Friday January 24th

 

Kian skidded into the bedroom at five minutes past midnight, “am I too late?”

Cate had just finished pulling off her thigh-high boots. “The deadline was midnight, not five past,” she reminded him.

Kian frowned, “I’m starting to think you’re more devil than angel. I left the office in plenty of time but traffic was a nightmare.”

Cate shrugged. Her robe fell open, exposing an expanse of creamy thigh. “A deal’s a deal. You’re a businessman, you should understand that.”

She put the boots back in the wardrobe and Kian looked so disappointed, she almost wavered.

“This edge play is actually quite fun,” she remarked as she brushed past him on her way to the bathroom. The jut of his erection grazed her hip.

Kian clenched his fists. “You don’t want an orgasm tonight?”

Cate giggled, “I’m OK. I had a lovely bubble bath earlier.” She tapped her finger on her chin, “you know I always thought it was a myth about shower heads but actually they’re quite good.”

Kian looked as if he was actually going to combust. The thought of his usually demure wife all soapy and wet, with those gorgeous long legs splayed wide apart, bringing herself to orgasm was too fucking much.

“Come here,” he growled. He picked her up as if she was weightless and threw her over his shoulder.

“It’s too easy to wind you up,” Cate giggled, kicking her legs.

Kian shoved his hand up the back of her robe and squeezed her bottom because of course the wicked temptress wasn’t wearing panties.

He dropped her on the mattress and quickly stripped off his clothes.

After they’d made love, he rolled over on to his back, bringing Cate with him. “Please God, tell me that was better than a fucking shower head.”

Cate burst out laughing, “oh my goodness, I can’t believe you still think I did that with the shower head.”

“You didn’t?” Kian growled.

“We don’t have a detachable shower head, Kian. It’s fixed to the ceiling, if I’d wanted to do that, I’d have had to put suckers on my hands and feet and hung upside down, not exactly the most erotic sight.”

 

The following afternoon, Cate had just finished putting away a huge stack of laundry when Lola called from downstairs, “Mum, there’s a strange man in the kitchen.”

Nate had the night off and despite the promises he’d made during their weekend away, Kian had called earlier to let her know that he’d be working late again tonight.

She ran down the stairs as fast as she could, her heart beating so damn fast.

She grabbed the baseball bat they kept in the cupboard under the stairs and flung open the kitchen door, determined to protect her family from the intruder.

“Cate, it’s me.”

She skidded to a halt, her socked feet slipping on the tiles. “Ow,” she yelped as her hip crashed into the edge of the kitchen counter.

“It’s OK, angel.” Kian removed the baseball bat from her still tightly-clenched fist.

“I don’t understand,” Cate looked from her husband to her daughter. “Lola said…”

“There was a strange man in the kitchen?” Ugh, she was finding it really difficult to catch her breath.

“And you,” she turned on Kian, jabbing a finger into his chest. “You said you wouldn’t be home until at least midnight.”

“OK,” Kian chuckled, “so I might have lied about that.”

“I don’t think you can technically call what I said a lie,” Lola grinned, “you have to admit that it’s kind of strange seeing Dad in the daylight without his briefcase.”

“Still, I’m so freaking tempted to ground you for scaring me like that.”

“Hey,” Lola held her hands up, “it was Dad’s idea, not mine.” She grabbed her iPad from the kitchen counter, “I’m going to Skype with Noah.”

When they were alone again, Cate asked, “what are you doing home so early?”

“I made you a promise, angel,” Kian watched her rub her hip. “Are you OK?”

He backed her up against the kitchen counter and gently slid down the zipper on her jeans. Cate’s eyes widened, “we can’t…”

Kian pushed her jeans down on one side, exposing her delicate hipbone. He reached above her head and retrieved a tube of cream from the cupboard.

“I didn’t come home early to seduce you, angel,” Kian chuckled as he smoothed the cold cream over her bruised hip. Cate raised an eyebrow. “Well, not just to seduce you anyway.”

