"Careful, Andrew," Steve called out. "She's a lot smaller than you."
"Okay, Uncle Steve," Andrew replied, leading Stephanie by the hand to the blanket where the toys were spread out.
Steve smiled watching Stephanie play with Andrew. For a moment, all felt right with the world. He was lying on a blanket under a shady oak tree watching his daughter play with her cousin. His wife was inside helping Kim with something or other, and it was almost like he had never been gone. Steve's smile faded. But he had been gone and he was now convinced that Kayla, Kim, and Shane were all keeping something from him about that time.
Kayla did not want to talk about it and would only give vague answers, mostly insisting that she missed him terribly. She had no problems telling him all about everybody else's life in the last nine months, but hers seemed like it was shrouded in secrecy. At first, he thought it was just painful for her to talk about so he didn't push. After all, he understood better than anyone about not wanting to talk about things that hurt. But, with every passing day, he became more and more sure that there was much more to it.
His little talk with Kim by the pond a few days ago had only served to increase his suspicions. She had clearly been uncomfortable and dodged his questions. He could only think of one reason that Kayla and Kim would be avoiding his questions and his heart constricted just thinking about it. Had Kayla been dating someone? It was the only thing that made any sense. He thought again about that ring she had been wearing the day she arrived at Donovan Manor. She had said it was just costume jewelry, but something in her expression and her tone had made him wonder. It couldn't be anything else, Steve thought to himself. Kayla had never lied to him. She was the most honest person he knew.
Yet, even if that ring was only costume jewelry as she said, she was still keeping secrets that both Kim and Shane were helping her keep. Well, that was going to end tonight. When they went to bed, he would get her to tell him the whole story. As much as it hurt, he couldn't hold it against her if she had been seeing someone. She had thought he was dead. And whoever this guy was, he was clearly no longer in the picture. Kayla had been nothing but loving since Steve's return, and he could feel her passion for him every night as they grew closer and closer to finally reuniting as man and wife. The last few nights had been pure torture for both of them, with each wanting to be with the other. Thank God his strength was returning bit by bit. He didn't know how much longer he could sleep next to Kayla without giving in and ravishing her body, damn the consequences.
That was the answer, Steve decided. He would make Kayla tell him everything tonight, then he would make sure she knew it was okay, that he loved her and the fact that she might have gone on a few dates with some other guy changed nothing. Then he would take her in his arms and show her just how much he loved her.
A loud laugh from Stephanie invaded his thoughts. She was playing happily with a stuffed bunny while Andrew made pig noises with his stuffed pig, pretending to attack her. Steve got up from his spot and walked over to where the kids were playing. Sitting down next to them, he picked up a small truck and made "vroom, vroom" noises while driving it over other toys on the blanket. Andrew giggled and joined in, being sure to keep Stephanie entertained in the process.
"You're a good cousin, Andrew," Steve said, ruffling the boy's hair. "Stephanie loves to play with you."
"I like playing with her too," said Andrew. "We had lots of fun playing when her and Aunt Kayla lived at Daddy's house."
Steve's heart skipped a beat. Had he heard Andrew correctly? Kayla and Stephanie had lived at Shane's house? He thought back to the other night when Shane had told the news about the cure for the virus. Shane had been angry at Kayla for keeping Bo's condition a secret, saying something about how they were supposed to be honest with each other. That had seemed strange given that Shane and Kayla were nothing more than friends and extended family and, he supposed, work colleagues because of the lab. But if Kayla had lived in Shane's house, maybe that explained Shane's expectation of honesty. But when was this? Kim had been in LA until around Stephanie's birthday, according to what she had told him. Maybe Kim had stayed at Shane's house when she returned and Kayla had stayed with her for a while. It was a big house and Shane would certainly allow Kim to stay there with Andrew. Yes, that had to be it, Steve thought to himself.
"Was your Mommy there when Stephanie and Aunt Kayla lived at your Daddy's house?" Steve asked.
He heard a noise behind him and looked back to see Shane walking up just as Andrew answered.
"No. Mommy was in LA with Jeannie. It was just Daddy, Aunt Kayla, Stephanie and Eve. Mommy let me visit last Christmas."
Suddenly, Steve flashed to the picture Shane had given him of Andrew, Eve and Stephanie. He looked up at Shane, anger and jealousy flowing through his veins. "Just what the hell was going on in that house of yours, Donovan?"