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Simon fought his instinct to refuse outright and stalled. “What do you want?”
“I want you to come. I’d like you to get to know my family.”
If the rest of Cat’s family reacted as Zach had, he’d rather face a firing line. Still, perhaps that was what he deserved. His actions had consequences. Opal being one of them. Time to take responsibility, even as he searched for a way out. “I don’t want to intrude.”
“You wouldn’t be. They’re nice people, Simon.”
“I’m sure they are—”
“If you don’t have other plans, then what is it?” Cat glanced at him.
He shrugged. “I’m not used to family gatherings.”
Cat softened. A little. “What about your family? You mentioned having a brother and sister.”
He might as well let her know where he came from. “My brother’s in jail for assault the last time I checked and I haven’t spoken to my sister in years. Both are much younger than me.”
“And your parents?” Cat squeaked out.
“My mom died a few years back and I never knew my father.” He kept his voice even.
Cat watched the road a moment longer before stealing another peek at him. “I’m sorry.”
He didn’t want her sympathy.
She kept going, trying to make conversation. “So, your mother never remarried?”
He laughed and it came out as a harsh-sounding bark. “She never married in the first place. I didn’t know my father because I don’t know who that man might be. I don’t think my mother knew either. My siblings are pretty much in the same boat. Only, they know their father. But he’s never wanted anything to do with either of them.”
“Oh.” Cat looked truly sorry.
“I vowed never to follow those footsteps and yet here I am.”
Cat winced. “Yes, here we are.”
They’d messed up.
They arrived at the store. Cat pulled into the parking lot but hesitated about getting out. She turned to face him. “Look, I’m sorry this happened.”
He didn’t like the repentant look on her face.
He’d never meant to slam her like this was all her fault. He reached for the bit of her hair that brushed her shoulders, feeling the silkiness of it between his fingers. “I’m not.”
Her eyes widened.
He couldn’t believe he’d just said that, but oddly he meant it. He realized that seeing her was better than not. Even though she came with serious baggage that had the same brown eyes as him. “We’ll figure it out.”
She gave him a hint of a smile. “You keep saying that.”
“We don’t have much of a choice, now do we?”
She looked away, clearly disappointed. “No, I suppose not.”
He couldn’t expect to chase away her fears when he had so many of his own. But he’d try. He had to try.
* * *
Cat’s stomach sank as she got out of the car. She had no right to be disappointed in his answer. Simon was doing his best to deal with their situation. It was not as if he’d had much time to get used to becoming a father. She’d stolen that time from him by not telling him.
He opened the door to the back seat and Opal. “How do I do this?”
She came around and slid the car seat out of its base. “Like that. Super easy. And if you hold her, I’ll get the stroller from the trunk.”
“Stroller?”
“You’ll see.” Cat popped the trunk and withdrew the folded stroller. She then snapped the car seat into place. “I’m not real comfortable setting Opal in a shopping cart. The car seat might not fit right and then what if she fell or something fell on her?”
“I see your point.” Simon tucked the edge of the blanket that had flopped over around their daughter’s shoulders. “Will she be warm enough without a coat?”
The temperatures were still cold, but the sun shone from a cloudless sky. Cat felt her baby’s nice warm cheeks against her cold hands. “The blanket keeps her warm. It’s not far. If you’ll push her, I’ll get us a cart.”
Simon took over stroller duty. He hadn’t shaved and the day-old whiskers roughed his face. He looked like the man she’d met in Africa. Only, he wore jeans and a thick woolen sweater instead of dusty khakis and a sweat-soaked T-shirt.
She looked down at her feet. She didn’t match his smooth style wearing her Goth-style clunky black boots, leggings and a long black sweater. They didn’t match at all, and that was part of the problem. Despite his promises to figure it out, they were not any closer to a plan or solution to the question of “what now?”
When they entered the store, Cat took in the Christmas decorations with a frown. She hadn’t expected Northern Michigan retailers to be in sync with bigger cities. “Thanksgiving’s not even over yet.”
He nodded. “I need to decorate my store. Part of a holiday liquidation plan.”
“I’d like to see it. The engagement ring Darren bought for Bree is gorgeous.” She wanted to see more of his work, especially what he may have done with those raw opals he’d bought while she’d tagged along. He’d said that he’d often been paid with a selection of the gems he’d purchased for his employer.
“Stop by anytime.”
They made their way toward the baby section and she took a deep breath. “Here we go.”
Simon chuckled. “You look like I feel. I have no idea about these things.”
Cat laughed too. “I’m still figuring it out.”
He touched her arm, bringing them to a stop.
Cat looked into his warm brown eyes. “What?”
“I’m sorry you were alone.”
Cat’s belly flipped at the softness of his voice. To keep her thoughts away from what might have been, she tried to focus on the Thanksgiving-themed items shelved in the middle of the wide aisle, but the bagged stuffing and rows of bottled sage spices didn’t stave off the swell of emotions that assaulted her. Regret that he hadn’t been there.
Her voice came out thick when she answered, “I wasn’t alone. My mom was with me when Opal was born.”
He ran his hand through his hair, shorter now and much neater. “I should have been there. I would have been there had I known.”
“Would you really? You didn’t even mention that you’d met me to Zach.”
