Ties That Bind Read online

  “Hello… father in the room.” Jack called from his corner.

  “Sorry,” Kate apologized then turned her attention back to Gavin. “Good. Because I don’t want this to be how you see me from now on… this helpless… thing.”

  “Helpless? What do you mean? You can wiggle your toes like nobody’s business,” Gavin winked. “Come on; do it again.”

  “Okay,” she giggled conspiratorially and wiggled the toes on both feet.

  Every visitor that day got to see the toe wiggle. Gaston declared that toes getting that much attention needed a pedicure and later that day, saw to it himself. Kate was a little surprised at how grateful she was for it, to have something about her that felt pretty.

  Gavin and Kate were both taken aback when Darrin and Jill walked through the door that evening.

  “We’d have been here sooner, but thought it would be boring just watching you sleep. The toe movement Gavin called about seemed much more exciting,” Darrin teased her with a wink.

  “Don’t listen to him,” Jill hugged Kate then Gavin. “We’ve all been sick with worry. Ellen had a bit of a setback, so we waited to be sure she was fine before coming. We’re sorry we weren’t here sooner.”

  “Mum had a setback?” Gavin’s eyes sharpened. “Why didn’t you call me?”

  “You had enough going on. It was just a little reaction to the medication they put her on. She’s right as rain now,” Darrin clapped Gavin on the shoulder.

  “She is,” Jill promised, knowing Gavin wouldn’t believe Darrin. He seemed to relax at her words.

  Kate enjoyed their visit. It was good to hear how everyone was doing and to talk about something other than toes, spinal injuries and psychopaths for a change. They agreed to stay at Kate’s for the remainder of their visit so they could help Gavin by taking care of Ty.

  The downside to the movement was the beginning of physical therapy or, as Kate had ordained it, hospital-sanctioned torture sessions. The upside was the doctor ordered another MRI and declared her fit for the sitting position. Gavin, Darrin and Jill showed up with her reward the evening after her first session.

  “As promised… one burger from Barney’s,” Gavin smiled charmingly as he began to set the food out on her tray. “I even brought fries and a shake. Live it up, Kate.”

  Food had never tasted so good. At least, the two bites Kate had of each thing before her stomach revolted and she’d had to lie back down until the nausea subsided. By then, the burger had lost its appeal.

  “Sorry,” she’d apologized immediately. “I’m not the best company these days.”

  “No worries. Three weeks with no real food, that was probably shooting for the moon anyway.”

  Kate tried to sleep when Darrin and Jill were gone, but nightmares plagued her. Justin’s face floated through the darkness, his empty eyes haunted her. She tried to run, but was rooted to the spot. The long fingers of darkness pulled her down as she struggled to be free. She’d awaken, disoriented and panicked when her body still refused to move. Gavin was at her side in an instant, wrapping his arms around her as he gently lay on the hospital bed beside her.

  “It’s okay, love. I’m here. I’m here,” his gentle voice was a salve to her troubled spirit. She tried to stay awake after that but as he sang her song, she found her eyelids getting heavier and heavier. When they fluttered open again, it was to the first rays of dawn and Gavin had resumed his post in the chair beside her bed, undoubtedly chased out of the bed by a nurse.

  The next day Kate greeted visitors from the recliner and began catching up on email. It was a slow process from a handheld, but she didn’t mind. It felt good to be reclaiming even a little bit of control over her life. She tried to look at physical therapy that way—her way to retake control of her life. Each day, she did manage to regain a little bit more. She was growing stronger, always pushing herself further, harder.

  Kate had never cared less about weight in her life, so naturally the pounds just melted away. Between the physical exertion of the daily torture sessions and the fact that she still ate very little, keeping her weight up was the new concern. Kate only regretted that she couldn’t fully enjoy the turn of events. She almost didn’t recognize the hollow-cheeked person in the mirror.

  Darrin and Jill came to visit every morning and evening. Kate eagerly anticipated their visits. Gavin seemed to liven up when they were around, not that it was hard to see why. They had a vibrancy that radiated from them. As individuals, they were both fascinating people in their own right. As a couple, they were positively magnetic. Kate could listen to them for hours and not get bored. Although she knew the day would come, she was still sad to see them return to London.

