Mr. Wrong (A Homespun Romance) (14 page)

Brady probably had his own key.  She ought to have known he’d be here.  Or was that really why she had broken her rule to work only two weekends in every month?  She’d wanted to see him. 

“Hi.”  Kate barely had time to get her response in before Cody hurled himself at his uncle like a bullet from a gun.

As uncle and nephew exchanged greetings Kate tried to gather her scattered senses together.  Brady’s demeanor hadn’t hinted one iota of resentment over her tactics.  His heartbreaking smile had been as open as ever.  Probably he’d accepted the fact she meant what she’d said about marrying for security and lost interest in her.  A man like him wouldn’t lack for opportunities to meet a dozen girls a week who’d look into those eyes and forget their given names. 

Kate drew a deep breath as Brady lifted his head and let his eyes look their fill of her, the expression in them informing her he hadn’t forgotten a thing.  Fiercely she reminded herself that she was a calm, cool, collected adult, not a popsicle to melt into wet slush every time this man looked at her.

Brady gave his nephew an extra whirl before setting him down.  Katie was glad to see him.  He had seen the first flash in her eyes before she’d superimposed restraint.  The thought gave a fresh boost to his determination to break down her defenses, make her his.

"Want to collect rocks, Uncle Brady?”  His nephew’s voice seemed to come from a long distance.  He liked the yellow thing Katie had on.  It made her look like a small fluffy chick.  One he’d like to cuddle.

“Not right now, Cody, maybe tomorrow.  I’ll just sit here and watch how you do it.”

Cody ran back to his wagon and Brady sank down on the top step of the redwood deck, his head touching distance from her knee.

“Have you eaten?”  Kate asked.  Why was he here?

“Yes.  Have you?”

“Cody and I had macaroni and cheese and hotdogs,” Kate said.

“Wish I’d been here,” she could tell the regret in his voice was genuine. 

Oh, Brady what am I going to do with you?

A hand came up, raked her head of curls, and Kate gave in to the desire to babble, “Mrs. Webb’s left Cody’s routine with me.  It was nice of her husband to plan this surprise for her.  I’m sure Cody’ll be fine.”

So, go away, Brady.  Leave me alone.

Brady got up and for a moment she thought he must have read her mind but it was only to fetch a can of beer and ask her if she would like a drink.  Kate refused and then watched the working of his strong brown throat as he tipped his head back and took a long gulp.

Strange how the sight of her father reaching for a drink had always reduced her to pulp, while the sight of Brady doing the same thing didn’t upset her at all.  But then Brady never had too much, lost control or used alcohol as a crutch.

Cody, cheeks red with  exertion, puffed importantly up the steps.

“Dad and me are making a rock garden for Mom,” he said for the umpteenth time.

“I’m sure your Dad’s glad to have a big strong helper like you.”  Kate said.

His, "Yup!” reminded her of the time in the park, the smile she’d shared with Brady.  It seemed like a lifetime ago.  She had changed so much since then, influenced willy nilly by this man beside her.  But no more.  Relapses were too risky.

She kept her eyes fixed on Cody as she asked him if he was ready for a bath.

While Cody splashed in the tub Kate came up with a plan.  There was no way she could sit on that deck all evening with Brady and not lose her head.  No, she’d made progress these last two weeks and she wasn’t about to slide back. 

Tucking Cody up in bed, she read him a story, cleaned up the mess he’d made in the bathroom and went into the guest room, Karen Webb had shown her to earlier that evening.  Picking up the green backpack she kept her books in, Kate went downstairs.

The sounds in the kitchen alerted Brady and he came in just in time to see her spreading her books out on the table.

Anticipating his comment, Kate said quickly, “I have a paper to complete by Monday.”

“I see.”  Brady’s face seemed to close up as if he knew  this was just a sham.

There was a little silence while she opened a book and stared at the words as if they were in pig Latin.

