Catia (Starkis Family #6) by Cheryl Douglas Page B

be. “I’ll talk to them. I’ll tell them they were way out of line tonight and that I expect them to apologize to you.”
    “Don’t,” she whispered, running her fingertip over the seam of the chocolate brown armchair. “That would only make things worse. It’s clear they need your time and attention now.”
    “Cat, wait,” I said, grabbing her arm when she stepped past me. “I’ve been thinking a lot about the things you said the other night.” I’d been able to think about little else. “I want to believe you—I just need a little more time. Can you give me that?” It would kill me to lose her now, when she finally seemed to want all the same things I did, but I couldn’t act with blind faith this time. I had to take it slow, test the waters before jumping in.
    “You were right to suggest putting the brakes on,” she said, gesturing to the stairs. “That just put everything in perspective for me. You’ve been telling me that your daughters need you now… that they have to be your first and only priority. And you’re right.”
    “I don’t think I said they have to be my only priority.” I was backpedaling, trying desperately to save this second chance she’d given me.
    “But maybe they do.” She rolled forward, kissing my cheek. “Don’t worry, Chase. I understand. The fact that you’re such a good father is one of the things I love most about you.”
    “Cat…” I curled my hand around her wrist. I didn’t know what to say. The two little words threatening to spill off my tongue would make me sound too desperate. Don’t go.
    “I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”
    Tomorrow. At least I had the promise of seeing her tomorrow and every day after that. I’d figure this out. I had to. Because every time I saw her solidified my feelings for her. I was falling in love with her all over again, and instead of hitting the brakes as I’d suggested, I wanted to go full throttle.
    I waited until she left before I stormed upstairs and threw open Elsie’s door without knocking. “I want to talk to you in your sister’s room. Now!”
    “Why you mad at us?” she asked, raising her chin. “You’re always telling us to be honest. We were. You can’t be mad at us for that.”
    “Oh yeah? There’s a difference between being honest and being nasty. We’re going to discuss that difference right now, young lady. ” I was tired of walking on eggshells around them. They were vulnerable, but they weren’t the only ones. We were all trying to adjust to a new way of life, and they had to start cutting me as much slack as I’d cut them.
    I waited for her to cross the hall to her sister’s room. She climbed up on the twin bed and sat beside Emily, arms folded. Great, now I had two wide-eyed, curly blonde imps looking at me as if I was a monster who deserved to be punished.
    “Are you not happy living with me?” I asked, deciding it was time for us to air all of our grievances. “Are you mad at me for fighting for custody of you? Would you have preferred to stay with your mom?” I’d never asked them this question outright because I’d always been afraid of the answer, but after seeing their reaction to Catia, it was obviously time to get to the truth.
    The girls looked at each other before looking back at me. One shrugged then the other.
    “We love Mom,” Em said in a tiny voice that reminded me she was still just a baby in so many ways. She still got excited about bedtime stories and macaroni art. She shouldn’t have to decide which parent she wanted to live with or feel she had to choose sides at all. “But we love you too. We just wanna be a family ‘gain.”
    I closed my eyes and inhaled softly, knowing I had to tread lightly. They were finally opening up, and I didn’t want them to get defensive and shut down again. But they had to know the truth: Karen and I were never, ever getting back together.
    I crossed the brightly colored rainbow area rug Emily had selected when I told her she