“That’s more like it,” Cate laughed, zipping up her jeans again.

“Come here,” Kian reached for her hand and tugged her towards the stairs. The wall showcased all of Kian and the children’s accomplishments.

Kian stopped about halfway up the staircase. “Look.” He drew her attention to a new addition to the framed photos, newspaper clippings and certificates. It was Cate’s degree certificate.

“It shouldn’t be hidden away in a drawer somewhere, angel.”

Cate shook her head, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes again. “It’s just a piece of paper. It’s not like I’ve used it for anything.”

“Don’t do that,” Kian frowned. “If that certificate was mine or one of the children’s, you would have put it up on the wall straight away. Because my job was so high-profile, you’ve spent so many years of our marriage hidden in the shadows. But I want you to know that I see you, all of you. You’re not just the most amazing mother to my children.” Tears fell freely down Cate’s cheeks.

“You’re not just my lover, you’re a thousand other things all of your own. You’re intelligent, even with a toddler at home; you still managed to achieve a first-class honours degree. You’re compassionate; you and Abby have used your experiences with prenatal depression to help so many other women and families going through the same thing. You’re brave; even though you hate being the centre of attention, you still went on Stepping Out to raise money for 33 Rocks and you won it. You’re so freaking funny; you make me laugh every single day.”

Kian wrapped his arms around her waist, “I’m so fucking proud to be your husband, angel.”

“Thank you,” Cate buried her face in his lovely strong chest. She hadn’t realised how badly she’d needed to hear those words until just now.

“Come on,” Kian swatted her ass, “get that cute little ass upstairs. We’ve got reservations at Saltare at 8.30.”

Cate’s eyes lit up. Saltare was a beautiful, old dancehall which had been lovingly restored by a retired couple who’d moved to Seattle from Blackpool of all places.

From the photos Cate had seen online when it had first opened back in May last year, Saltare looked just like the Tower Ballroom in Blackpool. The décor was so rich and opulent with brightly-coloured paintings, thick red velvet curtains and sparkling chandeliers. The original, springy dance-floor had been repaired and there was a large, authentic-looking organ on the stage at one end. The balconies above the dance floor had been converted into a classy cocktail bar and restaurant.

But then she suddenly frowned. “That sounds amazing but I can’t. It’s Nate’s night off tonight. There’s nobody to watch the children.”

“Is it?” Nate raised an eyebrow. Cate turned around and he was stood at the bottom of the stairs. His eyes sparkled as if he was in on Kian’s plan. “I could have sworn that tomorrow was my night off.”

“No excuses,” Kian folded his arms across his chest. “Get up those stairs now.”

Cate wiped her damp eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. “Thank you.”

When she walked into their bedroom, there was a gorgeous red, silk dress laid out across the bed, with a pair of black strappy heels.

After she’d showered, she curled her inky-black hair into soft waves and pinned it up at one side. The red, silk dress clung seductively to her breasts and then flared out, the hem hitting just below her knees. The heels made her skinny legs look long and graceful. She definitely didn’t feel like a frumpy mum in this outfit.

“Wow, Mum, you look amazing,” Lola exclaimed when Cate stepped out of the bedroom.

“Thanks,” Cate blushed.

As she walked down the stairs, she looked at the degree certificate Kian had hung proudly on the wall and she felt butterflies in her tummy. She’d gotten over her crisis of confidence a few weeks ago but it was so lovely for Kian to recognise everything she’d achieved and all the sacrifices she’d made willingly for their family over the years.

“Beautiful,” Kian murmured. He was stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking so impossibly sexy in a black suit and crisp white shirt. Cate felt the heat of his gaze wrap around her like the most perfect cocoon.

She imagined that this was what it might have felt like if she’d had a date for her high-school prom. She definitely felt like a giddy teenager again; her knees knocked together as she walked down the staircase.

“What are you thinking about?” Kian slipped her arm inside his.

“I’m just thinking about my prom,” Cate smiled.