“I thought we could take Cody to the Los Angeles zoo tomorrow.” Kate looked up then.  Cody’s Mom hadn’t said a word about this. 

“We could take his stroller so he wouldn’t get too tired and a picnic.  It isn’t going to be too hot and he’ll be fine with both of us there.  What do you say Katie?  Unless you have too much work to get through and just want me to take him off your hands for a couple of hours tomorrow.  I could take him to the park by myself.”

What could she say?  She certainly didn’t intend working while Cody was up, not when his parents were paying her to take care of him, and the L.A. Zoo would be fun for the little boy, give him something to tell his parent’s about when they returned.

“Katie?”

Why did she feel like a bit of flotsam at the mercy of the wind and the waves, incapable of any deviation?

“Yes,” she said, “Cody will love the zoo.  I’ll get the lunch, though.  Brady nodded and said goodnight leaving Kate feeling suddenly desolate.  Kate banged her book shut angrily.

This was becoming ridiculous.  Mooning about him when he wasn’t there.  Acutely sensitive to him when he was.  Avoiding him had done nothing for her.  Maybe she should just go ahead and sleep with the man and get him out of her life.

Brady’s not the kind of man to settle for an affair.  He wants, marriage, children, a mortgage, the whole caboodle.

Kate sighed.  The whole caboodle was beginning to sound wonderful to her as well.  Even that darn thirty year mortgage had a positively rosy hue.

Cody woke her by climbing into bed with her at seven the next morning.  Immensely pleased, Kate moved over and let him snuggle down with her keeping her eyes closed, enjoying the feel of the small body next to hers.  It would be fun spending two whole days with Cody seeing the world through his eyes.  If anyone had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth it was this child.  Happiness, security and love, were his birthright.  Something told her they had been Brady’s too.  His parents, from little bit and pieces he had let fall, were well off, so were his friends to judge by their boats.  Why was Brady content with his way of life? 

Opening one eye she looked out of the window and groaned.  The patch of blue sky that stared uncompromisingly back at her through Karen Webb’s lacy drapes heralded a perfect day for the zoo.  Kate groaned again.  Where was the rain, the heavy smog, the Santa Ana winds she had prayed for?

“Does your back hurt, Miss Katie?”

Opening both eyes she looked into the rounded anxious eyes watching her, smiled, "No. Why?”

“You made a funny noise,” came the solemn reply, "When my Mommy’s back hurts, she makes a noise like that.  Shall I rub it for you?  I rub Mommy’s sometimes.”

Kate smiled and ruffled the dark curls brushing her bare arm, "I’m fine,” she said reassuringly, "How would you like to go to the zoo, today?”

Cody’s whoop of delight got her out of bed.

Brady entered the house wondering what kind of day lay ahead.  Last night Katie had definitely nailed a Keep Out sign to the fences she’d put up and he’d felt he was back at the starting point.  Today had to be better.  It certainly couldn’t get any worse.

A quick scan of the house showed no one home.  For a moment he wondered if Kate had disappeared with Cody to avoid him and then he heard Kate’s car pull into the drive.  His eyebrows rose at the grocery bag she carried in as he hugged his nephew.

“Our picnic,” she said cheerfully after Cody had almost strangled him and informed him all three of them were going to the zoo.

“I’m sure Karen has plenty of food in the refrigerator,” Brady began.  He hadn’t thought Kate would go to the store for their picnic.

“I’m sure she has,” Kate agreed cheerfully, dumping a bag of ice into a cooler she found earlier in the garage, and transferring juice and soft drinks to it from the grocery bag.  "But I offered to bring the picnic remember?”

Brady knew better than to argue.  Kate was wearing olive green walking shorts today with a short white sleeveless top that ended at her waist and had a most alarming effect on his blood pressure.  The loose waist barely met the top of her shorts, and seemed to invite his hands to enter, conduct a leisurely exploration of the delights they veiled.  He swallowed hard.  At this rate he wouldn’t be able to do too much walking today.

