The Retake (Cate & Kian Book 3)

by Louise Hall

  “She’s been taken to the hospital.”

  “You’re trying to do too much,” Cate thought, “and you’re failing horribly.”

  She felt woozy and thought perhaps she was thirsty so she got up and walked over to the cooler to get a cup of water. She stumbled a little and reached for the desk but it felt too far away. The plush carpet seemed to be getting nearer. Cate put her hands out and felt the thick, woollen strands entwine her fingers. She felt something hard against her knees. Blackness crowded her vision as the carpet rasped against her bruised cheek. She felt so tired, the carpet felt so soft, she closed her eyes.

  “Cate!” Kian didn’t care about making a scene. He stormed through the front door of the building. He’d just finished training when he got India’s call that Cate had collapsed at work.

  India was stood by the doors on the opposite side of the corridor to her clinic, “she’s through here.”

  Kian looked at the sign on the glass doors, “what the fuck is my pregnant wife doing in an abortion clinic?”

  “It’s not like that,” India guided him into one of the examining rooms. Cate was lying on the table and a blonde-haired man had his hands on her stomach.

  “Get your fucking hands off my wife,” Kian shouted.

  The man quickly jumped back, “I’m a doctor.”

  “You’re an abortion doctor,” Kian snarled.

  He stormed across to the table. Cate looked so fragile; the bruise on her cheek was peeking through her make-up.

  “I’m here, angel.” Kian slid his arms underneath her back and legs and lifted her up off the table. He wanted to get his wife out of there as quickly as possible.

  “They’re both OK,” the doctor tried to reassure him. “The ultrasound…”

  Kian pushed past both him and India. “It’s OK, angel,” he crooned softly, focusing all of his attention on Cate. “I’m taking you home.”

  After he’d settled Cate in the backseat of his Range Rover, he called their doctor and asked her to meet them at the house.

  “How is she?” Kian pestered Dr Waters after she’d examined Cate.

  “They’re both OK.” Kian let out an audible sigh of relief. “But,” Dr Waters continued, “Cate is exhausted. I’m putting her on bed rest for at least the next two weeks.”

  After Dr Waters had gone, Kian lay down on the bed next to his wife. “How are you feeling?”

  Cate looked at the clock, “I’ve got to pick Lola up from school.”

  “Don’t even think about it,” Kian stormed when Cate struggled to sit up. “Matteo’s going to pick her up. You’re not going anywhere.”

  “No,” Cate covered her face with her hands. “I need to make sure that Emily’s OK.”

  She explained about Emily’s severe nut allergy and that she’d been taken to hospital.

  “I’ll call Emily’s parents tonight to apologise,” Kian said. “It was my fault.”

  “No,” Cate berated herself. “I’m Lola’s mum.”

  “I’m Lola’s dad,” Kian frowned. “I packed her lunch today. I should have asked if there was anything she wasn’t allowed.”

  “Ugh, I can’t be on bed rest, I’ve got too much to do,” Cate tried sitting up again.

  “If you keep doing that, I’ll get the handcuffs,” Kian warned. “I’m serious.”

  Cate sank back on the mattress. It’s just two weeks, she tried telling herself, but it felt like forever. All she could think about was how much she was letting everybody down. She felt her chest tighten. She kept thinking about Emily and how scared the little girl must have been when she couldn’t get her breath. It was all Cate’s fault. Kian said something, she could see his mouth opening and closing but she couldn’t hear what he was saying over the sound of her own thundering heartbeat.

  “Go,” Cate gasped, trying to push him off the bed. “I don’t want you to see me like this.”

  Kian gripped her wrists. “I’m not going anywhere, angel.”

  Cate squeezed her eyes tightly shut. A trickle of sweat dripped down the back of her neck.

  Kian gently stroked her cheek, “it’s going to be OK, Cate.”

  She was mortified that he was seeing her like this. She’d never allowed anyone to witness her panic attacks before.

  “Please just go,” Cate croaked, rocking back and forth.

  “Look at me,” Kian said gently. “Open your eyes and look at me, angel.”

  Cate almost couldn’t do it; she didn’t want to see the pity in his eyes. She cursed herself for not being stronger.

