Lucas took a deep breath in as he looked at the cookie in his hand, then at the box.
Warmth washed over him as his lips curled up in a smile.
His lovely angel. She never shied away from showing him how much she loved him.
He took a bite of a cookie in his hand and closed his eyes in pure pleasure.
He went back to his chair, rereading her sweet note and munching on a cookie when his phone rang.
Lucas picked it up.
"Hello?", he answered.
"So, did the special delivery meet your expectations?"
His entire being tingled at the sound of her voice.
"Tu es incroyable, mon amour" ("You're amazing, my love"), he said, a sigh escaping him, his voice choking up a bit "Merci beaucoup, ma chère Grace" ("Thank you so much, my dear Grace").
He wasn't used to having someone worshiping him the way Grace did. The feeling tightened his throat as he spoke and Grace could hear it.
Her heart reached out to his heart.
"You're mostly welcome. You deserve it all, my Lucas", she said warmly "I love you so much. Thank you for being there for me today".
Lucas leaned in his chair, his lips softly smiling.
"No need to thank me. I will always be there for you, never forget it, Grace", he spoke gently "Did you manage to get some rest?"
Grace smiled.
"I did, thanks to your little helper. You two melted my heart today", she whispered.
Lucas smiled.
"Good. Mission accomplished", he said gently and smiled "The cookies are delicious. I'm guessing that my cousin didn't get the same ones like I did?", he quipped, wishing to hear that sweet sound.
And there it was.
Grace laughed, sending his heart racing.
"Governor Bouchard, are you jealous?", she giggled.
Lucas grinned.
Oh, how I love this amazing woman!
"I don't know. Should I be?", he quipped, sending Grace into a new round of laughter.
His heart clenched happily at hearing her laugh.
She should always be happy and carefree like this.
And he will make sure she always will be.
In the next moment he heard her clear her throat and then her voice turned silent, soft and husky.
"You should know by now that I take matters of the heart very seriously, Governor Bouchard", she silently said.
Lucas could feel his senses becoming a mess at her words and tone of voice.
Two can play this game.
"Je peux te sentir dans mon cœur, ma chérie", ("I can feel you in my heart, my dear"), he whispered.
And, just as he expected, he heard Grace inhale sharply, then letting out a shuddering sigh.
"You, Lucas Bouchard, know how to mess with my head", he heard her shaky voice and it pulled on his heartstrings.
Lucas smirked.
"A man has to have an ace up his sleeve", he said playfully, his insides bursting with joy at her giggles "However, I am first and foremost a gentleman. Therefore, I will always make it up to you when you loose in a verbal competition by taking you out on a date".
Grace's lips curled up in a smile, her cheeks burning up.
"Oh, well then, by all means, I pronounce to be utterly defeated", she quipped.
Lucas smiled.
"Alright. So tomorrow at six?", he silently asked, his heart thumping wildly.
Grace's blood temperature rose up on a brand new level.
"I'll be waiting for you, my Lucas", she whispered.
—--
"How about…this one?", Lillian pulled a long, green dress from the wardrobe and put it in front of herself on a display.
"No".
"No".
"No".
"No".
Four "No" and shake of heads caused Lillian to put the dress away, mumbling:
"Tough crowd", Lillian looked through the wardrobe and suddenly gasped, pulling out a midnight blue dress with light blue roses "Oh, Grace! This one definitely! You didn't wear it in ages!"
As she turned around to show the dress, there was a collective gasp from the mouth of three little girls that sat by Grace's side on the bed. They were in awe at the sight of dress.
Grace, however, had other opinion.
"It probably doesn't fit anymore", she mumbled, her nerves getting better of her.
Lillian rolled her eyes full force.
"Okay, that's enough. Get up", as her sister remained seated, just staring despondently in front of herself, Lillian warned "Now, Grace", as her sister still didn't move Lillian looked at three little girls at her side and playfully commanded "Alright, girls! Operation Cookie begins!"
Grace creased her eyebrows then watched, startled, as three little ones jumped on the bed in the same time and stood still like soldiers.
"Get her!", Lillian issued another command, pointing a finger at her little sister.
Grace's eyes widened and she let out a squeal as Anna, Tanya and Tess tried to push her up from the bed.
She couldn't help it but laugh.
"Okay, okay! I am up!", she glanced lovingly at three little girls who had the biggest grins on their face. Taking a dress from Lillian, she looked at her sister and whispered "Operation Cookie"?
Lillian nodded, winking at the little ones.
"I knew that you were going to be a nervous wreck so I had to hire some help in getting you ready for tonight", she smiled "Once you are out, we will have ourselves a treat with some cookies".
Grace grinned, playfully gasping. She looked at the girls on her bed, squeezed her eyes and quipped:
"Little traitors", at those words there were fits of giggles from the bed.
Lillian smiled.
"Alright, thank you Dress Committee. Now you", she pointed at Anna "Go find Grace's dark blue clutch. You", she turned to Tanya "Get me her perfume. And you", she smiled at Tess Give me the jewelry box".
As the girls rushed to get the tasks in hand done, Lillian pushed Grace toward the bathroom.
"And you, Miss, go get dressed", she playfully shoved her little sister in the bathroom and closed the doors.
She waited as the girls got back with the requested items and climbed up back on the bed, waiting for Grace to come out.
Lillian found the earrings to go with the dress and as she put the jewelry box away on the table, the doors of the bathroom slowly opened.