  After the toe-excitement, things started to progress rapidly. Kate worked hard with her physical therapist, trying to keep just how hard from Gavin. She wanted to surprise him with the results. She wasn’t disappointed at all by the look on his face the first time she came back from a therapy session shuffling along with a walker instead of in a wheelchair. He could have lit the darkest night with his smile, and it made every bead of sweat worthwhile. Gavin celebrated the accomplishment by getting Kate a pair of violet pumps that exactly matched the pair lost to the Bay and Ty’s stomach.

  Not a moment too soon, the day came when the doctor came to talk to her and Gavin about making arrangements for her to continue her rehabilitation from home. Kate hadn’t expected the fight that would ensue, but she should have.

  “What do you mean you’re going to stay with Jack and Tara?” The hurt was evident on Gavin’s face.

  “I’d planned to stay with Joan, but that’s so far. I wouldn’t see you much. Tara offered…”

  “But I told you I was letting the lease on my loft lapse… I thought we’d agreed.”

  “It absolutely makes more sense for you to move into my place,” Kate assured him quickly. “But you have to work. Tara can work from home. Besides, there are just some things she’s better suited to help me with.”

  “Do you think you two will have this worked out by Thursday?” The doctor interrupted.

  “Absolutely,” they both promised, not taking their eyes off of each other.

  “Good,” he left them to it.

  “It’s just until the wedding,” Kate reached for his hand.

  “I told you I’d sleep on the couch,” he scowled, not so easily consoled.

  “You’re six-foot-two. I don’t see you getting much rest that way,” she pointed out. “But it’s not about that. Have you considered who’s going to help me shower?”

  “Me. I can take care of you.”

  “Can you take care of me and there still be any amount of mystery or anticipation come the wedding night?” Kate demanded. “I get it; I’m not in control of this. I have to trust others, blah, blah, blah. I have to have someone supervise my trips to the bathroom. But that person can’t be you. Please Gavin, give me this much.”

  “I don’t like it,” he hesitated. “It should be me taking care of you.”

  “And there’s lots of ways you can. Damn it, Gavin, I was dead inside when you met me. I was completely used up by life. It’s like I’d forgotten I was a woman. You made me remember what I was, what I am. It’s killing me that you’ve seen me as this weak creature that smells like a hospital and looks like she belongs in a Tim Burton movie.”

  “And I’ve told you time and again that’s not going to change because of this. I love you more than you give me credit for.”

  “To be honest, I’m more worried about how I feel about me,” Kate lowered her gaze. What she didn’t tell him is that she was terrified to face the nights without him at her side. Sometimes she wondered if she’d ever stop seeing Justin’s face or fighting the darkness that chased her. But restoring her relationship with Gavin was more important than that right now. No matter how many times he assured her that his love would not let her down, Kate was desperate to reclaim some of the way they once were.

  “Ah,” he sat down and thought about her
words. “I guess I can understand that. Just until the wedding, then?”

  “Hey, I didn’t tell you the most exciting part,” Kate forcibly brightened. “They live right down the street from the Spreckles Mansion. I can totally stalk Danielle Steele.”

  “Well that makes it all better, then,” he said wryly. “I can visit you in jail instead of at Jack’s.”

  “No spirit of adventure,” she shook her head woefully.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “So, have you set a date?” Liz eyed Kate pointedly over a cup of coffee.

  “Not yet,” Kate frowned a little. “And I think it’s bothering Gavin.”

  “I don’t blame him. It’s bothering me and it’s not my wedding.”

  “How was Hawaii?” Kate arched an eyebrow.

  “Totally different.”

  “Really? How so?”

  “If Liz schedules her honeymoon, will you set a date?” Jessica suggested a compromise.

  “Why is everyone suddenly so keen on me setting a date?” Kate demanded.

