To Be a Family (Harlequin Superromance)

by Kilby, Joan

  He tossed the inner tube in the garbage bin outside the laundry room door. “Go buy a new tube and I’ll help you install it. I would go cycling with you, but I’m on standby for a major police op tomorrow.”

  “It’s okay. This is something I need to do on my own.” When she and John were together she’d relied on him for all manner of things from organizing their outings to fixing things around the house. It was nice but it meant she’d never really grown up. After John had let her down, she’d recovered on her own, lived ever since on her own. She was a survivor. “And next time I’ll be able to fix my own tire.”

  “Katie, you’re a one-woman wonder. You teach, you write, you have a full life. You don’t need to prove a single thing to anyone.”

  “Maybe I have to prove it to myself.”

  Riley shook his head with a rueful smile. “At least tell us where you’re going and when you expect to be back. It’s common sense. Don’t be some macho mountain bike lady.”

  Katie snorted at the idea of her being macho anything. But she conceded the point. “All right. I’m going to do one of the easy bike trails in Red Hill. Hardly daredevil stuff.”

  “If you’re not used to riding off road even the basic trails can be tricky. Promise you’ll check in when you’ve finished your ride?”

  “I’m not ten years old.”

  “You’ll be in the bush on your own.”

  “What about this major police op you’re doing tomorrow. Does it have to do with a drug raid on Nick Moresco?” She wasn’t just stabbing in the dark. The case had occupied the Summerside Police Department for the past six months. “You’re not the only one worried about a sibling.”

  “Not the same thing. I’ll be part of a team. Tell you what, I’ll check in when I’m done if you check in with me.”

  “Deal.” She could live with that. And he was right to chide her about safety in the bush. Even experienced hikers got lost.

  Katie and Riley walked back out through the house. Barry was squirting WD-40 into the bike’s gears. “Thanks, Dad,” Katie said. “I’ll go get a new inner tube and be back shortly.”

  Riley followed her to her car and leaned down to talk through the window. “I know you were hurt when he left but do you ever think about what you did to John? It was a two-way street, Katie. He was gutted when you didn’t take all the treatment options you were offered. Forgive and forget.”

  “Thanks for the advice.” She turned the key in the ignition and drove off. She might—might—be able to forgive. But forget? Not possible. That would be like forgetting she’d almost died from breast cancer.

  But maybe she had been too pushy over John’s handling of Tuti in the tree. He had gotten her down safely. And Tuti had certainly learned a lesson. It was clear from the way she held on to John. And she’d spoken her first words since coming to Australia. Maybe he deserved more credit than she was giving him. The least she could do would be to tell him so. That wasn’t just an excuse to call him. She was simply being fair-minded.

  * * *

  “A IS FOR APPLE.” John pointed to the picture in the early-learning book Katie had sent home with Tuti. He held up a shiny red piece of real fruit. “Say it. Apple.”

  Tuti rested her small hand on his thigh and snuggled closer on the couch. She wore purple leggings and a pink tunic and purple ribbons on her pigtails. “Ap-ple.”

  Before the tree incident she’d been affectionate but not clingy. Now she was glued to his side. And he was okay with that. She was right where he could keep her safe.

  “I like to eat apples.” John took a bite and handed the fruit to the girl.

  “I…like—”

  “To eat…” he prompted.

  “—ap-ple.” Tuti glanced up, clearly hoping he would be pleased.

  He gave her a big smile. “Excellent.” His phone rang. “Excuse me, honey.” He grabbed his phone off the coffee table. “Hello?”

  “Hey, it’s Katie.”

  “Hey.” He pressed the phone hard to his ear as if that would bring her closer. Despite seeing her several times a week when she dropped off Tuti they didn’t call each other up to chat on the phone. “Is everything okay?”

  “I wanted to apologize for yesterday.” She hesitated. “Sometimes I can be a bit of a know-it-all when it comes to kids. You did a great job getting Tuti out of the tree.”

  “Thanks.” He cleared his throat. “She’s right here. Do you want to say hi?”

  “I don’t want to interrupt anything.”

  “We’re practicing our reading.”

  “On a Friday night. Good for you, Daddy.”

  He had to chuckle. Once upon a time he would have been painting the town red. Oddly, he didn’t miss the nightlife or the women. Katie was right. His bedroom had been a revolving door. But if these women were so fascinating, why hadn’t he settled down with one?

  “Did Tuti suffer any ill effects from her fright?” Katie added.

  “She’s fine.” He was the one who’d woken in the wee hours from a nightmare of her falling out of the tree. He’d lain there with his heart pounding, wondering if she wouldn’t be better off in Bali. That’s when he’d realized how precious she’d become to him. He was pleased she’d started talking. He hoped that meant she was finally settling in.

  “Here she is.” He passed the phone to Tuti and watched her face light up at the sound of Katie’s voice.

