* * *
Ethan had stripped off his shirt, and Sam had followed suit, draping his shirt over his father’s. The twitch of Ethan’s eyebrow made Kate shiver at the thought that later he might strip off her shirt.
They moved the larger rocks together, Ethan issuing a stern instruction to Sam to stand back. He was stronger than she was, but there was equal effort from both of them. Each played their part, instead of Ethan insisting that Kate join Sam and watch.
She was working now because she couldn’t stay still. By the end of the day, the rockery was looking more or less as she’d imagined it would, with the added bonus of a few additions of carefully piled pebbles from Sam.
‘Chinese?’ Ethan straightened up, surveying their handiwork.
‘Yes!’ Sam liked the idea and Kate grinned.
‘Sounds good. I’ll get cleaned up.’
He caught her arm, stopping her. Over the course of the afternoon, they’d touched often, but always as a result of heaving rocks or digging holes. Now his fingers on her arm were electric.
‘Would you like to come over to mine? Bring a change of clothes. You can clean up there.’
He mouthed one silent word. Stay. Kate nodded.
Yes. Whatever the future decided to throw at them, she’d stay.
* * *
Blind trust had been Ethan’s only weapon against the fears that today had brought into sharp focus. What if Kate didn’t want him? What if it was all too late and her diary really was a sign that she’d moved on? As soon as that fear had been assuaged, two new ones had replaced it.
What if Sam didn’t understand? And what if Ethan was in too deep and he couldn’t do what he’d promised and change?
Sam had turned out to be the least of his problems. He’d sat down with him after dinner, told him that he loved him and that he’d always be his wing man. And that Daddy and Kate wanted to go out together. Sam had nodded sagely.
‘I know about boyfriends and girlfriends. You want to kiss her, don’t you?’
Ethan wondered vaguely what else Sam knew and decided to leave that one for another time. ‘Yes. I do.’
Sam turned the corners of his mouth down and Ethan’s heart thumped, wondering what was going on in Sam’s head. Then he slithered down from Ethan’s lap, running over to Kate.
‘Can we have ice cream—in the castle again?’ When the afternoon had been at its warmest, Kate had predictably resorted to ice cream, eaten perched on the rocks in the rockery.
‘Yes, of course. In fact, that’s one of the rules. We can have ice cream in the castle whenever you want.’
Ethan decided not to intervene. Kate’s idea of ice cream whenever you wanted was tempered by a balanced diet in between times, while Sam’s wasn’t. That was a minor detail that could be sorted out later. Sam’s smile was the one thing that could make things complete at the moment.
And he did smile. Kate hugged him and he clambered up onto her lap. ‘Do you know the story?’
Her gaze flipped to Ethan’s face, and he grinned. Surely happiness couldn’t be this easy? ‘I’ll fetch the book. Would you like Kate to read your bedtime story?’
Sam nodded, and Kate hugged him tight, her face shining. ‘Get the book, Ethan.’
When they’d both kissed Sam goodnight and Ethan had put him to bed, the second fear resurfaced. He and Kate were alone now and he had to live up to all he’d promised. He almost didn’t dare touch her.
‘I meant what I said, Kate. I’m going to let
go of the guilt. I’m going to be there when you need me.’ How he was going to do that was a question that still baffled Ethan. But he would do it.
‘I trust that you will be.’ She stepped into his arms and Ethan felt his heart thump in his chest. ‘And I’ll be there for you and Sam.’
It felt so good to hear her say that. The suspicion that Kate might just have the answer for everything occurred to him.
‘And if I start falling back into my old ways, you’ll tell me?’