Chapter 24
*
MIKE WOKE TO the pleasant sensation of Kate’s body nestled in the rumpled bed beside him, her head on the opposite pillow facing him. He indulged himself a moment, watching her. Relaxed in sleep, her face wore an expression of childlike innocence framed in the orange blaze of her siren’s hair. Kate, he thought, letting the name sink deep into his bones. My Kate. He could have stayed like that for hours, simply watching her.
Eventually, though, the call of nature could not be ignored. He eased from the bed, slipped on his pants, and went in search of a bathroom. He found it tucked between the bedroom and living area, a room no bigger than a walk-in closet and filled with fascinating feminine clutter. A floral-patterned silk robe hung on the back of the door, while talcum powder and scented deodorant crowded together with hairspray and body lotion on a shelf over the tiny sink.
After finishing in the bathroom, he couldn’t resist exploring the place a bit more, as if it held secrets about the woman who lived there. He slipped silently into the living area and heard Dylan’s soft snores drifting down from the loft. A few toys littered the floor, with even more stuffed into a large grapevine basket in the corner. The faint tinge of red light creeping over the horizon drew him to the windows. He marveled at the sheer beauty of the mist-shrouded lake at sunrise. Then, he turned back and let the feel of the room settle around him. Peaceful, he decided.
This place had the one thing his house on Challenger didn’t have. It felt like a home. The feeling had nothing to do with the structure or the décor, and everything to do with the people who lived within these walls—and how they felt about each other.
Now that Kate had admitted she loved him, it couldn’t be long before she and Dylan would move into his house and help him capture this same feeling—just as soon as they married.
A smile tugged at his lips as he made his way back to the bedroom. He closed the door gently and padded quietly to the bed, where Kate was still asleep. The morning light pressed through the sheer curtains, dusting her hair and cheeks with gold.
He crawled back beneath the covers and eased his body along hers. She turned instinctively and snuggled up to him. Could the world possibly be more right? Well, he thought of one thing that would make the morning even sweeter.
“Kate,” he whispered, kissing her forehead. “Wake up, sweetheart, it’s morning.” With any luck, they’d have a few minutes alone before Dylan woke.
“Wha—?” she muttered and raised a hand to rub her eyes. He watched in amusement as she blinked away a few layers of sleep and half focused on his face. A smile softened her lips and turned up the corners of her eyes.
He smiled back. God she was sexy all rumpled from sleep. “Good morning, sleepyhead.”
“Morning,” she repeated in a contented purr. Then, her smile faded, replaced by a look of confusion. “Morning?” Her eyes widened. “Oh, my God.” She glanced about as if she were the one who had awoken in a strange room. Her gaze zipped back to him. “Mike! It’s morning!”
He cocked a brow. “So it is.”
She sat bolt upright, knocking him backward as she clutched the covers to her naked breasts. “You’ve got to get out of here before Dylan wakes up.”
“Can’t,” he told her. “I don’t have a car.”
“What?”
“I drove Jim home in his truck. We sort of forgot to plan on a way for me to get back.”
“What! Why didn’t you tell me this last night?”
“Perhaps because it didn’t come up?” he offered helpfully.
“Oh, never mind.” She turned to the clock on her nightstand. “Look what time it is! I’ve got to get you out of here. No, wait, I’ve got to get Dylan ready for school first.”
“Kate, hey, it’s all right.” He rubbed her arm. “He needs to get use to us being together sometime.”
“What?” She drew back, and the look of horror on her face turned slowly to remorse. “Oh, Mike. We need to talk about that.”
“What do you mean?” Her expression more than her words set off internal alarm bells.
“We’ll talk when I get back.” She scrambled from the bed and ducked into the closet, then reappeared seconds later, wearing shorts and a V-neck top, running her fingers through her tangled hair. “Promise me you’ll stay in here and be quiet until I have Dylan out of the house.”
“All right.” He nodded, not happy, but understanding.
As the next half hour dragged by, however, with him listening to Kate feeding her son breakfast and getting him dressed, he felt a growing sense of dread. He could only hope he’d imagined that look of regret in her eyes.
***
NERVES SWAM IN Kate’s stomach as she returned to the cabin. She found Mike sitting on the sofa, his arms crossed over his chest, his expression guarded.
“You’re back,” he said in a flat tone.
“And you’re angry.”
“I think confused would be more accurate.”
“Because I didn’t want Dylan to know you were here?” Incredulity sparked to life.
“No, you were right about that. It’s why you didn’t want him to know. You have no intention of telling him I’m part of your life, or letting me be part of his. Do you?”
She sat on the opposite end of the sofa, weighed down with so much grief and longing, she wanted to dropped her face into her hands and cry. Instead, she forced herself to look at him. “I can’t.”
“Don’t you think that’s going to make us seeing each other a little difficult?”
“Actually…” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “It’s going to make it impossible.”
A frown lined his face. “What are you saying?”
“Mike, I—” Her vision blurred. “I already told you, I can’t see you anymore.”
