herself. Catherine squealed and raced to Luis's waiting arms. Luis threw her over his shoulder and bounded up the stairs. "Takeout!" he shouted. To Catherine she heard him say, "Even Sheri can't mess that one up, mon amie."
She blinked against the sunshine. A smile on her face as she stretched her aching limbs. What a wonderful dream she had had. She hoped with all her heart it came true someday. Soon. Blue eyes opened. Only to see a sight that made her heart feel it were going to burst from her chest. Catherine proudly presented the tray in her hands. "Sheri," she singsonged. "Luis and I made you breakfast." She reached out a hand to brush a stubborn black curl from Catherine's forehead and tucked it behind her ear. "Wow," she smiled. "You made this for me?" Catherine giggled happily. "Oui. But Luis helped."
Her eyes traveled up toned denim clad legs and his muscular chest before she reached his twinkling brown eyes. She bit her lip self-consciously. Oh why did she always have to get caught? Luis winked at her. "I don't know, Sheri. Catherine did most of the work. She IS an expert on chocolate chip pancakes, you know." "Yes, she is," Sheridan sighed. Taking a bite of the rich concoction and moaning in delight. "These are fantastique. Where's yours?"
Luis sank back against the pillows. Leaning back on his elbows and pulling Catherine against his chest. "We're all going to share, aren't we Catherine?" Catherine's dark curls bounced as she nodded her head. Grinning from ear to ear as Luis picked up the fork and speared a piece of the sweet treat and made airplane sounds. "Luis," she giggled. "Whoa! Hold up, Luis. Looks like Catherine's had quite enough accidents for today," she teased. Wiping the smear of chocolate off Catherine's cheek with her thumb. "Luis," Catherine bubbled. Leaning her dark head against his chest contentedly. "It's Sheri's turn." Luis smirked as he deliberately stopped just a whisper from her lips. Teasing her.
"Luis," she huffed. "Aww. The Princess is a little demanding this morning." Catherine's laughter filled the room as she watched them. "Luis," she pouted. Tracing her fingertips feather-light along his arm. "Don't be mean. I'm hungry," she whispered. "AHA!" she squealed in triumph when she seized the fork from him in a moment of distraction. "Piece of cake." Luis groaned and jumped to his feet. But not before mussing Catherine's curls and earning an engaging smile from the little girl. "Luis...I was just playing,"
Luis took the plate from her hands and handed it to Catherine. Then grabbed her hands and hauled her to her feet. "I know," he breathed. Flitting his thumb across her cheeks with a smile. "I thought we might go into town. Find a few things to fill up this place. What do you say? Are you up to it?" "Sheri!" Catherine squealed. "Oui! Say oui! I want to go into town. Please," she begged. Tugging on the tail of her shirt excitedly.
"Okay," she smiled. Catherine jumped up and down in delight and clapped her hands together. "Yay!" Luis chuckled at her exuberance. "Are you as excited as she is to go get furniture?" he smirked. She shoved him playfully. "Get out, Luis," she ordered. "Us ladies need to get dressed." "Dressed? Who says you have to wear clothes?" A pillow chased him out the door.
Thirty some odd minutes later, the pair emerged from Catherine's room. A lovely vision in matching pale pink sundresses. And Luis couldn't wipe the smile from his face when Catherine held her foot up for him to inspect. "Look Luis. Aren't my new sandals pretty? Me and Sheri match." He scooped her up in his arms. "Very pretty," he agreed. He held out his hand for her, and she took it trustingly. Savoring the feel of his hand in hers. "Ready?" "Ready," she whispered.
Hours later, they trudged through the doors tiredly. But Catherine had energy to spare. "Sheri...can we go swimming now? You promised Luis would teach me." "Catherine," she sighed. "Sweetheart...it's almost dark. Maybe tomorrow." "Sheri," Catherine whined. "Tomorrow," Luis promised. "We have to keep our promises," he said. Looking at her out of the corner of his dark eyes. "Don't we, Sheri?" "Yes," she said reluctantly. Her feet were sore. Her whole body was sore. Shopping with Catherine was exhausting Shopping while pondering a future with the man in front of her...well, she got a little carried away and bought almost everything with Luis in mind. She couldn't even think about tomorrow OR swimming right now.
"Okay," Catherine relented. "Tomorrow. Luis...I'm hungry." Luis laughed out loud. "Stop it, Luis," she warned. "So I'm not a master chef. I CAN cook a few things. And I'm willing to learn more." "Luis," Catherine divulged in a not so quiet whisper, "Sheri burns stuff a lot." "Alright, you two. Great. Not even two days in the same house together...Catherine! You traitor!" she yelled. Laughing despite herself. Catherine squealed and raced to Luis's waiting arms. Luis threw her over his shoulder and bounded up the stairs. "Takeout!" he shouted. To Catherine she heard him say, "Even Sheri can't mess that one up, mon amie."