  She felt Kian’s lips brush against hers. “I love you.”

  Cate blinked open her eyes. “Kian, I can’t… I can’t breathe.”

  “It’s OK,” Kian said calmly. “Follow me, OK? Breathe in.” Cate watched his chest move, trying to follow his lead. “Good, breathe out.” After a few attempts, her panic attack started to recede and she felt her heart rate slowly return to normal.

  “I hate…” Cate said bitterly, tears trickling down her cheeks. “I hate that you had to see me like that.” She turned on her side and buried her face in the pillow.

  Kian wrapped himself around her, “I’m glad I was here, Cate. I’m your husband. You shouldn’t have to go through something like that on your own.”

  “Mummy!” Lola came hurtling towards the bed.

  “What did I say?” Kian warned, standing up.

  Lola skidded to a halt, “no jumping on the bed, I know.” She very gently climbed up on to the bed and snuggled up against Cate. “Mummy, are you poorly? My sandwiches made Emily poorly. She couldn’t breathe. She had to go to the hospital.”

  “I know, sweetheart,” Cate cuddled her daughter. “I’m so sorry. Were you scared?”

  “I was,” Lola bit her lip, “but Matteo said that the doctors are going to make Emily all better. I’m going to make her a card.”

  “Hey Cate,” Matteo was leaning on the doorway.

  “Thanks for picking Lola up from school,” Cate smiled.

  “No problem,” Matteo smirked. “It’s the least I can do since you’re naming your firstborn son after me.”

  “Downstairs,” Kian gritted his teeth, “we don’t know if it’s a boy or girl yet. Stop flirting with my wife.”

  CHAPTER 28

  “How are they doing?” Kian asked his sister, Sinead when he got back from the match. Rovers had won 3-1 at home against Arsenal. While she was still on bed rest, Kian didn’t want Cate to be left alone so his mum and Sinead had offered to take turns staying with her when Kian had training sessions or matches.

  “They’re fine,” Sinead patted him on the shoulder. She was just starting to show with her own pregnancy.

  “Do you need…?” He was about to ask if she needed a lift home when he heard a car pull up outside.

  “That’ll be Fabrizio.” Sinead was married to one of his Rovers’ team-mates, Fabrizio Corelli.

  As he walked upstairs, he could hear his wife and daughter laughing. “What’s funny?”

  Cate looked up at him, her black eyes sparkling. “Hi.”

  “Hi,” Kian felt that familiar tug underneath his ribs. He was so goddamn lucky.

  “Daddy, we’re reading,” Lola patted the bed, “sit with us.”

  Kian kissed the top of his daughter’s head, “in a minute, sweetie. I’m just going to go and get changed first.”

  As Lola read to them, only stumbling on a couple of the longer words, Kian watched his wife. She looked so much better than when he’d first brought her home from the clinic. The bruise on her cheek had almost completely gone. She’d loosely plaited her inky-black hair. She was wearing his old, navy blue t-shirt and plaid pyjama bottoms. They’d been her favourite sleepwear when she’d been pregnant with Lola.

  “So good,” Cate beamed when Lola had finished. She cuddled her daughter close. “Ugh, I’m so proud of you.”

  “It’s time for bed,” Kian looked at the clock. “Come on, Lo.”

  “Wait,” Lola protested. “I
want to say goodnight to Matteo.”

  “Sweetie,” Cate shook her head, “we don’t know yet if we’re having a boy or a girl.”

  She rolled up her t-shirt anyway, showing off her impressive bump. Lola put her little hands gently on either side. “Goodnight Teo, I love you.”

  After Kian had tucked Lola into bed, he came and got back into bed with his wife. “How are you feeling?” he asked, brushing a few strands of hair away from her face.

  “I’m good,” Cate reassured him, “I promise.”

  “What do you want to watch?” Kian grabbed his laptop from the bedside table.

  “I really don’t mind,” Cate said, “you pick.”

  “Look at my ankles,” she kicked the duvet off her feet, “aren’t they hideous?”

  Kian laughed, “they’re not that bad.”

  “Yeah, right,” Cate lightly smacked his chest. “Did you see Sinead tonight, she’s still wearing stilettos?”