At first, Cate hadn’t wanted to go but Sinead, Kian’s sister and Cate’s best friend at the time, had persuaded her, promising that they wouldn’t take dates; they would just have a really fun, girly night. But then a month before prom, one of the most popular boys at their high school, Rick Edwards, had asked Sinead to go with him. Most of the girls in their class had a crush on Rick Edwards, even though he was only just over five-foot tall and had a pure white streak in his dark-brown hair. Cate couldn’t deny her best friend the opportunity to go to prom with him. Rick and his friends had already arranged a limo but Sinead persuaded him to let Cate tag along with them like a charity case.

“You looked beautiful,” Kian brushed his lips against her cheek.

Cate looked up at him incredulous, “surely you don’t remember that night?”

“Of course I do,” Kian winked. “You were wearing a black dress with lace at the top and it had a swishy skirt. Sinead insisted that Mum, Dad and I all stand in front of the house and watch the two of you get in the limo. You were only sixteen then so I’d like to think that my feelings for you at that time were still brotherly but I was definitely intrigued by you.”

Cate blushed, “I had the biggest crush on you even then.”

Sliding one hand into the depths of her glossy, black hair while the other pressed against the small of her back, Kian moulded her lips between his. The blazing fire in his eyes made her belly do a flip.

It was like dropping a lit match into a field of dry wood. The grass at their feet crackled and burned, the smoke gently curling around them as he coaxed her tongue to tangle with his. He tasted of coffee and peppermint and his own, delicious unique taste for which she was unashamedly an addict.

The flames fanned out around them as the kiss quickly intensified. He hauled her more tightly up against his strong body; she could feel the outline of his cock against her belly and her fingers itched to reach down and touch him.

He was just as frustrated as she was. He ravished her mouth, nipping at her swollen lips and then soothing them with his tongue. She felt hot and tingly from her hair follicles down to her wiggling toes.

Her nipples tightened uncomfortably against the front of her dress and she knew he could feel them because her soft breasts were crushed against his hard chest.

“As much as I hate to interrupt,” Nate’s voice broke through the haze of lust. “Your children are about thirty seconds away from coming out here so unless you want to scar them for life, you might want to tone it down to maybe PG?”

“Crap,” Kian brushed a hand through his hair, “if we don’t leave now, we’re going to be late.”

Cate walked towards the Tank which was parked at the end of the driveway. She was still so riddled with lust; she stumbled and almost lost her footing.

Kian gripped her elbow, keeping her upright. “I can see why this reminds you of prom.” He reached up and brushed his thumb across her gently bruised lips.

Cate giggled, “I definitely didn’t kiss anybody like that at prom, I can assure you.”

“Good to know but I remember you had on a pair of black heels that night and when you tried to walk in them, you looked a little bit like Bambi.”

Cate covered her face with her hands, “I can’t believe you remember that. It’s so embarrassing.”

Kian prised her fingers away from her face, “it’s adorable, angel.”

“I remember Rick was really annoyed that Sinead insisted I come in the limo with them. I got squashed right up against the window and one of his friends spilled alcopops on my skirt. I couldn’t dance in those heels so I spent all night chatting to our Chemistry teacher who was nearly eight months pregnant.”

When they got to Saltare, they were led upstairs to one of the tables on the first-floor balcony, which overlooked the restored dancefloor. “It’s so beautiful,” Cate marvelled.

After their plates had been cleared, Kian reached for her hand. “Would you like to dance?”

“Yes, please,” Cate nodded. Kian led her downstairs and onto the dancefloor. As if the Gods were smiling down on them, the next song that was played was ‘A Thousand Years’ by Christina Perri, which Cate had always thought of as their song.

As the next song drew to a close, Kian expertly dipped Cate. “You’ve been holding out on me,” she marvelled. “You can really dance.”

“I don’t know about that,” Kian smiled, “but I picked up a couple of things when you were on Stepping Out.”

“You learn things so quickly, it amazes me.”

