Katie's Quest

Chapter Fifteen

Sean Callaway immediately noticed that there was something different about his son the moment Kieran walked in the door. The moment his son came inside the house, his parental instincts picked up on it. There was a confidence in the way Kieran walked that hadn't been there before, and he stood straighter, taller, than he had the last time Sean saw him. There was a glint in his eye that was new as well, as was the broad smile on his face.

"How'd it go?" he asked. "Did you have fun down there?"

"Oh, yes." Kieran's smile grew wider. Alarm bells immediately began going off in Sean's head. "It was incredible--the best three weeks ever!"

"I see." Sean put aside the book he'd been reading. "Tell me about it. What'd you enjoy doing most?"

"I couldn't pick one," Kieran admitted. "Everything was like a dream, Dad. Katie is...I've never met anyone like her. She's intense and driven but also really kind and sweet, and..." His face turned red and he realized, too late, that he'd already said too much.

"I see." Sean didn't try to make his son feel embarrassed. "Son, let me ask you bluntly: did anything happen between you two on that trip?"

"D-Dad!" Kieran flinched. "What the hell? Why would you ask that?"

"I'll tell you why. Because that spring in your step, the way you're smiling, the way you look rather pleased with yourself like a contented cat..." Sean smirked. "I was exactly like that after the first time your mother and I were together. I know how it feels, in the aftermath. You feel tall, strong, like you can do anything. You feel proud of yourself, and you're already wondering when you can get more." He leaned back in his chair. "Am I right or wrong?"

"I...I..." Kieran averted his eyes. He couldn't bring himself to lie, but he didn't want to come out and just admit it, either. He had to think about Katie and what this might mean for her. What if his father told her parents?

"Son." Sean rose to his feet and placed a hand on Kieran's shoulder. "I'm not judging you and I'm not angry. But what I want to know is, was this just a fling, or is it something more? Do you feel more than lust for Katie?"

"Yes." The word was out before Sean even finished speaking. "God, yes. We..." He let out a breath. "We're definitely serious. I can't...I can't tell you everything right now, Dad, because I made a promise to her. We've got some...things to take care of tomorrow after school, but after that, I'll come clean. Is that okay?"

"I can work with that. If you're serious about this girl, I'd never make you break your word to her. Without trust, you two have nothing. As long as you two are on the same page and she makes you happy, I won't interfere."

I hope that's still true once I've told you the details, Kieran thought a bit ruefully. Still, he was glad that his father wasn't giving him the third-degree. Sean had always given him room to live his own life and make his own choices, and it was one of the things he appreciated most about him. When our baby comes, I'll make sure to do the same, he thought.

He missed Katie. He missed her so much. Just being away from her for a few hours was almost unbearable. He wanted to see her, hold her, touch her. But he reassured himself that he'd see her again tomorrow morning.

His phone buzzed with a text from her. Kieran's heart leapt when he saw it, and he eagerly tapped out a reply. His bed felt empty without her lying beside him in it. He'd gotten used to the sound of her steady breathing as she slept, the warmth of her body against his own. But after tomorrow, she'd always be there.

After tomorrow, I'll be married. And I'll get to see her and be with her every single day. It was electrifying just to contemplate it.

Why me? That was the million-dollar question. There was nothing, to Kieran's mind, that made him stand out from the crowd. But for some reason, for some incomprehensible, delightful reason, Katie had chosen him. She'd chosen to have his child. She'd chosen to be his wife.