  “She’s half a minute pregnant,” Kian grinned, “that will change.”

  He grabbed a bottle of oil from his bedside drawer and moved down to the end of the bed. “Give me your foot.”

  “No way,” Cate tried to hide them under the duvet again. Kian wrapped his hand firmly around her warm calf and lifted her foot up on to his lap. He warmed up the oil in his hands and then set to work massaging Cate’s foot. As he pushed his thumbs into the sole of her foot, Cate relaxed back against the pillow. “You’re too good at that.”

  “Mum came to the house again today,” Cate said as Kian reached for her other foot. “Sinead wouldn’t let her in.”

  Cate hadn’t spoken to any of her family, not even Ben, since she’d been put on bed rest.

  “I’ll tell her to back off,” Kian frowned. “You’re supposed to be resting.”

  “Do you think I’m being selfish?” Cate asked as Kian got up to wash the oil from his hands.

  Kian climbed back into bed and lifted up his arm, snuggling Cate against his side. “I think you need to be selfish right now.” He kissed the top of her head, breathing in the scent of blackberries. “You’re pregnant.”

  “What do you want to watch?” Kian asked, powering up his laptop.

  “Match of the Day,” Cate insisted. “I want to see my sexy husband in action.”

  The next morning, Kian was just about to take Lola to school when a baby-blue VW Beetle stopped in front of Ben and Erin’s house. “Get in the car,” Kian said to his daughter, “right now.” His first thought was that it had to be paparazzi, although a VW Beetle was an unconventional choice of car for somebody who wanted to lurk in the background. At least his Range Rover had blacked-out windows so they wouldn’t scare his daughter too much.

  “What the fuck…?”

  The passenger door swung open and his sister-in-law got out. “Hi.”

  “Liv?”

  She was quickly followed by what he assumed to be Ruby. She looked almost uncannily like his wife.

  Kian clenched his fists, praying that his wife was still asleep. “What are you doing here?”

  “I want to talk to Cate,” Liv said. “Has she left for work yet?”

  Kian grabbed Liv’s arm and walked her back towards the Beetle. “Ow, you’re hurting me,” she complained.

  “Get back in your car and go,” Kian warned. “Cate doesn’t want to see you.”

  “She’s my sister.”

  “When was the last time you spoke to her?”

  “It was…” Liv couldn’t remember. “It doesn’t matter. I’m here now.”

  Cate was woken up by the sounds of shouting coming from outside. She recognised one of the angry voices as Kian’s. She slowly climbed out of bed and cradling her bump, walked down the hallway to look out of the window which overlooked the courtyard.

  “No,” Cate gripped on to the windowsill as she saw her worst nightmare, Ruby so close to her husband and daughter.

  She felt the start of another panic attack and tried to focus on other things such as the feel of the plush carpet between her toes. She walked to the stairs and felt the chill of the smooth banister against the palm of her hand.

  She counted the steps out loud until she got to the bottom and she had to stop, she felt so dizzy.

  She could still hear the voices outside, it sounded like there were more of them. Cate heard a baby crying.

  She pulled open the front door. Ben had joined Kian, Liv and Ruby in the courtyard. Erin was stood by their front door, cradling baby Oliver.

  Kian saw her first. He stormed across the courtyard, the anger still radiating off him. “You’re supposed to be in bed, angel.”

  Cate looked across at the Range Rover, “Lola will be late for school.”

  “I’m not going anywhere,” Kian gritted his teeth, “until you’re back in bed.”

  “Cate?” Liv looked worried, “are you OK?”

  “I don’t want Lola to see this,” Cate said to Kian. “Please.”

  Kian waited until his wife had shut the door and he’d heard the lock turn before walking back to his Range Rover.

  “Is she OK?” Liv followed Kian.

  Ben put a hand on his arm, “Kian?”

  “She collapsed,” Kian said. “She’s OK but she’s supposed to be on bed rest.”

  “Mate, why didn’t you tell us?” Ben asked.

  “We’re looking after her,” Kian said. “Me, Mum and Sinead.”

  “We’re her family too,” Liv protested.

