To Be a Family (Harlequin Superromance)

by Kilby, Joan

  “She won’t fall.” Katie had a point but Tuti had inherited his agility.

  “I’m telling you, this is a mistake,” Katie insisted. “You’re going about this all wrong.”

  “She’s my daughter,” he said pointedly. “You might be able to walk away and leave her in a tree based on some theory but I can’t.”

  He’d walked away from Katie when she needed him. He wasn’t ever doing anything like that again, not with someone he loved. Holding on to a branch, he planted a bare foot against the smooth gray bark and walked up the trunk until he could throw a leg over a lower branch. He pulled himself up to a standing position, braced between two branches.

  “Tuti, come down this minute or you’re in big trouble.” His voice reverberated through the branches, his fear manifesting as anger. This time he didn’t try to sound calm.

  “Threatening her won’t get you anywhere,” Katie called.

  “With all respect, butt out. She’s my kid.”

  “You’re used to dealing with criminals. And cops who are almost as tough as you are. You don’t understand how gruff you sound to a little girl.”

  “I want to sound gruff.” He climbed another branch, reached for Katie’s shoes. “Look out below.” He dropped them onto the grass. Then he glanced up through the leaves. He could see Tuti’s face and her jaunty pigtails, white ribbons fluttering. Framing her dark head, sickle-shaped gum leaves turned in the breeze and clattered lightly. “Come down. I’m not telling you again.”

  And wasn’t that a pointless empty threat? But he couldn’t back down now or Tuti would never respect him. He conceded Katie that much.

  Tuti giggled and bounced on her branch. She rocked back, losing her balance. Her eyes widened. John’s heart stopped. Just in time she clutched the branch with her other hand and steadied herself. But she’d had a fright. Her dark skin paled and she gripped the branch tightly with both hands.

  John focused hard as if he could hold her in place with the force of his gaze. He forgot to be gruff. He forgot everything except the overriding need to make his little girl safe. “Stay where you are. I’m coming to get you.”

  She nodded, her eyes huge. John scrambled up the tree as if it was a ladder, instinctively knowing where to place his feet and hands, not caring when he grazed his elbow. Moments later he was level with Tuti. The trunk swayed with his weight. Legs braced, he reached out both arms. Tuti released her hold on the tree and dove into his embrace.

  John wrapped his arms around her, feeling her small heart beating fast next to his. Then he pulled back and cupped her chin to look into her watery eyes. With a different kind of gruff, he said, “Don’t you ever scare me like that again.”

  Two fat tears rolled down Tuti’s cheeks.

  John wiped them away with his thumb. “Never mind. You’re safe now. Hold on to my neck and we’ll go down.”

  Tuti wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. She clung on so hard she almost choked him. Going down was harder than going up. Tuti limited his vision and he only had one hand for the tree because he was gripping her with the other. When he got to the last fork in the trunk he lowered Tuti into Katie’s arms then dropped to the ground.

  Katie hugged Tuti then handed her back. She said nothing but her eyes accused him of nearly messing up. Yes, Tuti had almost fallen—possibly because he’d scared her—but he’d done what he thought was right. He remembered something his mother had said to him once, “Your father and I raised you the best we knew how.” He understood that now. Kids didn’t come with a training manual. Katie, for all her experience with her students, couldn’t feel what he’d felt.

  He kissed Tuti on the forehead and set her on the grass then crouched till his face was level with hers. “You scared me. I was worried you would be hurt. Don’t ever do that again.”

  He didn’t expect an answer. Tuti still hadn’t spoken since he’d brought her away from Bali, despite several sessions with a child psychologist. But he hoped she would nod to show she understood.

  “Okay, Tuti?” he asked, prepared to stay there till she agreed.

  “Yes,” she whispered. “Me sorry.” And then she put her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

  Something broke free in his heart and he held her closely, struggling not to cry. She’d spoken. Only three words but it was a start. He glanced up to see Katie touch her fingers to her eyes. Part of him wanted to draw her into the hug, to make her part of his little family. But she herself had reminded him she was only Tuti’s teacher. Whatever had happened between them earlier it was too soon for an overt display of affection.

  Anyway, she’d wanted to walk away. While he didn’t agree with giving in to everything children wanted, there was a difference between making a point and not taking a child out of danger. Up until now he’d been relying on Katie to know what to do with Tuti, bowing to her superior experience. This time, she’d been proved wrong.

  Her choice of action, as much as Tuti’s recklessness, had pushed him to rely on his own instincts. The outcome vindicated his decision. He still respected Katie’s knowledge and ability to relate to children but from now on, when it came to his daughter, he would trust the only reliable source for all really important decisions—his gut.

  CHAPTER SIX

  THE NEXT DAY after work Katie wheeled her mountain bike out of the garage for a test ride before going off road. She’d told John she rode but she couldn’t actually remember the last time. The truth hit home in the shape of a flat front tire. Inflating it with a bicycle pump worked—temporarily. Before she was out of the driveway it had deflated again.

