Holiday Baby

No, they wouldn’t. They’d be the very same.

“Don’t worry about dinner. I’ll make sure you get a plate.” Her mother kissed her forehead.

Cat nodded.

At the door, her mother turned. “Why don’t you invite Simon to join us for Thanksgiving?”

Not a good idea. “I don’t know his plans.”

The sudden thought that he might be seeing someone seared her belly and turned it sour. But surely he wouldn’t leave if that was true. And anyway, Ginger would have said something.

Her mom smiled. “Just ask.”

“I don’t know.” Cat lay back on her bed and stared at the ceiling.

“Cat, if Simon wants to be supportive, let him be more than a monthly check.”

Did he really want to be part of Opal’s life—part of her life? Maybe everything he’d done and said today had just been the result of surprise. He might feel differently in the morning. It wouldn’t be the first time.

Leaving Simon in the dark about Opal might not have been fair, but if he’d cared about her at all, he would have contacted her. She would have told him about the baby if he had.

There was no way to rewrite the past. She’d have to decide how to handle things going forward. Having him around her whole family was bound to be awkward, but maybe her mom was right. If Simon wanted to be part of Opal’s life, it had to start now, not years later. That wouldn’t be fair to Opal.

She glanced at the baby lying peacefully in her crib, asleep once again. Her heart twisted at the sweetness of her daughter’s face. She reached for her phone and took a quick photo. “You deserve the best, baby. I hope I can give you that.”

Every child deserved to know their father. Now that Simon knew, and while he was still here in Maple Springs, she owed him the chance to be part of Opal’s life. That meant being involved with the Zelinsky family, as well. Simon knew Zach, he might as well get to know the rest of them.

* * *

The next day, Simon watched for Cat. She’d called and asked if they could go for a drive to talk and he’d agreed. When she pulled in, he was already waiting outside and slipped into the passenger seat. “Hello.”

“Good morning.” Cat looked pretty with her blond hair mostly pulled back with some of it loose.

He glanced in the back seat at Opal and smiled. “Good morning, Princess.”

Cat stared at him as if he’d lost his mind.

“What?” he asked.

“Nothing.”

“Well, where to?” Simon liked the idea of talking while driving, although he’d rather be the one behind the wheel.

“I need to pick up a few things for Opal in the next town over. Do you mind going with me?”

“They carry good stuff?” Simon asked.

“Yes. Traverse City has more stores, but that’s two hours away.”

“We don’t need to go that far.”

He’d been thinking a lot about this situation, coming up with nothing new. All he knew was that it wasn’t right to abandon his own child. Paying child support was part of being a father, but would it be enough?

They slipped into silence while Cat drove out of town. Even the baby remained quiet.

“Do you have plans for Thanksgiving?” Cat’s voice sounded strained.

“Nothing special. Why?”

“My mother wants you to come to our house for the day.” Cat didn’t look over at him as she rounded the bay.

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

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.”

“I am. Thank you for inviting me.” He offered her his hand and smiled at the warmth shining from the woman’s eyes.

She accepted the handshake. “I’m Helen, Cat’s mom, and she’s right, that’s one great accent you have. Come in, please.” She stepped back to give him room to enter. She was about the same middling height as Cat.

He should have told her that she looked more like a sister, but he couldn’t get past the fact that Cat liked his accent. Having spent his late teens and most of his adult life living in London, he’d picked up a bit of how they spoke.

What else did Cat find agreeable?

“We’ve got the game on in the family room. Are you a fan of football?”

“I enjoy watching it, yes.” Simon grew up watching the Giants, having been born and raised in New York City.

He followed Cat’s mom from the large entrance area into a warm kitchen filled with tempting food aromas and family members huddled around a spread of snacks. The itchy feeling of being the odd man out hit quick and sure. Add that he was Opal’s father, and it made him the proverbial white elephant in the room.

Where was Cat?

“Cat’s feeding Opal. She’ll be down in a moment,” her mother answered as if reading his thoughts. “Simon, this is my husband, Andy.”

Simon stood straighter, but Cat’s father still towered over him. He extended his hand. “Good to meet you, sir.”

Cat’s father looked through him and Simon was certain the man found him lacking in every way possible as he accepted his hand. “Thank you for coming.”

“Your invitation was very kind.” Simon saw where Zach got his bearing. He glanced around the room again, wishing Cat would hurry.

Her mother was now busy in the kitchen with Zach’s wife and a tall blond man he’d met at church—also one of Cat’s brothers.

“We look forward to knowing you better,” Andy said.

Simon merely nodded. Too many layers in that statement to uncover each one now. He felt a strong urge to apologize, but the words evaded him. There wasn’t much that could be said to expunge what had happened between him and Cat.

Fortunately, Cat’s sister Monica scuffled toward him before he made a fool of himself trying to explain the unexplainable to Cat’s father.

“Hey, have you considered my website offer?” She too was quite tall. Cat came from a family of giants. “I can do an online catalog that’ll knock your socks off.”

“I’m closing up shop.”

Monica’s mouth dropped. “You are? Why? I thought you were doing well.”

