Cassie paused in taking off her hat. She’d been for a walk around the garden in the cool of the evening, trying to keep active, though the pressure on her pelvis was making it a penance.
The noise in her bathroom sounded like more than the blinds being rattled by a breeze from the vent in the window.
‘Oh.’ Kimberley jerked out the word, freezing in the doorway when she spotted Cassie.
She had a small box in her hand, and Cassie raised her eyebrows. ‘Looking for something?’
‘I … I found them. They aren’t yours.’ The words came out defiantly, matching the drawn together brows and defensive stance.
‘How do you know?’
‘Nate always keeps a pack here. They were in the bottom drawer with some of his kit.’
Interesting that Kimberley knew they were there. Maybe this Nate’s reputation suggested he always kept a supply of condoms handy. There was no self-consciousness aside from the embarrassment of being caught in Cassie’s bathroom in the girl’s expression, so it didn’t indicate a romantic interest. ‘Couldn’t you buy your own?’
The girl wrinkled up her nose. ‘Not likely. It would be round town in three minutes flat. Half the girls on checkout are at school with me.’
‘There’s always the chemist.’ The words were out before she’d acknowledged the issue. She knew about small towns.
‘Even worse. The McGregor’s are friends of the family. I’m pretty sure Mrs McGregor would feel it her “duty”,’ she did the quote thing, ‘to warn my grandmother I’m engaging in unsafe sexual activity.’
Cassie discarded her hat on the bed. She was tempted to dismiss the girl, avoid the conversation, but Kimberley Smith was a young woman and should be treated as one. This was Shayne’s daughter, and she wanted to help the girl. ‘And are you?’
‘Of course not. That’s why I wanted the condoms.’
‘You know they aren’t a hundred per cent effective?’ She indicated her stomach.
‘I know. Besides, you probably took risks. Maybe deliberately.’
That wasn’t a surprising conclusion, considering past history. Her stomach roiled. ‘Are you accusing me of intentionally getting pregnant to trap your father?’
‘No.’ Kimberley looked down at the box in her hand. ‘Maybe. Didn’t you?’
‘We were extremely careful. No foreplay even until the condom was in place.’
Blotchy colour stippled the girl’s face and throat. ‘Foreplay?’
‘You do know what foreplay is?’
‘Kissing and stuff.’
Cassie hesitated. She wasn’t a parent, but the girl’s mother was on the other side of the world. There probably weren’t a lot of opportunities for mother daughter talks on family video chats. ‘It’s the “stuff” stuff I’m talking about.’
‘Like oral?’
‘Like bodily fluids being exchanged. Rubbing against each other without protection.’
The girl’s face had paled. ‘You can get pregnant from that?’
‘You’ve done sex education, haven’t you?’
‘At school. Yeah.’
‘Maybe you need to have a refresher. Guys can be fertile before they come. Or if they come outside, it can be transferred. Especially if the woman is … excited, too.’
‘Oh. I didn’t think about that.’
Cassie was pretty sure her own face was as pink as the girls but that was no reason not to finish the conversation. She wiped her clammy hands on her scarf and discarded it onto the timber chest at the end of the bed. This had gone further than she’d expected when she’d started it. Shayne might not appreciate her being so honest about their time together. Or even engaging with his daughter on the topic.
‘It’s not my business what you do in your relationships, Kimberley, but have you discussed this with your mum or dad?’
‘Mum’s too busy with the boys and the ranch and everything and Dad is like, a guy.’
‘What about your doctor?’
‘That’s even worse. Doctor Cavanaugh is younger even than my dad and the doctor we had before was like a hundred years old. Besides, Morgan Cavanaugh is Dad’s cousin.’
‘He wouldn’t tell your father. There are rules.’ Kimberley looked unconvinced and Cassie tried to think of an alternative. ‘They do have clinic nurses. Maybe one of them could advise you.’
‘It’s just sex. I’m nearly seventeen. I know about protection and diseases. Besides, he, I mean the guy I’m thinking of isn’t experienced either, so he wouldn’t have anything.’
Two inexperienced kids. A recipe for disaster if she ever heard of one. Been there, done that, had the painful memories to prove it. Though she’d welcomed the pregnancy at the time. ‘It’s never just sex, Kim. Do you have feelings for this boy?’
The colour returned to the girl’s skin. ‘I like him a lot.’
‘Does he like you?’
‘I think so.’
Cassie frowned at the girl. ‘Are you dating him, going out together?’
