Not Quite Mine (Not Quite #2)(52)
Author: Catherine Bybee

Jo typed away at her desk when Katie strode into the office the next day. She glanced up long enough to say a quick, “Hey, Katie.” And then kept on typing.

“Hi,” she said before glancing beyond Jo and seeing that Dean’s desk was empty.

“Where is—”

“Dean’s at the back of the site by the parking garage.”

“Thanks.”

After placing her Prescott hard hat on, she walked out of the office and across the job site to find her soon-to-be roommate.

“Hello, Miss Morrison,” one of the painters called from his ladder.

Instead of trying to figure out who it was from her angle, she simply waved and greeted the man. “Hey. It looks good.”

“I try,” he said with a wave.

Katie kept walking and greeted no less than four more people in her path. She remembered two names and scolded herself for not knowing the others. She told herself it was easy for them to remember her. She was one of maybe four women who walked around on site. And she was certainly the only one wearing skirts and heels. Although the heels had been less and less as of late.

Her father would be proud. He hated the skintight outfits she’d worn for the greater part of a decade. Oh, she loved her sexy outfits but with a baby, they simply weren’t practical.

The two story parking garage was well under way with its construction. Dean stood with his subcontractor talking. Both their backs were to her as she approached.

Behind them, she waited until their conversation had stalled to make her presence known.

They’d made love all night long on Friday. Talked about absolutely nothing and tickled each other’s toes while eating ice cream in bed. Saturday morning she packed herself and Savannah up and left for Monica’s to think. She’d told Dean she wanted the rest of the weekend to consider his offer. It was now Monday.

She wanted more nights of ice cream and tickling.

More nights…more days.

“Hey, Dean…Lou,” she said over the noise of the heavy equipment in the yard. Lou turned quickly while Dean took his time to swivel his head her way. When he did, his eyes questioned her. She blinked twice, offered a coy smile, and glanced at Lou.

“Katelyn. I didn’t expect to see you today.”

“I don’t know why. I work here.”

Lou shook her hand and smiled.

Funny how handshakes were something she’d grown used to. Used to be it was fake pats on the back of her hand or double kisses to both cheeks from near strangers. The world of silicone and Botox was now filled with tool belts and handshakes.

Who knew?

“What are you doing out here?” Dean asked with a smirk.

She paused, met his eyes. “I’m letting you know I’m not going to be around today.”

His smirk flickered. “Oh?”

“Yeah…I’m, uh…” She licked her lips and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment.

He caught her movements and his eyes clouded over.

“I’m moving today. It might take me a couple of days to get settled. Think you can do without me around here?”

Dean’s attention traveled from her lips, and slowly to her eyes. He sat there, deep inside her gaze. The noise around them mellowed into a low hum. “Moving?”

“Across town.”

One edge of his lips drew up. He drew in a deep breath and smiled full-on as the meaning behind her words sank in. “Take all the time you need.”

“Are you sure?” she teased. “The carpet guys are coming here tomorrow to measure.”

“I think we can handle it, Katie.”

“Good,” she said.

“Moving?” Lou asked. “Aren’t you staying at the hotel?”

“I found this great place in the foothills.”

Lou had worked with Dean for years. Like most of the people on the site, he assumed she lived at the hotel.

“Better than a hotel, eh?”

“Yeah…you could say that,” she said.

“Good seeing you again, Katelyn. Tell your brother I said hello next time you see him,” Lou said, as he walked off, giving them a small measure of privacy.

“I will.” She smiled at Dean and turned to leave…then swung around. “Oh, I need the keys.” She reached her hand out and hesitated.

Dean’s gaze never left hers as he reached into his back pocket and he removed a key from the ring. He placed it in her palm and enfolded her hand around it. “Take your time.”

“Thanks,” she said as she turned and left.

The heat of his stare settled on her back as she walked away. She stood taller, kept her head higher…and, yes, she swung her hips more than God intended.

The smile she held on her lips spread all the way to her brain cells. There were more than a few backward glances as she made her way across the job site. At her car, she tossed her hard hat in the front seat and settled behind the wheel.

She’d already packed a few things…and outside of her wardrobe and the baby things she’d accumulated for Savannah, there wasn’t a lot to take over to Dean’s house.

Katie couldn’t help but wonder how long it would before Dean made an excuse and made his way home.

Mrs. Hoyt wasn’t as difficult to convince to babysit across town as Katie had thought. They’d worked out a three day a week schedule. With any luck, Katie wouldn’t need her more than that.

Katie filled her “mommy-bus,” which was what she nicknamed her SUV, with her clothes and essentials for Savannah before packing Savannah up and driving them both to Dean’s. Monica followed with a carload of stuff and helped her unload.

“You’re sure about this?” Monica asked as she removed the clothes-filled hangers from the car…followed by the last box filled with diapers and baby powder.

“I know I won’t be happy if I don’t try. Dean’s one of the good guys, Monica. I’ve known that since I was a kid. Besides…he loves Savannah.”

They stood in the living room of the house with all the boxes and stacks of clothes removed from both cars.

“OK,” Monica sighed. “But if you ever need to move back, you know where I am.”

Katie pulled Monica into a heartwarming hug. “Thank you, Monica. You’ve been a sister and so much more.”

Monica tapped her back a few times and sniffled. “It’s crazy. I went from Jessie being around all the time to you being there. I wonder what it’s going to feel like to be alone for a while?”