CHAPTER 28

 

“What are you doing?” Kian laughed. Cate was lying on her stomach on the floor of the lounge, holding up flashcards at Sierra.

“Ugh,” Cate frowned. “I’m trying to figure out what the theme should be for our daughter’s first birthday party.”

“And these are your options?” Kian flicked through the cards she’d discarded on the rug. “Pink and girly?”

“She is a little girl.” Cate got to her feet and scooped Sierra up from the sofa. “I really wish I knew what you wanted for your birthday, baby girl. If it was Lola’s birthday, I could do a soccer-themed party or I could just let her loose in the bookstore. It if was Mats’ birthday, I could take him to the aquarium – he never gets bored there – or we could go over to the San Juan Islands and go whale watching.”

“Why does it have to have a theme?” Kian asked, looking at the rest of the cards. “Orcas?”

“She might be like Mats and love the water,” Cate frowned. “She was born here in Seattle.”

Kian put his hands on Cate’s shoulders. “She’s one. Whatever you do, she’s not going to remember it.”

“Thanks a lot,” Cate grumbled, wriggling out of his grasp. “I just want it to be perfect.”

She settled Sierra in her highchair. “Can you call Lola and Mats; tea is almost ready?”

“What dance are you doing this week?” Lola asked as she slid in to her seat at the dining table.

“Quickstep,” Cate said, “so far, it’s very quick and it’s got lots of steps. I’ve got to go back to the gym after tea so Dad’s going to put you all to bed tonight.”

“What was the best birthday party you’ve ever had?” Kian asked Lola.

“Hm,” Lola thought really hard about it. “I liked my fourth birthday party when we had the bouncy castle.”

“What did you like most about it?” Kian asked. “The bouncy castle?”

Lola shook her head, “the bouncy castle was fun but my favourite bit was the cake that Auntie Liv made for me - it looked exactly like the Rovers Stadium.”

“We’re trying to decide what to do for your sister’s first birthday party” Kian explained.

“Why don’t you have it at the Taco Shack? Luke had his birthday party there and his mum said that it was brilliant because she didn’t have to clean up afterwards.”

Kian laughed. “That’s not a bad idea?”

Cate rolled her eyes, “you’re just saying that because you love their fish tacos. I’ll think about it.”

After they’d finished eating, Cate drove back to the gym. “How’s my perfect ten?” Declan teased.

“I feel more like a miserable two at the moment. It’s Sierra’s first birthday soon and I just can’t decide what to do for her party. I want it to be extra-special because I’ve spent so much time away from them while I’ve been doing Stepping Out.”

“If you want, I can make the choreography easier this week? We can cut back on rehearsal time.”

“No,” Cate shook her head. She’d made a commitment to Stepping Out and she didn’t want to let Declan or anybody else down. “Just ignore me, I’m feeling a bit mopey, that’s all.”

They were dancing the Quickstep to “Tu Vua Fa L’Americano.” It had a 1950s theme with Declan playing an Italian waiter with slicked-back hair in a white vest and black trousers with a white apron while Cate played the classy lady who had mistakenly stumbled into his humble café.

While she was driving to rehearsals on Wednesday morning, Cate spoke to Heidi. “Of course,” Heidi said enthusiastically. “We would love to host Sierra’s birthday here at the Taco Shack.”

Despite Heidi’s exuberance, Cate still felt conflicted about having Sierra’s birthday at the Taco Shack. She chastised herself for being a snobby bitch but she couldn’t help wondering if it was enough for her daughter’s first birthday? This was the last first birthday party she was going to throw for any of her children. She was incredibly torn between wanting her children to experience all of the incredible things that Kian’s wealth and celebrity could provide for them with having the solid grounding of a relatively “normal” childhood.

“That was awesome,” Declan high-fived Cate, “let’s take a quick break.”

Cate slumped down with her back against the chilly mirror and unpeeled her banana. The camera crew were there again but she was too exhausted to worry about what she looked like. The Quickstep was most definitely kicking her ass; she was almost beginning to regret not taking Declan up on his offer to make the choreography easier this week. But Declan was such a talented, inventive choreographer and this would be his final season of Stepping Out in the U.S. Cate wanted him to go out on the highest high possible.

