The Daddy Dance
Page 19
She laughed softly, but she shook her head. “You can say that now, and you probably even believe it. But what are you going to say next week? Next month? Next year? What are you going to say when I keep you from landing the biggest contract you’ve ever tried for?”
“That’s not going to happen,” he vowed.
“It will. Rye, I can see a life for myself in Eden Falls. I think a part of me has seen it from the moment I walked into my parents’ home. That’s why I delayed getting back to New York, why I delayed signing up for the Coppelia audition. My body was telling me something when I broke my foot. It knew the truth before my mind did. Before my heart did. Here in Eden Falls, I can help Daddy with his physical therapy, his rehab. I can help Mama at the studio, take over more of the business side of things, teach a few of the classes. I can keep Niffer with me, help her through the pain when she realizes that Rachel is heading out again. We both know my sister will never stick around.”
Rye started to tense when Kat said her sister’s name. There was no rancor, though, when she spoke of her twin. Only a matter-of-fact acceptance, with just a twinge of sadness for the woman that Rachel might have been.
He used his free hand to brush back Kat’s midnight hair. He wanted to make sure she could read his expression when he spoke to her. He wanted to be certain she knew he spoke the truth. “I don’t need Richmond.”
“But you—”
He cut her off by shaking his head. “Richmond is just a place. It’s not the magical answer to my problems. It’s not the secret to the life I wanted to lead.”
“Wanted? I don’t understand. What was that life?”
“I wanted to be free. I wanted to be independent. I was tired of being everyone’s brother, everyone’s cousin, everyone’s son. I wanted to make my own decisions, to grow my own business, without constantly turning aside to meet someone else’s expectation.”
“A-and now?” He heard the hesitation in her voice, the tendril of fear behind her question.
“And now, I want to be tied to someone else. To one someone else. To you. I want to go to work every morning, knowing I’m the best damned contractor I can be. And I want to come home every night, knowing I’m the best husband I can be.” He saw her register his words, saw her amazing silver eyes widen in disbelief. “Marry me, Kat. Make me the happiest man in Eden Falls.”
Marry him? Marry Rye Harmon?
Kat started to laugh, a shaky sound that mixed suspiciously with a sob in the back of her throat. “I—” she started to say, but then she gave up on that answer. “You—” She trailed off, as if she could not remember how to shape any words.
He chuckled. “I take it that means yes?”
She stared at him—at the good humor that twitched his lips into a smile. At the confidence that squared his shoulders. At the power that rippled down his arms, in the strength of his cunning fingers. At the man who had seen her heart and understood her soul, who knew who she was, and what she needed to be.
“Yes,” she said. “Yes, Rye Harmon, I’ll marry you.”
His kiss was long and deep and satisfying. He was laughing, though, as he pulled away. “You do realize that we have to get back to the park. Everyone is going to be waiting there, worried.”
She quirked a grin. There’d be time enough to follow up on the promise of that last kiss. “We can’t have that, now, can we?”
She started to reach for her seat belt, but he shook his head. “Not so fast!” he taunted.
“What?”
“I drove Noah’s car over here. You’re going to have to drive this thing back to the park.” He scooped up the keys from the floor mat and pressed them into her yielding palm. “Go ahead,” he said, darting in for a quick kiss. “You lead. I’ll follow.”
Confident that Rye was with her—would be with her forever—she barely glanced in the rearview mirror as she pulled out of the parking lot.
Epilogue
Kat stood at the stove, flexing her ankles and testing her balance as she dropped biscuit dough into a pot of stewed chicken. The motion reminded her of the exercises she had led for the Advanced Showcase students, just that afternoon. The girls had outdone themselves at the barre. In fact, little Taylor Sutton might be ready to audition for the National come spring, if she continued to work hard under Kat’s watchful eyes. And, of course, if she wanted to travel so far away from home.
A gust of wind rattled the windows, and Kat peered out at the gathering winter storm. She was glad Rye had installed the new storm windows. For that matter, it was a good thing he’d anchored all the shutters, as well.
“Niffer,” Rye said in the living room. “If you don’t bring your dolls in from the front yard, they’ll have snow on them in the morning.”
“I’ll get them after dinner,” the headstrong child said.
“Now.” Rye’s calm order made it clear he would brook no disobedience.
“Mommy wouldn’t make me bring in my dolls.”
“Mommy isn’t here, though, is she?” Rye’s voice stayed even. He was merely stating a fact. Rachel wasn’t there, hadn’t been for months. She hadn’t even sent a postcard since…when was it? Halloween? “Niffer,” Rye said, making it clear that he was through with petulant games. “Let’s go. You don’t want dinner to be late—Aunt Kat is making your favorite.”
The child trotted over to the door, suddenly content to have lost the round. “Okay, Daddy.”
Kat shivered and dropped in another dumpling. She couldn’t say if her sudden shudder was a reaction to cold air wafting in the house’s front door or the sudden proximity of her husband. Rye’s hands closed over her belly, and he pulled her back against his chest, nuzzling her neck until she squirmed even closer.
“Good job, Mr. Harmon,” she said, after she had caught her breath. “The way to a child’s heart is through her stomach.”
“Is that the secret, Mrs. Harmon?” His teasing fingers strayed to the neckline of her cobalt-blue sweater. “What do you think it would take to convince Niffer to spend the rest of the evening playing in the basement?”
She laughed and arched against him. “We don’t have a basement.”
“Damn.” He switched his attention to the waistline of her pants, dancing around her hips with enough intensity that she had to suck in a steadying breath. “Do you think she could build herself one? Just for tonight? Even for an hour or two?”
Kat set down the wooden spoon she was using to form the dumplings, and then she twisted in the circle of his arms. She started to fiddle with the top button of his shirt, amazed as always that he didn’t need a sweater in the winter cold. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that.”
“About Niffer building a basement?” He started to laugh.
“About you building onto the house,” she clarified. “I’ve been thinking we can close in the carport. Convert it into a third bedroom.”
She watched as he considered her suggestion. She saw him contemplate the work, solve the engineering problems, determine the most efficient way to add walls, to move doors. And then she saw him register the true meaning behind her suggestion. His fingers tightened deliciously on her waist.
“Really?” he asked, and there was so much love in the word, so much joy, that she found herself laughing out loud.
“Really,” she said. His lips on hers were trembling, as if he were suddenly afraid of hurting her. She wasn’t about to put up with that—not for eight more months. She cupped her hand on the back of his neck and tugged him closer, making sure she emphasized the demand with a sudden, quick thrust of her tongue.
“When?” he asked as he came up for air.
“Late August, I think. I haven’t been to see the doctor yet.”
“See the doctor for what?” Niffer’s question came from the d
oorway, tiny and scared.
Kat whirled toward her niece, automatically kneeling to put herself at the child’s eye level. “It’s okay, sweetheart. No one’s sick. I was just telling Daddy that we’re going to have a baby join us next summer.”
Niffer’s eyes grew as big as pie plates. “Will it be a boy baby or a girl baby?”
“I don’t know yet,” Kat answered gravely. “Which do you want?”
Niffer thought for a long time, and then she said, “One of each.”
Kat and Rye laughed at the same time. “Maybe we’ll just take things one step at a time,” Rye said, ruffling his daughter’s hair. “Come on, now. Help me set the dinner table.”
Kat was still grinning as Niffer hurried to grab the silverware out of its drawer. Girl or boy, it didn’t matter to her—so long as everyone was healthy and happy and safe in Eden Falls.
* * * * *
ISBN: 9781459219403
Copyright © 2012 by Mindy L. Klasky
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