Ties That Bind (13 page)

“Stay,” she caught his hand as he turned to
go. “Hold me while I sleep. Just for a little while.”

Kate couldn’t explain why but she was
suddenly near panic at the thought of him walking out the door.
Without realizing it, she held her breath waiting for his reply,
her eyes beseeching his.

He nodded once, then kicked his shoes off and
climbed into the bed with her. Had she any energy left, it might
have been a dangerous proposition. As it was, the warmth of his
embrace and the gentle lullaby he sang in her ear carried her
quickly into a deep sleep.

Kate woke up the next morning and was
instantly aware of two things. First, Gavin was no longer beside
her and his absence left a void. Second, someone had made bacon.
She quickly dressed and scurried downstairs, her stomach protesting
loudly the absence of dinner.

He looked up when she entered. Their eyes met
and they broke into simultaneous smiles. Kate felt like they were
in on a secret the rest of the world just wouldn’t understand. She
wanted to throw herself into his arms and greet him with a
passionate kiss – the kind that made all sorts of promises.
Instead, she offered a soft, “Hello.”

“Good morning,” he finished serving up the
eggs in the skillet, setting it aside so he could grab her for just
such a kiss. He didn’t let her go until her head was spinning; then
he reinforced the message with his eyes.

Why did this man love her so? It was surreal.
Had she ever felt so irrevocably linked to another human? What
would her mother have said about him?

“When did you abandon me?” Was the first
coherent thought she could voice.

“Only to make breakfast,” he promised. “Not
that you would have noticed. You were sound asleep.”

“Sorry,” she blushed, accepting the plate he
handed her.

“Don’t be. I’m glad you got some rest.”

“Thanks for making breakfast.”

“It’s the least I can do – the plan is to
spend the whole day at the hospital.” He looked a little
apologetic.

“I hadn’t planned on sightseeing,” she
assured him. “I’m here to be wherever you need me for the next
couple of days.”

“What did Jack say?”

“I missed his initial response; the girls
beat me to it. But he told me to take my time – as long as I was
back by Wednesday anyway.”

“About that,” Gavin frowned thoughtfully.

“Yes?” Kate eyed him warily over a forkful of
eggs.

“I don’t suppose you’d be interested in
sticking around for a while?”

“You know I can’t do that to Jack,” she shook
her head.

“It was worth a shot.”

“You are coming back to San Francisco, aren’t
you?” A touch of panic laced her voice.

“Absolutely.” He must have sensed her panic,
because his voice became soothing and he stopped eating to take her
hand and place a kiss on the back of it. “You are completely and
totally stuck with me now.”

“But you’ll be staying for a while?” Kate
guessed.

“A while. I want to be sure Mum really is
okay.”

“I understand,” Kate nodded. She did
understand, but that didn’t stop her heart from aching just a
little at the thought of his prolonged absence.

“I was supposed to be their wedding
photographer; I’ve arranged for a friend of mine to take over. Jack
wasn’t happy, but he’ll get over it. I did promise to be back by
the launch party, though.”

Kate mulled that over for a minute.
September. Two months. She could handle two months of anything.

“You know,” she flashed him a reassuring
smile. “I think this will be really good for us.”

“Really?”

“It’ll give us a chance to get to know each
other better without all of this pesky chemistry getting in the
way.”

“I happen to like the pesky chemistry.”

“I didn’t say I don’t like it. I’m just
trying to look at the bright side.”

“A regular Pollyanna,” he shook his head.

“We’ll be like pen pals,” she went on
enthusiastically, ignoring his last comment.

“Oh, why not?” He caught on to her playful
mood.

They ate the rest of their breakfast and were
soon on the way back to the hospital. Kate wondered how she’d spend
a whole day talking to a virtual stranger. Or was she expected to
sit in silence?

She wished she had a book or her laptop to
keep her busy. She figured she could kill half an hour calling
Jessica and Liz for updates. Maybe more if she called them
separately. Maybe once at 10 o’clock and once at 2 o’clock. But
what time would it be in San Francisco then? She tried to do the
math but couldn’t remember. She’d just have to hope it wasn’t
something obnoxious like 2 a.m.

