CHAPTER 20
Zaki
T he Olympic break was flying by. Our first weekend at the cabin was medicine to my soul. Arwyn had picked up enough hockey knowledge and lingo and chirping to play two-on-two with the girls and me. She and Amelie gave Isla and I a run for our money.
After the girls went to bed, we’d sit by the fire and talk. And the more we talked, the harder it was not to lean over and kiss her. But I refrained. I had to be sure that she was sure about starting something because I couldn’t open my heart to breaking again. If the season ended and we parted as friends, I could handle that.
But if we became more and she didn’t want to come with us back to Canada…
The possibility of not having her in my life—in our lives—stole my breath and not in a good way. It strangled my lungs and crushed my heart.
What didn’t hurt my heart was my decision not to play in the Olympics. Denmark didn’t have a chance at winning, and it felt good to give the opportunity to a younger guy. And the quality time I gained with my girls and Arwyn—that was more important than anything.
The morning of the gala—Valentine’s Day—the girls woke me up by jumping on my bed and kiss-bombing my face. I returned their greeting with tickles, and while we tousled, I noticed Arwyn in the doorway, in her kimono, holding some sort of … crown?
Luckily, Isla and Amelie tired quickly. As they lay on me gasping for breath, I asked them if all the kisses meant that I was their Valentine.
“Of course you’re our Valentine, Daddy!” Isla huffed. “There’s no boy at school that’s as good as you.” She hopped off the bed to retrieve the crown thing from Arwyn.
I laughed as she placed the homemade circlet of glittery construction paper on my head. “Good. I’m happy to be your Valentine. But…”
“What, Daddy?” Amelie asked. “Don’t you like your King Valentine crown? I cut it out and wrote ‘King Daddy’ and Isla glued on all the sparkles.”
“I do. I feel very loved. And very dashing. But … does Wynnie have a Valentine?”
I met her gaze. She raised her eyebrows, and I grinned.
“Of course, Daddy,” Amelie assured me. “Laffy and Vennie are her Valentines!”
As if on cue, the dogs barked to confirm, and we all laughed.
Arwyn made pink heart-shaped pancakes for breakfast, and we ate a few cookies that were left over from the batch the girls decorated for their class party the day before. I brought them to ballet and snuck out to run quick errands to the print shop and florist.
I doubt they even noticed I was gone.
When we returned home, I set the girls up with a Barbie ballet movie on the sofa and asked Arwyn to come upstairs with me.
I took her hand and led her up the stairs and into my room, to the overly large closet where all her father’s photographs were stored.
“Close your eyes.”
“Should I be afraid?” she challenged.
“I hope not. No-pranks promise, remember?”
She pinned me with a narrow gaze.
“Okay, bad example. Trust me, okay?”
“Okay.”
She closed her eyes, and I snuck over to the far side of the bed where I’d stashed the bag from the print shop. Inside was a box with two large hardcover coffee table books. I laid each book on top of a stack of her father’s boxes.
I guided her over to stand by the first book. “You can open your eyes now.”
Her eyes flickered open and then went wide. “Is this—? When did you?—?”
“It is. A book of all your dad’s wildlife photos. I found some DVDs with the images on them and I made a book.”
“This is … This is amazing.” Page after page of animals native to Colorado filled the book, from the fish swimming in Snowpack Creek to a bear roaming up in the mountains.
“And…” I gently turned her to the next book. “A family scrapbook.”
She gasped. On the cover was a holiday portrait of Arwyn as a little girl in a fancy holiday dress, held jointly by her parents, each in their dress blues. “Where did you find these?”
“In the box labeled ‘Family.’ Your dad was pretty organized.”
“I didn’t know. I—I couldn’t look at them. I was too afraid. It was too painful. But now, here, in this book—somehow, it’s different.”
She spun around to face me. Her eyes were filled with tears ready to spill over. “You’ve given me the most amazing gift.” Her face crumpled as she spoke. “How can I ever thank you?”
“Wynna-bun, this is me thanking you. For taking care of my girls. For loving them. For welcoming us into your home, even when you didn’t like me.”
She laughed. “I really didn’t like you.”
“Don’t I know it! I’ve never been more thankful for good references.” I grinned.
“I was right to be afraid you’d turn my life upside down,” she said. “But I never imagined it’d be a positive upside-downing.”
