Chapter 9 - The Storm Passes
That evening, Katherine sat on the front porch of Wyatt’s house, watching the sun dip below the horizon, painting the Texas sky in vibrant strokes of orange and violet.
Inside, Wyatt was washing the dinner dishes while Luna and Violet practiced their spelling words at the kitchen island.
Wyatt stepped out onto the porch, drying his hands on a kitchen towel, and handed Katherine a steaming mug of chamomile tea. He sat down in the wooden rocking chair beside her.
"You're quiet tonight," Wyatt observed gently, studying her profile. "Everything okay at the office?"
Katherine took a sip of the tea, letting the warmth settle into her chest. She turned her head to look at him. "Richard showed up today."
Wyatt went still. The gentle hum of the evening neighborhood seemed to fade into the background. "Your ex-husband?"
"He threatened to file for emergency custody," Katherine said, her voice steady, though a shadow of tension lingered in her shoulders. "He used your name. He called you a charity case and tried to weaponize my wealth against us."
Wyatt didn't flinch. He set his towel down on the porch railing, leaned back in the rocking chair, and let out a quiet sigh. Then, he reached across the small gap between their chairs and took her hand. His fingers were warm, calloused, and grounding.
"Let him try," Wyatt said simply.
Katherine looked down at their joined hands, then up into his amber-brown eyes. "Aren't you worried? If Richard makes this public, your life will become a circus. The press will dig into your past, your finances, your grief over losing your wife..."
"Katherine," Wyatt interrupted, his voice firm and reassuring. "I’ve survived losing my wife. I’ve survived working three jobs while holding my daughter in my arms through the darkest nights of my life. A pompous corporate executive with a fancy suit doesn't scare me."
He squeezed her hand gently. "My life isn't a secret. I’m proud of who I am, and I'm proud of the father I am to Luna. If standing by you and Violet means dealing with a little noise, then that's a price I'll pay every single day of the week."
A profound sense of peace washed over Katherine. For the first time in her adult life, she didn't have to fight every battle alone. She didn't have to wear armor inside her own home.
She leaned over and rested her head against Wyatt’s broad shoulder, breathing in the clean scent of cedar and laundry detergent.
May you like
"Thank you, Wyatt," she whispered.
"Always," he replied, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close as the first evening stars began to blink into existence above them.
