Katie had no issue falling in love with a man who’d loved before—she certainly had loved Nico with her whole heart and soul. But Daniel was far more guarded, and Annie had been lifted to a very high and lofty pedestal.
Katie would rather stand alone than in her shadow.
And they couldn’t forget that both their families were about to be changed by more than a romance between Katie and Daniel. There didn’t need to be a rush, and she hoped he felt the same way.
The front door opened, getting all their attention, followed by a chorus of greetings when Declan and Braden Mahoney, both in navy firefighter T-shirts, came in.
“Any news?” Declan asked, scanning the crowd and not at all surprised to see that many gathered.
“Nothing yet,” Darcy said, waving them in. “I thought all three of you were on duty today.”
“We’re on our way in,” Braden said, taking a second look around in a way that made Katie wonder if he was looking for Cassie. “And had to get a report. Plus, once Dec heard who was doing the surgery…” He lifted his shoulders and a teasing brow.
“Oh, that’s right,” Shane said. “Evie’s in town. Well, don’t go back there and distract her with memories. She’s busy.”
Pru looked up from the baby toys, frowning. “You know the doctor doing the surgery, Uncle Dec?”
He gave a casual nod, but Shane snorted and Liam gave a secret smile, telling Katie there was much more to that story than anyone was saying. But before she could ask, the door to the surgery center opened and an attractive young woman in scrubs stepped out, looking around the crowd who stared at her, her gaze stopping on Dec.
Oh yeah, more to that story.
“He’s out of surgery and doing very well.”
She might have had more to say, but a cheer went up that drowned out anything. A few questions started flying, which she held off with one still-gloved hand. “We found a very small meningioma tumor,” she said. “Obviously, we’ll do a biopsy, but from my experience, it looked to be primary and benign. We made a clean removal, and there’s no sign it metastasized, but we want to get Rusty over to my hospital for a few days of tests and observation. We might do chemo for a few months, just to be sure. We’ll work up a plan, but right now, we’re out of the woods.”
Another cheer went up, infectious enough for Evie to lose her doctor seriousness and beam at them. “He did great,” she added. “A total trouper.”
“Dad or Rusty?” Shane said, and Katie suspected he was only partly joking.
“Both,” she assured him. “In recovery right now. Is, uh, Katie here?”
Katie leaned forward. “Yes?”
“Oh, hello. Dr. K asked if I’d bring you back for a moment. Okay?”
“Of course.”
Right then, Molly came out through the same doors, her eyes sparkling with success. She smiled from the doctor to the group and dropped her head back like the whole thing had wasted her.
Shane was up in a second to put his arm around his sister. “You okay, Molls?”
“Yes.” She blinked, clearly emotional. “It’s just that…” Her voice was thick enough that Liam was up next to get on her other side. “Dad is the strongest man I know.” A tear rolled down her cheek as everyone murmured comments of full agreement.
Katie stood slowly, taking her jacket and handbag to follow the doctor, smiling at Molly as she passed and slowing down to hear the rest of what she said as Dr. Hewitt led her through the door.
“You guys, we have the best dad in the world. Never forget it.”
As she finished, Katie turned to look over her shoulder, witnessing the group hug, the love, the support, and the palpable family-ness of the group.
And all she wanted at that moment was to be in the arms of her own.
“Right here,” the doctor said, gesturing to a door. “Go on in.”
Katie stepped into a softly lit room where Daniel, also in scrubs, leaned against an oversized pen attached to the wall. Rusty was asleep behind the open gate, his head shaved and bandaged.
“Hey.”
He turned, and his face lit with a slow smile, and Rusty’s eyes fluttered open in a silent greeting. “We made it.”
“I heard the report.” She came to his outstretched arms, taking the hug and giving it back. “As good as could be expected.”
“Better, really. We got it early, and best of all, Rusty sailed through anesthesia. Right, bud?”
His eyes closed.
“He’ll be on pain meds for a while, and Cordell, our vet tech, is going to ride with him in Evie’s medical van back to Raleigh.”
