‘You’ve had her for four years,’ he replied quietly. ‘I don’t think a fortnight is asking too much.’
His words hit her square in the chest, making her pause as an avalanche of emotions tumbled about her, guilt being the major one. Logically, she knew she had nothing to feel guilty about, but she appreciated that, from his position, this whole thing was unfair. But, damn it, they were dealing with a little girl, not a piece of property. Protecting Poppy was her first priority.
‘I understand your frustration, I do,’ she said, holding Ewan’s concerned gaze. ‘But visiting your whole family like this is too much too soon. Poppy needs to get to knowyoubefore she meets an entire family.’
‘My family lives three states away, Kenzie. I don’t get to drive down and see them for the weekend,’ he argued. ‘This trip was unexpected, and I have no idea when I’ll be able to get down there again. I wouldn’t be suggesting this if I thought there would be a better time to do it.’
‘I don’t know,’ Kenzie said, frowning. ‘It’s … it’s a lot to think about.’
‘I get this is difficult and not exactly ideal, but this way, you can feel safe knowing Poppy’s okay, and my family get to know her without the pressure of only a weekend or so. Mum’s so excited, knowing she now has a granddaughter. I have a feeling she’s already gone overboard, buying all the girl thingsshe’s never been able to before,’ he said, a faint smile touching his mouth. He looked down at their daughter, asleep on him. ‘Us Campbells go in for the long haul, Kenzie.’
Kenzie felt as though she was losing her grip on the tight control she’d spent four years perfecting. ‘I need to think about it,’ she said, easing off the brake and resuming the journey to the house. She couldn’t wait to put some distance between them in order to think straight. Because, somehow, she knew he wasn’t going to let her think on it very long.
‘It’s a big ask,’ Sam said after Kenzie pulled her mother aside to tell her about Ewan’s proposal, ‘but I wonder if maybe it’s not such a bad idea? I mean, it would be different if he were asking to take her alone, but he does have a point that it makes meeting his family a bit smoother if you’re involved.’
‘Yeah, I know,’ Kenzie sighed. ‘It’s just … meeting his family? That’s such a huge deal. I don’t know anything about them.’
Her mother nodded slowly. ‘They’re Poppy’s family. I think you owe it to Poppyandthe Campbells to let them get to know each other.’
‘What if we do all this, and then he decides he doesn’t want to play daddy anymore?’ Kenzie asked quietly.
Sam nodded, tilting her head slightly as she studied her daughter’s troubled expression. ‘There’s always that possibility, I suppose. But unfortunately, no one can protect their children fromeverything. You could be happily married foryears and then suddenly everything changes and you end up divorced. You can’t protect your kids from that. You can’t protect them from losing a parent, or having to move or the death of a pet. Life is going to throw things at them. All you can do is help them to prepare for it,’ she said gently. ‘And, for what it’s worth, I think Ewan is very genuine. He seems mature enough to know what he wants.’
She knew what her mother was saying made sense. Yet she was still uneasy about allowing these strangers into her daughter’s life.
‘I’m sure Ewan and his family will understand that things should move slowly. I don’t think you need to worry about Poppy being overwhelmed by it all, she’ll take meeting new people in her stride just like she’s always done.’
‘I think I’m the one who’s feeling overwhelmed,’ she admitted in a small voice.
‘If it gets too much, you can book your ticket home whenever you like,’ her mum said, giving her a comforting hug. ‘But I think you should at least give them a chance.’
Ewan had taken the beer Jack had offered him, showered off the day’s sweat and dust and changed into fresh clothes. He’d then headed out onto the wide verandah to relax and wait for dinner.
He looked up when he heard footsteps and straightened in his seat as Kenzie rounded the corner. She’d also changed from the jeans and shirt she’d been wearing into a bright yellowsundress that skimmed her tanned thighs. He dragged his gaze away from her legs and up to her face, which was wearing a somewhat tense expression.
‘I’ve been thinking about the trip,’ she started, sounding a little hesitant.
He held his breath as he waited for her to say she didn’t think it was a good idea. He could hardly blame her, really. They were pretty much strangers and he was asking her and her child to get in a car and travel more than seventeen hundred kilometres across the country with him.
‘We’ll do it.’
‘Really?’ She raised her eyebrows, and he hurried to correct his reaction. ‘I mean … great.’
‘Are you sure? If you’ve changed your mind, it’s okay.’
‘No, I want you both to come. That’s great.’
She bit her lip before nodding and taking a seat across from him. ‘So, what’s the plan?’
‘The plan?’
‘For the drive. We should probably work out where we’re stopping and what route to take. You know,’ she said, looking at him oddly, ‘make a plan.’
‘Uh, sure. Uh, I just take the usual route. Inland and down.’
‘It’s just that I put it into maps and there were two options: down the coast and across and the way you just mentioned.’
‘It’s a better drive inland,’ he told her.