They shared Cody’s delight with the animals.  Brady’s heart soared like a freed bird’s at Katie’s soft laughter heard again and again, as she and Cody tried to imitate the animals’ expressions.  It felt so good to see her happy.

When Cody tired, Brady put him on his shoulders, letting Katie push the stroller with the cooler in it.  They finally stopped at eleven thirty for lunch and Brady realized with a pang Kate must have spent a packet on the meal.  Cursing himself for not thinking of what it would cost earlier, he watched quietly while she set out the food.

“There’s enough here to feed an army,” Brady said, echoed immediately by Cody.

“I wanted it to be special,” Kate said quietly, “let’s eat.”

Let me make every day of your life special, Katie mine

Brady longed to say but instead he picked up a ham roll and bit into it. 

Timing was of the essence here, not words.

They rested for a while after lunch and then went back to where they had left off, by the chimpanzees.  Cody was in such high spirits that he didn’t seem to feel the loss of his afternoon nap, falling asleep immediately they were homeward bound.

Kate turned back to see if he was alright in his car seat, sighing herself.

“Tired?”  asked Brady, wishing she would slide close to him and put her head down on his shoulder.

“Uh-uh.  It was a nice day.”

Which was all he needed to know. 

Cody woke up as the car stopped feeling a bit cranky.  Brady took one look at his face and said, “As soon as you’re out of your bath we’re going to order a great big pizza and have a small party on the deck.  How does that sound?”

Cody nodded happily but Kate protested, “I can easily make dinner.  I haven’t done a thing all day.”

“Not tonight,” said Brady, the finality in his voice preventing any argument.

Kate sent Cody down in his pajamas and showered quickly, slipping into a misty violet sun dress, telling herself it was for no other reason than comfort. 

Brady had tidied up all the stuff from their picnic and even put the cooler away in the garage when she entered the kitchen.

“There’s nothing left for me to do,” she had to voice the protest, “At this rate I won’t have earned the money Cody’s Mom and Dad are paying me for this weekend.”

“It was nothing,” Brady said, “Just go out on the deck and relax.”

Katie did.  Cody clambered on her lap, the weight of his head against her breast stirring a warm feeling.  Instinctively she knew he was missing his parents and her eyes grew tender as she cuddled him.

"By this time tomorrow,” she told him, "Mommy and Daddy will be back and you’ll be able to tell them all about the animals and birds in the zoo.  Which one did you like best?”

“The little horses.”

He meant the Shetland ponies.

“Why?”

“Cos they’re small like me,” Cody said with irrefutable logic, making Kate laugh.

Brady stepped out on the deck, longing to be part of the cozy scene, longing for Katie’s surrender.  The evening air was cool, a powerful refresher after the warmth of the day, sliding over his skin awakening the desire to hold Katie on his lap just the way she held Cody.

“Pizza’s on its way.  Would you like a beer, Katie?”

“No, thank you.  I’ll just have coke later with my pizza.”

“Is that my Dad’s beer, Uncle Brady?” asked Cody, his eyes on the can Brady held in his hand.

“It sure is buddy, but he said I could have some.”

Satisfied, the little boy, leaned back against the softness of Katie.

The soft gloaming as the day slipped away to make room for the dusk, the child in her arms, the soporific effect of the warm shower, all made it easy for Kate to respond with ease to Brady’s discussion of animals in danger of becoming extinct and the important work being done around the world to prevent it. 

Kate wanted to freeze the moment forever, it felt so perfect.  Just for this moment in time there was no pressure from the past, no fear of the future, just perfect peace.

They were half way through the pizza when Cody said, “My Dad likes pizza.”

“So do I” said Kate helping herself to another slice.

“Miss Katie, does your Dad like pizza?” Cody wanted to know and Brady stopped breathing for a second.

“I don’t have a Dad,” said Kate calmly.

“Oh!”  Brady could almost hear the wheels turn in his nephew’s brain, “Do you have a Mommy?”