“What?” He looked as if she’d hit him. “That was before. What about last night? You said you loved me.”
“I do love you.” Tears stung her eyes. “Which makes this even harder.”
“That makes no sense.”
“I have no choice.” She blinked, praying she could get through this without breaking down. “I can’t take the chance of you hurting Dylan.”
“I’m not going to hurt Dylan! Jesus.” He plowed his fingers through his hair. “Why would you think that?”
“I saw how the two of you were together yesterday.”
“I personally thought we were great together.”
“You were. That’s what has me worried. Do you know how easily Dylan could fall in love with a man like you?”
“I assure you it goes both ways. He’s a great kid.”
“Who’s very vulnerable. It wouldn’t take much for him to start looking up to you as a father figure.”
“Since I’m applying for the position of stepdad, don’t you think that would be a good thing?”
“No. I don’t.”
“Again, you’re making no sense.”
Scrubbing her forehead, she tried to gather her thoughts. “Mike, I want to ask you something. Why do you want to get married?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” He scooted close enough to take her hand. “Because I’m in love with you.”
“That’s not what I’m asking.” Rather than pull her hand away, she laid her other hand over his in an effort to get him to understand. “The first time I went to your house, you said you’d decided it was time for you to get married. What made you decide that?”
“I guess you could say my trip to L.A. turned into a wakeup call. I’ve been so busy for so long, I didn’t realize how much of my life had passed by while I was focused on making movies. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had a blast and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. But to look up one day and realize I’m fast approaching forty and I’ve never even dated anyone seriously… well, it was a shock.”
“Oh God.” Kate released his hand. “Why did I have to be right?”
“What?” He frowned.
“That’s exactly what I suspected
.” Grief filled her as she stared at him. “You decided it was time to get married because your biological clock is ticking.”
“What’s wrong with realizing I needed more in my life than making movies?”
“You do realize families take time, right? That having a wife will mean having less time to work, not more?”
“Of course I realize that.”
“You just said you wouldn’t trade making movies for anything.”
“That was then. This is now. It’s no longer enough for me. Being with my family out in L.A. showed me that.”
“So you decided you needed more in your life, and I was the first woman to cross your path?”
“Whoa, wait a second.” He pulled back, looking shocked. “That is not exactly how it happened. I decided I needed something more, yes. Then I saw you, and you want to know what really happened?”
She frowned, waiting for him to finish.
“You blew me away!” He let out a half laugh. “The second I saw you, I felt like I’d been knocked over.” He took her hand again. “Nothing like that has ever happened to me.”
“Because you’d never been looking for a wife before.”
“Because I’d never met you before.” He gave her a hard look. “When I recovered from that, do you know what I felt next?”
She shook her head.
“Glad.” His eyes grew earnest as he cupped the back of her neck with his free hand. “I was glad I’d let all those years pass me by. If I hadn’t, if I’d decided earlier it was time to think about marriage and a family, I might have done exactly what you’re suggesting. I might have looked for someone suitable and settled for that. It may have worked out, or it may not have. But I’m glad I didn’t do that. Because…” He looked straight into her eyes with such earnest longing her heart raced. “I want you, Kate. Beneath the wariness and hurt your ex caused, you’re feisty and funny, compassionate, smart, and sexy as hell.” His thumb stroked her jaw. “And I’m in love with you. I am madly, passionately in love with you.”
“Oh, God.” Longing welled insider her. “I love you, too.”
He touched his forehead to hers. “Then marry me.”
“I can’t.” Tears spilled down her cheeks. “Don’t you understand? Love isn’t always enough.”
“It’s a darn good place to start.”
“Edward and I started there, and look at where it led.”
“I’m not Edward,” he growled.
“No, you’re not.” She took both his hands and squeezed tightly, willing him to listen to reason. “If it were only my heart at risk, I’d take a chance, but I won’t risk Dylan’s heart.”
“Damn it.” He rose and went to the window. After a moment, he turned back to her. “So, I have to somehow prove to you that I’m capable of putting family first before you’ll agree to marry me? How is that fair?”
“Asking you to prove it wouldn’t be fair, which is why I’m ending things now.”
“You think breaking up with me is more fair?”
“I don’t know!” She rose as well. “I don’t know what else to do.”
“Okay, we’ll figure this out.” Crossing to her, he cupped her face. “Because no, I’m not letting you kick me out of your life just because you’re afraid I don’t know how to balance work and a personal life. We are in love with each other, and I happen to think that’s worth fighting for. The question is, are you willing to fight with me, or are you going to fight against me?”
The intensity in his eyes defeated her resolve. Tears coursed down her cheeks as she gave in with a whisper. “With you.”
“Good.” Relief washed over his face just before his lips touched hers.
She should have been angry at her own weakness. Instead, joy swept her up in a heady rush as he pulled her against him. Her head spun as he poured everything he had into a kiss that robbed her of her senses.
Eventually, though, reality intruded. With her hands against his chest, she pulled back enough to beseech him. “I’ll fight for us on one condition. That we minimize your contact with Dylan until we’re both sure.”