‘Not really. We’ve been hanging out together a bit.’
Trying to remember who had been among the teenagers who came over, there was no one boy who stood out.
‘This is the one you’ve been fooling around with?’
Kimberley made a face. ‘No. That was another boy. It didn’t work out.’
‘Why not?’
‘He wanted to go all the way, but I wouldn’t. So, he went off with the Leech.’
‘Who?’
‘Crystal Leech. She goes with all the boys. She’s really pretty.’
Cassie flopped down on the armchair. ‘Sounds like you’re well rid of him.’
‘Yeah. I guess.’
‘Is that why you need the condoms, so you can go all the way with this other boy you like?’
‘I figure, if I’m prepared and he wants to …’
‘What happens if they fail?’
Kimberley moved away from the door and perched on the edge of the bed. ‘Is that really what happened?’
‘If condoms have a ninety-seven per cent success rate, that means a three per cent failure rate. So, for every hundred times you have sex, you have three chances of contraceptive failure. It’s more complicated than that, but it gives you a fair idea of the risks.’
‘That’s gross. You had sex that many times with my dad?’
Cassie grimaced. She should have known it would get way too personal under the circumstances. Awkward. ‘I didn’t exactly count. Besides, there is no guarantee that the failure couldn’t happen on the third time out of the hundred. It could have been a tiny split in the condom we didn’t notice. It could have been failing to dispose of it fast enough. We’ll probably never know exactly. That’s why people who are serious about not getting pregnant will often use two methods at the same time. The only guaranteed method is no sex at all.’
The girl looked horrified. ‘I’m going to university. No way would I want to get pregnant. Dad would kill me.’ She screwed up her nose. ‘Right after he killed and dismembered my boyfriend and buried him in the bush somewhere to be eaten by dingos.’
An interesting and possibly accurate summation of Shayne’s probable metaphorical reaction to that situation. Short of the actual murder. Cassie was pretty sure he wasn’t a killer. Most farmers hated having to kill anything, even though it was necessary at times.
‘In that case, if you don’t want your father in prison for murder and if you are determined to have a sexual relationship, think about other options to add to the condoms. You could organise to go to Bialga to see a female doctor.’
Kimberley twisted the box in her hands. ‘There’s a women’s clinic at the local medical centre run by someone from Bialga once a month. I suppose I could go there.’
‘Good idea.’ She hesitated but went ahead. ‘Do you need a pregnancy test?’
‘What? No. That was months ago. Last winter. I’m pretty sure I’d know if I was preggers.’
Cassie expelled a shaky breath. ‘I doubt if your father would appreciate becoming a grandfather at the same time as becoming a father again.’
‘Hell no. Though it would be kind of funny, so long as it wasn’t me. I’d like to see his face.’
Cassie returned her grin. It had a humorous side, though she didn’t think Shayne would see it.
The girl stood up to go. ‘Thanks. I mean, really. It was good to have someone to talk to.’
‘My pleasure. And Kimberley?’
‘Yes?’
‘I think you should talk to your dad. Tell him you are thinking about having a sexual relationship and that you’re taking precautions. He’d want to know. Otherwise, he’ll worry.’
‘Would you tell your dad if you were having sex?’
‘You don’t have to tell him that part. Only that you’re at the point of thinking about it and that you are organising protection, so you won’t be taking risks.’
Cassie watched her anxiously. She didn’t want to push too hard.
Finally, Kimberley nodded. ‘I’ll think about it. He would worry. Especially because of me and everything.’ She waved vaguely in Cassie’s direction. ‘It would be bad if I did the same thing he and my mum did, having a baby when they were too young and wrecking everything.’ She tactfully didn’t mention his later transgression.
‘I don’t think your father feels that way.’
Leaning against the door frame, Kimberly wrinkled her brow. ‘He wouldn’t say anything to me, but I overheard my grandparents talking about it ages ago. He had this agricultural scholarship to go overseas for a year to do research on wool varieties. He had to give it up when Mum got pregnant.’
Cassie couldn’t help asking, ‘Wasn’t he able to postpone it?’
‘Nah. It had to go to someone else, seeing he couldn’t do it straight away.’
‘He would have been disappointed.’
‘I know he went later, for a couple of months, paying his own way, but it wouldn’t have been the same. He had Mum with him because she wanted to go to a big rodeo in Texas that was on at the same time. That was when Mum decided to stay in the US and he came home alone.’
‘How old were you?’
