“It’s not a game, Whitney. This is Katie’s future we’re talking about,” I snapped, then wished I hadn’t. She hadn’t meant anything by her statement. She was only trying to be supportive.
Whitney dropped her hand as if I had burned her. “I didn’t mean it like that. You know I didn’t.” I had hurt her.
“I know, Whitney.” I ran my hand through my hair. “I’m scared. Really fucking scared.” I drew a shaky breath. “What if I lose her? I don’t think I can survive Josie taking her to Florida and only getting to see her on holidays.”
Whitney cupped my face between her hands. I could feel her breath on my face as she looked up at me. “You’re the best father there is, Kyle Webber. Anyone can see that. And the judge will see that too. So, will this guardian ad litem. We’re building a great family for Katie. Together. And that’s what they'll see.”
I rested my forehead against hers. “Thank you, Whitney. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay you.”
She closed her eyes. I closed mine. We stood there together, breathing the same air. Her hands on my face, my palms heavy on her hips. “You already are. Every single day, Kyle,” she murmured.
I opened my eyes. She opened hers. We stared at each other. We were close. So close. A bare inch separated her mouth from mine. It would be so easy to kiss her. Here. Now.
“Kyle,” she whispered, my name sounding so damn right in her mouth.
I ran my thumb along her bottom lip. “Whit—”
“Beep, beep, I need to get through,” Lena announced, coming around the corner and stopping short at the sight of us.
Whitney took a step back. Her hands seemed to be shaking. “I’ve got to get to work.”
“Yeah, I told the crew I’d meet up with them for breakfast.” Why was it so hard to move? But I was reluctant to leave her.
God, that was a problem.
“You’re blocking the door, you two. Take your sexual chemistry out to the reception area, please.” Lena pushed past and gave us both a knowing grin.
“Shut it, Sherlock,” I retorted, using her childhood nickname.
Lena blew me a kiss and went into Adam’s office. I could hear her plain as day on the other side of the door.
“Those two were about to go at it in the hallway. What did you say to them?”
Whitney and I looked at each other and started to laugh, even if it was laced with tension that was already palpable in everything we did. Was I the only one feeling it?
I had sworn to myself that I’d keep an emotional distance from Whitney. Who was I kidding? How do you keep a distance from someone living in your house, pretending to be your wife, taking care of your daughter? A woman who was also the same person I had spent most of my life loving.
“She’s incorrigible. She always has been.” Whitney shook her head.
“She’s a Decate. It’s expected.” I followed her back out to her desk. “Are you coming to the ribbon cutting?”
“Considering it’s only across the street, I think I can make it,” she joked. After our weird start to the day and that brief moment in the hallway, I was relieved that she seemed to be making an effort to be normal with me. Whatever our version of normal was.
“How about I pop in when I’m heading over, and we can walk there together,” I suggested.
Whitney’s green eyes sparkled. “That sounds nice.”
I opened the door and stepped outside before looking at her one more time. “See you later, wifey,” I teasingly called back to her.
She waved her fingers. “Bye, hubby.”
Maybe we were making this believable after all.
Chapter 12
Whitney
“That went like clockwork. I told you it was open and shut,” Adam exclaimed as we came out of the courtroom on Friday morning.
The temporary custody hearing had lasted all of twenty minutes. Josie’s lawyer had been there, but of course, Josie wasn’t. Her attorney didn’t really challenge the temporary custody order, saying Josie was fine with maintaining the current arrangement as it was what was “best for Katie.”
Kyle had snorted at that, and I had to elbow him in the side to remind him to keep his reactions silent.
The judge quickly awarded Kyle with temporary physical custody but stipulated that Josie was free to visit whenever it was deemed suitable by both parties. He then named an attorney out of Philadelphia called Frederick Suthers as the guardian ad litem. Mr. Struthers was present, and we met him briefly after the hearing. He gave Kyle his business card and told him to call and set up a time for him to come by and do the first home visit.
After Mr. Struthers left, Kyle crumpled the card in his hand before shoving it in his pocket. “Deep breaths, buddy. Deep, cleansing breaths,” Adam had instructed, patting his back.