Page 140 of The Offside Rule
Relief moved over her face, but it didn’t last.
“He thinks we should, though,” I said. I stepped closer. “Catherine.”
“What?” she asked, looking so stressed out.
“I don’t want you worried all the time,” I admitted.
“I don’t want that either,” she said.
I reached for her before I thought better of it. My arm slid around her waist, drawing her gently toward me. She came to me like she trusted me to catch her, and every time she did, another piece of my self-control got destroyed.
“I missed you today,” I said.
Her mouth softened. “I was right here.”
“Not close enough.”
“That’s greedy.”
She smiled, and I lost whatever argument I had been trying to have with myself. I kissed her. It was supposed to be quick. A stupid stolen kiss in the kitchen while Isla showed Taylor lip gloss down the hall. Catherine’s hands slid up my chest,and mine tightened at her waist. She tasted like popcorn and something sweet from the cookies my parents had brought. I backed her lightly against the counter, and she made that little sound in the back of her throat that had ruined me in every possible way.
“Hunter,” she whispered against my mouth.
I kissed her again. That was when Isla walked into the kitchen.
“Dad?”
Catherine tore away from me so fast her elbow hit the counter. I stepped back, but not far enough or fast enough. Isla stood in the entrance to the kitchen, holding a sparkly lip gloss in one hand. Her eyes moved from me to Catherine. Then back to me. My heart stopped. Catherine’s face went pale.
“Isla,” I said carefully.
Her forehead wrinkled. “What’s going on?”
Taylor appeared behind her a second later and froze.
“Oh,” Taylor whispered. “Bad timing.”
I gave her a look that could have melted steel. Isla looked at Catherine again. Really looked at her. Then her eyes widened with the kind of terrifying understanding only children had when adults underestimated them.
“Wait,” she said. “Is Catherine going to be my mommy?”
“Bug,” I said softly, “we need to talk.”
Isla stared at me. “But is she?”
I had no idea how to answer.
CHAPTER 25
Hunter
For the second time in less than two weeks, I stood in my kitchen and felt my entire life tilt under my feet. My daughter’s question hung between us.Is Catherine going to be my mommy?I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out. There were a dozen wrong answers.
No. Yes. Not yet. It’s complicated. You’re too young to understand. Please don’t say anything to Cole Davis or your life and mine are both going to turn into a crime scene.I looked at Catherine because whatever happened next involved her as much as it involved me. I had no right to decide the shape of this conversation without her. I didn’t want to say something she would hate, or worse, something that made her feel trapped in a role neither of us had discussed. I heard Catherine inhale deeply beside me then exhale. Her hand slipped away from the counter, and she stepped forward.
“Isla,” she said gently.
Taylor looked between the three of us, then took a careful step back. “I’m going to give you guys a minute.”
