“When did you and Mason start dating?”
Katelyn pulls back a little and looks at me. Her head moves from side to side. She pulls her lip in between her teeth. I reach out and pull it out with my thumb and place a kiss where she was biting it.
“You don’t have to answer.”
“It’s not that. Do you really want to know?”
I take this opportunity to pull her into my arms. “He’s a part of your life and he’s part of the girls’ life. I’ll never ask you not to talk about him when I’m around. I’ll never ask you to stop loving him. If he was here, I’d hate him.” I shake my head because that’s not true. “No, I probably wouldn’t know you if he was here, and for that I’m both thankful and remorseful because his girls are the best, most beautiful girls that I’ve ever encountered, and I want to do right by not only them, but him too.”
Tears begin to roll down her face. I wipe them away before she has a chance to. She stares at me with wet eyes that are breaking my heart. I didn’t mean to make her cry, but it’s the only way I can get across with how I feel.
“We started dating the summer after freshman year. He was so popular and cute. My mother said he only wanted me for my swimming pool, but that wasn’t the case. We all grew up that summer.”
“Liam told me a lot about him. Sometimes I feel like I know him, especially when I’m with you and the girls.”
Katelyn smiles and curls up in my arms. “Everyone loved him. He was the high school football star who returned to coach the team. He was supposed to go to school with Liam, but changed his mind and gave up a scholarship to the University of Texas to go to the state school with me. I wonder now, had he gone with Liam, if things would be different.”
“Like how?”
“I don’t know. Would they be in the NFL doing what they loved? Would I be one of those wives you see on television, bitching about her husband or involved in some marital scandal? Nothing went according to plan once we graduated high school.”
“And now, you’re involved with someone who doesn’t fit your norm, sitting on the beach in my dress shirt and about to attend your first red carpet event.”
“You wrote me a song.”
I can’t help but smile. “I did and we are performing it tomorrow night at the awards show.”
“I’m your date.”
“You are, and from what I’ve heard, you have a pretty smoking dress that I’m going to want to rip off of you.”
She rolls her eyes. “Can I ask you about my job?”
I sigh. I’ve been hoping to avoid this topic. “Sure,” I say.
“I’ve done a bad job. I let the band down.”
I wrap my arms around her and rest my chin on the top of her head. Liam and I haven’t sat down and discussed what to do. We were going to wait until after this week was over before we made plans to move forward.
“I think we threw you to the wolves without proper training. It’s our fault.”
“I think I should quit.”
“Why?” I’m caught off-guard by her statement.
“Because if we’re together, I need to be away from you.”
“What?” my voice breaks. I don’t want her away from me, ever.
“Not like that. What I’m saying is I like that you come to my house after you’re done working and if we spend all day together, the evenings won’t have the same meaning.”
I think I love this woman. I tip her head up and capture her lips. She’s right. The anticipation of seeing her after work will be worth it.
“So what do you want to do?”
“Quit. I’ll help Josie at Whimsicality.”
“If that’s what you want.”
Katelyn nods. I guess that settles it. I’m indifferent about her decision. I’ll miss her during the day, but knowing she’ll be expecting me at night is going to be worth it.
“You’ve never kissed me in front of the girls.” She says as she turns in my arms.
I feel the side of my mouth move up in a smile at her. She slaps me in the chest. “I’ve never kissed anyone aside from my mom and sister in front of Quinn. He’s never seen me with a woman.”
“Are you serious? Why?”
I look down. What if she finds my reasoning stupid? When I found out Quinn was mine, I changed my ways. Yes, I still partied and did my fair share of womanizing, but I didn’t bring that home to him. “I want him to have respect for women, and if I parade them around, he’ll think that’s okay when it’s not. Now why haven’t you kissed me in front of the girls?” I ask her the same question even though I know the answer.
Katelyn purses her lips. I can tell she’s biting the inside of her cheek. “I’m not sure how they’ll react. I haven’t told them about us because I don’t know what to say. Honestly, I feel stupid trying to put a label on us.”
“So don’t.”