It turned out that she didn’t need to find
ways to occupy her day. Ellen drifted in and out of sleep, the rest
of Gavin’s family came and went, and Kate spent most of her day
with her feet propped on Gavin’s lap talking to him about anything
and everything. They had a lifetime to catch up on and an entire
day to do it.

“He was such a cute kid,” Ellen joined the
conversation. “That saved his life often.”

“Mum, she doesn’t need to hear about
that.”

“Oh, I think I do,” Kate disagreed quickly.
“Do go on.”

“I don’t even know where to start,” Ellen
began with a smile that hinted at a dimple. “He was always into
something, always pushing the boundaries.”

“Some things never change,” Kate smirked.
“He’s still doing that. Then using his mouth to get himself out of
trouble. It’s astonishing, the things he can do with that mouth of
his.”

Gavin’s eyebrow shot up and Kate blushed.

“Oh. I didn’t mean that how it sounded. I
meant the lip twitch or the lopsided grin or the pout,” she
hurriedly explained. “He’s completely mastered them all and I fall
for it every time.”

“Good to know,” he rewarded her with the
lopsided grin in question.

“Like you didn’t already,” she made a face at
him.

“I know exactly what you’re talking about.
Heaven help the person he decides to use the pout-puppy dog eyes
combo on.”

“Oh, I know that one. It’s brutal,” Kate
agreed enthusiastically. “I’ve had good luck countering it with the
‘You’ve got to be kidding’ glare. I throw in an eyebrow arch for
good measure.”

“You’re a natural. It took me years to come
up with the eyebrow arch.”

“Thanks,” Kate acknowledged with a flush.

“This is dangerous, isn’t it?” Gavin eyed
them warily.

“I think it’s delightful,” Ellen smiled at
him, reaching for his hand.

“Then it’s worth every trick I lose,” Gavin
took her hand and kissed it gently. His eyes glowed with such love
and devotion, it made Kate want to cry. Being around Gavin and his
mother made her miss her own so much it felt like her heart was in
a vise.

“Excuse me for a second,” Kate said softly,
leaving as unobtrusively and quickly as possible. She couldn’t
worry about Gavin’s concerned gaze now; she was too close to losing
her grip on her emotions. When she reached the bathroom, she let
the tears go.

Sitting on the bathroom floor, her back to
the wall and tears streaming down her cheeks, she let the memories
come flooding back. It was odd, here in a setting so close to the
memories she’d been trying to repress, the ones she’d longed for
rose to the surface.

Suddenly she could hear her mama’s voice
again – the way it was before. Like when she would assure Kate it
had been just a dream, or one failed test wouldn’t end her high
school career, or that she would love again.

She remembered the sound of her mother’s
laughter, gentle as a brook. She remembered the smell of roses that
seemed to cling to her mother’s soft skin. And that smile, that
smile that had been a ray of sunshine able to pierce the darkest
cloud over Kate’s life.

Most days, it had been okay that she didn’t
have a dad because she had always been wrapped so securely in the
cocoon of her mother’s love. Sure, there were times like the
father-daughter dances or Dad’s Day at school where his absence
smacked a bit. But even then, her mama had always found a way to
compensate.

Now, having fallen in love herself, Kate
began to get a sense of how much her mother had given for her.
Knowing her mom’s moral standings, she never would have gotten
pregnant if she hadn’t at least thought she loved Jack. What had
made her leave? Why had she never even tried to date again? Had she
loved Jack that much, or was it something else? Either way, her
sweet mama had bravely faced the world alone and created a world
for Kate to flourish in. How very evil of cancer to tear that world
apart.

So it was there, in the bathroom of the
oncology floor of London Bridge Hospital, that Kate mourned her own
lost battle. She couldn’t be sure how long she’d been in there when
Nicole poked her head in the bathroom.

“There you are. Gavin’s beside himself
worrying about you.”

“Sorry,” Kate stood and busied herself trying
to look presentable. “It just hit me all of a sudden. I started
missing my mom so much.”

“I’m surprised you made it this long.” Nicole
hugged Kate, taking her a bit by surprise. “It hasn’t been that
long since you lost her.”

