Chapter 29 Oliver #2
I offer her a smile, and for a second she seems to hesitate before a smile pulls at her lips, and then she’s laughing, dissolving in a fit of giggles so adorable that my cheeks ache from my smile.
I’m not sure how long she laughs for, but once she’s finished and she gets herself under control, I feel better, lighter even, and while I can’t be sure, I’d like to say she looks lighter too.
“Do you want a muffin?” she asks, and while it seems like such a simple question, it feels like more.
“I’d love one.”
She hops up, moves around the island back to the counter next to the oven, and brings me one over, delivering it with a kiss on my cheek that makes my ears warm, before she falls into her seat and starts in on hers.
We might be all right, maybe even more than all right.
The first snow turns to the second, and as the week progresses, it seems we’ve gotten it early this year, and it has no plans to leave.
Father, Nathan, and Des are at the office, but most of my work can be done remotely at any time, so I decided to enjoy that perk for once and loved every minute of it.
I can’t remember the last time I laughed this much or played in the snow, like really played.
Usually, we take Addison out and build a snowman, but Kat wasn’t taking just that.
We made a snowman, snow angels, had a snowball fight, and she made little colored bottles for us to write in the snow with.
My cheeks ache as I watch Kat take Addy up for a nap; she was hardly able to keep her eyes open when we were stripping out of our winter gear.
“She’s got energy for days, that one,” Vince says as I make my way into the kitchen for coffee, needing the pick-me-up and the warmth.
I nod because I’m honestly not sure if he’s talking about Kat or Addy, but either way, he’s right.
With my coffee in hand, I head to the living room to do some work now that I have a little while of downtime.
Everything is decked out in so much Christmas decor; it’s even in the bathrooms. I’d love to say it’s too much, but somehow it doesn’t feel that way.
Kat and Addy love it, and apparently, that’s all it takes for the rest of us to suck it up and get on board.
Even Vince seems happier this holiday, and usually, he’s about the equivalent of the damn Grinch.
The house is quiet, and try as I might, I can’t help but watch the clock. Addy doesn’t often nap anymore, and when she does, it’s usually because we’ve done a lot, like today. While Kat was running around a lot, I won’t deny the fact that I’m a little bummed she didn’t come back down.
I’d been looking forward to spending some time with her, even if all we did was sit and enjoy each other's company; it’s so very rare to get alone time in our house.
“Did she say something about napping with Addy?” Vince asks the same question that's been on my mind, and suddenly I can’t sit here anymore.
“No, but she was running around a lot. I wouldn’t be surprised if she passed out with her,” I tell him as I move through the room toward the stairs, because it would make sense, but I need to see it with my own eyes.
Our house is safe; we’ve made sure of it, so why is my anxiety suddenly through the roof?
It takes effort to ensure I’m not running as I make my way down the hall toward Addison’s door, which is cracked. I stand for a moment in the hall, attempting to get myself under control before I push the door, letting it swing open enough that I can peek in.
Addison lies on the bed, her hair a mess from sleep and being in a hat. She has a huge stuffy in her arms and looks so peaceful; I find myself jealous.
I can’t remember the last time I slept so peacefully.
To be a child and not understand the way of the world—I wish I could go back to that some days, or at least I used to.
Speaking of, I look around the room and find she isn’t here.
Damn it, Kat.
She’s not up here.
I send off a text to Vince as I make my way into the room and check better just to be sure.
My phone dings with a response as I finish checking the bathroom and closet.
Did you check the cameras?
I don’t bother answering him as I pull up the app to view our surveillance system, swiping through each room.
Damn it, why is this house so big?
I feel the panic as it crawls up my throat, threatening to choke me, but I know I need to keep my head.
“Anything?” Vince asks, meeting me at the bottom of the stairs, and I look up, confused for a moment. I didn’t even realize I’d been moving.
“Not yet.” I turn my attention back to my phone as I quickly skip through the outdoor views.
“Wait!” I swipe back, having only caught the slightest movement, and Vince moves toward me to get a better look.
“What the fuck?” Vince hisses, snatching the phone from my hand.
What the fuck is right.
Vince turns and stomps away, right out the front door, taking my phone with him. It takes me a second to follow him as I don’t have shoes on, but I catch up in seconds, right as Kat looks up and finds us coming toward her.
