38. Katie
38
KATIE
The bath isn’t even finished running when I hear a vehicle outside the cottage. I turn off the water and head for the front door, peering through the window as I do.
There’s a small red hatchback parked in front of the house. I open the door, relieved I haven’t bothered to start undressing yet. I haven’t seen the car before and I don’t know who I’m expecting to see climb out of it. Maybe Dallas’s ex Abi, even though he told me she was waiting to hear from him.
A person I definitely wasn’t expecting to see get out of the car is Tilly Sheridan.
My breath catches at the sight of her, as memories fire through my brain.
She glances up at the house and spots me, leaning against the door frame. She hesitates, then straightens up and takes purposeful strides across the gravel. She stops at the bottom of the porch steps and holds out a brown paper bag.
“I’m sorry about my brother,” she says, her voice wobbling. “ Both my brothers. You left this behind. I thought you might miss it.”
“I’m so sorry, Tilly,” I say. My voice is haggard and tears threaten to spill over again. The emotional rollercoaster of the day has almost wiped me out completely.
“It’s not your fault,” Tilly assures me, gesturing at the bag. I step forward and take it, knowing it contains the shirt and Sadie’s picture. “I always really liked you and I never understood what Max was on about. But Toby could be a real jerk sometimes, especially to Max. I think it really messed him up.” She takes a few steps back. “I’m not making excuses for Max, because he was a jackass too, but I am sorry.”
“Thank you, Tilly,” I rasp. “I appreciate that. And you bringing this all the way out here.”
She shrugs. “I’ll see you around sometime. I hope.” She shoots me a little smile, then climbs back into her car and disappears down the driveway.
She doesn’t hate me. She wants me to stay too.
I sit down on the step and pull out the contents of the bag. The shirt spills into my lap, but it’s the picture I’m after.
My family.
I don’t know how long I sit there and stare at the drawing, but the sound of running boots on gravel causes me to look up, right before Sadie plows into me.
“I love you, Katie,” she says, words bursting out of her along with an enormous grin. “I told Daddy we can share a room when you stay over, but he wants you to share with him.” She leans in close. “He snores though, so you might not want to, but don’t be mean to him about it. He really likes you so it might hurt his feelings.”
I wrap my arms around her and pull her onto my lap, carefully setting the picture down beside me.
Dallas sits on the step beside me and I lean into him. “How?” He asks, picking up the drawing.
“Tilly,” I say simply, then I turn my focus back to Sadie. “I love you too, Lady Sadie, and I really like your dad, so I’ll do my very best not to hurt his feelings.”
She leans in close again and I inhale the bubblegum scent of her hair. “He told me he loves you.”
“Did he now? That’s good, because I love him too.”
She giggles like I’ve told her a secret and snuggles into me. I lean into Dallas’s side as he wraps an arm around me. It’s a moment of pure bliss.
“Let’s get you back to the main house,” Dallas says to Sadie after a few perfect minutes pass and Sadie starts wriggling in my lap. I’m impressed she’s stayed still this long. “Katie can have her bath.”
“Then I’ll come over. Maybe see if Vi has space for a couple of extras for dinner?”
“You sure?” he asks, eyes gentle with affection and concern.
“Yeah. It seems like a good day to be with family.”
“That it does.” He kisses my temple and helps Sadie up. “We’ll see you soon.”
I soak in the bath until the water is cold and my fingers are pruned. I climb out, wrap myself in the fluffy towel Dallas left for me, then sit on the edge of the bath contemplating my choices.
I have no spare clothes, only the shirt Dallas gifted me, so either I put back on my ruined skirt, or I find something of Dallas’s to wear. I eye the crumpled pile of my wet, dirty clothes. I’m reluctant to put them back on, but I’m even more reluctant to rifle through Dallas’s things. We may be together, but I’m not comfortable searching his drawers.
The front door opens just as I’m shaking out my skirt and Dallas appears, knocking on the bathroom door before pushing it open. He has a bag in hand and holds it out to me.
“Olivia suggested I bring these over. Something for you to wear.”
I exhale a breath and take the bag. “Oh, thank you. I was not looking forward to putting this back on.” I wave the skirt at him, then drop it on the floor.
“I’m sorry about that. Is the shirt salvageable? Maybe after we’ve washed it we could have an encore,” he says, eyes flashing.
“I can get behind that.” I smirk at him and lift my hand to the fold where my towel is held in place. “But maybe for now …”
“I wish, princess. But dinner’s almost ready.” He steps closer, his hand coming to rest on my cheek as he gently tilts my chin to look up at him. “It’s okay. We’ve got all the time in the world.”
