I Knew You Were Trouble When You Walked In
Chapter Nine.
Isabelle pulled Zahli's brown hair from her eyes, tying it into a cute ponytail. A few stray hairs curled around her face, which Zahli tucked behind her tiny ears. She was dressed in a pair of pink jeans and her torso was covered by a pink and white T-shirt. Isabelle folded her tiny white and pink polka dot jacket and settled it on top of her handbag. She then set Zahli down and put on her silver glitter shoes.
"Where we going, mummy?" Zahli asked, her big blue eyes filled with curiosity.
"To Leland's daddy's house for dinner." Isabelle smiled, adjusting her own tank top. She moved quickly to her bedroom, picking up her grey cardigan off the bed. Zahli toddled behind her patiently.
A car rumbled out the front. Isabelle peered out the wooden blinds. A white Hummer was parking beside her lawn. She waited a moment. Leland jumped from the front seat and began to make his way to her front door. Isabelle felt her breath catch in her throat. Leland's hair was pulled back into a bun. He was dressed in a white singlet and jeans. A maroon button up shirt was covering his arms, however it was unbuttoned, allowing his muscled torso to be visible underneath his tight tank top. Isabelle laughed slightly as she saw his black boots covering his feet.
Zahli ran from Isabelle's room to the lounge when she heard the knock on the front door. She squealed, "Leymand's daddy is here!"
Isabelle met her daughter in the lounge room and shook her head, "Not his daddy. We're going to his house."
"Leymand!" Zahli squeaked, as her mother opened the front door to reveal Leland. Zahli rushed forward, wrapping her tiny arms around on of Leland's legs.
He chuckled, bending down to scoop her up, "Hey Zahli."
"We're going to your daddy's house," she smiled, looking back to her mum for approval.
Leland nodded, tucking a stray hair behind her ear, "Yeah you are. You're going to the Dog's house."
"Not the dog's house," Zahli shook her head, "Your daddy's."
Isabelle interjected, laughing slightly, "Leland's daddy is named Dog, Zahli."
"Puppies are called dogs when they get old," Zahli said, her face frowning in confusion, trying to work out the connection between puppies and Leland's dad.
"Yes, baby," Isabelle nodded, leaning forward to brush Zahli's face, "But it is also his name. Just like your name is Zahli, his name is Dog."
"That's silly," Zahli shrugged.
Leland nodded, scrunching his nose, "It is." He then turned to Isabelle, raising his eyebrows and smiling, "You ready?"
"Yeah, just let me lock the back door."
After locking up her house, Isabelle placed Zahli in the awaiting car seat, before hopping into the front seat of the Hummer.
"Leiah's car seat?" she asked, once Leland had gotten inside, motioning her head towards the back.
Leland nodded, glancing quickly at her before turning back to the road, "Yeah, I had her last weekend."
"That's nice," Isabelle meekly smiled before turning back to watch the houses go past.
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It took roughly 10 minutes to get from Isabelle's house to Dog and Beth's. The front yard was littered with cars and loud chattering could be heard from the backyard.
"I thought it was just a family dinner?" Isabelle asked, her eyebrows raised in hesitation.
"It is," Leland laughed, making his way to the back door of the Hummer to remove Zahli.
"Why is there so many cars?"
Leland couldn't help but laugh at Isabelle's bewildered face, "There's a lot of family. 10 kids, plus grandkids and dad's family. Beth's sisters might be here too."
"10 kids?" Isabelle looked towards him, flabbergasted, "I thought it was annoying having a brother."
"Hope you're good with names," Leland smirked, hoisting Zahli on his hip as Isabelle grabbed her handbag from the front seat.
"I'm not," Isabelle shook her head, brushing her hair from her eyes, "Now I'm nervous."
Leland smiled, placing a hand on her lower back; half to comfort her, half to force her to step forward, "You'll be fine."
The front door opened and a young, long-haired blonde boy stepped onto the porch. He waited patiently until he could clearly see who was coming up the driveway.
"Hey Leland!" He shouted, racing out to hug him.
"This is my brother, Gary." Leland smiled, hugging the kid with one arm and patting his back affectionately, "Gary boy, this is my friend Isabelle and Zahli."
