Not Quite Mine(Not Quite series)

Chapter Twenty-Three





After only a week of living with each other, Dean felt closer to Katie than he ever had before. Their physical relationship was off the charts amazing. They talked about nearly everything…up until the day she left work early.

She returned from her day and claimed to be feeling unwell.

Claimed. He didn’t think she was sick. Some of the spark had left her face and he couldn’t help but think it was him.

     





While they were both sitting on the couch and watching some mindless television show, Dean lifted her feet in his lap and started rubbing lazy circles with his thumbs. Katie’s features lost some of the stress he’d seen behind her eyes.

“God that feels good,” she told him.

“Relaxing?”

She offered half a smile and hummed her appreciation.

He waited until her upper body melted into the couch before he asked her, “What’s going on, Katie?”

Her eyes popped open. “Going on?”

“Yeah. You’ve been preoccupied the last couple days. Stressed.”

Her throat moved and she blinked. “I am stressed,” she told him. “Worried about what Patrick is going to discover…worried he won’t find the mom at all.”

“She couldn’t have just disappeared.”

“You never know. The evening news is always talking about people dropping off the face of the earth.”

Dean didn’t think this mom left the country. A few feet away a mechanical swing clicked as it rocked Savannah back and forth. Her little eyes were losing the battle of staying open. “He’ll find her.” Dean stroked the arch of her foot as they talked.

“If he does and I know her? What then? Do I approach her?”

He hadn’t thought of that. “You can’t do anything until you know who she is. When we find out who she is, we’ll figure out what to do as a couple.”

Katie’s eyes instantly filled and Dean’s heart wept.

“Oh, baby. Don’t worry.” He pulled her into his lap and wrapped her in his arms. His action prompted tears to fall and a whimper to escape her throat. “I’m here.”

She buried her head against his chest and clutched his shirt. “He could tell me anything, Dean. The mom could be someone I know. What if Savannah is Jack’s daughter…or someone he knows?”

Dean stroked her hair. “Jack and Jessie have been exclusive since they met. And I don’t think he was seeing anyone for a while before they met.”

Katie pulled away and searched his eyes. “But it could be something like that. What then? Damn it. I wish I’d never hired Patrick.”

Dean removed a tear with his thumb. “You’re letting this eat you up, Katie. We’ll find out who the mom is and then move on.” He dropped a finger to her lips when she started to ask another question. “And if we don’t find out who the mom is…we move on.”

He kissed the tip of her nose.

“Thank you…for being here with me,” she said. “I don’t want to do this alone.”

“You’re not alone. Is this what’s been on your mind?”

She looked away. “Yeah. Sorry I’ve been so off.”

Dean lifted her chin to stare into her eyes. “I know this is going to sound awful of me, but I’m glad it’s baby drama and not me. You had me thinking you’d regretted your move here.”

Her eyes widened. “What? No! We’re the best thing to happen since Savannah ended up on my doorstep.”

He kissed away the salty tears and she offered a tired smile before settling back into his arms.

Savannah gave in to dreamland and, from the way Katie had relaxed, she wasn’t far behind.

Dean tried to watch the television and remove his thoughts from what Katie had said…but her worry transferred over to him.

What if Savannah was related to one of them…to him?

What if the father showed up demanding her?

What if someone was playing a sick game?

God help anyone who would try anything cruel with the woman he loved and the child brought into their life.

Dean considered himself about as even tempered as they came…but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t come out fighting.





Katie had dodged a bullet. With as much honesty as she could bear, she’d shared her concerns with Dean. Her dishonesty was eating her up. Over and over she told herself it was a simple omission of the truth.

Just because Maggie was the mother…or the woman in the pictures running from the scene of the crime, there were no guarantees Dean was the father. In fact, Maggie might have had an affair and that was why she’d broken off their engagement.

Katie doubted the latter.

With a copy of the letter Maggie had left with Savannah, Katie met with Monica for a “long lunch” and an even longer talk.

They chose a table on an outside patio and suffered the warm temperatures to avoid notice.

Katie’s hands trembled as they sat and kept the talk light until they’d ordered food.

“You didn’t ask me here to talk about work, Katie. What’s up?”

Katie removed her sunglasses and Monica’s gaze opened wide. “You know something.”

Swallowing hard, Katie nodded. “Promise me this stays between us.”

