“I hate this, Whit. I really do. I hate that I have to go and stand in front of a judge and convince them I’m the right one to take care of my girl when it’s been me, not Josie, who has taken care of her for her entire life. I don’t want some random person to come into my home and judge how I raise her. I can’t stand the thought of these strangers’ opinions dictating the rest of our lives.” I felt exhausted, a ragged heap ready to collapse at any moment. But I couldn’t. I’d stay strong. For Katie.
Whitney put her hand on my wrist. “It’s not fair. Not one bit. But you have to play the game if you want to win.”
“It’s not a game, Whitney. This is Katie’s future we’re talking about,” I snapped, then wished I hadn’t. She hadn’t meant anything by her statement. She was only trying to be supportive.
Whitney dropped her hand as if I had burned her. “I didn’t mean it like that. You know I didn’t.” I had hurt her.
“I know, Whitney.” I ran my hand through my hair. “I’m scared. Really fucking scared.” I drew a shaky breath. “What if I lose her? I don’t think I can survive Josie taking her to Florida and only getting to see her on holidays.”
Whitney cupped my face between her hands. I could feel her breath on my face as she looked up at me. “You’re the best father there is, Kyle Webber. Anyone can see that. And the judge will see that too. So, will this guardian ad litem. We’re building a great family for Katie. Together. And that’s what they'll see.”
I rested my forehead against hers. “Thank you, Whitney. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay you.”
She closed her eyes. I closed mine. We stood there together, breathing the same air. Her hands on my face, my palms heavy on her hips. “You already are. Every single day, Kyle,” she murmured.
I opened my eyes. She opened hers. We stared at each other. We were close. So close. A bare inch separated her mouth from mine. It would be so easy to kiss her. Here. Now.
“Kyle,” she whispered, my name sounding so damn right in her mouth.
I ran my thumb along her bottom lip. “Whit—”
“Beep, beep, I need to get through,” Lena announced, coming around the corner and stopping short at the sight of us.
Whitney took a step back. Her hands seemed to be shaking. “I’ve got to get to work.”
“Yeah, I told the crew I’d meet up with them for breakfast.” Why was it so hard to move? But I was reluctant to leave her.
God, that was a problem.
“You’re blocking the door, you two. Take your sexual chemistry out to the reception area, please.” Lena pushed past and gave us both a knowing grin.
“Shut it, Sherlock,” I retorted, using her childhood nickname.
Lena blew me a kiss and went into Adam’s office. I could hear her plain as day on the other side of the door.
“Those two were about to go at it in the hallway. What did you say to them?”
Whitney and I looked at each other and started to laugh, even if it was laced with tension that was already palpable in everything we did. Was I the only one feeling it?
I had sworn to myself that I’d keep an emotional distance from Whitney. Who was I kidding? How do you keep a distance from someone living in your house, pretending to be your wife, taking care of your daughter? A woman who was also the same person I had spent most of my life loving.
“She’s incorrigible. She always has been.” Whitney shook her head.
“She’s a Decate. It’s expected.” I followed her back out to her desk. “Are you coming to the ribbon cutting?”
“Considering it’s only across the street, I think I can make it,” she joked. After our weird start to the day and that brief moment in the hallway, I was relieved that she seemed to be making an effort to be normal with me. Whatever our version of normal was.
“How about I pop in when I’m heading over, and we can walk there together,” I suggested.
Whitney’s green eyes sparkled. “That sounds nice.”
I opened the door and stepped outside before looking at her one more time. “See you later, wifey,” I teasingly called back to her.