Treading Water: Coming Home Part 43

"It was hard for me when a man I once considered a good friend did what he did with you. It was a bitter pill, especially because I was the one who suggested your dad reach out to him when you decided to move here."

"Then I owe you a debt of thanks."

"Really, Kate," he said with a laugh. "You're as exasperating at twenty-eight as you were at ten."

Taking advantage of the lighter moment, Kate rested a hand on his arm. "You know how much you love Frannie?"

"Yeah."

"That's how much I love Reid. Not one day pa.s.sed when we were apart that I didn't think of him or wish I were with him or wonder what he was doing or if he was happy. Imagine what it was like to find out he felt the same way. I know we might only get twenty or thirty good years, but I'll take every one of 'em. I'll take every minute we get and be thankful I'm spending that time with the man I love."

Jamie sighed deeply. "I guess I owe him an apology."

"I'm sure he'd appreciate that. I know I would."

"I am happy that you're happy, Kate. Of course I am. How could I not be? It's just..."

"What?"

"I wish it wasn't him."

"Well, it is, so I need you to put aside all the old animosity and draw upon all that love you've always felt for me."

"You don't play fair," he said gruffly as he pulled her into a hug.

"I need you to love me more than you hate him."

"Aww, honey, I do. I love you that much and more."

"Thank you."

"Sorry to be an ant at the picnic. I don't want to ruin anything for you."

"Then don't. Help me to celebrate and be happy for me. That's all I need."

He kissed her cheek and hugged her again. "Okay."

Buddy, Taylor and their kids joined them for dinner that consisted of lasagna Kate had made herself. Afterward, the group migrated to the great room, where the twelve-foot-tall Christmas tree sparkled with white lights and a roaring fire filled the stone hearth. Clare suggested a sing-along featuring Kate on the guitar and Aidan on the piano. Kate had always loved playing with her stepfather, and this time was no different. It took considerable cajoling to get Buddy and Taylor to join them, as they didn't want to intrude on a family event.

"You are my family," Kate said simply, which seemed to win them over.

"I'm feeling a tad bit intimidated," Aidan said to laughter from the entire room.

Turned out he could more than hold his own with three superstars, and Kate was glad Maggie was videotaping their "show" on her phone. It was a memory Kate wanted to be able to revisit often in the future.

She ended the sing-along alone with her guitar, singing "I Thought I Knew" for Reid in front of everyone they both loved, declaring her love for him to anyone who might still harbor doubts.

I thought I knew what love was, but then there was you...

I thought I knew how it would be, but now I see, And now it's true...

I didn't know until there was you...

Until there was you...

Until there was you...

I thought I knew And now it's true...

I thought I knew what peace was, then there was you...

I thought I knew what dreams were, then there was you...

I thought I knew how it would be, but now I see...

A hushed silence hung over the room as Kate created a moment she hoped they wouldn't soon forget. She had a surprise for her fiance-a new verse she'd recently written.

I thought I knew What love was But then I lost you Then I lost you And now I know what love is Because I found you Because I have you Because I love you Reid stared at her, clearly moved by the new addition to the song that had defined them so long ago.

Kate pushed through the rush of emotion to finish the song.

I thought I knew what love was, but then there was you Then there was you...

In the back of the room, Jack stood alone and watched his daughter serenade the man she loved. He couldn't deny the obvious love and devotion between the two of them. He'd watched them closely since arriving earlier and noticed that they were never far from each other. If they were together, they were holding hands, sharing smiles or otherwise glowing with happiness.

He who had never expected to spend another minute in Reid Matthews's presence now had to concede that the man seemed completely smitten with Kate, and vice versa.

As if he needed further proof, Kate's song cemented the deal. He hadn't known she'd written "I Thought I Knew" for Reid. Or he supposed he'd never bothered to think about where the song had come from. Now it made sense that her biggest hit had come from her greatest love.

"Excuse me, Jack."

Rustled out of his musings, Jack said, "Hey, Ashton." He'd been surprised to see Ashton at Kate's house, knowing there'd been no love lost between the two of them after Ashton alerted Jack to the affair between Kate and Reid.

"I, um, I wondered if I might have a word with you? In private?"