‘Two. I don’t really remember much about when she was living at Maidens Hill. We lived here in the annex and Grandma used to babysit. I had my own room upstairs for when my mum was away on the circuit. When she left, I moved into the main part of the house permanently.’ She looked around. ‘This was all different. Mum liked modern stuff, so Dad set it up with stuff she chose from the big furniture place in Bialga. After Mum left, Grandma redid it with stuff from the house, so it was all historical again.’
‘What happened to your mother’s things?’
‘She didn’t want them. Dad put them into one of the cabins for the workers. He doesn’t like wasting things.’ She grinned. ‘He must have been pretty annoyed about wasting all those condoms.’
Cassie started at the sudden return to the original topic. ‘He didn’t say.’
‘Probably in too much shock. It takes a bit of getting used to. I expect he’ll be happy to have a couple of boys. Do you think you’ll stay in Maiden’s Landing?’
‘It will depend on how the next couple of months turn out.’
‘Well, don’t worry about me. I don’t mind having kid brothers around. Next year I won’t even be here. I’ll be in Brisbane at university if I don’t mess up at school.’
‘Have you always wanted to be a lawyer?’
‘I was planning to be a rally car driver like … someone I know.’ She grimaced. ‘For a while I thought about going into the rodeo like Mum, but that was so needy. I figured I didn’t need to get her attention that way. My teacher thought I would be good at law.’
‘Because you’re good at arguing your case?’
Kimberley darted a suspicious glance at her. ‘Maybe. Are you teasing?’
‘Sorry.’
‘Don’t be. It makes it feel like we’re family if we aren’t super polite.’
Cassie laughed. ‘I’ll make a point of it in that case.’
‘Don’t try too hard. I wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself.’
They grinned at each other and for the first time, Cassie had the feeling that maybe things would work out with the girl, whatever might eventuate with her father.
Straightening, Kimberley glanced at her watch. ‘I better go put these away. I’ll probably talk to Dad. I need to wait until he’s in a good mood.’
‘Is he in a bad mood?’
‘A funny mood. Like he’s thinking about something and doesn’t want to be interrupted.’ She raised the hand with the box and vanished into the lounge area, the door to the corridor snapping shut behind her.
Cassie wondered if his mood was because of her. He’d been distant since their conversation the previous weekend. Not that he’d been around much, with so much happening on the farm. After insisting she eat with the family, half the time he wasn’t there. Maybe an exaggeration, but he hadn’t been home tonight. How much was work and how much him pursuing a social life, she did not know.
Dragging herself up, she headed for the bathroom. A shower and bed would ease the ache in her legs. The last thing she wanted was varicose veins developing because of pressure in her pelvic area affecting her circulation. It had been good to talk to Kimberley. After months of obsessing about herself and her own health, it was nice to be helping someone else.
She heard the knock when she turned off the hair dryer and automatically called, ‘Come in,’ as she walked into the bedroom, expecting it to be Kimberley again.
It was Shayne, still in the jeans and button-up shirt she’d seen him wearing from a distance when he left the house late in the afternoon. She’d been beside the pool when he headed for the garages, but he hadn’t noticed her, a frown on his face and his mind clearly elsewhere. His expression now was not friendly.
‘I thought you were Kimberley.’
His brows rose. ‘Really. Were you planning to give her more advice on going out and getting laid by some hormone driven teenager?’
‘What? No.’
He held up the box of condoms so recently taken by Kimberley. ‘She said these came from you.’
Cassie couldn’t understand why his daughter would lie. ‘Is that what she said?’
‘That they were in the bathroom here. But she said you were happy for her to take them. That you talked.’
‘I don’t know about happy, but I wasn’t in a position to forbid her to take them. I’m not her parent.’
His brows drew together, reminding her of his daughter in a snit. ‘Are you saying you didn’t give them to her, or did she steal them?’
‘She retrieved them from this bathroom, but they aren’t mine. I believe they might have belonged to a Nate.’
‘My cousin?’ He stared at the box. ‘They were here when you moved in?’
‘In the bottom drawer of the bathroom cabinet. There’s some shaving gear and toiletries.’
‘He must have left them here when he left after the last visit. I’m sorry. I’ll have them collected and put in the upstairs spare bathroom.’
‘Have I taken his space?’
‘Not really. He’s used it a couple of times when visiting recently, but only for convenience. He rarely sleeps here. It’s somewhere to keep his luggage and clean up before he goes out again.’
