NO RAINBOWS cont.

His frank response let her blink away the tears. "Well, you brought coffee so I do thank you. I suppose you could have brought sunshine. That might help more." She was able to produce a smile, wobbly but an attempt.

He looked up over the field. "Charley and Emma seem to do well together, don't they?"

Kathleen wasn't quite ready to leave her pain. There was another part she hadn't shared and she needed to get it said, out in the open. "The worst thing about getting left, dumped, isn't just missing him. It means I can't see his little girl anymore. I love Ashley. I thought we were building a strong family. Now she's just gone, out of my life for good. I can hardly stand that."

Maybe Ashley was more important than her father. I mean, you aren't a kid that can have a big flock of children. You might have been thinking of her as a way to have a head start on a family."

Angry, Kathleen found herself speechless.

He looked at her face, "I didn't say that very well did I? I'd hate to have my kids be more important to my woman than I was. That's all I meant. I don't even know if that was true, I was just talking."

"Well, it wasn't true. We'd dated two or three times before I even knew he had a daughter. I went out with him because I liked him."

"Liked him better than anyone else? Or was it the daughter that narrowed the field?"

"You don't even know what you're talking about."

"I know. I'm just letting you know that you can't have me for my kits."

"What? I can't believe you said that. I don't want you, kids or no kids. Who do you think you are anyhow?"

"Hold your horses. I'm just trying to be funny, cheer you up a little. Besides, I'm not such a bad proposition. That is, for someone who doesn't mind being confined by young children."

"Well you aren't funny. You're making me mad."

He laughed at her sputtering, "Better than crying, isn't it?

She didn't bother to give him an answer he didn't deserve, she called Emma and started to the car. Emma, seeing Kathleen headed out the gate, came running. As Kathleen backed the car out and pulled toward the drieway, he stood watching with Charley sitting at his feet. He gave a last minute wave but she didn't respond.