I Knew You Were Trouble When You Walked In
Chapter Fourteen
Watching Zahli play gleefully with the other children, Isabelle sat back in the outdoor chair, a smile playing on her face. She brought a cigarette to her lips and inhaled slightly. Dog sat beside her, puffing away himself.
"Beautiful little girl you got there."
"I know," Isabelle smiled once more, turning to face Dog, "I miss having her home."
Dog nodded, patting her arm delicately, "I can imagine. I've been through it myself. Sometimes it's better for them to be away from us parents. Tucker, my seventh son, is in jail for drug use. I helped to put him there," he paused to wipe some tears straining to fall from the corner of his eyes, "But I don't feel bad for it, because it is the best thing for him. It's his wake up call. Some people need a harsher wake up call than others. It makes me incredibly sad, but it's the best place for him."
Isabelle nodded, understanding Dog's emotional speech, "I'm so thankful that Zahli has somewhere safe to be, and I'm incredibly grateful to you and Beth." Isabelle paused to take a drag of her cigarette, watching as Leland walked past the screen door, "And Leland. I don't know what the hell I would do without Leland."
This caused Dog to grin, "I'm glad he has you. I was starting to worry about him, but I think you may be his Beth. My son falls in love too quickly, but you seem special."
The conversation ended with Leland stepping outside and suspiciously eyeing off his father, "What are you grinning for?"
Dog shook his head, a smile embedded on his aging face, "I should be getting the boat ready, before Beth gets cranky."
Isabelle laughed, stubbing out her cigarette, "Zahli will be so amazed. She's never been on a boat before." Her eyes followed Leland as he moved towards the now vacant seat beside her.
"What were the two of you talking about?" He asked, hesitantly.
"Zahli," Isabelle paused, "You."
"Good I hope?"
"No, all horrible," she smiled, kissing his lips quickly before standing up and adjusting her shirt, "Let's go!"
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The boat churned on the choppy, azure waters. Zahli sat silently in her mother's lap, watching curiously as the blue water turned to white wash as the boat cut through. Beth sat beside her, the wind blowing her blonde curls around her face. She turned to Zahli, jiggling her arm playfully, "Do you like the boat, Zahli?"
The little girl nodded, her eyes transfixed, refusing to move away from the cool blue water.
"Have you ever been fishing before?" Leland asked, crouching down in front of the little girl and pushing a curly lock from her face. Zahli shook her little head again, staring up into Leland's brown eyes. "Well, I'll change that today. You want to fish with me?" This time Zahli nodded, a small smile breaking out on her porcelain face.
The boat came to a slow stop. Dog moved from the wheel, rustling from a nearby cupboard a couple of fishing rods. He pulled a smaller, pink rod from the cupboard and chuckled slightly, "I'd give Zahli Leiah's rod, but you might catch a big whopper out here and break it!"
"She can share with me," Leland laughed, picking up Zahli and asking her, "Do you mind sharing with me?" Her little head shook softly from side to side, clutching Leland's white singlet tightly as he walked to the edge of the boat. They peered over the edge together, Zahli pushing herself closer to Leland after seeing the dark abyss of the water. "Don't be scared. I got ya," Leland smiled, planting a soft peck on her curly hair.
Beth nudged Isabelle, who was watching her child and Leland in complete bliss, "Isn't that the cutest thing you've ever seen?"
"You have absolutely no idea," Isabelle grinned, falling into Beth as she wrapped an arm around her in a half hug, "I still can not believe that all of this came from that sperm donor."
"God puts everyone in our lives for a reason. His reason for Tim in yours was that beautiful child and us. I have no doubt in my mind."
"Mommy!" Zahli's piercing scream interrupted Beth and Isabelle's conversation, "Mommy, LOOK!"
Isabelle rushed to her daughter, who was on her tip-toe trying desperately to look over the edge of the boat. She scooped her up and peered over the edge, seeing a large fish that was being reeled in by Leland.
"Mommy, it's a bish! I catched a bish!" Zahli squealed with delight as Leland hauled the silvery fish in the boat, it's silver scales glistening in the sunlight.
Isabelle laughed, placing her daughter onto the boat floor, "A fish, baby. You caught a fish."
"Let grandpa take a photo and we'll put that fishy back in its home." Dog snapped a photo of Leland, Zahli and Isabelle with the fish. Zahli refused to take her eyes off the glistening creature, a look of pride on her face, "Come on, granddaughter. We gotta put the fish back home. Say bye bye." Zahli patted the fish goodbye, and watched with glee as Dog set the fish back into the cool ocean water, Leland lifting her up as she watched the silver fish dart off.
"Byeeee fishy!" She called after it, waving furiously.
Isabelle stood beside him, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. He turned to face her and pressed his lips to hers forcefully. "Thank you," she whispered, kissing him once more.
"I already told you, I don't think you realise just how much I would do for you," he whispered back, lifting a hand to tuck her brown hair behind her ear.
"Leymand?" Zahli murmured from the other side of Leland, "Are you my daddy?"
Leland looked towards Isabelle, his eyes wide with uncertainty. She looked panicked herself, shaking her head, "No sweetheart, he isn't your daddy."
"Oh," Zahli's face turned sad, "I like you more than my daddy."
Cuddling her tighter, Leland planted a soft kiss on her cheek, "I'm not your daddy, but if you want to and it's okay with your mommy, you can call me daddy." A small smile adorned Zahli's face, her eyes wide with expectation as she looked towards her mama.
"Honey, you can call him whatever you want," Isabelle smiled, kissing her daughter who threw her arms around Leland happily. "Thank you," she murmured into Leland's ear once more. His eyes met hers and he smiled, seeing the genuine happiness overriding her entire face. She was so beautiful. He felt his heart skip a beat as she leaned in to kiss him. He was falling for her, and for the first time it actually scared him. It wasn't a normal feeling for him. This was so much stronger, more intense than ever before.
