“What happened? I mean, you know, if you care to share.”
The other two women in the room glanced their way as they left and headed back to church. Cat didn’t want to go to church. She’d rather hide out here awhile longer. She glanced at her sister-in-law, who was waiting for her to answer, eyes wide.
“I went to Kenya for a travel piece and saw this gorgeous opal in a Nairobi market. It came from the north in Ethiopia. I thought I should check out the opal trade there and my editor agreed. So I flew into the capital city of Addis Ababa and that’s where I met Simon, a real live gem hunter. He was able to take me to one of the opal mines.”
“Go on.”
Cat sat forward. “It’s unbelievable how precarious it is. The mines are holes in the sides of sheer mountains. The miners are local folks, and many used to be farmers.”
Ginger’s eyes were still wide. “Weren’t you afraid? All by yourself like that?”
“No.” Cat had loved her job, filled with adventurous travel that had kept her far from home and her past. Now it was over. She couldn’t leave Opal with just anyone and that had brought her back to Maple Springs and her family.
Cat shrugged. “I always had a reputable guide, so I felt safe. Simon served as my guide to the mines and he has a solid reputation in the industry. One evening, after he’d made a large purchase of raw opals, we were followed. Those men didn’t look like they’d play nice either, and the next thing I knew, we were running. We finally lost them, but it was raining so hard we took shelter in an abandoned hut for the night.”
Ginger absorbed the tale. “Did those men who were chasing you ever get the opals?”
Cat shrugged. “I don’t know. The next day, Simon had a local pilot take me back to the capital.”
“And you never saw him again?”
“Not till today.”
“Wow.” Ginger looked thoughtful.
“Yeah.” Cat glanced at the door when she heard a soft knock.
Simon entered, his close-cut hair tousled in the front as if he’d tried to pull it all out. “Cat, we need to have a talk.”
Her stomach tipped at the venom in his voice. “I suppose we do.”
Ginger stood, giving Simon a pointed look as if warning him to play nice. “I’ll check back before church lets out.”
Simon held the door for Ginger and then closed it behind her.
He stood slightly taller than average and was slender with a few streaks of silver gleaming in his dark hair. He sat in the seat that Ginger had vacated.
He took a deep breath and let it back out, a cautious expression spread across his face. “You’re sure it was me?”
Cat snorted. “Yeah, I’m sure.”
“Okay, okay.” He raised his hands before rubbing them against the tops of his thighs, clearly nervous. “Have you come home for a bit, then?”
She wasn’t giving anything away, even though his nervousness surprised her. He’d shown no fear when they’d been on the run from those men. “I heard that you’re leaving.”
He leaned back in the chair. “After Christmas, yes.”
“Why?”
He shrugged. “Living here wasn’t working for me and I’d like to get back to the hunt.”
Cat nodded. It was what she’d known all along. A man like Simon would never settle down.
He took a deep breath. “Look, I don’t know how to be a good father.”
“And I know how to be a mom?”
His eyes narrowed. “You appear to know what you’re doing and you’ve a good family here.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You have a solid support system. I will support you too, you know, financially.”
Cat sighed. So, they were only a financial obligation to him. “I’m not looking for you to do anything.”
Simon shot to his feet and ran his hand through his hair. “I won’t abandon my own kid.”
He’d abandoned her—setting her on that plane as if he couldn’t wait to be rid of her despite the night they’d spent together. She’d thought they’d shared something special, but the morning after proved it obviously hadn’t meant anything to him—just as their daughter didn’t seem to mean anything to him now...other than money he needed to pay.
She didn’t want him complicating things for her or Opal as some absentee parent whose only connection to them was child support. Or worse, popping in and out of their lives. A person couldn’t parent halfway and Cat wasn’t into taking his money unless Simon showed that he wanted to be a real dad.
“Can I hold her?” His voice was whisper-soft.
Cat wanted to refuse. He was leaving in a month’s time. Why bother pretending to care if he wasn’t going to make any commitment to stick around? And yet because he was leaving, what harm could there be in granting this small request?
With a sigh, she got up and walked toward him and settled Opal in his arms. She continued to support the baby from underneath and, being this close, she caught the light scent of Simon’s spicy cologne. “Cradle her so you don’t drop her. Okay, that’s it.”
“I’ve held a baby before.” He awkwardly adjusted his arms.
“Yeah? When?”
A dark shadow crossed his face. “A long, long time ago.”
“Support her neck.” Cat finally relinquished her hold and stepped back, curious. “What baby did you hold?”
“My little sister and brother.” Simon cradled their daughter and his face softened.
“Ah, so you do have family.” He’d refused to answer that question before.
“If you can call them that, yes.” Simon didn’t elaborate and concentrated on Opal’s face.
Cat watched the man melt before her very eyes. The sight nearly undid her.
He looked back up at her. “Cat, I have no idea what to do.”
“You’re holding her just fine.”
“That’s not what I mean.” He looked as if he’d been torn in two.
“What do you mean?” she whispered.
Simon’s gaze bore into hers, searching.
A different woman stepped into the room with a crying infant and her eyes widened when she spotted Simon.
“You’d better go.” Cat reached for Opal.
Simon didn’t hand her over. “Come with me.”
Her stomach flipped again, but Cat killed the butterflies swirling there. “Where?”
“My house isn’t far.” He waited for her to decide.
Cat could refuse, but they’d have to finish this conversation eventually. Before he left, anyway. She supposed she owed him that much.
Glancing at the woman waiting for Simon to leave so she could feed her baby, Cat quickly grabbed her diaper bag and followed him out.
Simon