Gary smiled and waved, before offering to take Zahli to play with the other kids outside. Isabelle agreed and watched as the little boy took Zahli's hand and carefully walked her into the house.
"One down, eight to go," Isabelle laughed, stepping behind Leland to allow him to direct her into the home.
"Where we going, mummy?" Zahli asked, her big blue eyes filled with curiosity.
"To Leland's daddy's house for dinner." Isabelle smiled, adjusting her own tank top. She moved quickly to her bedroom, picking up her grey cardigan off the bed. Zahli toddled behind her patiently.
A car rumbled out the front. Isabelle peered out the wooden blinds. A white Hummer was parking beside her lawn. She waited a moment. Leland jumped from the front seat and began to make his way to her front door. Isabelle felt her breath catch in her throat. Leland's hair was pulled back into a bun. He was dressed in a white singlet and jeans. A maroon button up shirt was covering his arms, however it was unbuttoned, allowing his muscled torso to be visible underneath his tight tank top. Isabelle laughed slightly as she saw his black boots covering his feet.
Zahli ran from Isabelle's room to the lounge when she heard the knock on the front door. She squealed, "Leymand's daddy is here!"
Isabelle met her daughter in the lounge room and shook her head, "Not his daddy. We're going to his house."
"Leymand!" Zahli squeaked, as her mother opened the front door to reveal Leland. Zahli rushed forward, wrapping her tiny arms around on of Leland's legs.
He chuckled, bending down to scoop her up, "Hey Zahli."
"We're going to your daddy's house," she smiled, looking back to her mum for approval.
Leland nodded, tucking a stray hair behind her ear, "Yeah you are. You're going to the Dog's house."
"Not the dog's house," Zahli shook her head, "Your daddy's."
Isabelle interjected, laughing slightly, "Leland's daddy is named Dog, Zahli."
"Puppies are called dogs when they get old," Zahli said, her face frowning in confusion, trying to work out the connection between puppies and Leland's dad.
"Yes, baby," Isabelle nodded, leaning forward to brush Zahli's face, "But it is also his name. Just like your name is Zahli, his name is Dog."
"That's silly," Zahli shrugged.
Leland nodded, scrunching his nose, "It is." He then turned to Isabelle, raising his eyebrows and smiling, "You ready?"
"Yeah, just let me lock the back door."
After locking up her house, Isabelle placed Zahli in the awaiting car seat, before hopping into the front seat of the Hummer.
"Leiah's car seat?" she asked, once Leland had gotten inside, motioning her head towards the back.
Leland nodded, glancing quickly at her before turning back to the road, "Yeah, I had her last weekend."
"That's nice," Isabelle meekly smiled before turning back to watch the houses go past.
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It took roughly 10 minutes to get from Isabelle's house to Dog and Beth's. The front yard was littered with cars and loud chattering could be heard from the backyard.
"I thought it was just a family dinner?" Isabelle asked, her eyebrows raised in hesitation.
"It is," Leland laughed, making his way to the back door of the Hummer to remove Zahli.
"Why is there so many cars?"
Leland couldn't help but laugh at Isabelle's bewildered face, "There's a lot of family. 10 kids, plus grandkids and dad's family. Beth's sisters might be here too."
"10 kids?" Isabelle looked towards him, flabbergasted, "I thought it was annoying having a brother."
"Hope you're good with names," Leland smirked, hoisting Zahli on his hip as Isabelle grabbed her handbag from the front seat.
"I'm not," Isabelle shook her head, brushing her hair from her eyes, "Now I'm nervous."
Leland smiled, placing a hand on her lower back; half to comfort her, half to force her to step forward, "You'll be fine."
The front door opened and a young, long-haired blonde boy stepped onto the porch. He waited patiently until he could clearly see who was coming up the driveway.
"Hey Leland!" He shouted, racing out to hug him.
"This is my brother, Gary." Leland smiled, hugging the kid with one arm and patting his back affectionately, "Gary boy, this is my friend Isabelle and Zahli."
Gary smiled and waved, before offering to take Zahli to play with the other kids outside. Isabelle agreed and watched as the little boy took Zahli's hand and carefully walked her into the house.
"One down, eight to go," Isabelle laughed, stepping behind Leland to allow him to direct her into the home.