Kian was tapped on the shoulder by a short, grey-haired man. “Excuse me,” he smiled, “I hope you don’t mind me interrupting but you wouldn’t by any chance be Cate Warner from Stepping Out, would you?”

Cate looked at Kian. She didn’t want anything to ruin this perfect night.

“Yes, she is,” Kian stood back, giving Cate her moment in the spotlight.

“That’s just wonderful,” Cate detected a northern twang to his accent. “My wife and I are both big fans of the show. Our son, Robbie, is one of the professionals on the British version.”

“Oh my goodness,” Cate said, “he’s such an incredible choreographer. The Paso Doble he did with Elise on the last series of Stepping Out was just amazing. You must be so proud of him.”

“We are,” he beamed. “That’s my wife, Susan, over there.” He waved at one of the ladies behind the bar, who was wearing a black and gold sparkly jumper. “We moved here so that we could be closer to her family – her dad hasn’t been well recently – but we do miss Blackpool.”

Cate realised that Gerald and his wife, Susan, were the owners of Saltare.

Gerald craned his neck, “Robbie should be around here somewhere. It was his birthday last night. He’s brought some friends with him but I’d love to introduce you.”

“You’ve done such a beautiful job with the restoration,” Cate smiled. “I remember when I was little; one of my friend’s mums took us for afternoon tea at the Tower Ballroom in Blackpool. I thought it was one of the most glamorous sights I’d ever seen. This looks just like I remember it.”

“I’m so glad,” Gerald smiled proudly. “Could I, maybe, have the next dance?”

“It would be an honour,” Cate beamed back at him.

Kian retreated to the bar to get a drink. It was a little crowded so he didn’t get chance to talk to Susan. He stood to the side and watched his wife twirl around the dancefloor with Gerald.

She looked so radiant, Kian found it difficult to believe that she’d ever been in the shadows.

Gerald was a true gentleman, as he whisked Cate around the floor, his hands never wandered from the appropriate places. He must have said something funny because Cate laughed, the sound wrapping itself tightly around Kian’s heart. He loved the sound of his wife’s laughter.

As soon as the song finished, Gerald returned Cate to Kian. “Thank you so much,” he nodded at Kian.

“It’s funny,” Cate smiled, “but I don’t think I’ll ever get used to people recognising me.”

Kian frowned a little. He didn’t like to think that he’d ever stopped Cate from doing anything. “You belong in the spotlight, angel.”

Cate shook her head, her inky-black hair tumbling down over her breast. “I don’t think that I do, not really.”

Kian started to protest but she put her finger over his lips. “I’ve never wanted to be famous. I know I was a WAG.” Cate giggled a little because it felt like a lifetime ago now that Kian had been a professional footballer. “And I was on Stepping Out but I think it would be really horrible to be the centre of everybody’s attention. I saw what it was like for you back in Manchester when you couldn’t even walk around the supermarket without people coming up to you and wanting to chat or take selfies. I would be like the worst celebrity ever.”

“All I want,” Cate smoothed her hand over his jaw, “all I’ve ever wanted is for you to see me.”

“I do, angel,” Kian said huskily.

Cate wrapped her arms around his neck, “besides, you can have more fun in the shadows than you can in the spotlight.”

“Is that right?” Kian chuckled, guiding them even further into the shadows created by the balconies above their heads.

“Definitely,” Cate’s eyes sparkled.

“Are we veering into non-PG territory here?” Kian asked. He caressed his hands over the flare of her hips. The silk was so smooth and sinful.

“Wait a second,” he stopped. His head jerked back. “I can’t feel a panty line.”

Cate giggled, “that’s probably because I’m not wearing any.”

Kian hissed through his teeth, “you’re killing me.”

“Let’s go home,” Cate reached for his hand, “I don’t want to get caught…” She leaned forward and whispered in his ear, her tongue gently brushing his earlobe, “fornicating here in the shadows.”

Kian looked as though he was in actual physical pain.

“I’ve heard jail cells can be quite draughty and as you know I get cold feet in the middle of summer. Plus, I’d really like to come back to Saltare one day.”