The smile on her face tells me she doesn’t see Vince’s face, or she just doesn’t understand, but she’s about to.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Vince demands, and I watch as Kat’s face screws up in confusion.
“Shoveling…” She holds up the shovel to show him and gestures around to the now-clear walkway as if it should be obvious.
It is, but that’s not what he was asking.
“We can see that, Kat. I think he means to ask why.” I attempt to clarify, but all that does is earn me a dirty look.
“I don’t give a fuck why,” Vince growls as he stomps toward Kat, and I watch as she squares her shoulders and prepares to hold her ground.
If they weren’t at each other’s throats, it would be funny how his attitude makes hers come out to play.
“This isn’t your job. They pay people to do this, and if they didn’t, you sure as fuck wouldn’t be the one doing it! ”
He grabs the shovel from her and tosses it into the snow on the grass.
“Hey!” she shouts and makes to go retrieve it, but she only makes it two steps before he reaches out, snagging her around the waist and pulling her back into his chest.
“I’m not playing with you, Kat. It’s freezing out here. You already spent all day playing with Addy. You’re not going to shovel the fucking walk.”
He doesn’t give her a chance to fight back, and I know she would have; I can see it in her eyes, the way they light up with defiance that makes my cock spring to life.
Thankfully, neither of them seems to even register that I’m here as Vince slings Kat over his shoulder and stomps his way back into the house with her cursing and sassing him the whole way.
Well, that was something.
I follow behind them, retrieving the shovel and leaving it up on the porch before I head inside and peel off my shoes with a little shiver.
It got colder out since we were out there earlier.
I follow the sound of their bickering, snagging a blanket off one of the couches as I go. Walking in, it’s as if I’m not even here, but that suits me just fine as I move to brew her some coffee.
Once it’s done, I move around Vince to stand with Kat, pressing a hand to the small of her back, and I direct her toward the table where her coffee sits waiting for her.
I’m not sure if I’m more surprised she goes or by the smile she gives me when she sits, and I drape the blanket around her shoulders.
“I know you’re not used to being cared for, but Vince is right; we have people we pay to take care of those types of things. We can meet in the middle sometimes. We let you take over most of Dale’s cooking and Addy’s education. However, this kind of stuff isn’t up for debate.”
She opens her mouth to argue, but I press a finger to her lips, and she lets them fall closed so that I can finish.
“Let us take care of you. That’s our job. You only need to worry about yourself and Addy. Okay?”
She reaches out, wrapping her hands around the warm mug of coffee, and I’m not sure if she’s cold or simply doesn’t want to look at me, but when she nods, I find the reason doesn’t much matter.
The urge to touch her, kiss her, yell at her, and protect her is a jumble inside me. Unable to resist, I lean in and press a kiss to her forehead before moving out of the dining room back to the kitchen, where I find Vince smirking at me, my phone held out in offering.
“When did you become the disciplinarian?” he asks, and I snatch my phone from him, not bothering to give him a response. I know well enough by now that he’s trying to get a rise out of me.
That’s the last thing I need; Kat did more than enough as it is.
I head back to my laptop, sure I’ll be able to get some work done now, and make a mental note to keep an eye on her. She might have agreed, but something tells me this is a lesson we’re going to have to keep coming back to for a while.
We need to teach her it’s okay for her to be soft; strong independence is usually born out of necessity, and it won’t be needed anymore, not if we can help it.
I’ve developed a bit of an addiction in the days since I thought Kat went missing, checking on her through the cameras. At first, I told myself I was simply keeping an eye on her to ensure she didn’t do something silly, like try to shovel or whatever else she thought she needed to do.
She hasn’t yet, but I still find myself watching.
Which is how I discovered her trying to break her damn neck, up on a ladder hanging… paper snowflakes.
“Jesus fuck.” I fumble to pull my phone from my pocket and call Vince as I watch her sway twenty feet in the air. Addy continues to color and cut projects at the table on the other side of the room.
“Pick up the damn phone,” I hiss as it rings for the third time, and I feel the panic choking me.
Where the hell is Vince that she was able to do this in the first place?