It was my turn to laugh. “Unlike Monty’s prank.”
She sniffed. “Yeah. I’m rooting for you in that prank war.”
“Good. Because I might need your help.”
“It would be my pleasure.” She wrapped her arms around my middle. “Thank you again for the books. I love them.”
I held her tightly to me. “I’m so glad you do.” I closed my eyes and concentrated on committing this moment to memory. The softness of her body against mine, the rose-scented silky hair with its fly-aways caressing the underside of my chin, the security of her arms against my back.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt this appreciated, this comforted, this … loved.
It took a whole lot of willpower to let go. “What time is Penny picking you up?”
“I’m meeting her and Tasha at the salon at eleven, then we’ll grab lunch at Brewski’s. Do you need me to pick anything up while I’m out?”
I shook my head. “Nope. Have fun.” I gave her shoulder a squeeze. “See you in a few hours.”
She gathered up the books and nodded. “Bye, Zaki.”
I joined the girls and watched Barbie do her swan princess thing as they attempted to imitate the characters on the screen. When it was over, I made them lunch and took them outside to play.
We were still outside when Arwyn pulled into the driveway. The girls ran to the car to greet her.
“So pretty, Wynnie!”
“Can you do my hair like that?”
“Mine, too!”
Arwyn’s hair was elegantly gathered and secured at the back of her head in a loose bun, and ringlet curls framed her face, tumbling out from a headband of three evenly spaced pale blue satin straps. Over her right ear, three ribbon roses in shades of blue seemed to hold the straps together.
It wasn’t too different from her usual updo, but without a strand out of place, it gave a more elegant appearance, understated and refined.
Stunning.
She smiled up at me as the girls followed her into the house, asking questions about the process and planning their own future Regency tea party.
The doorbell rang, signaling the babysitter was here. The girls tugged her inside and introduced her to Arwyn. After a quick tour of the house, she took the girls upstairs to play so we could get ready.
I’d debated shaving my beard and leaving sideburns, as was the fashion of the times, but decided against it. Arwyn liked my beard, so if that meant losing a mark for not being historically accurate, I didn’t care.
The “kit” I’d ordered included everything I needed to transform into a fine Regency-era gentleman. I’d opted for the trousers instead of breeches—I hoped Arwyn didn’t mind. The starched white shirt had a stiff, high collar, and I was glad I’d ordered a size larger than I needed. I buttoned the waistcoat, watched a YouTube tutorial to arrange the cravat, and pulled on my tailcoat, tucking a light blue handkerchief into the pocket. Lastly, white gloves. After holding Arwyn’s hand, I understood the reason for them.
Skin-to-skin touching made a person feel things.
When I was satisfied with my appearance, I strolled down the hall to face the critics.
“Daddy!” Amelie saw me first. “You look like a prince!”
“Almost,” Isla said, frowning. “You need your King Valentine Crown.”
I laughed. “I’m afraid that’s against the gala’s dress code, girls. But I’ll happily wear it if you want to take a picture.”
“Oh, yes!” Amelie agreed. “By the fireplace. Let’s go get Wynnie! Daddy—get her flowers!” She picked up her tablet and headed for the stairs. Daisy bouquet and corsage in hand, I followed her and Isla, with Trudy, the babysitter, bringing up the rear.
Arwyn wasn’t ready yet, so the girls took turns posing me by the fireplace, with and without the crown, with and without them in it.
Then I caught a cloud of pale blue out of the corner of my eye. I twisted up from the girls to get a better look.
I didn’t hear anything. I didn’t see anything in my peripheral. I was sucked into a dream state where all I could do was watch.
Arwyn floated into the room in her fancy blue gown with that elegant updo, and the only word that came to my mind was thief.
She stole my breath, my thoughts, my heart.
“Thief?” she asked.
Uh-oh, I hadn’t meant to say it out loud.
“Daddy, Wynnie didn’t steal anything,” Amelie pulled at my coattail. “Why did you say that?”
“Well.” I scrambled for something corny and hopefully light. “Our Wynnie looks so beautiful, she stole my breath away.”
The girls giggled. “That’s silly, Daddy. You’re still breathing,” Isla pointed out. “More pictures!”
By the time the girls were done with us, I was sure I could fill another photo book.