As they made their way towards the exit of Saltare, Kian stayed close behind Cate, trying to hide his erection.

They’d almost reached the door when Cate suddenly stopped. Kian bumped into her and his cock nudged against her bottom, her fucking panty less bottom.

“Are you actually trying to kill me?” he grunted.

Cate giggled. “Gerald was so nice. Do you think we should say goodbye to him and Susan before we leave?”

“You are so getting spanked tonight.” Ugh, the thought of putting Cate over his knee made his cock even harder. The zipper on his trousers must have been sewn with industrial-strength cotton because his cock was doing its damn best to escape the confines of his trousers so it could go in search of his wife’s lovely, snug…

“Fuck,” he bit his clenched fist.

Seeing his discomfort, Cate laughed. “Wicked temptress.”

“Come on then,” she reached for his hand and dragged him towards the door, “I think I’ve teased you enough for one night. Let’s go home.”

When they got to the Tank, Kian winced, “I’m not sure I can make it home.” He looked around, “what do you think about car park sex? We’ve never tried that before.”

“I think we’ve actually tried it twice,” Cate smiled.

She took the keys and climbed into the driver’s seat. Kian struggled into the passenger seat, still keeping a hand over his groin. “When?”

Cate winced, “the first time was after I’d read that story in the newspaper about you and Anya and I clumsily tried to seduce you in the back of my car at Mill Lake. Definitely not my finest moment.”

“I remember now,” Kian leaned back against the seat. “When I said no, you flung open the car door and stormed off, I had to chase after you and it was fucking pouring down.”

“That’s the one. Like I said, not my finest moment.”

“You weren’t ready, angel.”

“I know that now,” Cate sighed, “but at the time it felt like the only way I could hold onto you.”

Kian placed his free hand on her knee, “it was never just about sex for me.”

“I know,” Cate patted his hand, “are you feeling any better?”

Kian grimaced, “still struggling. What was the second time?”

Cate blushed, “I don’t know if it technically counts as car-park sex, I mean we were in a car-park but we weren’t in a car, we were just sat on one or you were. I think I was too at one point.”

“I definitely remember that one,” Kian smirked. “Who knew that I could get you off with just dirty talk and over the clothes fondling?”

Cate shook her head, “I blame it on the pregnancy hormones. Sinead had sent me that photo of you kissing Alice Devereux. When I asked you about it, you got really annoyed and told me to get the eff out of your house. Definitely not one of your finest moments.”

“I can still remember how panicked I felt when I came home that night and all of the lights were off in the house. Even if you’d already gone to bed, you usually left the porch light on for me. The walk from my car to the front door seemed to take forever; I was terrified that something had happened to you or the baby. When I opened the door, I didn’t see you at first. Then I heard your voice. You asked me if I was cheating on you.”

“I didn’t handle it very well,” Cate admitted, “I was scared that you’d only asked me to marry you because of the baby.”

“I was furious that you didn’t trust me.”

“I packed my things in the boot of my car and I waited ages for you to try and stop me but you just let me go.”

“At first I thought that you’d gone to your mum’s but when I called and Liv said that you weren’t there, it felt like the bottom had fallen out of my world. I drove for most of the night trying to find you. I was just about to admit defeat and call the police when I saw your car all covered in snow in the far corner of the car park at the motorway services.”

“I remember when I came out of the hotel the next morning, my eyes were so sore from crying all night that at first I wasn’t sure if it was you. My heart so badly wanted it to be; I wanted you to have come after me.”

“I will always come after you, angel.” Kian brushed his lips against her knuckles.

She was just about to put the key in the ignition when a flash of orange drew her attention to the back entrance of Saltare. Her eyes were drawn to the stranger, leaning against the wall, with one heel pressed against the brick, smoking a cigarette. He tilted his head forward a little and the streetlight illuminated his ruffled, chestnut hair. Cate’s hand was on the car door before she could even think about what she was doing.

“Angel?” Kian’s voice trailed off behind her as she jumped out of the car. “Where are you going?”