  Kian couldn’t believe her audacity. Despite the promise he’d made to his wife, he couldn’t stop himself. “You knew Cate was terrified about being pregnant again.”

  “But she was doing so much better.”

  Kian rolled his eyes. “Really, you could tell all that from the five-minute phone calls once a week that I had to bribe you into making?”

  “That’s not fair.”

  “What’s not fair,” Kian snarled, “is that Cate’s pregnant. After everything we’ve been through, we’re having another child together and it’s supposed to be the fucking happiest time of our lives and instead she’s dealing with all your shit. You’re the most selfish person I’ve ever met, Liv. Go away and take your shiny, fucking new toy with you.”

  “It isn’t Ruby’s fault.”

  “It isn’t Cate’s either.”

  Kian looked at Ben and Liv, “your mum knows that you found him, Dexter fucking Rathburn.”

  “What?” they both looked shocked. “How?”

  Kian told them what had happened. He left out the part where Irene had struck Cate. “You let Cate face the brunt of your mum’s anger for a decision she didn’t even make. You were the one who was so desperate to find your biological father, Liv; you should at least have had the decency to tell your mum what you’d done.”

  “I’m sorry,” Ben said solemnly.

  “Your wife just had a baby, you had an excuse.” Kian turned to his sister-in-law, “you didn’t.”

  Kian got in the car. “Daddy, is that Auntie Liv?” Lola asked excitedly, “is she coming home?”

  “I’m sorry, sweetheart. It’s just somebody who looks a lot like her.”

  He called his sister, “can you come and stay with Cate again today?”

  “What happened?” Sinead asked, picking up on the tension in her brother’s voice.

  “We’ve got a bit of a situation,” Kian spoke in code, knowing that Lola was listening to him.

  CHAPTER 29

  “I always wanted a sister,” Sinead sat down on the bed next to Cate. “I used to be so jealous of you.”

  “Ha,” Cate laughed, “you can have them, all three of them.”

  “Aren’t you even a little bit curious about Ruby Tuesday,” Sinead giggled. The name still made her laugh.

  “No, I’m really not,” Cate frowned. “How’s the house-hunting going?”

  Fabrizio had decided now that Sinead was pregnant; they needed to move out of their swanky city-centre apartment and find a family house in the countryside
. “I don’t even bother going anymore. Fabrizio knows what he wants.”

  “You really don’t mind where you live?” Cate asked incredulously.

  “I know that doesn’t really sound like me,” Sinead shrugged her shoulders. She’d taken out her extensions and her natural reddish-blonde hair fell softly to just below her shoulders. “But all that matters is that this baby’s healthy.” She and Fabrizio had a shock early on in the pregnancy when the doctor couldn’t find a heartbeat and for a day, they thought she’d miscarried.

  The doorbell rang downstairs. “Don’t worry,” Sinead reassured her sister-in-law, “I’ll get rid of them.”

  When she came back upstairs, she asked Cate, “are you up for a visitor?”

  Cate panicked. Surely Sinead hadn’t let Liv and Ruby inside the house? “I thought…”

  “Cate!” India cried, reaching out her arms for a hug. The brightly-coloured bracelets jangled noisily on her wrists. “It’s so good to see you. You gave me such a fright.”

  “Thanks for looking after me,” Cate relaxed back against the soft pillows.

  “I’ve got a couple of errands to run,” Sinead backed towards the door. “I’ll be back soon.”

  “I hope you haven’t already eaten,” India opened up her handbag, “I brought you your favourite.” She handed Cate a hummus and grated carrot sandwich.

  “Ugh, I’ve missed these,” Cate eagerly tore open the packet, “thank you so much. How was your date with Josh last weekend?”

  “Meh,” India waved her hands. “He was OK, I guess. It’s just… he’s a dentist.”

  “So?” Cate spluttered.

  “So he spends his days poking around in other people’s mouths; don’t you think that’s a little weird?”

  Cate shrugged her shoulders, “my husband makes a living kicking a ball about?”

  “I think it’s weird,” India broke off a piece of orange and cardamom chocolate and popped it in her mouth. “Mm, so good.” She licked her lips. “I didn’t feel the butterflies, you know? Maybe Mum’s right, maybe I’m being too picky.”