  She had a repair kit but she’d never used it before. Should she try to patch the tire herself and risk getting out on the trail only for the patch to fall off? Or should she ask for help?

  John leaped to mind but she quickly rejected the urge to call him. Just because she was helping him with Tuti and they saw each other regularly now, just because he was handy with tools and would assist her at the drop of a hat, didn’t mean she wanted to rely on him in any way.

  Especially not after yesterday. He was getting under her skin, just what she’d vowed never to let happen again. The attraction was still there—had never gone away, if she was honest—but that didn’t mean she had to act on it. She was happy to help his daughter and to have a casual friendship with John but anything more would be opening a Pandora’s box she’d firmly shut seven years ago.

  The tree-climbing incident had been an eye-opener to the power struggle she and John were still dealing with. She was positive Tuti would have come down once she knew she wasn’t going to get what she wanted. To think that John thought she didn’t care about Tuti, or would put her in danger… It stung, professionally and personally. It said more about the issues between her and John than it did of who was right and who was wrong in that particular incident. She would never do anything to hurt a child, especially not one she cared about.

  And she did care about Tuti despite the history behind her conception. That sweet girl needed her more than her other students. Plus, Katie felt a special connection because they’d both lost their mothers at an early age. But she was also wary of the dangers of letting Tuti get too attached to her—and vice versa—given that there was no future for her and John, not in the way they’d once wanted.

  But she didn’t have time to think about this now—she had a flat tire to deal with. She could spend hours figuring out how to fix it herself. Or she co
uld go to Riley, who knew all about bikes, and she could watch and learn.

  A quick phone call established that her brother was at home and able to help. Katie wrangled her mountain bike into the back of her car and headed off across town.

  Riley was pruning the apple tree out front when she pulled into his long curving driveway a few minutes later. Her father, Barry, his gray hair cut military short, was stacking the fallen branches in a pile to one side. Riley lowered the loppers and climbed down off the stepladder. Barry dusted his hands on his work pants.

  “Hey, Dad. Riley.” She gave them both a hug then dragged her bike out of her car. “The front tire won’t stay inflated.”

  “This thing is practically an antique.” Riley threw up the kickstand and squatted to feel the flabby tire. “No wonder the tires are disintegrating. You’ve had it since—”

  “A long time,” her father cut in with a frown at Riley.

  “Since I had cancer.” Katie gave her dad an affectionate, exasperated glance. “Saying the word won’t magically make me sick again. I’m a survivor.” Just because her mother died from breast cancer when she was ten and Riley was twelve, her father seemed to regard her as a ticking time bomb, waiting for the disease to strike again. “What do you think? Can it be patched or do I need to buy a new inner tube?”

  “Let’s have a look. Got a screwdriver?” Riley turned the bike over and stood it on the handlebars and seat.

  “Lot of rust on those fenders,” Barry said. “Where do you keep your sandpaper, son?”

  “In the garage.”

  Barry took off for the garage. Katie got out the toolbox her dad had given her to keep in her car, gave Riley a screwdriver and hunkered down to watch.

  He set about levering the tire off the frame, making sure he didn’t puncture the inner tube. “Are you cycling with John?”

  “I’m going on my own,” Katie said. “Why would you think I’m going with John?”

  “He told me you went to Springvale with him and Tuti. And you’re tutoring his daughter.”

  She eyed him through the spokes. “News travels fast in a small town. There’s nothing going on between us.”

  A shock of dark hair fell over his forehead as he worked. “Hey, I didn’t say there was.”

  “So don’t make a federal case out of it.”

  “It was an innocent question.” He gave her a wink. “But now I’m wondering.”

  “Oh, for God’s sake.” Katie picked up a pebble from the gravel driveway and tossed it back and forth in her hands. “John was against me cycling off road on my own.”

  “He’s got a point,” her father said, returning with a sheet of sandpaper. He began scraping the rust off the fenders. “It’s dangerous.”

  “I’ll be fine.” Katie frowned. “Why does everyone think I’m so incompetent?”

  “Not incompetent. You just have different strengths.” Riley pulled the last bit of tire away from the rim. “John says you two made a pact to be friends.”

  Friends. The reality was so much more complicated, as she was finding out. “We’re making a stab at it. For Tuti’s sake.”

  “Only Tuti’s sake?” her dad said, rasping away. “Shame. I always liked John. I thought you two were a good couple.”

  “I used to think so. But it turned out he wasn’t like you were with Mum—totally devoted, solid and loyal.” Half-jokingly, she added, “You are my model of a perfect husband. I’m still waiting for the guy who can live up to your example.”

  Barry stopped his task to frown at her beneath his bushy gray eyebrows. “Hmm.” Then he went on sandpapering.

