Chapter 34 #2
Kenzie smiled and leaned back slightly to look at him. ‘Gee, I don’t know if Poppy will handle going to the ice-cream shop two days in a row.’
‘I’m sure we’ll really have to twist her arm,’ he agreed, lowering his head and kissing her. ‘Or we could just stay here and go back to bed.’
‘You have a lot to learn about the attention span of a four-year-old, mister.’
‘Was worth a try.’
They spent the day exploring the local town.
For its small size, Nullan had quite a lot to offer for visitors.
There were two museums. One was an early settlers’ historical village set up with original small hut-like houses, a replica main street with a horse and cart ride and an old-fashioned lolly shop, blacksmith and bakery.
The other was a mining museum showcasing the town during its heyday, when gold, lead and copper mining drew people here in droves and the town was three times its current size.
There were a number of original houses and old-style architecture that gave the town its quaint, old-world charm. Kenzie was a little bit in love with the place.
The next day, they went a little further afield and visited some of the surrounding places and tourist attractions before taking a few days to head to Adelaide and do some of the bigger tourist things.
Poppy had taken to Ewan like a duck to water—it was almost as though she’d never not known him, and each time she heard Poppy call him Daddy, it made Kenzie’s heart contract just a little bit harder than usual.
‘Will Daddy come and live with us now?’ Poppy asked when they’d got back to Laire-Mor.
The question was one that Kenzie didn’t have an answer for.
They hadn’t talked about things that far ahead.
It seemed far too soon to be discussing moving in together, yet being here had somehow blurred the lines of time.
Maybe it had something to do with the fact they both felt as though they’d wasted the last five years apart and jumping back in just seemed natural.
But, she warned herself, this was not how everyday life would be.
There would be the realities of managing a household and work and daycare.
There’d be the pressure of long hours and Ewan getting a job and whatever work issues that would add.
‘I don’t know, Poppet. We’ll have to wait and see.’
‘I think I’d like to have Daddy living with us,’ she said matter-of-factly.
‘Well, there’s a lot to figure out, so you’ll just have to be patient and see what happens. Come on, it’s time for bed.’
‘Where are we going tomorrow?’ she asked, following a wide yawn.
‘Tomorrow might be a home day. I have to work. But I’m sure you and Daddy will find something fun to do.’
She found Ewan staring out the window in her bedroom. She walked up behind him and circled her arms around his waist, resting her head against his shoulder blade and breathing the smell of his clean skin in deeply.
‘She settle okay?’ he asked, moving her around so that she was pressed against his chest.
‘Yeah. She’s probably dreaming up some big adventure for the two of you to do tomorrow.’
‘I look forward to it,’ he chuckled. ‘She’s got quite an imagination, that’s for sure.
Although, I won’t be disappointed if it doesn’t include another fairy tea party.
Every time I sit down on those tiny toadstools, I feel my knees crack and what’s left of my self-respecting manhood shrivel up and die. ’
‘You’re a good daddy,’ she said, giggling at the image.
‘I really want to be,’ he said, and the serious tone of his voice made her look up at his face.
‘Being with Poppy, I’ve come to realise just how easy it is to love a child.
Even though I haven’t had the whole four years with her, it’s impossible not to love her as a dad …
but it also makes me realise, what made it so hard for mine to like me? ’
The vulnerable echo of his question tore at her heart. But as quickly as it came, it went again as he stepped away and cleared his throat quickly.
‘Sorry. I told you, it’s all the bloody fairy parties I’ve been attending.’
‘You don’t have to be ashamed of feeling things,’ she said gently. ‘I hate that he makes you feel that way. I can’t imagine growing up with someone so cold.’
‘What if, somehow … I end up like my old man?’
‘I don’t know a lot about the history between you, but what I do know is that you will never be like him.
There’s no chance of that,’ she said, running her hand down his jawline.
‘For starters, I won’t let you.’ She smiled softly.
‘But the fact you worry about it tells me that you would never allow it yourself.’ They stood in silence for a while, and Kenzie could see the sadness still lurking in his eyes.
‘Maybe you could talk to him? Get it out in the open once and for all? Find out why he is like he is?’
Ewan gave a harsh laugh. ‘Yeah, nah. Callum Campbell would rather cut off an arm than talk about his feelings.’
‘It wouldn’t be for his benefit. It’d be for yours.’
‘I have no idea why I brought all that up just now. Let’s put it down to the fact both you and your daughter have been bringing up a lot of emotions in me over the last few weeks, and it’s turning me into a bit of a wuss.’
‘Maybe it was just about time that you realised you had them,’ she pointed out dryly.
‘Well, now that you mention it, I do feel some emotions building up inside me,’ he said, kissing the side of her neck and making her chuckle.
‘Well, by all means, let’s get them out in the open,’ she said, lifting her T-shirt over her head and watching his eyes darken with desire.