"You're a cool
baby-sitter," Lindsey told
Gil. "Mom would never let me have ice-cream for breakfast."
Gil looked at Lindsey's concoction. He had forgotten to go to the store, like Catherine had asked him, and consequently, there had been nothing left for breakfast. Lindsey had bargained with him and told him she wouldn't tell Catherine that he forgot if she could have ice cream for breakfast.
"We're going to the store before they get home, right?" he asked, worried that Catherine would come home and discover his error.
"Sure," Lindsey smiled, running the spoon around the plate one more time. She got up and put her plate in the sink. "Just let me brush my teeth and we can go."
************************************************************************
Catherine narrowed her eyes. "Why do you want to take Lindsey out shopping?"
"I just feel her childhood should be safeguarded," Katie replied, flicking around for a channel on the radio.
Catherine looked
confused. "Why
would…Katie!"
Her daughter looked
innocently at her. "What?" She grinned. "I'm
just trying to be a considerate daughter."
Catherine pulled up
outside the house. "It's times like these I wish you
were more like your father."
Katie rolled her eyes as they approached the front door. "Oh please. You don't think he's gonna thank me later?"
Catherine was about to reply in kind when Lindsey flew through the door.
"You're back! We heard the car pull up!" She hugged her mother tight and then her sister, finally dragging them both through the door.
Gil walked through quickly and hugged his daughter. He pulled Catherine to him and kissed her deeply.
Lindsey wrinkled her
nose. "Eww." She
caught the flash of her mother's finger and grabbed her hand. "Mom!
You're
wearing a diamond!"
Gil took her hand and looked at the ring and then at her. She smiled at him and nodded.
"Hey, Linds, how about we go and do some shopping? I can tell you all about the spa," Katie suggested.
Lindsey looked from her mom to Gil. "Okay. These two are being weird. Let's go."
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Gil let his finger trace
her hand, running over the
ring and back again. "Are you sure?"
Catherine smiled at him.
"About marrying you? Only the surest I've been
about anything before. Even more sure than forensic evidence."
"I'm touched," he smiled, kissing her hand.
"Gil…" she whined.
"Enough with
staring at the ring. You bought it. I've been away for an entire
weekend. I
missed you."
Gil crushed her against him and their lips joined in a bruising kiss. "I missed you too," he whispered, as their lips met again.
She moaned and pushed herself against him, her arms wrapping around his neck. "Next time I go away, you're coming with me," she murmured against his lips. "I don't like being away from you."
"I don't like it either," he replied, kissing her again. He pulled her hard against him and they hugged.
Catherine's hand slipped down between them and brushed over his growing erection. "Katie has taken Lindsey out shopping. I think we need to make up for the weekend."
"Oh, absolutely," Gil agreed, taking her hand and going to the bedroom. He caressed her cheek. "I love you so much, Cath. I'm so glad you want to marry me."
She smiled and kissed him gently. "I don't just want to marry you, Gil. I want it all. I want us to be a family with Katie and Lindsey. And I want to make another baby with you. And this time, I want you to be there for every step of the way."
He smiled broadly. "Really?"
Catherine took his face in her hands. "Really." She toyed with the top button on his shirt. "Wanna practice with me?"
Her answer was a long, slow kiss that took her breath away.
"I'll take that as a yes," she replied, a few moments later.
They were so desperate to be close to each other, as close as humanly possible, that their clothes were off in record time and they came together on the bed, holding each other and caressing.
As he slid into her she cried out, wrapping her legs around his waist and pulling him deeper inside her.
They kissed again, a slow, deep kiss until she nudged him impatiently and he began to move inside her. Her hands skimmed over his arms and finally rested at his hips and her eyes closed, letting the feelings of their union take over.
He watched her, the woman he would spend the rest of his life loving and the woman he had made a baby with so many years ago. Hearing her moan, he snapped out from his reverie and smiled at her.
"I want to watch you, Cath. I love to watch you."
Her eyes opened and locked onto his. An intense wave rolled over her and as he sped up, she called his name as her orgasm crashed into her, rocking her to the core.
"Cath…" he cried, as he thrust deep and spilled inside her.
They collapsed together, hands caressing and he pressed a warm kiss to her lips.
"I love you, Catherine."
She smiled and ran her fingers through his hair. "I love you, Gil."
************************************************************************
"So, we're all going to be a family now," Lindsey said, as she and Katie walked along the mall.
Katie nodded. "Is that okay with you?"
"Are you kidding? It's great! I've always wanted a sister." Lindsey frowned. "But what about your last name?"
Katie gestured to a chair and they sat down. "Can you keep a secret?"
Lindsey nodded.
Katie pulled out her drivers licence and gave it to Lindsey. The little girl scanned her eyes across it and then her mouth dropped open.
"Your name is Kathryn Hope Grissom?"
Katie smiled. "I had my name changed a while ago. It's only just official. But I want to save it for a special moment to tell mom and dad."
"They're going to love it!" Lindsey pretended to zip her lip and throw the lock away. "And I promise I won't tell."
************************************************************************
Catherine snuggled closer, her hand resting on Gil's chest. She watched the ring glitter and smiled.
"Now who's staring at the ring?"
She glanced at him. "We're getting married."
He kissed her gently. "I know."
"I think we should get married now."
Gil raised an eyebrow. "As in right now this second? Because I don't think that anyone would appreciate us leaving the house looking like we do now."
Cath rolled over and straddled him. "You mean looking like we've just had great sex?"
He shook his head. "No.
Looking like we've just
had fantastic sex."
She bent down and kissed him, her hair falling around her face. "Mmm. It was pretty fantastic, wasn't it?"
He brushed her hair from her face. "It's always fantastic sex when it's with you. That's all it's ever been. It was like that the first night we were together."
Catherine smiled sadly, pressing herself close to him. "The night we made Katie."
Gil kissed her gently. 'Please don't be sad about that. It was an amazing night, Catherine."
She kissed him back. "It's not the night I'm sad about, or the fact that we have a daughter together. It's more…if I hadn't run away…"
He pressed a finger to her lips. "You didn't run away, Cath. And if you hadn't left Las Vegas, we wouldn't have Lindsey. And we wouldn't have such a deep relationship. And you were right Cath…neither of us was ready to have a child." He hugged her close. "But we are now."
She traced a finger over his chest. "Let's get married and then go away. Just the two of us."
Gil smiled. "I could definitely be into that idea."
"Really?" she asked raising an eyebrow.
His hands roamed over hips. "Mmm. Definitely."
She giggled and then squealed as he flipped her over, kissing her deeply.
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Part 14