“And you’re going?”
“Oh yeah. I’m going home to pack, but I’ll be staying there with him.” He tipped her chin and brought her face up. “Not exactly a romantic getaway, but would you come with me?”
She considered it—had already considered it, to be honest—and shook her head. The disappointment in his eyes was a tiny bit gratifying, but not enough to change her mind. “I think we both need to take this time to think.”
“I’ve been thinking,” he said gruffly, still holding her chin and angling her face as if he was about to take the kiss they purposely hadn’t shared last night. “I thought all last night while I held you in my arms. And during this surgery, in the back of my mind, I wanted you to be the first person I saw when it was over.”
Her heart tripped at the words she’d been longing to hear.
But…he’d had his great one.
“You need to think some more, though.”
“I don’t need—”
She silenced him with a fingertip to his lips. “I won’t settle for less than…everything.”
He held her gaze, the slightest flicker of fear in his, but it disappeared quickly. “Exactly what I want. All night, all—”
“All of you,” she said. “That includes your body and your heart.”
He let out a breath. “Okay.”
Okay? She wasn’t sure it would be that easy. “So that’s what I want you to think about.”
“I will. Can I think about it with you?”
“Think about it with Rusty,” she said. “And, if I may, I’ll keep Goldie for the week, so I have someone to talk things over with, too.”
He gave a slow smile, obviously liking that. “Sounds like a plan, Katie.”
“Oh, and when you get back, your living room should be almost finished. The floors are being done this week, and the shutters will be installed, and I’m coordinating a one-day furniture delivery from three different places. I should be there for all of that.”
His shoulders dropped ever so slightly, as if the last thing he cared about was furniture. But he nodded, inching back. “All right. We’ll both think.” He leaned closer to her ear to whisper, “But don’t be surprised if I call you in the middle of the night.”
“Call anytime,” she said, smiling. “I’ll be there.”
He took her chin one more time and brought her face to his so they could look at each other. He didn’t say a word, but lowered his head and kissed her on the lips. A long, sweet kiss full of promise and hope and a whole bunch of things that would keep Katie warm until he returned.
* * *
Daniel skipped the coffee his mother offered and said only a few words to Garrett, who had the most questions since he’d spent the morning with Jessie. After answering them and accepting all of his family’s comments, hugs, and words of support, he slipped out with the excuse that he needed to pack and head out to Raleigh.
Then he climbed the staircase to walk the hall to his bedroom. Tense, uncertain, and tired, he pushed the door open, took a breath, and waited to see if anything was different.
Would the room where he had slept with his wife, then mourned her, then slowly crawled out of his black hole, seem different now that he wanted to be with another woman?
Different but the same. Different because he was different. The same because…
God, look at the place.
&n
bsp; He hadn’t even bothered to get a new comforter in four years. They might be different sheets, but only the housekeeper would know. Either way, he couldn’t share them with Katie. Couldn’t get on that mattress or sit by that fire or cuddle on that sofa. Yes, Molly and Gramma Finnie had helped him remove all of Annie’s belongings many months after she died, but it was still their room. What was he going to—
“Dad?”
He turned to see Liam outside the door, a cup of coffee in his hand, a look of concern on his face.
“You okay?” his son asked.
“I’m…yeah. Wiped out, but relieved it’s over.”
He searched Daniel’s face as if looking for something he wasn’t finding. “They sent me up to check on you.”
Daniel chuckled. “Of course they did. What makes you think something’s wrong, other than the obvious? My dog had a brain tumor removed this morning.”
Liam gave a classic thoughtful nod, but it was also a silent request to be invited in. “May I?” he asked when Daniel didn’t make the offer.
“Of course.” He stepped to the side. “You’re always welcome.”
“In here?” Liam frowned. “Not without an invitation. Not since I was a toddler. And not unless you had something important to say to me.”
Daniel couldn’t argue. He and Annie had established the room as a sanctuary, utterly and completely private, and when the kids were brought in, it was usually for a serious talk.