“I’ve forgotten something.” She was driven by the need to confirm her awful suspicion.

As she walked closer, her heels tapped quickly on the concrete but the stranger was too engrossed in his cell-phone, which he’d retrieved from his back pocket. He tossed his cigarette on the ground and stubbed it out with his toe. Even that simple movement, the swivel of his boot-clad foot, had style and rhythm. She knew it in her heart even before he spoke but that lilting Irish accent confirmed it.

“I’ll be back before you know it, Had.”

At the mention of his wife, the woman who’d angrily accused Cate of sleeping with him when the story had first broken, she stopped suddenly a few feet away and Kian almost collided with her back.

“Angel?” his hands rested on her shoulders.

Kian followed his wife’s gaze to the stranger putting his cell-phone back in his pocket.

She felt him stiffen behind her, knowing that he’d recognised him too.

Declan must have felt them watching him because he turned around. “Cate?”

“Don’t tell me that you’re surprised to see me,” she addressed him through gritted teeth. “This is my home.”

Kian was calmer, “what are you doing here, man?”

“My friend, Robbie… his parents own Saltare.” Cate felt stupid for not making the connection before; of course Declan would know Robbie, they’d appeared together in the British version of Stepping Out.

“Is Hadley here with you?”

Declan looked down at the ground, “no, she still can’t come to America.”

“So you’re here on your own then?”

“Yes.”

Cate flexed her fingers and Kian must have been able to sense the battle raging within her because he slipped an arm around her slender waist, getting in position to prevent her from doing something she might later regret.

“You could take time out of your busy schedule to fly all the way to Seattle to celebrate your friend’s birthday, even though it meant leaving your wife at home but you couldn’t be bothered to pick up the phone and call your son.” Her voice dripped with so much sarcasm, she was surprised that they weren’t all drowning in it.

“You don’t understand,” Declan pleaded. “Hadley and I…”

Cate struggled against Kian’s tight hold. “Hadley might be your wife but DJ is your son, Declan, your flesh and blood.”

“Is everything OK?” Robbie joined them.

“Everything’s cool,” Declan insisted. “Cate and I were just reminiscing about old times. Why don’t you go back inside? I’ll be there in a few.”

“I know what it’s like to grow up without a father, Declan. Whatever happened between you and Ruby, DJ deserves better than that.”

Robbie gasped, “I didn’t know you had a son?”

“I don’t,” Declan frowned. “If the baby I’m having with Hadley is a boy, he will be my son. DJ is just a mistake that never should have happened.”

“That’s harsh, man.”

Declan looked at Cate and she barely recognised who he’d become. How could this be the same kind-hearted man who’d refused to leave her bedside until Kian arrived while she was having a miscarriage?

“I will always choose Hadley. Always.”

He turned on his heel and went back inside Saltare. Robbie looked at them apologetically before following his friend.

“Whoa, I wasn’t expecting that,” Kian sighed after the door had slammed shut behind them.

Cate wriggled against him, “I want to kill him.” Kian chuckled. “It’s not funny,” she swatted him, “I want to go storming in there and give a whole new meaning to the phrase Murder on the Dancefloor.”

“It’s still not your battle to fight,” Kian reminded her. “It’s Ruby and DJ’s. They’re the ones who’ve been wronged.”

“You don’t understand. Declan’s doing the same thing to DJ as the Sperm Donor did to me. I can’t just sit back and let him get away with it.”

“You can and you have to.” Kian guided her back towards the Tank. “Declan’s made his choice, you can pummel him with your small, ineffectual fists from now to eternity and it still won’t change his mind. For him, it’s a choice between Ruby and DJ and the life he’s got with Hadley.”

“But it doesn’t have to be like that. I know it would hurt like crazy to begin with but surely he could have both; he could have the life he’s got with Hadley and still be a father to DJ?”

“Maybe he doesn’t think that Hadley would be with him if she had to be around DJ, living, breathing evidence of his betrayal, all the time?”