“Of course—”

“No. Not of course. This is huge, Monica. And you’re the closest thing I have to a sister. My mother is God-knows-where and I wouldn’t trust her with this anyway. Promise me…pinky, blood…or whatever it is you sisters do that makes you take something to the grave if need be.”

Monica grasped her hands. “You’re worrying me.”

“Promise!”

“I promise. I’ll take this to the grave if you need me to.”

Katie paused and set her sunglasses back on her nose. “I know who the mother is.”

“Hookay…”

“I think I know who the father is.”

Monica sat perfectly still and waited.

“Patrick found a security tape of Maggie passing herself off as room service in the hotel that night.” Saying which night wasn’t necessary. They were both there.

Monica squinted, confused. “Maggie? Why does that name sound familiar?”

“She is Dean’s ex.”

Monica’s jaw dropped. “Oh, my God. So you think Dean is…”

Katie nodded. “I think he is.”

Monica dropped back in her chair as the information sank in. “Are you sure?”

“I’m not positive about anything.” Katie removed a copy of the original note left with Savannah from her purse and flattened the well-worn edges on the table.

“I’ve been going over this for weeks and now it all makes sense.” She cleared her throat and read a passage from the letter. “Savannah was conceived with love, albeit one-sided, and deserves a mother who can give her everything. Dean hasn’t come out and told me that he didn’t love Maggie, but if he did, I don’t think he would have let her just walk out on him. Jack told me a couple times that he didn’t think Maggie was the right match for Dean. Maybe she called off the wedding because he couldn’t love her.”

“Or maybe he talked about his ex…you…a little too much.”

“What guy talks about his ex to his current?”

Monica shook her head. “OK…well he had to say something. Or maybe she overheard him talking to someone else?”

     





“I don’t think anyone knew about us. I know Jack was clueless. Besides, there aren’t many men out there, Dean included, who have soulful talks with their buddies.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Monica said. “Dean could have said something in passing…while having a little too much to drink. You never know.”

Maybe.

“Either way, if the mother is Maggie and if Dean is Savannah’s real father…then Maggie didn’t believe Dean loved her.”

“All easy conclusions from what you know about their relationship and this letter.” Monica sipped her water and looked around them.

The closest occupied table was three away so Katie continued.

“I know things about you that I probably shouldn’t. I know how much you want a child of your own, how impossible it is for you to do so,” Katie read aloud. “Dean must have told her about me. How else would she have known I can’t have kids of my own?”

“Seems like a personal thing to share.”

“Very. I can’t think about him telling her this right now or why he did…I just need to work out these facts and deal with the why of it all later.”

“When two people get married, they talk about all kinds of things. According to Jessie anyway. She and Jack talked about their past sex lives. She even asked your brother if there was any possibility of a kid out there being his.”

“Do you think Maggie asked Dean if he could get her pregnant? God, what if she planned this?” She hadn’t thought of that.

“Women trap men with pregnancy all the time, but she called off the wedding. I don’t think Savannah was a trap. Who knows, I could be wrong, but I don’t think that tree is worth barking up, Katie.”

Katie looked back down at the letter. “Her father isn’t ready for her, but if my instincts are right, he will be one day. And when he is, the two of you will give Savannah the loving home she needs.” Katie paused after reading the passage.

“Sounds like Maggie knew the two of you would reunite if she wasn’t in the picture.”

“Dean has always wanted to be a father. He talked about having a houseful of kids one day, just like the one where he grew up. He had to have talked about these things with her. They were getting married for Christ’s sake. She had to know he wanted kids.” Anger rose inside her. How could Maggie be so ignorant?

“If he didn’t love her, she would either have to live a lie with him or raise this child in a broken home. Neither choice is easy.”

Monica was right.

“Two parents loving a child will always be better than one.”

“Oh, that’s crap.” The hair on Katie’s neck stood on end. Her father had done just fine!

“Really? Most of your life you haven’t had a mom. How’s that working for you?”

“I’m fine,” she bit out between her stiff lips.

“Bullshit. No more than I am about my dad abandoning us. Yeah, we get along…get over it. But that shit still hurts and you know it. Even Jessie with all her brave face about raising Danny alone couldn’t love him like a father can. Jack has made it better for both of them.”

Katie wanted to deny Monica’s wisdom.

She couldn’t.

Monica picked at her food. “So Maggie is the mother.”

“Looks that way.”

“And Dean is the father.”

“Looks that way.”

“Now what? You obviously haven’t told him.”