  He was feeling kind of warm and fuzzy himself. Katie had called him to apologize. And for a little chat. Not to arrange a time for Tuti’s lesson or to discuss school. Just to talk. It meant a lot. It meant they were friends. It was a start.

  Maybe with time they could be more than friends again. After all, they’d just been pals at the beginning. She’d tagged along when he and Riley had gone exploring. He’d treated Katie as if she was his own kid sister. Then she’d started to grow up, develop into a young woman and he began to see her in a different light. Then one day Riley had a bad cold and it had been just him and Katie hanging out. Without her brother around, John had been bolder. He’d kissed her beneath the big oak tree at his family home. From that day on he’d been smitten.

  Tuti said good-night and handed the phone back to him.

  “Katie, are you still there?”

  “I’m here. I should let you go…”

  “How’s the book coming along?” he asked, to keep her talking.

  “Not too bad. I’m taking a break tomorrow to go mountain bike riding.” She hesitated. “Would you like to come with me?”

  Damn. If only she’d asked him a week ago. “I can’t. I’m taking part in a police operation. You’re not still going on your own, are you?”

  “Yes.” There was a note of defiance in her tone. Then she softened. “But I’m checking in with Riley so don’t worry.”

  “Bapa read!” Tuti commanded, finally fed up with waiting.

  “Coming, sweetheart.” To Katie, he added, “I have to go. You be careful. Don’t go off the trail—”

  “Good night, John.”

  The sweet lilt of her voice lingered in his ears as he settled onto the couch and Tuti continued her halted reading. He corrected and encouraged her, stroking her pigtail from elastic to wispy tip.

  He hoped Katie would be cautious. He hated that he didn’t have any say in her life nowadays. But then, he’d thrown away his chance at that. His life was changing in so many ways—Tuti, another chance with Katie—if he didn’t blow it. If she didn’t push him away.
For the first time in years he had a glimpse of the life he’d always longed for.

  * * *

  THE PAVED PATH ended at a farm gate. Katie straddled her bike, feet planted on the ground and consulted the map. The trail wound over a grassy paddock, along a stream, through the woods, then up a hill to join a second trail that would lead her back to the road. Easy peasy, even for a novice like her.

  She got off her bike and walked it through the gate, shutting it securely behind her. At the bottom of the field a herd of black cows grazed peacefully. She adjusted her helmet and scoped out which of the two rutted tracks looked like the smoothest ride down the bumpy slope.

  She set off on the left track, jolting along. Yessiree, this was great. Lately her life had become tame. Learning new skills was what kept life interesting.

  Red Hill was wetter than Summerside. It had rained here recently—heavily by the looks of the thick mud and long, deep puddles ahead. On either side of the track were broad stretches of waterlogged grass. She hoped she wasn’t about to get a “crash” course in mountain biking.

  As curious cows chewed cud and watched, Katie approached the first big wet area cautiously. Would her bike bog down, throwing her off? Would her wheels slip out from under her?

  Not knowing what would happen was something she hadn’t experienced for a long time. It threw her, mentally. She had a split second to decide what to do. Then she realized there was no decision to be made. She couldn’t go around, she couldn’t go over. She had no choice but to go through.

  The bike didn’t bog down. The wheels didn’t slide out from under her. The cows didn’t laugh. Well, they might have smiled a little at her wide goofy grin. This was so great. She’d accomplished something new!

  As she progressed along the track, the next puddle and patch of mud weren’t quite so intimidating. Each time she learned a little more about how her bike would respond.

  She stopped for a break beside the swift-running stream, swelled by the recent rainfall, and sat on the bank beneath a tree to eat an orange. Just getting out in the fresh air was a good idea. Being by herself didn’t bother her. She spent so much time with her students and the other teachers that the silence of the bush, the quiet trickle of the stream and the birdcalls were peaceful.

  John would love this.

  The thought stopped her. She hadn’t come out here to relive their glory days. She’d come to do something on her own. But he’d been on her mind a lot lately. She blushed a little to think she’d called him last night. He’d sounded glad to hear from her. She hoped he wouldn’t read more into it than she intended. Friends rang each other up. That’s all her call was about. And to apologize.

  Since John didn’t seem to want to leave Summerside any more than she did, chances were good that he would always be in her life one way or another. She’d done a pretty good job of denying that for the past seven years but it was time to get used to the notion. Make peace with his presence in her life. Forgive and forget, as Riley said. Be a bit nicer to John than she had been.

  Last night’s phone call had been a start. That didn’t mean she was going to get involved with him. No sir, she wasn’t going to allow herself to fall in love again. But that was no reason to hate him, either. Life was too short, too fragile, to waste on negative emotions. She of all people should know that.

  It wasn’t surprising she should be attracted to him. He was hot, there was no denying it. And he was a good guy. He didn’t have a constant stream of girlfriends because he was a troll and a jerk. As long as she didn’t give in to the attraction or let it build they should be able to be friends.

