A/N: Melody, love. You win the prize. PCGirl needed hints to get the "Colin" clue. I told her I had SUCH a hard time naming him. His name was actually Zach for a while until I started to watch TL and remembered Zach the biker. Somehow I thought it might be odd for Caleb and Livvie to name their son after a guy Caleb killed. It'd be almost as bad as naming him Rafe. LOL! Welcome home PCGirl btw. Not 20 chapters - but I have added a few. Until 19! xox-G

Chapter Eighteen

Rafe couldn't wait any longer. He began to walk across the yard towards where Kate and Colin were sitting. It looked like they were having a great time, chatting with Lia and Lynnie. He just wanted to meet the kid. No big deal.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Becky cried as she ran up to him. Her eyes were bright and her hair falling down around her face, the ribbons almost hanging in her eyes. "Look what the Band Guy gave me!" She showed him the flowers clutched in her hand.

"How pretty. Almost as pretty as you." Rafe smiled down at her. Her words suddenly registered. "Who gave them to you?" He asked then.

"Colin." She said with a sigh. "He's the Band Guy." She giggled. "That's what I call him because he plays in a band. He's really cool."


This guy played in a band? He knew it. It was his worst nightmare. Kate was going to fall in love with some struggling musician.

"Ooo! Becky. What beautiful flowers." Alison said as she walked towards them. "Where'd you get them?"

"Colin." She said dreamily. "He's talking to Kate now. He wants to be her new boyfriend."

"Really?" Rafe said, his voice shaking a bit.

"Yeah. He likes her lots. But if she doesn't let him, he said that maybe someday he might be mine." She said, smiling at her mother, She turned towards Rafe. "What's 30 minus 8 Daddy?"

"What?" He asked, still staring across the yard. Colin had his arm around Kate's shoulder.

His youngest daughter looked at him, her eyes serious. "30 minus 8. Am I right? Is it 22?"

Alison burst into laughter. She knew exactly what she was asking. "Becks…" She tried to control herself, but was having a really tough time. "Yes, sweetie. Very good. That's right. It's 22."

"That's not so long is it?" Becky asked.

"Depends on how you look at it." Alison replied. "Go play with Maggie, honey."

"OK." She said as she buried her nose in her flowers and scurried away.

Alison grabbed her husband's hand. "Rafe…" She warned him.

"Alison. Don't." He wouldn't be swayed.

"Rafe. I'm serious." She pulled him and made him face her. "BE NICE."

He looked genuinely taken aback, "I'm always nice."

"You're the sweetest man I know. You're also insane when it comes to your daughters. Take a deep breath before you go over there and scare that poor boy to death."

"Don't you think it's weird that he hasn't said hello to us yet?" Rafe asked her then.

She smiled at him and kissed him quickly. "Don't you think it's weird that you're paying so much attention to this kid?"

Kate's eyes scanned the yard. "Are you ready?" She whispered to Colin.

"For what?" He asked his eyes dancing with mischief.

"To meet the scariest man alive?" She laughed.

"Who? My father?" He asked.

"No." She shook her head at him and grabbed onto his hand. She gave it a quick squeeze as she smiled up at him. "My father. He's on his way over."

"He doesn't scare me." Colin said with a laugh, despite the fact that his palms were getting sweaty.

Lia noticed Colin's sudden case of nerves and had to laugh at him. "That's a pretty bold statement. Most guys are terrified of Rafe Kovich. He's legendary."

He must have heard her wrong. "Who?"

Colin looked like he was going to faint. Lia smiled at him, trying to make him feel more at ease. "Uncle Rafe. There's a reason Kate's only dated one guy in her lifetime. He wouldn't let anyone else but Danny near her."

Colin released his hold on Kate's hand. His stomach turned. Of course. It was only a matter of time. He should have known better. It was all too good to be true.

There was one thing his father taught him above all else. He'd learned it before he could even talk. It was that the Morleys and Kovichs did not mix. When they did - it was always a disaster.

Colin turned to look at Kate. At the moment it didn't register that he'd never told her who he really was. It was clear she didn't understand what was going on. She stood beside him, laughing. She'd never looked more beautiful.

His heart shattered. Everything he'd begun to hope for came crashing down around him. "I'm sorry. I have to go." He whispered.

"Colin?" She looked at him with concern. "It's OK. He just likes to make sure you know the deal. Deep down? He's really a mush."

He stared at her in disbelief. He started to back away. Colin shook his head, willing it not to be true. "That's not it. You - you - you're Katrina Kovich."

"Uh huh. Have been my whole life." She smiled that smile at him and Colin almost didn't care. He almost decided that he could do it. But he knew couldn't. He pulled back and started to walk away.

"Colin?" Kate watched him for only a second before she ran after him.

Rafe reached Lia and Lynnie and watched with concern as they saw her run to the front yard.

"What just happened here?" He asked his nieces.

"I think you totally freaked him out - Uncle Rafe." Lia laughed. "God. You're really good at that."

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"Colin!!" She called after him. "Wait a second."

Her voice sounded so sweet he stopped. The minute he looked at her Colin knew it would be impossible to say goodbye.

"Katrina. Please." He pleaded at her, tears stinging his eyes.

"I knew he was scary but I thought you were tougher than that." She joked.

"I can't stay here." Colin said softly.

He looked like he was about to lose it. She needed to have a talk with her father. She smiled up at him. "OK. Let's take a minute." She moved to grab his hand. "You will have to meet him eventually - you know. If we're going to do this."

It killed him to say the words. He couldn't meet her eyes. "We're not doing anything - Katrina. I have to go. I wanted to tell you - I'm leaving tonight. "

"You're leaving? I thought you said…." Tears began to fill her own eyes. She blinked them back and began to get angry. "It figures." She said as she glowered at him. "I guess I should have known. Typical."

"Katrina." He sighed.

He'd hurt her deeply but she wasn't going to let him see it. She'd let Danny do that to her and she was done being thrown away like she was worthless. Her anger took over and she glared at him. "OK. That's fine. Leave then. Have a nice trip. Please. Don't let me stop you."

And though her heart was breaking, she turned and walked away.

Colin watched her go, his life crumbling around him.

From the porch Kevin watched the whole thing transpire. He watched Colin hunch his shoulders and begin to walk away. He stared off on the road towards town.

He couldn't let him leave.

"Colin.." He called out to him.

Started, the young man turned around. "What now?" He snapped.

Kevin fought to keep his voice steady. "Please. Wait a second. I'd like to talk to you."

"Sorry. I'm out of here." He saw something familiar about the man speaking to him. Colin turned to look at him. "Do I know you?"

"I'm not sure how much your mother told you. You might not know me, but I know you. Please, Colin. Let me drive you back to town. We can talk on the way."

Colin shook his head. "Listen guy. Thanks for the offer, but you are right. I don't know you. I think it's better that I walk."

Kevin couldn't let him go. "Colin Morley, don't you dare walk away from me."

"Hold on. How do you know who I am?" Colin turned back, his face full of sorrow.

"Because." Kevin promised his grandson, so happy to be able to say the words. "You might be part of him, Colin but you're also part of me."