They climbed back into the Tank but all of the playfulness had slipped away. “I hate to ask this, angel but what would you have done if she’d gotten pregnant.”

Cate narrowed her eyes at him, “it would have been a physical impossibility for her to get pregnant because you promised me that you didn’t sleep with her.”

“That’s true but supposing I had and she did, what would you have done?”

“I think,” Cate bit her lip, “even without her being pregnant, if you’d slept with her I would have had a very tough time forgiving you. I love you with my whole heart but I don’t know that our relationship would have survived that. It would have torn me apart but regardless of whether we were together or not, I think I still would have wanted you to have a relationship with the child. I would have wanted you to be just as amazing a dad to them as you are to Lola.”

“I’m only an amazing dad to Lo, am I? Am I a mediocre dad to Mats and Sierra then?”

Cate looked up at Kian. Her chest hurt at the thought of not being with him. “If you’d slept with Jenna that night, there wouldn’t have been Mats or Sierra. I forgave you for making a mistake and letting her into your hotel room but I wouldn’t have come back to you if you’d actually slept with her.”

“Understood.”

“Are you going to tell Ruby that you saw Declan tonight?”

“I don’t know,” Cate sighed, “I don’t want to lie to her but I get the feeling that she already knows how he feels. If I repeat it, I’ll just be causing her pain unnecessarily.”

 

When they arrived home, Kian double-checked that everything was locked up while Cate went upstairs to check on the children.

In the master bedroom she changed out of her silk dress, removed her make-up and changed into a pair of pink sleep shorts with coffee mugs on them and a white t-shirt which said “coffee is my lover.”

She couldn’t believe that Declan had been at Saltare tonight. She wouldn’t go into detail about what had been said because like she’d told Kian, she didn’t want to hurt Ruby’s feelings but she had to tell her that she’d seen him. She typed a quick text and hit Send before she could second-guess herself.

When she’d finished, Kian still hadn’t come upstairs so she went back downstairs to the kitchen to check if everything was OK.

“How did you get this number?” Kian hissed angrily into his cell-phone. He had one hand braced on the kitchen counter. She had this awful feeling in the pit of her belly.

He looked up and caught her stood in the doorway. She was watching him anxiously, her socked toes curling into the carpet. It was comforting that at least he didn’t immediately end the call. As she walked around him to get a glass of water, he reached out and linked their fingers together.

“Is everything OK?” she mouthed.

Kian nodded and turned his attention back to whoever was on the other end of the line. “I’ve really got to go. I’m sorry but there’s nothing I can do. I haven’t spoken to him for over twenty years.”

After he’d ended the call, he lifted their joined fingers up to his mouth and brushed his lips over her knuckles.

He seemed to be carrying a heavy weight on his shoulders.

“Kian?”

“It’s nothing, angel. I promise.”

Cate mustn’t have looked convinced because he said, “one of the lads I was at the Rovers Academy with has been having some personal problems. I want to help but I don’t know what I can do. Like I said, it’s been over twenty years since I last saw him. I don’t know what I’d say to him and I don’t know why anybody thinks he’d listen to me. We knew each other as boys but we’re both men now.”

“Has he got anybody else he can talk to?”

“I think so. Sam… the guy who called me just now, he was in the same team as us before he left to join Manchester City.”

She remembered that Kian had been captain of the academy and youth teams at Rovers. “I can see that it’s bugging you that you don’t know how to help him,” Cate stepped into his arms. “You’re a good man, Kian.”

“As long as you think so, angel.” He kissed the top of her head. “What is it with our family and all this crazy drama, first Declan showing up at Saltare and then that call from Sam. Are we ever going to get a prolonged period of time where it’s just unicorns and rainbows?”

“As much as I might fantasise about it, I bet the reality would be kind of boring.”

“Still, it would be nice to find out for sure. Forever seems a tad optimistic but maybe we could try for six months without any craziness?”

Cate burst out laughing, “in this family, you’ll be lucky to get six minutes never mind six months.”

 

… to be continued