  “Got it.” Riley pulled the inner tube away from the tire. “Let’s take this inside to the sink. I’ll show you how to find a hole in the inner tube by watching for bubbles under water.”

  Katie tossed the pebble and stood. “Coming, Dad?”

  “Nah, I’ll finish shining up these fenders and give the chain a grease,” Barry said.

  “Thanks. You’re the best.” Katie gave him a hug.

  Then she followed Riley into the house through to the laundry room. As the sink filled with water her thoughts went back to yesterday and the subtle power struggle between her and John. She’d had no right to discipline Tuti, but she would have thought he would at least respect her experience and knowledge of handling children. And having been drawn into the situation at John’s house she couldn’t ignore it.

  “What happens if you have to discipline Jamie for some reason?” she asked Riley. “Does Paula get bent out of shape? Do you agree on an approach?”

  Riley turned off the tap and leaned against the counter. “When Paula’s around, I keep my nose out of it. Jamie’s her kid. She’s raised him for six years and knows what she’s doing. I’m just an amateur. Why do you ask?”

  “Tuti took my shoes when I was at their house yesterday and climbed a tree with them. John went all Rambo dad on her and scared her farther up. It was dangerous. He wouldn’t even listen to my suggestions. I’ve been dealing with kids in that age group for ten years. By his own admission, he doesn’t have a clue.”

  “He’s got a bunch of nieces and nephews.”

  “It’s not the same. I bet he just plays with them. He doesn’t have to make them behave.”

  “True, but…” Riley took the inner tube from Katie and plunged it below the water. “Bottom line, Tuti’s his kid. No one wants to hear someone else yelling at their child.”

  “I didn’t yell. It was good cop, bad cop. I was the nice one.”

  “Did Tuti get down all right?”

  “Yes, but she gave John—and me—a scare.”

  Riley shot her a look. “So what’s the big deal? So he didn’t listen to you. He still got her down. Getting a little hot under the collar over a simple disagreement, aren’t you?”

  Okay, so maybe she was making more of this than it warranted. But she was proud of her child-handling skills and John had called them into question. They had a history of clashing on fundamental issues. Yesterday’s disagreement didn’t feel simple. Had she been trying to push him away because she’d been attracted and that made her uncomfortable? Because she was afraid he was beginning to matter to her?

  Katie blew out a sigh. “I was worried about her safety, that’s all.”

  “No, you wanted him to recognize your superior knowledge.” Riley cut her a glance. “Admit it, Katie. You like to think you know everything there is to know about children.”

  “I do know a lot about six-year-olds.” She ignored his smirk and pointed to the inner tube. Bubbles streamed upward through three, no four, holes. “That looks bad.”

  “You’d be better off getting a new inner tube rather than patch this.” Riley pulled the plug and let the water drain out of the sink. “What exactly are you trying to prove by going mountain biking by yourself, anyway?”

  “I’m just trying to get out and do something fun.”

  “Liar, liar, pants on—”

  “Oh, all right. I just realized that I’m not as adventurous as I used to be.”

  “When John dragged you along on his crazy exploits, you mean.”

  “He didn’t drag me. I enjoyed them.”

  “You went kicking and screaming.”

  “Rappelling and skydiving were scary,” she admitted. “But I always ended up having a great time. I want that again.”

  “He would go with you in a flash if you asked him.”

  “Why do you push him at me? I don
’t get that. I’m your sister. He abandoned me when I needed him most.”

  In fact, she’d been pretty much on her own after John left. Riley had been on duty with the SAS in Afghanistan. Her father, although supportive, couldn’t cope with the emotional fallout. Her friends were there for her but that couldn’t compensate for the men she loved being absent.

  Especially John.

  “I don’t know why he left you.” Riley took his time blotting the wet inner tube on a rag. “I was really pissed at him over that. I wish I could explain, make you feel better and exonerate John. But he’s never talked about it with me. I only know he loved you and he was in pain, too. In the end I let it go. He’s been my best mate since primary school and I’ve never known him to be anything other than a loyal and caring friend.”

  Katie didn’t want to put Riley on the spot. He was entitled to his friendship with John. But if a woman had hurt him badly she didn’t think she could have remained friends with that woman. Which might explain why John’s mother had withdrawn from her. Except that Katie hadn’t hurt John. It had been the other way around. Maybe guys were better able to compartmentalize their feelings. Whatever, she didn’t want to fall out with Riley over John. So she said nothing.

  “You looked up to him as if he were a god,” Riley went on. “He’s only human. He makes mistakes like the rest of us.”

  “He never once suggested he thought he made a mistake. In fact, he even went so far as to imply his leaving was my fault because I wouldn’t agree to invasive treatment.”

  “He was worried about you. We all were.”

  “If you’re worried, you don’t abandon someone.”

  Riley shrugged uncomfortably. Clearly there was only so far he could defend John. And she knew he felt badly that he hadn’t been there for her, either.