Dancing With A Stranger (GH Series Book 3)

Castles

Carmen

"About time!!" Well, Gavin is super excited, and Chelsea is running around like she has just won the lottery, but I've never met her.

"Well, sorry buddy, someone had to convince me to come to the beach today." I bumped my shoulder off Liv, and she grinned.

"It was hard work you know Gavin."

"Awe! Thank you, Auntie Ollie!"

"Ollie, Ollie, Ollie!"

"Hey little miss." Liv bent down and opened up her arms and Chelsea went flying into them and picked her up and then they faced me. Chelsea went a little shy.

"Hey Chelsea, that's a gorgeous name." Her little eyebrows went up.

"All the gorgeous girls in my life begin with a C. No offence Ashley." Ashley pretended to look hurt and burst out laughing.

"No offence taken." Liv put Chelsea back down and we greeted one another with a hug. Callie placed a firm hand on Gavin's shoulder

"Sorry my son is so demanding. Once he gets something in his head, he doesn't stop until he gets it." Ollie's eyes lit up and I knew a story was coming.

"One time, he kept going on and on about a pencil he seen down at the zoo. I ended up going back just to get it for him."

"Awe you big softie." We were chatting amongst ourselves and I felt a tug on my hand.

"Do you think you could come and help me now Auntie Carmen?" My heart thundered in my chest. I think I went pale and I heard Liv whispering in my ear.

"Are you okay?" I smiled and looked at Liv.

"Sure. Just in demand from my buddy here. Let's get going Gavin."

"Chelsea is coming too. I told her aaaaaaaallllll about you."

"Oh, did you now?" Gavin nodded his head furiously. "Okay. Be back whenever, ladies."

***

Olivia/Liv

We watched as Gavin ran down the beach a bit and Chelsea was walking next to Carmen and then she reached up and took her hand. Carmen looked down and smiled at Chelsea and then her watchful eye went back on to Gavin. "That...that is some sight."

"She went a bit pale after Gavin's response to her." I looked at Ashley and I couldn't agree more. We aren't sure if it was a slip of the tongue by Gavin.

"I noticed. I don't think she's interacted with kids much."

"Well, she seems to be doing well, especially if Gavin is calling her Auntie less that twenty-four hours later." Callie gave me a warm smile as she recalled Gavin's excitement with his Auntie Carmen being here. I went back to watching Carmen walking down the beach and Chelsea stumbled but Carmen was quick to react, stopped her from falling and in a split second she had her up on her shoulders. It was one of those moments if you blinked you would have missed it. "Well, good to know our kids are in safe hands." My heart was soaring. The vision was mind blowing and almost a glimpse into what a future with Carmen could look like.

"Yeah, Gavin and Chelsea certainly are. Carmen is the protective kind.

"Being a soldier and all..." I looked at Callie and I can understand why she said that, but I genuinely believe that Carmen is the protective kind, even without her training.

"Well, she isn't anymore. She just needs to work out what she is doing. She told me on the drive here that she signed up when she was sixteen."

"That was young. I was busy arguing with my parents around that age for disowning me."