Always Been You

“Oh yeah. I totally forgot about that” Katherine said sarcastically as Tim came to join them.

“Hmmmm” Tim said, sniffing the air appreciatively. “It smells so good”

“Yeah,” Jensen agreed. “Good looking fish. Ever been fishing, kid?”

Tim nodded. “I’ve never been fishing. I really want to see how it’s done. And it kinda sounds like fun”

“It is,” Jensen said. “My dad used to take me a lot when I was little” he stared down at Tim, then placed a hand on his shoulder. “If you want, maybe I can take you some time, would you like that?”

“Oh why! Yes! Yes!” Tim yelled. “Oh it’s gonna be so much fun… Maybe we can go camping too and stuff like that”

“Yeah sure… If that’s okay with your mom” Jensen said. He glanced at Katherine, silently apologizing with his eyes for not asking her first.

“Please mom,” Tim said.

“Of course you can go, honey. At least I can have some time to myself when you do” Katherine agreed “I will be in there” she said, before she headed to the kitchen, unable to get over how warm inside the sight of Jensen and Tim made her feel. She shook her head… She had to be careful this time. She reminded herself.

“So how is school?” Jensen asked Tim.

Tim said it was going well, telling Jensen that he had made a lot of friends and that he liked his team.

“So you don’t miss your old school anymore then?”

“Not really,” Tim replied. “I like it here. It’s small and fun.. And grandpa and grandma are here… I like being close to them”

“You’re a lot like me then,” Jensen said. “I like it here for the same reasons… Family… I like being close to family”

“Why didn’t you bring Rufus?” Tim asked.

“Oh I don’t know.. Nothing really. Maybe some other time then”

Katherine poked her head through the back door. “Everything is ready here” she said. “Waiting for you menfolks”

“The fish will be ready soon,” Jensen called back.

“Mom,” Tim called. “Can I take my bike and rush to Oliver’s? , He said he would love to come”

Katherine sighed. “Fine… But hurry. Take your bike” she said and Tim raced off before she could complete the sentence. “I’m pretty sure he didn’t hear anything after the ‘Fine’…. And he might not even return for a while” she added and Jensen grinned.

“He reminds me a lot of myself when I was little,” Jensen said.

“If you mean being stubborn sometimes and strong willed… I agree”

Soon the fish was ready and Jensen turned off the gas. He dished up the fish filets and carried the platter through the back door which Katherine was holding open for him.

She bent down and sniffed the grilled fish, licking her lips in anticipation and Jensen said something that made her laugh.

She had changed clothes when she came in from work and now had on an outfit made of some soft, floaty, white material. She looked hot and exceptionally pretty.

Jensen watched her face when they heard her dad’s car pull into the driveway and he chuckled.

“Don’t look so devastated, Katherine,” he said. “Your Dad and I get along real well

You know that” He kissed the back of her hand and rubbed it against his cheek. “Hmmmm. Soft like a baby’s” The lines around his eyes deepened as he grinned.

“Stop teasing, Jensen. My parents are really good at overreacting. Get ready for a talk about his dream of a lot of grand babies” Katherine said.

“I will simply humor him then. He wants to have dinner with us. So let’s let him”

Katherine stood uncertainty in the middle of the room. A bottle of red wine and three long stemmed crystal glasses waited on the kitchen counter.

Beside her, Jensen’s voice sounded gruff. “Don’t look so trapped, Katherine. After he goes home, maybe we will go dancing. You will be less tense after that”

A small rap sounded at the door moments before Jonah Kavell stepped gingerly into the room. He had a nice height, like his son Jonathan. He had narrower shoulders and was slightly stooped and almost completely gray haired, his face had a raw boned energy … And he liked to laugh…. everyone knew that about him and it was one of the reasons why Katherine loved her father so much. Amusement sparkled in his eyes and lined his handsome face.

“I think it might rain later tonight,” he said. “It’s good though. We need it. Keeps the fire danger down. Hello, Katherine.

Son”. He rubbed his hands together. “Is this going to take long? I was hoping to arrive when everything was ready” he said grinning.

“Do you have somewhere to be, Dad?” Katherine asked, unable to stop her smile.

“No. not really” Jonah replied and he and Jensen shook hands and they made some small talk about work.

“Of course, that’s what I thought,” Katherine said. “Come have a seat, Dad”

Jensen winked at Katherine.

“We are ready, Dad,” Katherine said. “I will get the dishes from the kitchen”RêAd lat𝙚St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

“No, let me,” Jensen said, stopping her movement. “Chat with your dad a little” he added with a wicked grin as he loosened the apron he had tired around his waist earlier.

“Welcome, Dad” Katherine managed to say calmly, despite Jensen’s teasing.

“Where’s Tim?” Jonah asked.

“At a friend’s, he’s supposed to be here soon” Katherine replied.

Jensen poured three glasses of wine and handed one to her dad and then to her. He rubbed circles between her shoulder blades, his grin mocking her when she sidled away from him.

“Katherine” he said in his sexiest voice-or maybe that was just the way she heard it because she was always so aware of his presence, raising his glass in a toast.

He lifted the glass until she drank from it, then raised it to his own lips, drinking from the exact spot marked by her lip gloss. Dark laughter lifted the corners of his eyes over the rim. “I know just how to stoke up the fire, don’t I, dear?” he asked.

“Hmmmm” her father answered before Katherine could stoke up a reply. “I think she knows that. You both have been very close since you were little”