“How can I? What if I’m wrong about him…what if he does love Maggie and wants to try and work it out with her? I could lose them both.” Her stomach twisted with the thought.

“I don’t think Dean would do that to you.”

“One of the things I love about him is his loyalty. He adores Savannah. It’s like he feels a connection. Is that possible? That on some level he knows she’s his?”

Monica rolled her eyes. “Now you’re talking nonsense. If Dean loves kids the way you say he does, then he’s enamored with Savannah…nothing more than that.”

“This insecure feeling under my skin is itchy, Monica. I don’t like it.” She hated it.

“Is that insecurity or the guilt you feel from keeping the truth from Dean?”

“I don’t know. God, I hate this!”

Monica reached across the table and covered her hand. “I know you do. Just remember who this is really about. Savannah is the innocent one in all of this. You’d never be able to keep this from Dean forever.”

“I wouldn’t want to.”

“I know you wouldn’t. And no matter how much you might think he’ll react, you’ll never know until he does. The longer you keep this from him, the harder it’s going to be for the both of you. Trust is important in any relationship.”

Katie looked beyond the patio to cars passing along the street. Everyone going about their day without stress, without worry. “I love him, Monica. I don’t want to lose him again.”

Not again.





“Where’s Katie?” Jack’s voice screamed into Dean’s cell phone and made it over the noise of the cement truck that was pouring concrete into the foundation molds of the parking structure.

“What?” Dean plugged his other ear and ducked away from the noise to try and understand what Jack was yelling about.

“I…and…can’t find…” The reception kept cutting out.

“Hold up, Jack. I can’t hear you over the noise.” Dean hustled away from the heavy equipment and tried again. “OK, what’s this about Katelyn?”

“Where is she? I can’t find her anywhere. She’s not at the hotel. Not at Monica’s. I called the office and she’s not there. Damn it, Dean, I asked you to keep an eye on her.”

Oh, boy. He knew this was coming. “She’s fine.”

“I can’t find her. Our dad’s frantic. It’s never good when Gaylord gets his cowboy boots on too tight.”

“She’s fine, Jack. You’ll have to trust me on this. Did you try her cell phone?”

“She’s not answering. I need to talk to her. Do you know where she is?” Jack’s voice had lost some of his edge, but he still sounded off to Dean.

Dean felt the web of lies starting all over again. He did this before and he damn well wasn’t doing it again. “She’s probably at home.” Katie’s gonna kill me.

“Are you not listening to me? She’s not at the hotel. I called and they said she’s only been there once this week.”

Dean started to pace. “I didn’t say she was at the hotel. I said she’s at home. My home.”

“W-what? Your house?”

“Yeah, Jack. She moved in with me last week. We wanted to see how things worked out before we announced the move to anyone.” OK, that was a lie. They hadn’t told anyone to avoid any unexpected visitors. His bachelor pad had been converted into a romper room with all the baby stuff an infant needs.

     





“She’s living with you? Seriously?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, holy shit. I didn’t see that coming.”

“Not sure why not. I told you I was serious about her.”

“I’ll kick your ass if you eloped. Don’t tell me you—”

“We’re not married.” Dean laughed.

“Well, hell. I’m not sure if that’s better or worse. My dad’s not going to like it.”

“We weren’t asking his permission.”

“Which will piss him off.”

“Good thing he’s in Texas.” Dean laughed.

“Yeah, well, he’s gonna be there later tonight to pick her up. Fair warning.”

Dean stopped pacing. “What? Pick her up?” No, no, no, no…Gaylord sticking his nose in was a very bad idea.

“That’s why I’m looking for her, Dean. There’s been an accident.”

The worry about Gaylord finding out about Savannah quickly vanished with Jack’s words. “An accident, who? Is Jessie OK? Danny?”

“We’re all fine. It’s our mom. It doesn’t look good, Dean.”

Katie’s relationship with her mother was almost nil, but he knew she still cared about the woman. “Is your mom gonna make it? What happened?”

“Long story. And we don’t know. My dad and I are flying in at six tonight to pick Katie up and then we’re headed to South Florida.”

“Florida? I thought your mom was in Italy.”

“We all thought that. Listen, I’ve got to go. Tell Katie we’ll pick her up—”

“I’ll have her at the airport, Jack. Keep the jet on the runway.” The last thing Katie needed was more drama. Gaylord and Jack discovering Savannah was a pile of drama just waiting to happen.