“Well, nothing important to say today,” Daniel said. “Except that I have to pack.”
“You sure, Dad?” Shane’s voice came from the hall, making Daniel shake his head.
“You need backup?” Daniel asked Liam.
“We’re concerned about you.” And Aidan was there.
“Well, why don’t you all march right in, sit down, and talk to me while I pack?”
And, son of a gun, they did. All of them, no spouses or dogs in tow, though. Six kids, wearing various looks of concern and love, walked into the room, suddenly making it feel small and crowded.
Even Molly was there, changed from scrubs and here to work at the Waterford Farm office today. Darcy’s blue eyes scanned him carefully, and all four boys stared.
“What the hell is going on?” he asked.
“It’s not like you to run off,” Darcy said, getting closer to him. “You didn’t drink any coffee and didn’t even notice that I picked up a box of Linda May’s raspberry croissants.”
“I’d have brought you one,” Molly said.
“But no food in Mom and Dad’s room,” Shane said, lowering his voice to teasingly mock Daniel.
“That was Mom’s rule,” Daniel said. “If I had the occasion to eat up here, I would.” He added a look to Darcy. “So feel free to get me that croissant. I’d love it.”
“What else would you love, Dad?” she asked.
“Coffee.”
She lifted one of her pretty brows. All of them, in fact, were staring pretty hard, confusing him, but touching him, too. They wanted to help. They just didn’t know how. And God, he loved them all for it. But could they handle it?
He took a long, slow breath. “It’s this room,” he told them. “It does have a lot of rules, like Shane said, but the biggest one is that I…I…”
“You live here,” Garrett said.
“But you can’t live here,” Molly added.
“And you know we’re all for you living your life, Dad.” Darcy put her arm around his waist. “So how can we help?”
He just smiled at her, at all of them. “You can’t, unless you want to help me move that life into a completely different room.”
“Why don’t you change this one?” Aidan asked.
“Yeah, maybe I will.” It was time, and he knew it. “When I get back, I’ll move some stuff and paint. Maybe put the bed on that wall so I can see the sunrise.”
“Or get a new bed.”
He gave a look to Garrett. “Maybe. And get rid of that sofa.”
“Then Rusty will die,” Shane whispered.
Daniel smiled at the comic relief. “I do appreciate that you all care so much.”
“The thing is, Dad,” Liam said, “we like Katie.”
Kind of from left field, but he nodded. “So do I,” he told them. “Very much.” He waited a beat, taking in all of their faces. “So you all came up here to give me a taste of my own medicine?” he guessed. “A little pep talk? A reminder of what’s important in life? Some direction if I appear lost?”
“Look, we know you don’t need our permission or pep talks.” Shane took a few steps forward. “But I have had a few talks with you in this room that changed my life.”
“We all have,” Aidan added.
“You gave me Mom’s ring to give to Andi in here,” Liam reminded him.
“The oldest son,” Shane quipped, “gets the goods.”
The oldest son. For a moment, Daniel looked at Liam, studying the set of his jaw and the direct gaze of a man who went through life stoic and strong. Good God, he had a surprise coming.
He put his hand on Liam’s shoulder. “I remember that day,” he said. “And Andi wears that ring as beautifully as your mother did.”
Liam’s smile grew tight as he nodded.
“Basically, we came to tell you we love you.” Darcy hugged him again. “And we know today’s been tough.”
“Thanks for that,” he said.
“We want you to be happy, Dad,” Garrett said.
“You know a child is only as happy as their least-happy parent,” Molly added, making them all laugh at her twist on Annie’s favorite saying.
“Well, here’s the thing, kids. I am happy. And things in my life—and yours—are going to change, and not all of that change will be easy.” He looked from one to the next. “But I happen to know you are the strongest, smartest, most amazing family a man could dream of having, and you’ll survive and thrive.”
“How does he do that?” Shane asked. “He always manages to turn this stuff into a life lesson.”
They all laughed, the moment passed, the sentiment appreciated.