He’s right. “We do,” I say as I turn my head and kiss his palm .
He leaves the bathroom while I pull on Olivia’s clothes, a pair of comfy jeans and a sweatshirt. I finger comb my hair and use one of Sadie’s hair ties to secure it in a messy ponytail and finally wipe the remnants of my makeup from my face.
It’s a stark difference to me preparing for my date with Dallas earlier, but for a family dinner, I feel perfect.
We walk to the main house hand in hand and when we enter the kitchen Sadie promptly drops her hand of cards—leaving Flynn looking rather put out—and bounces over to greet us. She immediately, and proudly, announces to the room that her daddy and I love each other.
Flynn applauds, Violet gives us a warm smile, but while Olivia is smiling, there’s something else in her expression. She’s wary.
“Sadie, my love, can you come and help me get something from the garden?” Violet says, and when Sadie nods vigorously, leads the way out the back door.
When it’s just the four of us—me, Dallas, Flynn and Olivia—silence falls as everyone glances furtively from one to the other, wondering who’s going to be the first to speak.
“Are you staying?” Olivia asks finally, resignation in her tone. “Or are you both leaving?” Her voice wavers as I cross the room to her. “I’m sorry,” she whispers as I take her hands. “I’m so happy for you, but I just need to know.”
“We’re staying, Livvie.” I squeeze her hands tight and she raises her watery eyes to look at me. “I want to be here. All of my family is here, and they’re more important than anything Max Sheridan has to say to me. ”
A sob bursts free from her, and she flings her arms around me. She clings to me until she manages to get her breathing under control. “Thank god, I didn’t want to lose you. Either of you.”
“Never again, Livvie. I’m home now.”
Another set of arms comes around us and squeezes us tight.
“Group hug,” Flynn says. Even his voice sounds a little choked up. “So glad you’re staying, Katie Kat.”
Eventually we break apart and take seats at the table while Olivia passes around a pitcher of Violet’s fruit punch.
“I haven’t told Sadie about Abi yet,” Dallas says, his hand finding mine on the table. “So if you could keep that to yourselves for now.”
Flynn and Olivia both nod, then Olivia hesitantly breaches the subject.
“Do you think she said she couldn’t work here because of you? She didn’t want to encroach on your turf?”
Dallas runs his hand through his hair. “Probably. I don’t really know. We’re going to have to talk through some things.”
“Would you be okay if I went through with the interview? And potentially offered her the job? Her work won’t really cross over with yours.” She traces a line through the condensation on her glass. She’s nervous. “She’s just the only decent applicant I’ve had and I desperately need help if I want the venue to operate this summer,” she blurts out, then falls back in her seat, like she’s preparing for us to rage at her.
I study her, then glance at Dallas. “I have no issues with it,” I say. Sadie deserves to know her mum, and I know Abi’s arrival won’t affect my relationship with Dallas, because he loves me, as much as I love him. “So long as you’re okay with it.” I squeeze Dallas’s hand. “And Sadie is number one.”
“Absolutely,” Olivia says. “Sadie’s always number one.”
Dallas chuckles. “Don’t let her hear you say that. That kid’s ego is big enough already. But yeah, I’m okay with it. I want to talk to her first though, if that’s alright.”
“Of course,” Olivia says, the tension draining from her. “And like I said, you won’t really have to work with her. Flynn can do any of the work needed at the venue if you’d prefer to keep your distance.”
“I feel like I’m the only one not getting a choice here,” Flynn grumbles, but there’s a small satisfied smile tugging at his mouth. I study him closer. Is he … blushing?
Olivia drags my attention away from Flynn when she continues the conversation. “We’ll see how it all plays out, but for now, is it safe to let Mum bring Sadie back inside? I’m pretty sure she’s going to run out of delay tactics in a moment.”
“I’ll go get them,” Flynn says, striding to the door. “Hey, Sadie! You ready to finish losing yet?”
“In your dreams,” she shouts back and a moment later races back through the door and takes up her hand of cards. Flynn grins, ruffles her hair and collapses into the seat opposite her, collecting his own cards.
Five minutes later, dinner is ready and Flynn has been annihilated in the most intense game of Go Fish I’ve ever seen.
After dinner, Dallas and I cross the paddock back to the little cottage, Sadie swinging on our hands between us. Neither of us could bear to leave her at Violet’s for the night.
We tuck Sadie into her bed and kiss her goodnight .
Then we crawl into Dallas’s bed and as he curls his strong, hot body around mine, pulling me in close he whispers into my ear. “Welcome home, Katie.”