  She took a last sip of water, replaced the drink bottle in its holster and set off along the trail. More cows grazed in the sunny patches between the tall trees. The trees gave way to another grassy field. Here was the hill, bigger than it appeared on the map. She came to a halt. No way she could ride up that. It was too steep.

  Really? What were all those warrior poses in yoga for if not to develop strong quad muscles? Of course she was going up that hill.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  JOHN TAPPED THE steering wheel of his white SUV impatiently, hating that instead of taking an active role in the raid on Nick Moresco’s beach house he was stuck watching from the sidelines. The dilapidated weatherboard with the flat roof and peeling paint was almost obscured by a thick stand of ti trees. Somewhere in the bush behind the house, Paula and Riley crouched.

  Part of being a good leader meant training his men and women then stepping back and allowing them the freedom and responsibility to do their job. Paula, with Riley as second in command, was in charge. She’d earned it and she was more than capable. But John couldn’t help missing the old days when he would have been suited up, ready to storm the house. There wasn’t much difference between sitting behind his desk doing paperwork and sitting in a vehicle waiting for others to bring in the bad guys.

  He glanced at his watch. Katie was probably on the bike trails right about now. Part of him wished he’d gone with her instead of watching others carry out the op. But he’d committed to being here and he had to follow through.

  Over the radio came Paula’s terse back-and-forth with the Force Response Unit officers who were decked out in full riot gear with bulletproof vests, helmets and various weapons, including Tasers and shotguns. In a clearing thirty meters away, the team of four paced outside their black 4WD vehicles, awaiting orders.

  Paula and Riley had been after Nick Moresco for five months. There had been many false trails and near misses. Paula was convinced Moresco was manufacturing crystal methamphetamine despite not having found any concrete evidence thus far. If there was no meth kitchen inside the house John would have to consider calling a halt to the investigation. Other issues needed the department’s attention.

  The radio went quiet. Through the open car window he sniffed the air for the rank odor that came from the chemical reaction. Nothing he could detect but the wind was blowing in the wrong direction. Paula had a lot at stake—months of investigation, regaining her detective status, putting away the criminal who threatened her son…

  The radio crackled to life.

  John sat up, alert.

  “On the count of three,” Paula said.

  The four black-suited men readied their weapons.

  John got out of the car, took a couple of steps, his gaze focused on the Force Response team. Adrenaline poured through his veins, giving him a rush of energy.

  “One, two,” Paula began. “Three…”

  The men charged through the ti trees. A second later came the sound of a door splintering, shouting, glass breaking.

  John savagely kicked a stone out of his way. There was no point wishing he could change his decision to move into management. Beat cops didn’t make much money. He had Tuti to think of, her education to save for. A bigger house with a backyard would be good, too.

  He couldn’t even complain to anyone. He felt guilty just bitching to himself. He had a great job. And it wasn’t as if he couldn’t do the work. He had a knack for leadership and for seeing the big picture when it came to planning and policy.

  Over the radio Paula yelled at someone to freeze. He glanced through the trees, itching to follow them into the house. The problem was, he didn’t just want to be the ringmaster. He also wanted to be the lion tamer, the trapeze artist and the damn clown all rolled into one.

  * * *

  KATIE TOOK A RUN at the hill. Initial momentum
carried her a third of the way. The path petered out. She pushed hard, standing on the pedals, struggling and straining to ride up the lumpy sloping ground. A few meters from the top her bike simply stopped dead. Her feet hit the ground and she leaned on the handlebars, panting.

  She hadn’t made it to the top. But she’d gone farther than she’d expected.

  She got off and pushed the bike the rest of the way to the top. At least once she was over this hard bit the rest of the trail looked easy. Puffing from the exertion, she walked across the top of the hill and looked down the other side, expecting to see a well-worn path that would take her beside the stream back to the road in a big loop.

  Oh, hell. The swollen stream flooded the trail for as far as she could see. It looked deep, too deep for her bike. It took her a moment to process the ramifications but finally it sank in. She had no choice but to go…gulp…down the long, steep hill she’d just climbed.

  She turned around and walked to study the slope. For a good ten minutes she tried to plot an easy way to ride down. If anything, it looked steeper than when she’d climbed it. And now she knew the long grass hid holes and fallen branches and rocks. She could kill herself going down there.

  But what was she going to do, walk down like a wuss? Have John say, I told you so?

  He didn’t have to know. No one had to know. The cows wouldn’t tell.

  She would know. And how could she put this in a book if she didn’t know how Lizzy felt when she was being brave? Imagination was wonderful, but there were times when it was no match for reality.

  She started slowly down the hill, applying both brakes, carefully weaving in and out of obstacles. Twice she stopped and wiped the sweat off her forehead even though it wasn’t hot. Each time she had to force herself to get back on the bike.

  Halfway down she hit a log hidden in the grass. Instinctively she rose on the pedals, lifted the handlebars and sort of hopped over. Wow. She didn’t know she could do that and remain upright.