Raining In My Heart (Book One of the McKay's) (25 page)

"That's not
entirely
true,"
Julie
protested.
"Everything isn't black and white, honey."

"You thought he was
Wade
,
didn't you?"
Kellie
shouted.

Julie
's brows knitted
.
"Yes, at the time…I did."

"And he let you go on thinking it, so he's guilty too. And I'm still the mistake."

"You were never a mistake…"
Julie
wailed.
"I chose to keep you, love you, have you,
Kellie
. I wanted you, needed you in my life. I left my home, my family, everything I was comfortable with, but knowing you were there…about to be born, kept me going."

"
Kellie
…you got this all wrong. I loved your mother from the start…"
Cade
admitted and
Julie
's head jerked about to stare at him.

The word love had never been mentioned.

"Then why didn't you go after her, find her and marry her
?
Why didn't you want me?" she accused him.

"I didn't know about you
,
Kellie
. And believe me, I would have wanted you had I known.
But at the time there was no way I could convince your mother of how I felt, we hadn't even dated.
"

"Why didn't you get an abortion?"
Kellie
glanced at her mother.

"
Because
I wanted you…it was as simple as that. Once I found out I was pregnant, I realized how much I wanted you
,
"
Julie
cried.
"I had pushed myself on Cade, I felt that wasn't right. I couldn't come back and tell him and make him feel obligated. It was all my doing in the first place."

Kellie
shook her head
.
"Even if all that were true, why didn't you come home and tell my father, my grandfather, the truth?
Or me…all this time…
"

"I just couldn't face them…"
Julie
cried.
"You never got to know your grandfather
,
Kellie
;
he was a very commanding force. He would have insisted Cade and I marry. I knew that. I didn't want a marriage built on force."

Julie
's head hung and she folded her hands and unfolded them. "I was young
;
I made a mistake, that's all it was."

"Well, I've had time to think. I saw you two kissing in the woods back there. And I've come to the conclusion that neither of you know what you feel for each other. So I've come up with a plan, and if you want me to come home, you'll listen."

Cade
moved towards her
.
"A plan?"

"Yes.
Caleb
helped me.
Why don't you both
sit down so we can talk about it
?
"
Kellie
insisted, sure she had both their attention.

"From what you've told me…you guys put the cart before the horse.
Caleb
told me that much.
So now I've been thinking about it and I think I've come up with the perfect solution
, with
Caleb
's help that is
."

Julie
sat on a stump and twisted her head toward
her daughter
.
"What kind of solution
?
"

"I've caught
M
om
staring at you, while you work.
" She cast her father a look, then her mother.
"
I've seen you stare at her too
.
"
S
he looked at Cade. "
I've caught you both kissing each other.
But both of you have forgotten what it's like to be dating, so I think you should go back to that. Here's my idea
:
For five months you date each other, once a month. You go on your date, anywhere, doing anything you like except sleeping with each other. But after each date, you'll have to wait another month to go out again.
That'll give you time to figure out if you liked the date and each other.
Now there is a reason for this, I want you both to have time to think about it. How much you either enjoyed each other's company or didn't.
Then when the next month rolls around, you go out again. You do this for five dates. This way you have the chance to get to know each other better.
This time you don't put the cart before the horse.
At the end of five months, if you're not together, then I'll chose who I want to live with. And I'll visit the other parent regularly. So…that's my plan."

Julie
stood up
.
"Honey, what will this solve?"

"It will give you both time to think about what you feel for each other, if you feel anything. And me time to figure out which one of you I really want to live with
,
"
Kellie
insisted.

"But
your
father has no rights
,
really,"
Julie
began.

"Yes
,
he does. He's my father and I love him. I love you too. But
depending
on how you act with each other,
I’ll decide
which one I want to live with
,
"
Kellie
finished.
"Right now I'm confused as to why you aren't together, the way you two kiss each other. I mean I blushed when I saw you."

Cade
was staring at the ground, but listening intently. He began to nod
.
"Okay, I'm game if you
r
mother is."

"You mean it?"
Kellie
smiled at him.

"I mean it
,
"
Cade
agreed.

"And you?"
S
he glanced at her mother.