She heard the door to the studio swing open. “Mama!”

When she opened her eyes, Kian was there with Mateo and Sierra. “Oh my…” Cate struggled to her feet. “What are you guys doing here?”

Mateo ran across the studio to give his mum a big hug. “Surprise,” he yelped.

Kian chuckled. “I know you’ve been feeling really guilty about spending so much time away from the children so we thought we’d come down here and surprise you.”

“You definitely did that,” Cate was choked with emotion. “Hey, baby girl.” She took Sierra from Kian.

Sierra grabbed Cate’s ponytail in her little fist and gave it a sharp tug. “You like doing that, don’t you?” Cate laughed, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder, out of Sierra’s reach. “Maybe we could throw you a ponytail-themed birthday party? We could play pin the tail on the donkey?”

“Do you want to see some of our Quickstep?” Declan asked.

Cate handed Sierra back to Kian and he led Mateo across to the side of the dance floor. “We’d love to.”

It was incredibly nerve-wracking dancing the Quickstep in front of Kian and the children but after they’d finished, she couldn’t mistake how proud they all were.

The camera crew must have been in on the surprise because they’d given the three of them gold “10” paddles to hold up.

While Kian hugged Cate, Declan held Sierra. “Are you going to be a dancer like your mummy when you grow up, Sierra?”

“That would be really nice,” Cate laughed, feeling a thousand times better for seeing Kian, Mateo and Sierra. She kissed the top of her daughter’s head, “at least I’d know what theme to use for her birthday parties.”

She turned to Declan, “whatever happens on Saturday night, I’d really like it if you’d come to Sierra’s birthday party.”

“Of course, I’d love to come to your birthday party,” Declan pulled funny faces at Sierra, making her giggle.

After Kian and the children left, Cate hugged Declan. “Thank you so much. I needed that.”

 

Later that night, after the children had gone to bed, Cate wrapped herself up in the wedding quilt Sadie had made for them and curled up on the swing on the back porch. “Please tell me that you’re struggling this week too,” Annie pleaded.

Cate laughed, “I’ve got the biggest blister on my left heel. Do you want to see it?”

After they’d swapped photos of their war wounds, they talked about the dances they were doing this week. “Mickey and I are both Argentine Tango virgins,” Annie sighed, “and you know what happens when two virgins get together… nothing good! He’s never been in the competition long enough to do the Argentine Tango before. It’s definitely going to be more of an Arkansas hoedown – I feel just ridiculous rubbing my leg up his inner thigh.”

“You’re an amazing dancer, Annie,” Cate tried to reassure her. “People are still talking about your jive.”

“It’s one thing to be fun and bouncy, it’s quite another to be sultry and seductive. Your Rumba last week was so hot I felt like I was going through the menopause again. Please tell me your secret.”

Cate laughed, she couldn’t exactly admit to Annie that her secret weapon had been a butt plug. “I don’t know…I guess, I just pretended that instead of dancing the Rumba with Declan in front of a studio audience, I was dancing it with Kian in the privacy of our bedroom.”

“That would be helpful,” Annie grumbled, “if I had a very sexy husband like yours but I can’t pretend I’m dancing the Argentine Tango with my husband. If I tried to slide my leg up his thigh, I’d end up covered in dust because he’d been working in the fields all day.”

“OK, maybe not your husband then. Is there any celebrity you’ve got a little crush on? If my sister, Liv was doing it, she would definitely be thinking about the actor Michael Fassbender.”

“I don’t think I’ve heard of him,” Annie mused. “I guess I could always think about Vladimir.”

“Vladimir?” Cate coughed, “personality of a World War Two dictator?”

“Mm,” Annie sighed, “but the body of an Adonis. You don’t see too many of those here in Arkansas.”

“I’m sufficiently creeped out now,” Cate said. “I’ll see you on Friday in L.A.”