"Beautiful little girl you got there."
"I know," Isabelle smiled once more, turning to face Dog, "I miss having her home."
Dog nodded, patting her arm delicately, "I can imagine. I've been through it myself. Sometimes it's better for them to be away from us parents. Tucker, my seventh son, is in jail for drug use. I helped to put him there," he paused to wipe some tears straining to fall from the corner of his eyes, "But I don't feel bad for it, because it is the best thing for him. It's his wake up call. Some people need a harsher wake up call than others. It makes me incredibly sad, but it's the best place for him."
Isabelle nodded, understanding Dog's emotional speech, "I'm so thankful that Zahli has somewhere safe to be, and I'm incredibly grateful to you and Beth." Isabelle paused to take a drag of her cigarette, watching as Leland walked past the screen door, "And Leland. I don't know what the hell I would do without Leland."
This caused Dog to grin, "I'm glad he has you. I was starting to worry about him, but I think you may be his Beth. My son falls in love too quickly, but you seem special."
The conversation ended with Leland stepping outside and suspiciously eyeing off his father, "What are you grinning for?"
Dog shook his head, a smile embedded on his aging face, "I should be getting the boat ready, before Beth gets cranky."
Isabelle laughed, stubbing out her cigarette, "Zahli will be so amazed. She's never been on a boat before." Her eyes followed Leland as he moved towards the now vacant seat beside her.
"What were the two of you talking about?" He asked, hesitantly.
"Zahli," Isabelle paused, "You."
"Good I hope?"
"No, all horrible," she smiled, kissing his lips quickly before standing up and adjusting her shirt, "Let's go!"
---------------------------------
The boat churned on the choppy, azure waters. Zahli sat silently in her mother's lap, watching curiously as the blue water turned to white wash as the boat cut through. Beth sat beside her, the wind blowing her blonde curls around her face. She turned to Zahli, jiggling her arm playfully, "Do you like the boat, Zahli?"
The little girl nodded, her eyes transfixed, refusing to move away from the cool blue water.
"Have you ever been fishing before?" Leland asked, crouching down in front of the little girl and pushing a curly lock from her face. Zahli shook her little head again, staring up into Leland's brown eyes. "Well, I'll change that today. You want to fish with me?" This time Zahli nodded, a small smile breaking out on her porcelain face.
The boat came to a slow stop. Dog moved from the wheel, rustling from a nearby cupboard a couple of fishing rods. He pulled a smaller, pink rod from the cupboard and chuckled slightly, "I'd give Zahli Leiah's rod, but you might catch a big whopper out here and break it!"
"She can share with me," Leland laughed, picking up Zahli and asking her, "Do you mind sharing with me?" Her little head shook softly from side to side, clutching Leland's white singlet tightly as he walked to the edge of the boat. They peered over the edge together, Zahli pushing herself closer to Leland after seeing the dark abyss of the water. "Don't be scared. I got ya," Leland smiled, planting a soft peck on her curly hair.
Beth nudged Isabelle, who was watching her child and Leland in complete bliss, "Isn't that the cutest thing you've ever seen?"
"You have absolutely no idea," Isabelle grinned, falling into Beth as she wrapped an arm around her in a half hug, "I still can not believe that all of this came from that sperm donor."
"God puts everyone in our lives for a reason. His reason for Tim in yours was that beautiful child and us. I have no doubt in my mind."
"Mommy!" Zahli's piercing scream interrupted Beth and Isabelle's conversation, "Mommy, LOOK!"
Isabelle rushed to her daughter, who was on her tip-toe trying desperately to look over the edge of the boat. She scooped her up and peered over the edge, seeing a large fish that was being reeled in by Leland.
"Mommy, it's a bish! I catched a bish!" Zahli squealed with delight as Leland hauled the silvery fish in the boat, it's silver scales glistening in the sunlight.
Isabelle laughed, placing her daughter onto the boat floor, "A fish, baby. You caught a fish."
"Let grandpa take a photo and we'll put that fishy back in its home." Dog snapped a photo of Leland, Zahli and Isabelle with the fish. Zahli refused to take her eyes off the glistening creature, a look of pride on her face, "Come on, granddaughter. We gotta put the fish back home. Say bye bye." Zahli patted the fish goodbye, and watched with glee as Dog set the fish back into the cool ocean water, Leland lifting her up as she watched the silver fish dart off.
"Byeeee fishy!" She called after it, waving furiously.
Isabelle stood beside him, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. He turned to face her and pressed his lips to hers forcefully. "Thank you," she whispered, kissing him once more.
"I already told you, I don't think you realise just how much I would do for you," he whispered back, lifting a hand to tuck her brown hair behind her ear.
"Leymand?" Zahli murmured from the other side of Leland, "Are you my daddy?"
Leland looked towards Isabelle, his eyes wide with uncertainty. She looked panicked herself, shaking her head, "No sweetheart, he isn't your daddy."
"Oh," Zahli's face turned sad, "I like you more than my daddy."
Cuddling her tighter, Leland planted a soft kiss on her cheek, "I'm not your daddy, but if you want to and it's okay with your mommy, you can call me daddy." A small smile adorned Zahli's face, her eyes wide with expectation as she looked towards her mama.
"Honey, you can call him whatever you want," Isabelle smiled, kissing her daughter who threw her arms around Leland happily. "Thank you," she murmured into Leland's ear once more. His eyes met hers and he smiled, seeing the genuine happiness overriding her entire face. She was so beautiful. He felt his heart skip a beat as she leaned in to kiss him. He was falling for her, and for the first time it actually scared him. It wasn't a normal feeling for him. This was so much stronger, more intense than ever before.