Of course Gavin had told his family her
story; Kate assumed as much, but it seemed strange to be sharing
this personal moment with someone she barely knew. Gavin seemed
determined to break down all kinds of Kate’s walls.

“Can you tell him I’m okay, that I’ll be out
in a minute?” Kate gave her what she hoped was a reassuring
smile.

“Sure, sure,” Nicole nodded and went to relay
the message. Kate washed her face and ran her fingers through her
hair. There wasn’t much else she could do with no brush and no
makeup. It would have to be enough.

She walked right into Gavin when she left the
ladies’ room. He instantly engulfed her in a protective embrace and
wouldn’t let her go. She thought of protesting out of
embarrassment, but the truth was, it was right where she wanted to
be.

“I’m sorry, I’m not trying to make today
about me,” she wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her
faced against his chest.

“No one thinks you are,” he promised. “I’m
sorry to put you through this. A stronger man would send you home
rather than expect you to sit in the cancer ward of a
hospital.”

“No, this is where I want to be. And I’m glad
it all bubbled up to the surface like that. I remember her now,”
Kate lifted her face so he could see she meant it. “It’s not just a
nightmare haunting me, I remember her. The good stuff. The
sacrifices she made so I’d be happy. I think wherever she is now,
she’s really happy about us.”

“Good. Because I’m crazy in love you with.
I’m glad I have your mum’s approval.” He brushed his lips across
hers. His eyes said he’d love to do more than that. An irritated
cough disrupted their moment.

“Excuse me,” a woman gestured to the door
behind them, the look on her face not a happy one.

“Whoops, sorry,” Kate couldn’t help the
giggle that escaped as they scooted to the side as one.

“I’ve created a monster,” Gavin shook his
head woefully. “Breaking social mores left and right.”

“Quite the rebel,” she agreed solemnly.
“Should we go back?”

“Nah, Dad’s back. Let’s grab a bite to eat
and give them some time alone. We’ll come back for a bit
later.”

Kate realized she was hungry. She had no
sense of time, but she did know breakfast was long gone.

Devon and Nicole joined them for dinner. Kate
ordered fish and chips because it seemed the thing to do. Devon and
Nicole appeared to be having a dispute amongst themselves.

“I say we let Kate decide,” he finally
announced, earning a kick under the table.

“Let Kate decide what?” She looked at Devon
expectantly.

“Do you want to know what I’ve found out
about your family so far?”

“I told you today isn’t the day,” Nicole
hissed.

“But she won’t be here much longer,” he
argued.

“And you can’t email her?” Nicole
persisted.

“I could, but I’d rather tell her in person.”
He met her mutinous glare with one of his own. Kate couldn’t be
certain, but she had the feeling that if they weren’t in a crowded
restaurant, this would be the point at which they tore each others’
clothes off.

“I’d very much like to know what you’ve
found,” she gave Nicole an apologetic look. She felt a little
traitorous, but she did want to know.

“Fine,” Nicole shrugged, letting go of it
just like that. Devon pulled a file out of Nicole’s bag and tossed
it to Kate, who opened it with trembling fingers.

“Your grandparents were Francis and Isabelle
Williams. Your mother, Danielle Williams, was their oldest
daughter. Joan Williams was her younger sister. Have you met your
Aunt Joan?”

“A couple of times. She and my mother were
estranged. I saw her briefly at the funeral.”

“You haven’t asked her what happened?”

“It didn’t seem right. Not without knowing
why they were estranged or what she knew about Jack. I guess I
didn’t know how to approach her, really.” Kate admitted. It did
sound silly that she hadn’t even tried asking her aunt for
information before moving to San Francisco.

“You’re aunt moved to Albuquerque after your
mother did. Your family was originally from San Francisco. Well,
Napa anyway.”

“Really?” Kate frowned.

“The only thing I can figure is Joan wanted
to be near her sister. Or maybe you.”

“Then why would Mom keep her away?”

“You’d have to ask Joan that,” Nicole
interjected.

“She’s back in Napa now,” Gavin told her
quietly. “I can go with you when I get back if you’d like.”

“Thank you,” Kate nodded in a haze. Did she
want to wait that long? She’d decide that later. “Why did she move
back?”