Page 12 of Beau (Sheppard’s Shadow #5)

“I didn’t want her to hurt her feelings about getting it done.” Honey told him that it was much too late now for her to change her mind; the house was finished completely. “Is she in the house now?”

“No sir, she went out this morning and hasn’t returned as yet.

She seemed sort of ready to get out of the house today.

We’d been in the garden, I was giving her the tour of what we had finished, and she went into the house.

A few minutes later, she told me that she was going out to finish the house while she was gone.

” He asked if she’d said anything else. “Only that she was sick of the house and wanted it done now. I asked her about the repairs, and she said that we could do it all to get the house in shape.”

“Good for her. She must have gotten something in her ear that made her want to finish it. I’m so happy for her.” He said that he was as well and was happy to have been able to do it for her. “I bet you are. I’m betting that you all wish that it was finished sooner so that you could go home.”

“Sir?” He said that they’d been working so hard on the house for them that they probably wanted to go home to their families. “This is our home now. We have all become a part of the family that is the Sheppards’ home. You wish to send us away?”

His voice trembled with hurt. Beau hurt too from the sound of it.

Trying to think of a better way to tell him that he thought they’d had homes, he was at a loss when the little man decided to go away, deeper into the house.

Calling him back only served to show that he could see his tears now, and they didn’t make him feel any better.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” He told him it was all right.

“No, it’s not. I hurt you, and I’m sorry for that.

I didn’t know that you’d all be staying here.

I was sure you had families to go home to and things that needed your attention elsewhere in the world.

Doesn’t Lily, the lady of the earth, need you for the flowers or something? ”

“We were sent here to help the young miss and to stay to help her with all her needs. Lady Sunny said that we were to make her happy as we had made her when we helped with her home. It’s a lovely home too.

” He agreed with him. “But she’s been so sad of late.

We were fearful of her not wanting us to help her.

Then you wished to send us away now that the house is—there is so much to do when the children come along.

As the house will stay in good repair, it will need updates to it in the future. New furniture and the like.”

“I don’t want any of you to leave. I know that you have families, correct?

” He said that he had a very understanding wife who knew he was doing a wonderful job with him.

“Bring them here. We’ll find someplace to put everyone.

Right now, I don’t know where, but we will.

Have your family and that of the other faeries bring their loved ones here so that you can be as happy as we can make you, too. ”

“If you’re sure, my lord.” He said that he’d never been so sure of anything in his life. “Very good. I will tell the others. Tonight, when the young miss comes home, you’ll have to show her around the new home. We have made it the best that we can and repaired things that needed it too.”

“Like, what did you repair? So that I can tell Danielle.” He rattled off about a half a dozen things, like the leak in the basement wall as well as the air conditioner unit for the house.

“Good. I think that this is perfect. Yes, Danielle will be so happy. Now I need to have a look at the living room and how it’s finished.

Then I’m going to wait for her to return so that we can look over the house together.

You’ll go with us, right? Point out the things that you did to the house to make it perfect? ”

“It would be my pleasure, sir.” After going into the living room, one of the faeries brought him a glass of water with ice.

It was just what he needed then, and he was happy to have it.

As scones were brought to him, too, Beau enjoyed a nice snack while waiting for Danielle to return.

He only hoped she was in a good mood when he told her that he’d doubled, if not tripled, the number of faeries that were in the house now by inviting them all to stay.

Lying back on the sofa, he reached out to her. He would know if she was busy or not, but when she answered him with a wonderful ‘hello’, he thought her in a very good mood. He asked her what she was doing.

“Shopping for a baby gift for Sunny. She more than likely has a great many things right now, so I’m looking for something that she might not have. What are you doing?” He told her. “Oh, a nap does sound good. I’m assuming that you’re home by now? Right?”

“I am. The faeries have finished the house, but I’m going to wait on you getting home before I have a look around.” She told him that it was sweet of him, but he didn’t have to do that. “I want to. You wanted it finished, and it is, I’ve been told.”

“I was frustrated with myself. I should have finished it weeks ago. When you first moved in with me. So that we could spend some time getting to know each other. Instead, I was obsessing over the house that never seemed to be finished and missing life.” He told her that it was all right that she needed to do what she wanted.

“I could have listened to you and not been as frustrated as I have been for the past week. Not anything to do with you, but just the house. It overwhelmed me a great deal.”

“I thought you were handling it very well. I never noticed.” She told him that she was only frustrated after he left for work. “Oh. I guess you would put on another face when I came home, too.”

“Pretty much.” They both laughed. “I’m coming home now.

I’ve had enough of a day off. I think I needed this more than I thought that I did.

Maybe if I had taken some time off more than I had, I’d not have been so stressed out all the time.

But knowing that the house is finished has taken a great deal of it off my shoulders.

I learned a few things from Carrie, too, about the faeries.

I’ve picked up a few treats that they can have tonight. ”

“They like just about anything.” She said that she went to the craft store and got them some quilt blocks so that they can use them.

And some other tiny things she thought they might like.

“They’ll love that. The pens that you gave them and the plastic from the stove have been a huge hit.

They used them to cover their houses in the event of rain and other things, too. ”

“I’m glad. Carrie assured me that they like things rather than payment too. And I didn’t realize that they loved chocolate.” He said that he only gives it to them as a special treat . “Then they deserve it every day for the special way they’ve been treating me.”

“Come home, love. We’ll go through our home together and be happy about it. I think we should order in too. To celebrate. How about that?” She said that was perfect. “Good. I’ll see you soon. And Danielle, I love you with all that I am.”

“I love you, too, Beau. I didn’t know it until you just told me. But I do love you with all my heart. I’ll see you soon.” He couldn’t wait for her to get home and was excited to go through the house. But most importantly, she loved him, and he loved her. Nothing could stop them now. Not ever.