  “Because you’ve been home a month,” Jessica set her cup down and leaned towards her. “You’re walking with hardly any help. You’ve even been in to the office a couple of times. It’s time to move on with your life.”

  “Don’t let some creepy guy ruin your fairy tale,” Liz urged.

  “I don’t want Gavin worrying about breaking me on our wedding night,” Kate frowned. “I want to be better. I mean, really better.”

  “And you will be,” Jessica assured her. “But if you don’t start planning, you’ll be getting married in a drive-thru chapel.”

  “Oh, don’t do that,” Liz wrinkled her nose in distaste. “That’s bad.”

  “The Christmas party is right around the corner,” Kate argued feebly.

  “No one’s suggesting you get married in January,” the tone of Jessica’s voice left little room for argument.

  “Gavin’s mother had that set-back, though.”

  “And she’d doing much better now. Gavin said she should be okay to travel by spring,” Liz crossed her arms and waited for the next excuse.

  “I don’t know….” Kate bit her lower lip in thought.

  “Come on. You know it’ll make Gavin so happy if you just set a date,” Liz leaned forward eagerly; she could tell Kate was faltering.

  “It is his birthday,” Kate frowned. The waterproof camera bag she’d ordered online seemed pretty underwhelming now that the day was here. She looked at Jessica. “Do you think you could fit into a bridesmaid’s dress by mid-June?”

  “Yes!” Jessica clapped excitedly.

  “Don’t you go getting pregnant between now and then,” Kate sternly informed Liz.

  “You don’t have to worry about that,” Liz held her hands up.

  “So, will you go on your honeymoon now?” Kate leaned back in her chair and fixed her eyes on Liz.

  “Fine, I’ll go, I’ll go,” Liz conceded.

  “So how are you going to tell Gavin?” Jessica’s face lit up. “You have to do something special.”

  “You know what, you’re right. I should treat him to something special… what do you think?”

  “Jardinière,” Liz answered without hesitation. “Get all dolled up and take him to Jardinière.”

  “That’s good,” Jessica agreed enthusiastically.

  “I don’t think I have anything to wear,” Kate hedged.

  “We’ll go pick something up for you. I’m sure Tara would loan you the limo for the night. Call him now. I’ll make the reservations,” Liz picked up her phone before Kate had time to argue.

  True to their word, they’d returned a couple of hours later with a new dress for Kate. They’d found a green Calvin Klein satin baby doll dress that Kate could never have pulled off before the accident.

  “Did you call Gavin?” Jessica asked eagerly as she handed Kate the dress.

  “He’s worried about taking me out in public. He’s afraid I’ll get hurt.”

  “When he sees you in this dress he’ll stop thinking you’re breakable,” Liz predicted. “Come on, we’ve only got a few hours. Let’s get you ready.”

  “A few hours? How depressing. It takes a few hours to make me pretty now?” Kate hated being petulant but couldn’t seem to help herself.

  “Oh, did we forget to mention we made appointments at Bliss?” Jessica held her hands up innocently. “Just don’t tell Gavin. He’ll yell at us for wearing you out.”

  “Deal,” Kate reached for her canes. She was more than ready to leave this blasted house.

  Her friends seemed to understand how very sick of herself Kate was. They talked about Jessica’s pregnancy over pedicures, about Liz’s mother-in-law over manicures, and about the magazine over facials. By the time Kate stood anxiously waiting for the car to arrive so she could get Gavin, she felt human—and almost attractive at that. There wasn’t much to be done about the two canes she still walked with. Gavin wouldn’t hear of her leaving those behind, she was sure. Maybe she could stow just one in the trunk and use Gavin for support on the other side, though….

  “You’re going to make him a very happy man tonight,” Tara smiled reassuringly at Kate.

  “I hope so,” Kate hesitated. “Do you think he’ll ever treat me the way he used to?”

  “Give him time,” Jack answered. “It nearly killed him that night. Watching you suffer after… He’ll adjust.”

  “Thanks,” Kate smiled at him. She was enjoying the easy relationship that had developed between them. It wasn’t quite a typical father-daughter thing, but they were becoming friends. Kate knew she had Tara to thank for that. She wondered how hard it had been for Tara to share her new husband with his grown daughter.

