Daddy's Girls (48)

“Was that Thad I saw walking toward your house last night around midnight?” Caroline asked with a blank expression, after they ordered pizza with the kids.

“I don’t think so. If it was, maybe he was just out walking, or checking on something. I think he checks things at night.” Caroline smiled as Kate said it, and then glanced at Gemma, who raised an eyebrow.

“Are we dallying with our foreman?” Gemma teased her, and Kate paid no attention to her.

“Of course not.”

“Why not? He’s a mighty handsome hunk of man. I’ve thought of it a few times myself.” That was an interesting tidbit Kate didn’t react to either. “I just figured Dad would have a fit, so I didn’t mess with it. But Dad’s not here now,” she reminded them. “Are we hot on the trail of something here?” She pressed her and Kate didn’t take the bait. She wanted to protect her relationship with Thad for as long as she could, for both their sakes. It was no one’s business.

    “Don’t be ridiculous,” Kate said, and chatted with Morgan to avoid them, but the following night, Gemma visited Kate and there were a pair of Thad’s cowboy boots in the front hall. Gemma took one look at them, broke into a grin and looked at her sister.

“When are you going to level with us?”

“About what?” Kate feigned innocence and Gemma pointed to the boots.

“Either your feet have grown dramatically, or your foreman left here barefoot. For chrissake, Kate, we’re your sisters. We’ve all known him since we were kids. He’s a great guy and we love him, and if you’re in love with him, I think it would be the best thing that could happen to you and he loves this place as much as you do.” Kate looked like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

“It’s just embarrassing to have you guys know everything I do, and we weren’t sure how you’d react,” she finally admitted. They couldn’t hide it anymore.

“We’re happy for you. So is that it? Is that who you’ve been turning your bedroom lights on for every night at midnight, and then turning them off about five minutes later? I can see your house from my bedroom, you know.” Kate laughed then. They had tried to be so discreet, and it was obviously pointless. Her sisters were too smart and they were too close, now that they were all at the ranch.

“Yes, that’s what’s going on. So you’re okay with it?”

“I’m not Dad, Kate,” Gemma reminded her. “You don’t answer to me or to anyone. You’re a grown-up, and you do a fantastic job running this ranch, with his help, and if you two think you can work it out, more power to you. You deserve to have a good man to love you. And he is a good man,” she confirmed.

    “He was afraid you and Caro wouldn’t approve, and wouldn’t think he’s fancy enough, or educated enough.”

“He’s a cowboy. So was our father. That works for me. And he’s a way more decent guy than that asshole who’s married to our sister and cheating on her with his secretary or whatever she is.”

“Trainee, I think.”

“Caroline should divorce him. He’s a lying shit.” Kate didn’t disagree with her and was worried about how it would turn out. Caroline hadn’t heard from him since she arrived, and he certainly wasn’t remorseful, from what she said. Caroline wanted to try to work it out, or at least talk about it, but she felt he should take the first steps if he wanted to save their marriage. They all suspected that he was continuing the affair, and taking full advantage that his wife was away for the summer, and maybe thought he could fix it later. It was foolish of him. The longer he waited, the more hurt and the angrier she got. “In any case, you can tell Thad that he can stop tiptoeing around for us. You have our full approval, if you need it, mine and Caro’s. We’ve been waiting for you to tell us. I just couldn’t stand the suspense anymore.”

“He’ll be relieved.” Kate smiled at her, and half an hour later, he showed up, to get his boots. Gemma winked at him, patted his arm, and left, and he looked at Kate.

“What was that about?”

“They figured it out, they’re happy for us.” She smiled at him and his face broke into a smile and he pulled Kate into his arms and kissed her.

    “Well, hallelujah. That’s a load off my mind.” They went upstairs and celebrated shortly after, and they agreed that from then on, he could come for dinner and spend the night. He didn’t have to show up after dinner, or pretend he was just walking by. It was going to make their lives a lot easier, and more relaxed.

“Just like real people,” he said, pulling her close to him, and kissed her again. It meant a lot to him that her sisters were happy for them. Her family meant everything to him and was like his own. They were the only family he’d ever had.



* * *



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The next time Kate went to see their mother, Gemma and Caroline went with her. They had a lot of catching up to do. And Gemma had gone to see her once on her own. Caroline was too upset about Peter, and didn’t want to see anyone. She had taken Peter’s affair very hard, and felt it as a personal failure that her marriage was falling apart. But she joined her sisters for the drive to Santa Barbara. They took Scarlett to lunch at the Biltmore.