“What?” he sounds out of breath and more than a little irritable—well, more irritable than usual for Vince, at least. His attitude is annoying, considering he’s the one fucking up right now, but I ignore it because I have more important things to worry about right now.
“Want to explain how Kat got her ass on a twenty-foot ladder?” I ask, eyes still glued to my monitor as I watch her climb down and grab another snowflake. I groan in frustration as I watch her move back up it again, even as her hips swing to a song she sings along to that I can’t hear.
All in all, she’s painting a beautiful picture right now, but that ladder.
God, all I can think about is her clumsiness coming out and…
No.
“What!” Vince seethes, and I hear him stomping through the house, no doubt off to find her.
“What in the fucking hell do you think you’re doing, Katherine!” he shouts as he bursts into the room, and I watch her jump on the video as Addy laughs and tells Vince he owes the swear jar.
“Jeez, Vince,” Kat scolds him as she grips the side of the ladder with white knuckles. “You scared me!”
“I scared you?”
“Yes, why are you shouting?”
“You’re going to be the death of me,” he grumbles to himself as he moves toward the ladder, and I would have missed it had we not still been on a call.
“Get down.” He stands at the bottom of the ladder, glaring up at her as he points at the ground.
Kat doesn’t move, and I swear Vince’s eye twitches as he holds her gaze. It takes too long before she finally moves, stomping down the ladder, huffing and puffing, before her feet finally hit the ground in front of him, leaving them nearly chest to chest.
“I was putting up decorations, Vince, nothing crazy. You’re being ridiculous.”
“You were twenty feet in the air. Next time you need something with a ladder, get one of us.”
“I don’t need a man for every single little thing. I’m not helpless.” She turns and walks away, but she doesn’t make it far.
Some of his anger melts away as he reaches out and stops her, pulling her back around to face him.
“I know you’re not helpless. You’re strong, stronger than you should have ever had to be.
I know you don’t need us.” He reaches out and hooks his finger under her chin so that she's forced to look up at him. “But I want you to look to us when you need help, to know we’re here and not only willing but waiting for you to call on us. You’re not alone anymore, little beauty, so start acting like it. We’ve got you.”
Kat stands, looking up at him with wide eyes for a moment before she seems to shake herself from her shock.
I can’t blame her; that was pretty deep for Vince, but she seems to have that effect on all of us.
She gives him a slight nod, and he smiles at her, just the barest hint of his lips pulling up, but I can see the way her cheeks fill with color.
Vince lets his hand fall back to his side and finally presses his phone back to his ear.
“All good,” he tells me, turning toward the camera in the corner that I’m watching them on.
“Wait, how did you know what I was doing, and who are you talking to?”
“Shit.” I don’t want to lie to her, but I’m also not positive how she’ll take knowing the house is equipped with a few dozen cameras.
I watch as she turns and follows Vince’s line of sight and see the moment she realizes what she’s looking at.
“You’re watching me?” she asks, and I can’t tell if she’s upset or not.
“Not me.” Vince puts a hand up in surrender, and her brows pull together in confusion. “Right now your admirer is Oliver, though I can’t promise he’s the only one.”
I hear her gasp through the phone and see the questions in her eyes, but I’m not ready to answer them, so I do the only thing I can think of and hang up. She doesn’t need to know I can still hear her through the camera.
“Coward,” Vince huffs, looking down at his phone, no doubt noticing I’ve hung up.
“What?”
“He hung up.” He holds up his phone as if to prove it before sliding it back into his pocket. “Apparently, he can’t handle the pressure.”
Asshole.
He knows damn well I can hear him.
My phone vibrates, and I look down to find a message from Des.
Oh, you’re in trouble :p
I groan and let my head fall onto my desk; of course, he’d be watching too. It will be a miracle if Father and Nathan weren’t.
“So they just watch me…” I should shut the stream off, but I can’t bring myself to.
Is she mad? She doesn’t sound mad; if anything, more curious.
I don’t hear Vince’s answer, and I can only assume he didn’t give one, which makes me even more curious about what’s happening.
Peeling my head off the desk, I look up to find Vince no longer in the frame, but Kat still stands there, her eyes boring into mine as if she can see me watching, her plump lower lip caught between her teeth, making all my blood run south.
How could I not watch her all day?