“Sorry.” He dried her cheeks with his thumbs. “Ain’t gonna happen.”
“Why not?” She scowled.
“One, you and Dylan are a package deal.” He looped his arms around her waist. “How can I show all of us this will work if you erect a wall between me and your son?”
“Not forever, just for awhile.”
“And two”—he cringed in a way that warned her she wouldn’t like what he said next—“last night when I took him up to bed, he asked me if I’d meant what I said about being in the play.”
Dread filled her. “Please tell me you said no, like I asked you to.”
He raised a sheepish brow, giving her his answer.
“Mike!” She broke free from the circle of his arms. “How could you do this?”
“Because he asked me!” He sounded offended that she thought he’d do anything else. “You should have seen the look in his eyes. I couldn’t say no.”
“So, instead of disappointing him last night, you made a promise you can’t keep?” She wanted to strangle him.
“Why are you so convinced I won’t keep it?”
“I said can’t. I know your schedule, Mike.”
“I’ll make it work.”
“And if you don’t?” she demanded. “If you get halfway through the week and realize I’m right?”
“Then…” He blew out a breath. “I’ll be the one to tell Dylan so I’m the bad guy.”
“No. Absolutely not! This isn’t about who has to be the bad guy, it’s about disappointing a little boy who’s had his heart broken too often already. You either tell him today you can’t do it, or by God, you follow through.”
“What are you saying? That for us to be together, I have to move heaven and earth so I’m there for you and Dylan every single minute? That’s unrealistic. Even the best dads can’t be around all the time. Believe me, my dad missed a few softball games and even a birthday or two. It didn’t kill me. In fact, it taught me a lot about responsibility.”
“Did you ever doubt that your father loved you?”
“Of course not.”
“Exactly! And that’s the difference! Dylan doesn’t have that security because his father has never put him first. Not once. What do you think that does to a boy’s self esteem? If you break this promise, you may not get a second chance with him. He’s already cautious when it comes to forming attachments. You let him down, and you could do some serious damage. Do you want him to grow into a man who can’t open himself to others for fear of getting hurt?”
“Don’t you think you’re blowing this just a little out of proportion?”
“Don’t talk to me about blowing things out of proportion until you’ve held a five-year-old child who’s sobbing for the daddy who just vanished from his life?”
Understanding flashed across Mikes face, followed by worry. His eyes shifted back and forth as he worked through the problem. For the first time, she thought he finally grasped the situation. Seeing that recognition, her anger drained away.
“Mike,” she pleaded, aching with longing and fear. “I want to be with you, to give us a chance. But I can’t risk hurting Dylan. He’s already been through so much.”
“I don’t want that either.”
“So, you’ll tell him today you can’t do it?”
Propping his hands on his hips, he stared at his feet for several seconds before looking at her again. “I’d rather do the play.”
“Oh God.” Swallowing hard, she covered her face.
“C’mon, Kate. It’s one skit in an elementary school play. I’m a seasoned pro. I can do this.”
“I want to hit you right now.”
His hands slipped around her wrists and he tugged them down so he could look into her eyes. “I’ll make it work.”
“You better,” she said through gritted teeth.
His brows shot up. “Does that mean you won’
t stand in the way?”
“It means I’ll kill you if you let my kid down.”
He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I won’t.”
Outside, a car horn blared. She jumped, turning toward the sound.
“Frank,” Mike explained. “I asked him to come pick me up.”
“Oh.” She felt deflated at the thought of him leaving.
After he gathered the projector he’d brought with him last night, he came back to give her a quick kiss. “I’ll call you later.”
She nodded and watched him leave. For several long minutes, she stood in the quiet cabin praying she hadn’t made a mistake.
***
BY WEDNESDAY, MIKE felt the first twinges of worry. Dylan hadn’t mentioned the rehearsals lasted two hours every afternoon. When he realized they would have to be there the whole time, even though he and Dylan only worked on their skit for a few minutes, he brought his laptop to get in some work while they waited.
Dylan’s dejected look nixed that idea. The kid assured him it was okay, that he understood, but his expression said he understood that Mike’s work mattered more than a stupid, boring, seven-year-old kid.
Great , Mike thought, way to kick a kid when he’s down. His nephews would have said “No sweat,” then happily entertained themselves with the latest handheld game device, or by hanging out with friends they deemed far more fun than their uncle. But then, his nephews hadn’t been ignored by a self-absorbed asshole of a father their whole lives.
Kate had not exaggerated the situation. If Mike let this kid down, he might not get a second chance. In the future, he needed to listen to the woman who knew her son a lot better than he did and not arrogantly think the Magic Man could do anything.
Rehearsals, however, weren’t the only strain on his time. He spent hours in between working on the technical side of the skit he and Dylan had agreed on. If he were less of a perfectionist, less passionate about what he did, or if he cared less about this project, he could have thrown something together and walked away.
That wasn’t in him.
So, he decided to suck it up and simply sleep less each night. Who needed sleep?
Good Guy Heroes Boxed Set Page 26
