Capítulo 57: Choice Company

"Happy birthday, honey," Jesse murmured, kissing Pearl's neck as he came up behind her, where she stood at the kitchen window.

She'd been watching Pablo run up and down with her father.

They both seemed to wake up way before everyone else, so over the past week they'd gotten into the habit of slipping outside to collect sea-shells, play games, wade in the ocean water until everyone appeared for the morning meal.

Usually Pearl or her mother would call them in to eat. Corra wasn't up yet, so Pearl and Jesse were relatively alone.

Turning around with pleasure, she hugged him. "Thanks, baby!"

After the hug, he kissed her lightly. "You smell wonderful."

"Thank you," she smiled happily, "How did you know it was my birthday?"

Jesse laughed. How she loved that sound.

"Everyone has been hinting at it not so subtly since you got out of hospital."

She laughed too. "Oh. Sorry. They're all very nosy, aren't they?"

He shrugged. "We love them, though, don't we?"

"We certainly do."

Taking his hand from behind his back, he presented her with a single rose.

"First, a flower."

"Aw, thank you, Jesse."

He winked.

A moment later, Corra walked into the kitchen.

"There you two are! Have you already eaten?"

"Good morning, Mom," Pearl smiled.

"Morning to you, birthday girl!" she came over and gave her only child a big hug. Then she looked over at Jesse and winked. "Good morning, handsome."

Jesse chuckled. "Good morning, Corra. You look very merry today."

"It's the only day of the year I get to celebrate my greatest accomplishment," she grinned.

Pearl shook her head good-naturedly, knowing her mother was the first one to say her daughter was a gift from God and she had nothing to do with how she turned out. She also knew her mother was being far too humble because the woman was very accomplished.

Jesse escorted them both to the breakfast table, the whole time musing how easy it had been to fall into a routine at the Guthrie house. He felt like he was part of the family and had been for ages. There had barely been any awkwardness surrounding the first encounter with Pearl's parents. They liked him because he was Vivienne's son and because he'd convinced Pearl to bring him home, which amused him to no end.

Before he'd settle into his seat Jesse saw Pablo's little hand waving as he ran toward them on the soft sand. He waved back but almost shot out of his seat when Pablo tumbled and his face landed in the sand. What stayed him was Franklin Guthrie's own hand.

Jesse watched as Franklin jogged up to Pablo and picked him up with both hands. Kneeling beside the small boy, the older man brushed off as much sand as he could, gently wiping Pablo's face with the cardigan he'd been carrying on his shoulders.

Pablo was crying and Jesse could hear it. With a miserable groan, he covered his face. "Oh, make it stop," his companions heard him say. "It's killing me."

"Aw," Corra smiled sympathetically. "It's probably more his pride that got hurt."

"I know you're right but that sound guts me every time. I hate seeing him cry," he confessed, looking up from his hands.

Pearl reached out and squeezed his hand. "Here he comes. Buck up, Dr Murray."

He smiled gratefully at Pearl and then watched her call out to Pablo. "Come here, mijo, let me look at you."

Jesse stood up as Franklin approached them to take his seat.

"Good morning, Jesse." He bent down to kiss his wife. "Morning darling." As he sat down he gestured Jesse back into his seat, accepting the coffee his wife offered him. But the younger man wasn't paying attention.

He was watching Pearl with Pablo with an expression of surprise on his face. Surprise and something else. Franklin hid his smile in his coffee cup. After taking a sip, he said, "Jesse, son, take a seat. You look like you could use some coffee."

The doctor blinked. With a slight shake of the head, he sat down with an apologetic smile. "Coffee would be great, thank you, sir."

"I've told you not to call me that," Franklin tried frowning.

Jesse grinned. "And I've told you that you're far too important for me not to. It slips out every now and then."

Corra chuckled.

"Come here, Pablo," Jesse now said in a gentle voice.

Pearl was done getting more sand off his face. She kissed him and sent him over.

Jesse picked the boy up and placed him on his knee. "¿Como estás?"

Pablo said he was fine and said good morning. He was slightly subdued but he looked curiously at his Papa whose eyes were twinkling happily.

"Do you remember what day it is, little one?

It took only a few seconds and the transformation on Pablo's face was unmistakable. He started bouncing excitedly and he clapped his hands as he always did when he was happy. Jesse whispered in his ear and the little boy jumped down from his perch and disappeared inside.

Pearl sent him a quizzical look, but Jesse just gave her his killer model quality smile.

Pablo returned with a little box decorated with ribbon. He stopped halfway between Jesse and Pearl. Jesse smiled at him and told him to hand the box over to the owner.

That said, Pablo walked shyly back to Pearl and gave the box, saying, "Happy birthday," in bashful English.

Pearl grabbed and hugged the boy tightly. "Oh, thank you, sweetheart."

Pablo's cheeks turned pink but he hugged her back.

Taking the box in her hand, she sent Pablo's guardian another curious look. He gave her a knowing smile. "Open it, honey."

Corra's eyes widened with interest and Franklin was looking at the box intently.

All of a sudden, she was nervous. Tentatively, Pearl took the ribbon off the small square box and cracked it open.

That was when Jesse spoke. "That is Pablo's gift to you."

It was a small black pearl.

She gasped in delight. "It's beautiful. Oh," she kissed the boy's cheek, "gracias my baby. I love it."

Pablo turned even pinker but he was smiling.

Turning the box around for her parents to see, she let them look at the pearl.

The relief on her father's face was almost comical but Pearl missed it because she was listening to Jesse who was explaining that Pablo had found the clam the afternoon they'd arrived in Hawaii.

"What a lovely gift," Corra chimed in, chuckling at her husband who agreed out loud.

"Happy birthday, my little angel," her father said, placing a different shaped box in front of her.

"Thank you, Daddy."

She took the leather bound recycled book out and smiled, delighted at the workmanship on the cover.

"It used to be some kind of math journal, but they bleach the pages and repurpose these old books."

"Oh I love it. This is such a great birthday," she said, sitting back.

"Isn't that something," Jesse said, amused. "It's only breakfast time."

Her eyes shone. "I'm excited now."

Corra informed them that she'd made lunch reservations so whatever Jesse had planned would have to fit after midday. She and Pearl were hitting the spa that morning.

"You boys can go out on the boat or go do rounds with Pearl's father," she said to Jesse.

"They're going to do both," Franklin announced. The man was almost as tall as Jesse, a little rounder but his voice was larger by far. And yet he never sounded like he was shouting. The deep tones just seemed to talk right into your ear drums in a pleasing way.

Jesse smiled now, thinking he could imagine Franklin preaching and the whole congregation being moved to a standing ovation. They'd arrived on Sunday afternoon so he'd missed the opportunity but he knew tomorrow he'd be there.

"That was quite a trick you played, this morning," Franklin said as they docked the boat.

Jesse chuckled. "I can't believe you thought that I'd propose twelve hours after telling you that I have intentions. She doesn't even know yet."

Franklin laughed out loud. "My baby is smart. She knows."

"I honestly hope she does." With a friendly slap on the back, Franklin led Jesse, who was carrying Pablo into the restaurant where they were meeting Franklin's wife and daughter.

"Just to be sure," Franklin chuckled, "let her know soon. She deserves that much."

"Yes, sir," Jesse grinned, "I will."

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