Shameless(9)

When we enter the kitchen, Katherine is standing at the sink, leaning one arm on the counter. I’m about to say something when she sniffles.

I’m debating whether to ask if she’s okay or give her a few minutes of privacy when Izzy babbles something incoherent. Katherine wipes her eyes and spins around, forcing a smile.

“Perfect timing. I have her dinner ready.” Her voice is thick with emotion.

I scoop up the baby and hold her on my hip the way Katherine did earlier.

“You okay?” I ask softly, like she’s a wounded animal I’m trying not to frighten. She bites her lip and nods, but her eyes are shiny and her face is splotchy. Before I think better of it, I’ve wrapped her in a hug with my one free arm, and she starts sobbing into my chest. Oh, shit. A crying woman is my kryptonite.

“Hey, it’s going to be okay.” I gently rub her shoulder, hating that she’s this upset.

I try not to notice the way she fits against my side, how delicate she feels beneath my hand, but I can’t help it. She shifts, and I catch her light floral scent that somehow reminds me of spring.

Izzy squirms in my other arm, and whatever words of comfort I think to say to Katherine escape me when the baby leans into my neck for her own embrace.

This. I’m not prepared for this.

I let Katherine cry for a few minutes until it sounds like she’s done. “So you and Mel were close, huh?”

She nods against me and sniffles.

Izzy jerks in my arms, like she’s dying to go to Katherine. “Hey, your number one fan wants you to hold her.”

Katherine looks up at me, and even though her face is a little puffy and red, her gorgeous hazel eyes are downright captivating.

Clearing my throat, I step back after she takes the baby, who plants a big, wet kiss on her cheek.

“That’s sweet, Izzy. Kisses for Aunt Katherine will make her feel better.”

Katherine’s eyes dart up to mine, like I’ve surprised her.

“What?” I rub the back of my neck.

She shakes her head and sniffles again, a small smile playing on her lips. “You’re a natural with her. I knew you had nothing to worry about.”

But as I watch Katherine with Izzy and how gently she holds her and talks to her, I know she’s the natural. Thank God because I’m f*cking clueless.



When Katherine returns to the kitchen, she turns on a little machine, and the sounds of Izzy babbling in her crib fill the room.

“Baby monitor.” She points to the speaker. “We have four or five of these. They reach all the way to the barn and into the adjacent field, which is great because then I can feed the animals while she sleeps in the morning. Well, when she sleeps in.”

Katherine looks exhausted, like she hasn’t slept in days. I’m about to tell her that she should go to bed and we can talk in the morning when I realize what she just said.

“Animals? How many are we talking about?” I knew Cal lived on a farm, but until this moment, I hadn’t really thought about what that meant.

“Not that many. This isn’t a farm farm.” Something about that statement starts to put me at ease until she shrugs. “We have about a dozen chickens, a horse named Sampson, and two pygmy goats, Stella and Stanley.” Then she mumbles a few more words I can’t quite make out.

“I’m sorry. What?”

“I said we also have a baby raccoon named Bandit and a box of kittens.”

“And why do we have a box of kittens, a baby raccoon, and”—I tilt my head—“two goats named after characters in A Streetcar Named Desire?”

A breathtaking smile spreads on her face.

“Because Mel took in strays. She could never turn away someone in need.” Katherine pulls at a loose thread on her t-shirt. Her voice lowers to a whisper. “Which might explain why I’ve been living here since the end of May.”

“Oh. I don’t know why I thought you were a neighbor. Do you work for Mel and Cal?”

“Kind of? I guess you could say I’m their live-in nanny. But I also helped them harvest the crops in August and prune their fields this fall.”

“The fields?”

“You really have no idea, do you?” She laughs. “Mel owns one of the largest lavender farms in the Texas Hill Country.” Her eyes tighten around the corners. “Well, I guess you own one of the largest lavender farms.”

I run my hand through my hair for the hundredth time today. “We’re getting ahead of ourselves. I still need to talk to their attorney and find out if there’s a will. I’m here to plan… all of the arrangements this week.” The thought turns my stomach sour. “My mom thought the farm should go to someone in Mel’s family.”

“Their attorney called this afternoon. Said he’s in court tomorrow but he’s gonna try to call you afterward. As far as family goes, Mel’s dad died a few years ago. She didn’t have anyone else.”

Why does that make me feel worse? I press the palms of my hands into my eyes.

Her soft voice interrupts my impending panic attack. “I’m sorry I cried all over you earlier.” I drop my arms and look over at Katherine, who shifts awkwardly before she twists her long hair into one of those messy bun things girls do. Before I can respond, she darts across the kitchen. “I don’t know where my manners are. You traveled all day. You must be starving.”