While Daniel packed for his trip to Raleigh, he mentally redecorated his entire room and swore it would be the first thing he did when he got home.
Chapter Twenty-two
Daniel had been true to his word, calling Katie not only in the middle of the night, day, afternoon, and morning from Monday through Friday, especially on Thursday, which happened to be Valentine’s Day. They texted, too, and planned for their first date when he came home late Saturday afternoon.
He was thinking, all right. And she liked the direction of his thoughts.
For the first time in years, Katie Santorini felt giddy over a man. Dying to get a fresh mani-pedi and have her hair done. Shopping for clothes—alone, because if Cassie saw her mother walk into Victoria’s Secret, it would all be over. Falling asleep—with Goldie snoring softly at the foot of the bed—with a silly grin on her face and waking up with it still there.
And every time her phone rang or buzzed, her heart took a little leap of joy.
Saturday couldn’t come soon enough, but the week had been consumed with her project at Waterford, including supervising the refinishing of the hardwood floor in the living room and the installation of the shutters.
Today was the final furniture-delivery day, and that had her humming as she and Goldie pulled into Waterford early that morning. But as soon as she made her way down the long drive, she sensed something was off.
It was…empty.
There were a few people in the pen with some dogs. Trainees, she guessed, but none of the Kilcannon men. No sign of Trace Bancroft and his service dogs or Darcy moving her grooming clients from kennels to salon. And no cars in the driveway, which was usually lined with the various vehicles that they all drove to and from and all around Waterford.
She parked and walked to the back door, holding Goldie back as she barked in expectation of seeing Rusty. They were both a little surprised when it open
ed before she arrived.
“Mornin’, Miz Santorini.” Crystal, the white-haired housekeeper Katie had met on more than one occasion, beamed at her, a look of unbridled excitement in moss-green eyes. “Big day for the Kilcannons.”
“It is?”
“Miss Jessie’s water broke about two hours ago.”
Her jaw dropped wide. So it had been Daniel texting her on the way over from Chestnut Creek. She reached into her bag to find the phone she’d ignored while driving.
“That’s fantastic news. So everyone’s at the hospital?” She had no doubt a Kilcannon baby was a family affair.
“Oh yes, and I only work a half day on Fridays, but I’ve been packing up lunches and dinners I’ve made for everyone. I’ll be here a bit longer, then no one’ll be in the house.”
Katie made a face. “Furniture’s being delivered from three different places. Would it be okay if I stayed?”
“Of course. Gramma Finnie told me you might be coming and to tell you to make yourself at home and give you the guest room if you need it. She’s staying at Molly’s tonight, since it’s closer to the hospital, so there won’t be anyone and no dogs.” She grinned down at Goldie. “’Cept this one.”
“And what about Daniel?” she asked, as much to herself as the housekeeper. “Will he be back in time for the birth today? I know Dr. Hewitt wanted to keep Rusty until tomorrow.”
“I don’t know, but come on in, and we’ll figure it all out.”
Goldie leaped forward, bounding into the house and starting her search for Rusty, destined for disappointment.
Katie soon realized it hadn’t been Daniel texting while she was driving, but the furniture and rug stores confirming delivery. In fact, he hadn’t answered her texts or calls that morning. She hoped that didn’t mean something was wrong with Rusty…but maybe he was so consumed with the new baby, he’d forgotten about her.
She actually didn’t think him forgetting about her was possible, but as the various trucks arrived and she dragged some of the art and lamps she had in her car into the house, Katie was too busy to worry about it.
At around one in the afternoon, she finally stopped and looked at her handiwork, unable to keep the smile from her face. This living room was totally transformed, from the gleaming white plantation shutters to the beautifully refinished hardwood floor. It was covered with a pale blue faded country rug with a farmhouse-style coffee table. The wingbacks were gone, and now a sleek sectional invited entertaining and talking around a fireplace. The Comfort Gray walls had the perfect amount of framed art, with some floating shelves for knickknacks and dried flowers.
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