“Yes, well—”

Cat’s father placed his hand on Simon’s shoulder. “Grab a plate and come watch the game. We’ll talk later.”

Simon didn’t mistake the hard look in Andy’s eyes. Cat’s father reduced him to an awkward teen in a matter of moments. He’d known from the start that coming here wasn’t going to be easy, but he hadn’t expected the tension to be quite this strong.

“Hello, Simon.” Cat breezed into the room, grabbed a carrot from one of the trays and popped it into her mouth.

“Where’s Opal?”

She pointed to the ceiling, still crunching. “Sleeping.”

“What if she wakes up? How will you know?”

“Baby monitor.” Cat pulled out what looked like a white walkie-talkie from the pocket of her long top.

She wore gray leggings with woolen socks. Her hair was up, but some of it fell around her face. He loved her hair like that. He wished they were alone. So many things remained unsettled between them. Unsettled in him.

“Have you met everyone?”

“Just your parents, when I arrived.”

“Grab a pop. That’s my brother Cam in the kitchen with my mom. They pretty much run the show with food prep and the rest of us clean up.”

Cam turned and gave him a nod. His hands were deep in a bowl of something.

Simon remembered that he’d seen Cam at the diner in town, as well as in church. Simon picked up a can of soda from an ice-filled tub and followed Cat down a few steps, where everyone was gathered to watch the game. A couple soft couches and chairs were filled, along with a rocking chair near the fireplace. A couple of Cat’s brothers lounged against large pillows on the floor, leaving only one two-seater couch open.

“Everyone, this is Simon Roberts.”

He nodded as Cat introduced everyone in the room. He’d likely not remember their names, but there was a strong family resemblance. Cat was one of ten kids, with four older brothers and three younger, as well as two younger sisters.

Simon sat next to her on the two-seater, with nothing to say.

Fortunately, he didn’t need to say anything, as Cat kept talking. “My brother Matthew is still on the lakes. He’s an officer on a Great Lakes freighter, but his wife and her two-year-old will join us for dessert later. Greg there is Rose’s son. She married Cam around this time last year.”

The teenager gave him a nod. His mother, a warm smile.

Simon had seen them both at the diner, as well. “You’ve a large family.”

“I do.” Cat leaned back.

Simon also sat back but didn’t relax. The warmth of the fire and conversation surrounded him as he was peppered with well-intentioned questions that he answered the best he could. These people were nice and well-adjusted, a far cry from the world he grew up in. It should have felt comfortable and welcoming—he could tell that was the atmosphere the whole family was trying to create. But instead, it just made him feel out of place.

The desire to bolt overwhelmed him, but the future of one tiny baby kept him seated. Opal slept without a peep from the baby monitor and Cat looked tired. He noticed her eyelids drooping as soon as the football game started.

The desire to make things better for her twisted deep inside, but there wasn’t much he could do. With his arm draped along the back of the loveseat, he whispered, “You can lean into me.”

“No, no. I’m fine.” Cat’s eyes met his.

Could she really lean on him, through all of this? He’d given her no reason to, announcing he was closing up shop and skipping town. Sure, he’d offered financial support but how could he give Cat something to truly lean on?

Looking around, he was tempted to foist his responsibility for Opal on these people. Cat had everything she’d need right here.

He’d never had a normal family life. What made him think he’d do any better for Opal than these people? He couldn’t, so was there any point in trying?

But what of his daughter? Uncles couldn’t take the place of a father and he was her father.

* * *

Cat tried to clear the fog from her brain. She rested against someone warm. Inhaling the subtle, spicy scent, she opened her eyes and blinked.

“You weren’t out long.” Simon’s voice was soft and deep and it rumbled through her. That voice of his was her undoing with its buttery half accent and slight lilt of words.

“Sorry.” She sat up fast and rubbed her cheek, still warm from where she’d leaned into his shoulder. The shirt he wore was soft flannel, yet the man managed to look fashionable even in that.

She heard her sister’s voice through the monitor. If Opal wasn’t awake, she would be soon. “I should check on the baby.”

He nodded.

She escaped, but not before she connected with her father’s concerned gaze. Remembering their argument the last time she was home, she could easily imagine his thoughts. He was thinking she should settle down with Simon because of Opal, but Cat wasn’t making any sudden moves. Not when she knew next to nothing about Simon, and he knew so little about her. Even if she wanted a relationship, would Simon be on board for that? He’d said he’d come back, but would he stick around?

She hurried for the stairs.

“Cat, why didn’t you tell me it was Simon!” Monica hissed as she came down the steps with Opal in her arms. “I have to admit he’s pretty hot for an older guy.”

Cat knew her sister was teasing by the way she smirked. It didn’t matter that Simon was older than Cat by more than a few years— Wait, she didn’t even know his age.

She reached for the baby. “Does she need to be changed?”

“I did it. Don’t try to change the subject. I think Mom’s a little surprised by his age too, and I think Dad’s going to give your man a talking-to.”

Cat felt her stomach drop yet again. Please, not today. “He’s not my man.”