  “The driver’s here,” Tara handed Kate her purse. “Come on, Jack will help you down.”

  “Thanks,” Kate accepted the help with only the slightest twinge. She was getting better at that.

  It was a short drive, but that didn’t stop Kate from working up a good case of nerves. When the limo pulled up outside her apartment, Kate called Gavin to let him know his chariot awaited. She stared longingly at her door, wishing she could see her little apartment. It had been hard, not being there when Gavin moved his belongings in. For someone who had always been in control, not even knowing how the furniture was arranged in her home was driving her nearly mad. But more than the home, she missed Ty. Maybe she could convince Gavin to at least bring Ty for a visit.

  “Hello there,” Gavin slid into the car beside her “Are you doing okay today?”

  “I’m fine,” Kate tried to stamp down her irritation. Those weren’t supposed to be the first words out of his mouth. “Happy Birthday! You look nice.”

  “You said to dress up,” he shrugged. “So you’re not too tired for this? I’d planned on running by Sunflower. You love Vietnamese takeout.”

  “I wanted to do something special,” Kate interrupted.

  “Oh,” he paused. “I could have gone somewhere else.”

  “I wanted to go out to somewhere special,” she tried again. “The girls even brought me a new dress.”

  “That is new,” he finally noticed. “It’s nice.”

  “Thanks,” Kate couldn’t help it if her voice was a little curt.

  “Is something wrong? Do you need to lie down for a bit?”

  “I do not need to lie down,” the words were more guttural growl than anything.

  “Kate, what on earth is wrong?” he seemed bewildered.

  “I miss you, Gavin. That’s what’s wrong,” she was angry with herself for the tears that brimmed.

  “Do you want me to take off work tomorrow? I thought you wanted me to work my normal schedule, but I could take off.”

  “I don’t miss my caretaker,” Kate spat. “I miss the man I love. You know—the slightly dangerous one who bribes me to do crazy things and considers it one for the win column when I get arrested. I miss the man who looks at me like he wants to devour me. I miss the man who makes me la
ugh and assaults my senses with desire and always pushes me to be a better Kate. Where did he go? Did Justin kill him in that stupid crash, too?”

  “Are we going to make the driver stand there awkwardly all night, or should we go eat dinner?” Gavin’s eyes were dark, his jaw set stubbornly.

  “By all means, let’s go eat,” Kate hated the fact that she needed his help to get out of the car. She wished she hadn’t tucked away the other cane as she was now forced to walk at his side as she clumsily made her way to the door.

  Once inside, Kate could almost forget how horribly awry the evening had gone thus far. The dimly lit interior exuded warmth and elegance. The twinkling lights and marble floors added to the romance of the place. Jessica and Liz had chosen well. Once they were seated, she took a deep breath and looked Gavin in the eye.

  “Can we start over? The night wasn’t supposed to begin like this.”

  “Oh?” A hint of amusement touched his voice. “And how was it supposed to begin?”

  “Well,” she fought a blush. “You were supposed to tell me how beautiful I was. And then you were supposed to kiss me—passionately. By the time we arrived here, we were both supposed to be completely wrought with desire and immersed in our love for each other.”

  “I did muck that up, then, didn’t I?” his lip curled into a rueful smile.

  “Yeah, you really did,” the corner of her mouth tugged into a smile as well.

  “Can I make it up to you by saying that you look amazing tonight?”

  “I don’t believe you now. It doesn’t count if I have to ask for it,” Kate shook her head firmly.

  “Oh come on. Don’t be that way.”

  “That’s not me. It’s a pretty firm rule. Ask any woman.”

  “That seems pretty harsh.”

  “Hey, I don’t make the rules,” she shrugged daintily, happy at the sparkle that seemed to have come back to his eyes, if even just a bit. He ordered them a bottle of wine and they turned their attention to the menu. Once the food was ordered, he seemed eager to resume the conversation.

  “So, had we made it this far successfully, what was the next step for the evening?”