‘He sounds like a charmer.’
Shayne’s mouth twisted into a crooked grin. ‘All the girls think so.’
‘I see.’ She pursed her mouth, wondering if Shayne joined this cousin on his revels.
‘He’s about your age, or a little older, and he’s still a bachelor.’
That wasn’t that old for a single guy. But coming from a man who’d taken on the responsibility of a daughter in his early twenties, maybe it seemed that way. ‘And you think he’s likely to remain that way?’
‘We all get caught in the end.’
That was a loaded statement, if anything was. ‘You came to talk about Kimberley?’
He sobered. ‘Perhaps you could explain what went on.’
‘She came for the condoms, and I let her have them. That’s all.’
‘What was she talking about?’
He seemed calmer now, but it wasn’t really her place to say. ‘Didn’t Kimberley tell you?’
He tossed the box onto the small table by the door. ‘I didn’t give her a chance.’
‘I’d rather you spoke to her. What she said was in confidence.’
* * *
Shayne shifted gears in his head. He’d gone off half-cocked without finding out the truth. Now the fear-driven anger was dissipating he had time to take stock.
Cassie was dressed in a skimpy t-shirt that barely covered her bump and displayed the full length of her long, elegant legs. They still looked great, lean with enough toned muscle to make them shapely and no obvious sign of swollen ankles. He dragged his attention up to her face, surrounded by her fluffy curls left loose for sleeping, pushing down the memories and telling his unruly body to settle. She’d co-opted one of his t-shirts during their time together, which explained how it was left behind.
‘I disturbed you. I should go.’
‘I was heading for bed.’ She waved a hand in that direction.
Maybe not the reminder he needed. ‘I’ll leave you to it. Maybe we could talk tomorrow.’
‘It’s fine.’ She winced and her hand went to her belly.
Anxiety did the job his will couldn’t, dampening his lust. ‘Are you okay?’
‘The babies are kicking.’
He looked at her belly and detected a faint ripple under the shirt. A surge of something possessive gave him courage. ‘Can I feel them?’
Her eyes widened, but she nodded. ‘If you like.’
Stepping across the room, he paused in front of her. ‘You really don’t mind?’
‘I understand it’s pretty normal for dads to want to make contact.’
‘First contact. Like with aliens?’
She shifted her hand, letting it hang, and he placed both palms high on her belly. The fabric shifted under his seeking hands and he stilled, waiting. A soft tickle under his fingers gave him the position, and he stiffened, focusing his concentration. It came again and without thought, he dragged up the shirt and replaced his hand on her bare skin. It came stronger then, a double thump. His heart seemed to echo the movement, tightening in his chest. ‘Is that hands or feet?’
There was a strip of colour on her cheekbones. It took a moment to realise it was his lifting of her shirt. ‘I’m sorry. I should have asked.’
‘It’s not like you haven’t seen everything before.’
He rubbed his palms over the distended belly. ‘I haven’t seen this.’
‘No.’ The colour flared darker, spreading down her throat.
‘May I touch?’
‘You might as well finish what you started.’
Shayne tried not to think about her words as he repositioned his hands. The double tap wasn’t strong, but it was there. ‘How are they positioned?’
‘I think it’s feet up there. The last scan showed one twin with its head down and the other with feet down.’
He slid one hand lower. ‘Is it moving too?’
‘A little.’ She shifted uneasily.
‘Dammit. I’m keeping you on your feet when you need to be resting.’ He pulled both hands away and smoothed her t-shirt down. ‘I’ll let you get to bed.’
‘If I lie down, you could try again. They’re still very active.’
His throat closed over and he swallowed to clear the blockage. ‘Thank you. I’d like that.’
She propped herself in a half sitting position against a pile of pillows, adjusting the covers to her hips and lifted the shirt again. Toeing off his boots, he scrambled onto the bed beside her, his knees touching her hip and waist. He could see silvery stretch marks on her sides now, clear against the gold of her skin. He hesitated, and she took his left hand and laid it at the top of her belly. The swift dual kick brushed his palm. His other hand she placed low on the farther side and for a moment, nothing happened.
He sent her a questioning glance, and she smiled. ‘Be patient.’
A featherlight shift of movement greeted him, and he adjusted his position. It came again at the same time as a kick against his left. ‘We’ve got a footballer and a dancer, I’m guessing.’
Her brows drew together. ‘Would you mind?’
‘About what?’
‘Most men would prefer them to be footballers.’