Julie
couldn't believe that she might have to give up her daughter to Cade, at
Kellie
's insistence, but she knew it was an ultimatum. "Okay,
if that's what you want."

"It's what I want."
Kellie
smiled.

"What do you expect to get out of this?"
Julie
asked, her brows knitting.

"Like I said
,
you put the cart before the horse. You didn't know what you really felt, now you can either learn to get along, or not. But at least I'd like to see some effort on your parts.
Maybe if I see you at least trying to work things out, I can forgive you both.
Mom, you've always said that casual sex is not a good idea. That you should know the boy or man and feel something for them before…
After all, you are both my parents and I love you both.
You're the adult
s;
you're supposed to set the example, not me. So set it. Act like mature adults. See if you like each other.
"

Julie
couldn't believ
e
Kellie
came up with this idea
, but judging from the surprise on Cade's face, it wasn't him that planted the idea in her head.

"Where did you get this idea?"

"
Caleb
.
He's my friend.
"

Chapter
Fourteen

"Are you serious?" Letty almost laughed as she set the laundry basket down on the bed and stared at
Julie
in surprise.

"Very, once a month I date
Cade
."
Julie
shook her head. "And this is the real stickler, guess who came up with this absurd idea?
"

"Don't look at me…" Letty shook her head
,
grabbing a washrag to fold
.

"No,
Kellie
told us it was
Caleb
. Now why would he care one way or another?
He sure mettles a lot.
"
Julie
asked,
puzzled.
"He's just an old hired hand.
It's really odd how close he's gotten to
Kellie
in the small amount of time we've been here, don't you think?
"

"
Caleb
?
You know I haven't gotten to know him very well myself. Maybe it's time I did.
But sometimes when kids are faced with more than they can handle, they reach out to someone who is impartial, and this time it happens to be
Caleb
. He seems harmless enough, and
D
ad must have thought a lot of him to hire him on himself.
"

"Yeah.
I guess you are right. I need to get to know him better too
, only he seems to get busy every time I'm close to him.
Maybe he doesn't approve of the
McKay
girls.
"

Letty thought about it
for
a moment then glanced at
Julie
.
"He has sort of taken a shine to
Kellie
. They talk about horses all the time. Who would have thought they were talking about you and Cade though?"

"I don't know. I'm a good m
ind to give him a piece of my mind though for butting in
."
Julie
huffed.
"
Kellie
would never have gotten an idea like this on her own."

Letty was silent for a long while
.
"Despite the fact it was him that suggested this to
Kellie
, it might be a good idea. You've got to admit, you have some conflicting feelings for the man and you know it."

"He's a great father, a decent man
, handsome as all get out
…but…."
Julie
stopped.

"And a great lover, obviously." Letty raised a brow to look at her.

"Who's a great lover?"
Wendy
asked as she came into the room to join the conversation.
Julie
couldn't help but think of
Wendy
as a more grown version of
Kellie
with their vitality.

"Cade!" Letty smiled.

"Cade?"
Wendy
looked at
Julie
. "Are you reconsidering your feelings for the man?"

Julie
glanced out the window in time to see Cade bringing a horse from the coral
;
even from the distance
,
she had to admire how well he handled the animals.
And something warm seemed to flow through her every time she looked at Cade.
She'd never examined her feelings for him.
"We're…going to be dating some, yes."

"Dating, really?"
Wendy
seemed surprised.
"Well, I'll try not to act surprised then
, when I see you two together
."

"Thanks,
Wendy
. It's for
Kellie
's sake actually
,
"
Julie
explained.
"At her suggestion. He is her father after all."

Wendy
shrugged
.
"Either you like the guy or you don't, but he's had plenty of women trying to date
him
. He just wouldn't go out with them. Some thought he might be gay."

"Gay? Cade?" Julie choked.
"Not a chance."

"Well
,
you have to wonder when he refuses every girl that comes his way
,
"
Wendy
said.

"Maybe he's just waiting for the right girl," Letty encouraged and took her basket to her room to fold the laundry.

Wendy
moved toward the door
.
"Maybe he is…never thought of it that way.
When you going out with him?
"

"Whenever he asks, I guess,"
Julie
replied
,
still staring at Cade. He turned and saw her and waved.

For
Kellie
's sake, and in case
Kellie
was watching, she waved back.