Chapter 36
Shawn turned his head to look at Kathleen.
“I thought we weren’t supposed to let people know we’re married?” Kathleen asked quietly.
He frowned. “That only applies to you.”
She stared at him, speechless. So, that rule only applied to her.
“If I meet your relatives now, won’t it make it harder for you to marry another woman later?” she muttered. She knew if Shawn survived long enough, he was bound to divorce her.
Shawn stopped and studied her. “You don’t need to worry about that.”
“I’m not worried about you,” she whispered. “I’m worried it’ll mess up my chances to remarry later.”
As soon as she said it, she felt a chill down her spine.
She instinctively shrank her shoulders and stole a glance at Shawn, whose expression had turned cold.
“So basically,” he said with a scoff, “you’re still worried about your own reputation. Nothing to do with me.”
Kathleen made a face and said nothing.
Shawn walked ahead without another word, clearly not wanting to entertain her anymore.
She hurried to catch up. Shawn was the only familiar face here, after all.
“That’s not what I meant,” she elaborated. “You wanted a divorce, not me. I’m just thinking, if you bring someone new around, the family might think you’re a player. That’s not good for your image.”
Shawn gave a dry laugh.
“If you’re not worried, then I’m definitely not,” she added, standing up straighter, trying to look confident.
Inside the house, despite the windows being cracked open, the warmth enveloped the entire space.
There were a lot of people. The men stood around chatting and laughing, while the women were gathered together, smiling and talking softly. A few kids were chasing each other through the open space between the adults, their giggles filling the room with cheer.
It really did feel like a happy family.
Kathleen felt that her chest was filling up with warmth. It had been so long since she’d been in an environment like this.
As she watched the children play, a genuine smile crept onto her face.
Shawn happened to glance back and saw her smiling quietly. Her features were delicate to begin with, but when she smiled like that, she seemed to glow.
Several people noticed the two of them. Their gazes weren’t curious or judgmental—just admiring.
Everyone already knew Shawn had gotten married. There had been no wedding or no official announcement, but news like that spread fast in families like this. Those who needed to know already did.
“Shawn, Kat, come here,” Judy called out to them.
Kathleen snapped back to reality and realized many people were now looking at her. She suddenly felt a little awkward.
Shawn held out his hand toward her.
She hesitated for a second. Then, she took it.
It was the first time they held hands where neither of them resisted. His fingers were cool and long, his palm warm against hers. When their hands met, both of them instinctively tightened their grip.
Kathleen’s heart skipped a beat.
Shawn didn’t look at her and only led her over to greet the family.
No one said anything inappropriate or made things hard for her. It was a big family, but they were gracious and welcoming.
After the introductions were made, Shawn left Kathleen with Judy and the other women while he went to join Henry and the men.
Kathleen understood that men and women always split off like this during big gatherings.
The women picked up their previous conversation. They didn’t exclude Kathleen or ask her anything awkward.
When they brought up certain topics, they even asked for her opinion in a way that felt natural and respectful. She relaxed quickly. Sitting there in that easy warmth, Kathleen suddenly wondered how Chelsey was doing.
Chapter 37