‘I’m not a footballer myself. I played a little polocrosse when I was younger, but once I became a father, I didn’t have the time. Besides, I don’t think parents should push kids into doing things they don’t have an inclination towards.’
‘Did you mind giving it up?’
‘I missed the mateship more than the game itself.’
‘Funny, I thought you’d be a rodeo type.’
He shook his head. ‘That was Courtney. It was a coincidence that there was a polocrosse tournament in town at the same time as a rodeo in Bialga.’
‘She wasn’t a local?’
‘No. I’d met her at a party at university and she came across to the tournament and we hooked up. It was only meant to be a one-night thing from my point of view. I had plans and none of them included marriage and kids. Not at that time.’ He was older and wiser now. Settling down had become very appealing lately, since his time with Cassie in Brisbane. He should have called her. Now she’d think it was all about the babies.
‘Did you always want to be a farmer?’
He shifted into a more comfortable position, keeping one hand on her belly, not wanting to lose the connection. It gave him a moment to think about how he would answer. ‘I wanted to be a farmer, but I wasn’t sure about being a grazier. Sheep didn’t interest me in bulk, that was more Ben’s interest. I was intrigued by the breeding side of things. It’s why I went into coloured sheep and goats and the alpacas. We work together on breeding for the finer wool, but otherwise, he’s totally in control of that side of things.’
‘And you’re totally in control of your side of things.’
‘I enjoy being in control.’
‘I’m sorry I mucked things up for you.’
He looked up from the ripples on her belly, meeting her eyes. ‘I don’t think things are mucked up. It certainly wasn’t your responsibility. We did all the right things.’ He sucked in a breath. ‘I think things are working out fine.’
There was a tremor under his fingers that couldn’t be accounted for by the movement of the two babies. Cassie was chewing on her bottom lip, a glossy sheen to her eyes.
‘It’s working out fine, Cassie. I’m happy we’re having the babies.’
A solitary tear trickled down beside her nose and he pulled out a handkerchief and mopped it up. ‘What’s wrong?’
She tucked the shirt down over her belly and dragged up the covers. He shifted his butt so she could tug them from under him.
‘I was so unsure about doing the right thing. I thought you’d want me to contact you, because I’d want to know, but then I wondered if you’d prefer if I didn’t.’ She laughed shakily. ‘That was before I knew about Kimberley.’
‘Then you know that whatever the circumstances, I’d want to be a part of my children’s lives.’
‘It was a relief when Kimberley told me you didn’t marry her mother. I was afraid you’d come over all noble and insist on marriage once you knew I was pregnant.’
He eyed her resolute expression. ‘It was never likely to happen with Courtney, whatever the situation. We weren’t a good match. Out of curiosity, why wouldn’t you want that?’
‘I keep telling you, I’m not interested in marriage and I don’t need financial support.’
‘I can appreciate that. Things are less cut and dried these days. No-one’s reputation is ruined with out-of-wedlock children. Would you marry someday if the right person came along?’
Her fingers were tying knots in the sheet on her lap, twisting the fine cotton around and around. ‘I doubt it. It’s not something I can see myself doing.’ She grimaced. ‘I like my privacy and I enjoy being independent.’
‘Fair enough.’ If his heart contracted a little and there was an odd sinking feeling in his gut, it was only to be expected. Just because he was ready to settle down, didn’t mean she would be. Some people never did. ‘Have you always felt this way?’
‘I went through the usual romantic crushes in my teens. I grew up.’
It came out in a flat tone that ended the subject. A very definite no-go zone. ‘I’ll leave you to get to sleep.’
She looked almost disappointed, a faint downturn in the corners of her mouth. He reached over and kissed her lightly. ‘Sleep well. Thanks for the talk.’
Her fingers clenched the sheets. ‘You’re welcome. I … please talk to Kimberley. I think she needs some parental input.’
Tugging his boots on, he nodded. ‘I’ll follow it up.’ He picked up the box of condoms at the door. ‘I take it you don’t need these?’
‘I’m on what they call pelvic rest. They’re useless to me now.’
He was tempted to enlarge on the conversation, but she was visibly wilting, darkling shadows forming under her eyes. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow. Would you like the light off?’
‘Yes, please.’ He flicked it off, leaving the small lamp beside the bed creating a golden pool of light that barely touched her. The whole image, the soft bed, the beautiful woman, it all looked too tempting, and he took himself off, closing and locking the door into the corridor as he went through and checking the doors to the outside as he went past.