His face reddened. “We both had chances we let pass by.”
A safe answer that was no answer at all. What might have happened had she called him when she’d found out she was pregnant? She heard Opal gurgle and peeked into the stroller.
Opal cooed again.
A passerby stopped and smiled. “Awww. She’s adorable. Your first?”
Cat nodded.
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” she and Simon answered in unison.
She looked at him.
He looked back, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Come on, we’d better get what you came here for.”
And get out quick.
They moved deeper into the store and Cat glanced at Simon. The entire way, his face looked blank and hard, as if it had been carved out of stone. Maybe he was trying not to think about what might have been, as well. Although, she didn’t quite believe that he wasn’t sorry about this. He wasn’t any more comfortable with the idea of being a parent than she.
We don’t have much of a choice, now do we?
Those words echoed through her thoughts as they shopped, checked out and loaded the purchases into the trunk of her Honda. Cat showed Simon how Opal’s car seat worked, slipping it out of the stroller and back into the base. With the baby safely tucked into the back seat of the car, she showed him how to fold up the stroller.
He looked thoughtful and then took a picture of the car seat with his phone. He’d checked while they were inside, but they didn’t carry the same model at this store. “Next time I’m in Traverse City, perhaps I’ll purchase one of those.”
“What for? You’re leaving.”
His brow furrowed. “Yes, but I’ll be back.”
“What’s that mean?” Was he planning to just pop in and out of Opal’s life? And hers?
“I haven’t figured it out yet.”
Remembering the rough-and-tumble way Simon drove to the opal mines, the thought of him driving with Opal wasn’t welcome. She glanced at the baby. She snoozed peacefully, having fallen asleep while they were checking out.
“What kind of car do you have?” She hadn’t seen it in his driveway. But then, it could have been in the garage.
Simon grinned. “A very stable Jeep Cherokee.”
Cat nodded. “Next time, you drive.”
“So you can see how I do?”
“Yes. Is that so bad? How do I know you won’t forget to drive on the right side of the road?”
He laughed. “No, Cat. It’s not bad. Actually, it’s cute. Now, how about lunch?”
It was noon and Cat was hungry, but sitting across from Simon with so little to say and everything that should be said hanging between them wasn’t exactly a prospect she relished. That comment about him coming back had given her a sense of optimism, but Cat knew better than to hope for impossible things. Coming back didn’t mean staying. “Where do you want to go?”
He pointed at the three chain restaurants lined up across the street. “How about one of those?”
“Sure.” Cat picked the middle restaurant. At least they had decent salads.
It had been so easy interviewing Simon, seeing the mines and the chunks of rock with bits of translucent opal showing through. That had been exciting. Even being chased through the rain had been scary but strangely exhilarating. Shopping for baby items and then catching lunch at a franchise was awkward; the easiness they’d once shared was gone.
Once again, her life had been irrevocably changed because she’d let down her guard. Although she loved Opal with a ferociousness she’d never expected, regret still lingered and fear of the future only grew. She had a dark past that never left her alone, making the thought of raising a baby more than a little daunting.
When they were settled into a booth with Opal next to her, still sleeping in her car seat, Cat quickly scanned the menu and set it down.
“You know what you want?” Simon slowly perused his.
She wanted to be back in New York with its vast selection of places to eat. She wanted to hop a plane to exotic places with her camera and then write about them. She wanted the only responsibility in her life to be handing in a piece on time.
Cat sighed. Those days were gone. “A salad.”
Simon looked at her closely. “You look good, Cat. I hope you don’t think you need to lose weight or anything.”
He had no idea. Her jeans still didn’t fit. “It’s what I want.”
He cocked one eyebrow at her. “Very well.”
“Speaking of eating, are you coming for Thanksgiving or not? I’d like to let my mother know.”
He set down his menu, glanced at Opal, before zeroing back in on her. “What time?”
“Noon, if you’d like to watch the football game. We usually eat between two and three, during halftime.”
“Very well. I’ll be there for the game.” He looked like he’d bit into a sour lemon.
She smiled because the waitress had arrived to take their orders. She had to give Simon credit for agreeing to face her entire family. Hopefully, it’d go well. For all of them.
Chapter Three (#u46d3a03f-8def-50dd-bca7-dfedbe839696)
Thanksgiving Day, after driving ten miles north of town, Simon stared at the Zelinsky home. It was well kept and big. Cat had grown up in a nice place on an inland lake, with a large yard and plenty of trees to climb. She’d had everything a kid could ask for.
He hadn’t talked to Cat for nearly two days. She hadn’t stopped by the shop, but then the past couple of days had been cold and rainy. Not good days to take a little baby out.
He’d called last night to see if there was anything he should bring today, but Cat had told him not a thing. After hanging up, he’d prayed for direction, but Simon still felt adrift. With his troubled family background, how would he be able to relate to the Zelinsky clan? Even he and Cat barely knew each other. What mattered most was Opal’s welfare and that was why he was here. He wanted to see the rest of the family his daughter had been born into. The people who would have a role in raising her.
Simon made his way along the slate stonework walkway up to the front porch. Taking a deep breath, he rang the doorbell and waited.
He heard voices and laughter and then the door was opened by an older woman with classic features and blondish hair, which was pulled back tight. “You must be Simon.”
