6. Cat

6

CAT

I left my windows down as soon as I crossed the George Washington Bridge, letting my hair whip back in the wind. By the time I was cruising through the mountains of the lower Hudson Valley, the sun was starting to lower in the sky.

Having made the drive plenty of times, I knew I couldn't go too far above the speed limit without getting pulled over. So instead, I chose to enjoy the slower pace.

I turned the dial up on the radio, letting the sound waves spill out of my car and onto the asphalt. LAWSON's latest song blasted between other pop icons, and a few I didn't recognize.

Before I knew it, I was peeling off the highway and onto the rugged country roads that led to New Winford.

It was only a few minutes before I slowed the car down onto Pond Hill Rd. As my Benz climbed the steep hill, I looked at the neighbors' houses. They hadn't changed much at all; a few of them had fresh coats of paint, but the rest looked exactly like they did when I used to walk up the hill from the bus stop.

At the crest of the hill, I turned onto the uneven gravel driveway. Luckily for my car, the usual potholes had been filled. Daniel must have done it early in the spring since the new rocks seemed perfectly compacted into the former craters.

Shaking my head, I pulled my car around the back where a porch light stayed on as the sun lowered behind the mountains.

Once I was parked, I pushed off the ignition and grabbed my duffel from the back seat. I sucked in a deep breath of fresh country air as I walked around to the front of the house. Daniel had asked me to park around back to reduce the odds of the paparazzi swarming his kids on their way to school.

With any luck, it would be some time before anyone realized I was back in New Winford. But as I trudged up the hill to the front door of my former childhood home, I knew it was only a matter of time.

I tried to shake the feeling as I walked up the flagstone path.

Before I could even walk up the steps to knock on the door, it swung open.

A nervous smile from my brother greeted me. "Hey, kid."

"You're only three years older." I rolled my eyes, trying to stop the smile at the corner of my mouth from spreading to my cheeks.

Daniel opened his arms for a hug. "I know, but it bothers you so I'll keep doing it."

Wrapping my arms around him, we gave each other a light squeeze and a couple of pats on the back before separating.

"Hungry?" Dan clapped his hands together.

I nodded and followed him inside. From the kitchen, I could hear a sizzling pan and some light music. When I walked inside, Daniel's wife waved at me.

"Hey, Meredith." I smiled at her, offering a soft wave.

Even before any words left her mouth, I knew she was hesitant about my presence. And I couldn't blame her. If all I heard was what the tabloids wrote about, I wouldn't want someone like me anywhere near children.

But she smiled at me anyway. "It's good to see you. It's been a while."

I nodded. "Yeah, that's on me." Swallowing hard, I looked down at the counter. "Is there anything I can help with?"

"Nope, we're just about ready. Babe, can you get the kids?" Meredith turned to Dan.

Walking toward the hallway, Dan hollered at his children. "Guys, dinner is ready and your aunt is here."

Meredith rolled her eyes. "I mean, I could've done that."

I shook my head as I laughed. "Glad to see he hasn't changed."

Before she could even respond, Meredith's eyes darted up to the stampede storming down the hallway. Two sets of heavy steps pounded against the creaky hardwood floors.

"Hi, Aunt Cat!" The little voices said in unison.

Laughing, I knelt to hug the two kids. "How are ya?"

At eight and five, Lily and Jacob had no idea what kind of baggage I'd lugged into the house. They were just excited to spend time with their aunt who always brought expensive gifts.

Lily nodded. "Good."

"Me too." Smirking, Jacob copied his older sister.

As Dan walked past, he ruffled his kids's hair and grabbed a stack of plates from the cabinet. Handing them to Meredith, he looked over his shoulder. "Kids, take your seats, please."

They took off toward the dining room, just on the other side of a pass-through from the kitchen. Hoping up onto their chairs, the two of them got comfortable while Meredith dished out fajitas.

"That looks and smells amazing, Mer." My mouth started to water as I peeked into the still-crackling pan.

She smiled, pride beaming on her face. "Thanks. It's a new recipe so hopefully, it's worth the effort."

Dan kissed her cheek as he started to take plates to the table. Behind him, I grabbed another two plates.

After dishing for herself, Meredith trailed behind to the table where we set down plates and took our seats. The table was the same one that had lived in this room thirty years ago when my parents first bought the house.

Daniel and Meredith had changed some things about the old barn house when they bought it from our parents but a few things remained.

A fresh coat of white paint and some new artwork made the room pop.

Once everyone was seated, we all dug in. I picked up my fluffy tortilla and took a bite. "Wow." I groaned as I chewed. Every time I came over, I was reminded just how good a cook Meredith was.

Everyone at the table nodded their agreement, even the kids were quiet as they shoveled the delicious fajita into their mouths.

"Well done, babe." Daniel smiled at his wife from the other end of the table.

"Thanks." She blushed at the compliment, still giddy for his affection.

It was sickening how sweet they were. As I ate, the image of Dan first bringing Meredith to this very house flashed in my mind. She was so nervous then, a far cry from the fiery sister-in-law I came to know.

Daniel was beaming the entire night, thrilled for his family to meet the woman he knew he'd married. And sure enough, here we were years later.

It wasn't long before the kids had finished their food, tapping their fingers against the table as they waited for something to happen.

Turning to them, Daniel smiled. "Kids, do you want to start getting ready for bed while we talk with Cat?"

Lily was out of her seat before the words even left her dad's mouth, and Jacob was eager to follow his big sister's lead.

As they disappeared down the long hallway, Dan and Meredith let out a collective sigh.

"So, Catherine, how are you?" Meredith asked as she took a sip from her small glass of wine.

Letting out a sigh, I shrugged. "I could be better."

Daniel laughed. "So it seems."

"Rude." I whipped my head around to eye him. "But that's why I'm here. That city is toxic for me right now and I just need somewhere to get right."

Sighing, Dan leaned forward on his elbows. "We're happy to have you here. But you know I have to say this: if you're staying here, all of that party-girl shit has to stop. We can't have our kids around it."

I nodded. "I know."

Meredith's eyes softened, her guard falling just enough to reach her hand out. She wrapped her fingers around my hand and smiled at me. "Can you do that?"

Releasing the breath from deep in my lungs, I clenched my jaw as I met her gaze. "Yeah. I'm here to get back on track. This is my last at-bat and I'm not going to miss."