It wasn’t late, so he took the stairs two at a time and headed to Kimberley’s suite at the other end of the house to his own bedroom. He glanced at the big double doors to the master suite as he went past. It hadn’t been occupied since his parents moved out. It had seemed pointless to move in without a wife when he had a perfectly adequate room he’d lived comfortably in since he was a toddler. His mother had redecorated it over the years, to take in his changing age and interests. The big king-size bed was comfortable, but he never brought women home, not since that one time. Not since his sister died.
Once his mother had pulled herself out of the depression that followed Brittany’s death, she’d flung herself into a frenzy of redecorating. She’d obsessed over making it as accurate as possible, dragging older pieces out of the attics and searching for exactly the right soft furnishings and fabrics to display the age and history of the building. It had taken her years, and she’d ended up where she started, turning the pink fantasy of Kimberley’s childhood room into these two rooms, plus a bathroom. A suite for a teenager burgeoning on womanhood. Perhaps it had helped with the grief.
Now Kimberley was the same age as Brittany had been and his parents were in their own spacious home in town. The years were slipping away, and he had a second chance as a father. He needed to be there for Kimberley more than ever.
Kimberley muttered something that he took as permission to enter after his knock on her door. She was curled up on the couch, still fully dressed, watching an old Hallmark style movie. Something with cowboys and Christmas. She flicked it on to pause but didn’t move, keeping her eyes on the frozen screen.
He slid onto the couch beside her. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t listen.’
For a moment, he thought she might ignore him. She took a deep breath in, and the words came out. ‘You’re my father. You’re supposed to listen.’
‘I was scared. I’m struggling with the fact that my little girl is turning into a woman.’
She looked at him with raised brows. ‘Did you have a row with Cassie?’
He huffed a puff of air. ‘Nearly. It’s hard to argue with her.’
‘It is. She’s so … I don’t know … It’s like she’s seen everything and nothing surprises her. Not people anyway.’
‘Did she help when you talked?’
‘Kind of. She told me to talk to you.’
‘Sounds like good advice.’
‘Yeah right. Especially when you take one look at me and go off your tree.’
‘It was the condoms.’
‘I’m nearly seventeen. If I’m going to have safe sex, I need to have something to be safe with.’
Shayne slowed his breathing. He couldn’t afford to lose it now, or he could lose his daughter. ‘Are you going to have safe sex?’
Pink colour bathed her skin, right down her throat. ‘Maybe.’
‘I didn’t realise you had a boyfriend.’
‘Seriously, Dad, I’ve had like a dozen boyfriends.’
‘Seriously, Kimberley, I meant serious boyfriends.’
‘I’m not sleeping with anyone. I just think I should be prepared. In case.’
He could see why fathers preferred to leave this stuff to the mother. ‘Have you spoken to Courtney about this?’
‘Not really. Besides, isn’t this supposed to be a father’s job, too?’
‘I suppose so. You know condoms aren’t a hundred per cent, don’t you?’
‘I’m pretty sure I could figure that one out.’ She cast him a knowing look. ‘Besides, Cassie gave me some statistics. I’m not going to do your trick and ruin my future by getting pregnant before I even finish university.’
He should feel relieved, but he knew it took more than ambitions for the future to prevent an unexpected pregnancy. ‘Do you have a plan?’
‘Cassie suggested I should go to the clinic and look at backup options.’
Thank you, Cassie. ‘You know I’m going to struggle with the thought of you being sexually active. I hope you’re doing it for the right reasons.’
She rolled her eyes. ‘I’m not going to go jumping into bed with the first guy. I’m not stupid.’
‘You forget I was a young guy once. I know the pressure they can put on a girl.’
‘Ewww, Dad. It’s bad enough knowing you shagged Cassie and got her preggers. I don’t want to think about you having sex with my mum and half the district.’
‘Not half the district.’
She covered her ears. ‘Lalalalalala. Not listening.’
He laughed and scooped her into an arm hold, giving her a side hug. It had been a long time since his daughter had accepted anything more. ‘It’s my job to embarrass you.’
‘So long as you don’t do it in front of my friends. Not cool.’
‘That would be the worst.’
She screwed up her nose. ‘The WORST.’
He stopped at the door on the way out when Kimberley said something he didn’t quite catch. ‘What did you say?’
‘Cassie is nice, isn’t she?’
Nice was such an inadequate word. ‘Yes. She is.’