Oh G.o.d, Jack thought. What now? "Sure." He followed Ashton into the kitchen, which had been abandoned after dinner.

Ashton held up a bottle of bourbon. "Drink?"

Suspecting he might need the fortification, Jack nodded.

Ashton poured them each a couple of fingers of the amber liquid and handed one to Jack.

That was when Jack noticed a slight tremble in the other man's hand. "What's on your mind?"

"Jill."

Okay, he sure as h.e.l.l hadn't seen that coming. "What about her?"

"I'm in love with her. I have been for a very long time, and I'd very much like to ask her to marry me."

"You... You love Jill."

Ashton never blinked. "I love Jill."

"She's never mentioned you."

"I'm sure she hasn't," he said with a laugh as he ran his fingers through his hair. "It's relatively new. The relations.h.i.+p, that is. The feelings-not so new."

"I had no idea."

"I think your wife knows. She's been watching me like a hawk all day."

That drew a laugh from Jack. "I have no doubt she tuned in to whatever is going on about five minutes after we got here. I have to run to keep up with her."

"I know I haven't given you much reason to respect me-"

"Why do you say that?"

"After what I did, calling you about Kate and my dad..."

"I appreciated that. They probably didn't, but I did."

"That call caused a lot of heartache for everyone involved, you included, I'm sure. If I had it to do over, I wouldn't have done it. My dad was very unhappy after he and Kate broke up. I bore a big part of the blame for that unhappiness." Ashton seemed to make an effort to shake off the unpleasant trip down memory lane. "Anyway, I hope we can get past all that because I'd very much like to marry your daughter. I love her more than anything, and there's nothing I wouldn't do to ensure her happiness."

"Does she want to marry you?"

"I sure as h.e.l.l hope so, but I guess we'll find out when I ask her."

Jack was intrigued to realize Ashton honestly didn't know what to expect from Jill. "She won't make it easy on you."

"Ah, believe me," he said with a laugh, "I know. May I count on your blessing?"

"Yes," Jack said, shaking Ashton's hand. "Yes, you can."

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate that."

"Don't call me sir. Makes me feel ancient."

"Right, sorry. Thank you, Jack. I'm going to, um, go back to the party."

As Ashton hightailed it out of the kitchen, Jack took a moment by himself to absorb the new blow. His daughters were long grown and out of the house, living on their own and thriving in their chosen careers, but they'd always be his little girls. And now two of them would soon be married, or so it seemed likely.

Jamie came in to get another beer and closed the fridge, startling when he saw Jack there. "s.h.i.+t, you scared the c.r.a.p out of me."

"Sorry."

"What're you doing in here all by yourself?"

"I wasn't by myself." He told Jamie about the conversation with Ashton.

"Holy double whammy, huh?"

"Yeah."

"What'd you say to him?"

"What could I say? He said he loves her, he'll always love her." Jack shrugged. "I gave him my blessing."

"Reid said those same things, didn't he?"

"Yeah, but this is different."

"I know."

Jack glanced at the man who'd been his best friend since their first day of college, his business partner for most of his adult life and his brother-in-law for eleven years. "What?"

"I had a talk with Kate earlier."

"I saw you two go off together."

"She hauled me away before I could take a swing at her fiance."

"Did he say something to you?"

"No. Mostly he stood there and let me rage at him. And then Kate hauled me away and took me to meet her horse." Jamie pause for a second. "She really loves the guy, Jack."

"Yes."

"I mean, really, really."

"I know."

"She said she's going into it knowing they might only get twenty or thirty years. But she wants to spend every second of that time with him. She..."

Jack looked over at him, surprised to see Jamie wrestling with his emotions.

"She asked me to love her more than I hate him."

"Ouch."

"No kidding. I think we both need to do that, you know? It's none of my business, but if I was b.u.t.ting in, I'd say you probably owe Reid the same courtesy you just gave Ashton."

"It's your business, and you're not b.u.t.ting in. And besides, I happen to agree with you."

"Really?"

Jack nodded. "He's what she wants. At the end of the day, that's all that matters." He paused. "Do you know that before today I'd never seen them together, other than the time I caught them in the car? I'd never seen them as a couple. I only had the vision of one bad day upon which to frame my entire point of reference where they were concerned."