Lillian turned around and gasped.
"Oh, Grace!"
Fashion trio on the bed gasped in unison, too.
Grace nervously smiled.
"How do I look?", she slowly turned around in her spot.
Lillian smiled widely.
"You look absolutely beautiful", she looked at three little ladies for support and the children jumped right in.
"Gwacie, you look like a princess!", smiled Tess.
Tanya giggled.
"You must have Pwince Chawming waiting fow you", she gave a toothless grin.
Grace smiled, her cheeks turning flaming red as she went toward the bed and sat down, lovingly caressing three little heads.
"Thank you, munchkins", she said warmly.
Lillian came closer to her and put the earrings on her sister's ears.
"Perfect", she whispered.
Grace smiled, allowing her sister to put a final touch on her makeup and sprinkle some perfume on her.
"Gwacie, you look beautiful", little Anna watched her in awe, causing Grace to smile lovingly.
"Thank you, sweetpie", she gently kissed little Anna's cheek.
Lillian brought her shoes and a clutch while the little ones gave her one last look over to be sure that nothing was forgotten.
Grace glanced at the clock in the wall.
17.45.
She could feel her heart thumping wildly as she kissed three little girls goodnight asking them to be good and not cause any trouble for Lillian.
"We won't", promised Tanya.
"You have fun, Gwacie!", grinned Tess.
Little Anna smiled a toothless grin, going for a last minute cuddle with her Gracie.
As Grace picked her up in her embrace, little Anna whispered:
"Don't wowwy, Gwacie. Wucas woves you".
Grace's breath got caught in her throat as she looked at Lillian who was equally surprised.
"I didn't say anything", Lillian mumbled silently.
Grace's heart melted at little Anna's perceptiveness.
She hugged little girl more tightly.
"Thank you, sweetpie", she whispered, gently kissing Anna's soft little cheek.
Lilian gently assembled the girls to take them to the bathroom to wash hands before the dinner.
Grace watched them leave with gentleness in her eyes and as they disappeared in the bathroom, she started to go downstairs.
The kids were already in the dining room so it was quiet downstairs. Grace took a breath in order to calm her nerves as she took her coat.
She was just about to put it on when there was a knock at the doors.
Holding her coat over her arm Grace took a deep breath in to calm down her racing heart before she unlocked the doors and pulled them open.
Only to have her breath completely knocked out from her lungs at the sight in front of her.
There was Lucas, dressed in a black suit, his hair combed perfectly, his dark eyes sparkling as he drank her in.
He was breathtakingly handsome.
Her lips nervously curled up a bit at the look in his eyes, her cheeks bursting up in flames.
He slowly approached her and took a coat from her arm.
He held it up for her.
"May I?", at her slight nod Lucas went behind her and gently put a coat on her shoulders, his fingertips gently touching her skin as he helped her in a coat.
Electricity shot through Grace as she felt his fingers brushing over her shoulders once she put the coat on.
His palms stopped at her upper arms and he leaned to whisper in her ear, his hot breath warming up her skin to a feverish level.
"You take my breath away, Grace", he whispered huskily, his tone of voice going down an octave causing her to tremble deliciously under his palms "You are positively beautiful".
Grace closed her eyes for a moment, gasping for a breath as she felt his lips slightly pull on her earlobe before he placed a soft kiss somewhere between her cheek and neck.
A shivering sigh escaped her as she smiled, slowly turning around in his arms and looking lovingly at his dark eyes.
"And you make me forget my own name", she whispered hotly against his lips.
His eyes darkened at her words and he leaned down to kiss her lips, unable to resist.
His kiss was hot, desperate and so passionate that Grace felt her toes curl up in her shoes.
She kissed him right back, stoking a fire in him before they even left the house.
Lucas pulled his lips away and leaned his forehead on hers, breathing heavily.
"I love you", he whispered passionately, breathing her in "I love you so much, Grace".
Grace tried to catch a breath, but it was impossible when he was this close to her. She smiled at his words, giving his lips one sensual, long kiss, feeling him tremble under her touch.
"I love you too, my handsome Lucas", she whispered "More than you know".
Their eyes held each other's gaze and Grace felt her eyelids closing for a second and her lips smiling in pure joy as Lucas' lips gently kissed her forehead.
He moved on her left side and wrapping his arm around her waist, he whispered:
"Shall we?"
Grace snuggled lovingly into his side and gave a small nod before he opened the doors and they went outside.
Lucas led her to his car parked in front of the orphanage, opened the doors for her and helped her inside.
She smiled looking up at him as he closed the doors and went to get to his side of the car.
Grace let out a sigh, her heart racing.
This was it.
Lucas stopped with a hand on the doorknob and took a deep breath in, his lips smiling.
Their first date.
—--
When I picked you up for our first date baby
Well, your pretty eyes, they were drivin' me crazy
And the tiny little thought that was so amazing
Is they were looking at me.
I held open the car door for you
Then you climbed inside and slid on over to the other side,
I thought my, oh my.
Sweet thing,
The moon is high and the night is young,
Come on and meet me
In the backyard under the Cottonwood tree
It's a good thing and I'm wishing.
C'mon sweet thing,
Won't you climb on out of your window while the world is sleeping,
You know I need you
And there's no way I'll be leaving
'Till we're kissing on the porch swing
Oh my little sweet thing.
("Sweet thing" - Keith Urban)