My child!
Certainty gripped him as he judged the little girl to be about four years old. Mother and daughter disappeared from view, re-entering the room from which they had emerged. He switched his attention to Linda Ellis, his eyes boring into hers for the truth.
“She’s mine, isn’t she? My child!”
Her hand lifted to her throat as though instinctively moving to choke off any admission. She shook her head in frightened agitation. To Quin’s mind there was no reason for fear unless the connection was true and the plan was to keep him in ignorance. As they had for the past five years!
He brushed past Nicole’s mother and charged down the hall, the need to have his certainty absolutely confirmed pumping through him. The door to the bedroom had been left slightly ajar. He pushed it open.
The overhead light was still on and Quin was momentarily distracted by the startling vision of the butterfly tree, set in front of a bay window, its long, twisted, greyish white driftwood branches loaded with dozens of beautiful butterflies in all sizes and colours. A wonderful decoration for a little girl’s room, he thought, wrenching his gaze away from its fascination to target the mother and child who’d just flipped his life into another dimension.
Nicole was by the bed, bent over in the act of removing the little girl’s dressing-gown, blocking him off from her daughter—their daughter. The urge to stake a claim here and now was far too strong for Quin to deny.
“Your mother is mistaken, Zoe,” he said.
Nicole straightened up and whipped around, shooting him a killer look for intruding on what she considered her territory.
Not just hers any more, he silently resolved, strolling forward, his gaze fastened on the child who was so clearly flesh of his flesh, blood of his blood. She was not frightened of him, not his daughter. She stood her ground, looking gravely at him, waiting to hear what the mistake was, and Quin was flooded by a tumultuous mix of emotions—wonder, pride, tenderness, a fierce need to protect, the desire to hold her close, hug her tight.
But he was a stranger to her and restraint was called for until she accepted him for who he was. He squatted down to speak to her at eye level. “I’m not just someone passing by,” he explained. “I’ve been away for a long time. All your life so far. But I aim to stay around for the rest of it.”
“Quin!” The grated protest from Nicole drew Zoe’s attention to her.
“That’s my name,” he quickly said, offering a smile that promised he was harmless. It persuaded their daughter into looking directly at him again. “My full name is Joaquin Luis Sola, but most people, like your mother, call me Quin for short. I’m very, very glad to meet you, Zoe.”
He offered his hand.
She glanced up at her mother for instruction but none was forthcoming. Quin could feel Nicole staring at him—huge tension emanating from her—but he kept his concentration focused on Zoe, willing her to respond to him.
Her gaze dropped to his hand. After a long, breathless moment, she tentatively offered hers. Quin couldn’t help grinning in happy triumph as he took it. Her sweetly curved mouth—Nicole’s mouth—returned a shy smile.
“Hello,” he said encouragingly, loving the soft warmth of her little hand in his.
“Hello,” she returned, her eyes locked onto his, wanting to know more of him.
And the words simply spilled out of Quin.
“I’m your daddy.”
CHAPTER TEN
NICOLE’S mind was jammed with so many conflicting thoughts it was impossible to produce any sensible response to Quin’s declaration. She listened dumbly as Zoe started her own childish interrogation, trying to understand where Quin was coming from, why he was here now.
“My daddy?” she queried wonderingly.
“Yes,” Quin confirmed, admitting no doubt whatsoever. “Look for yourself,” he invited. “We have the same eyes, the same hair, the same nose. I’m your father.”
Silence while she studied the face in front of her. Then she looked up at Nicole for assurance. “Is it true, Mummy?”
Nicole’s head ached from the terrible mental traffic racing through it. Her heart was squeezed by so many painful emotions, it struggled to keep beating. Her mouth was hopelessly dry. “Yes,” she croaked out, realising it would be futile to deny it.
Zoe returned her gaze to the father who had been missing all her life and with artless innocence asked, “Where have you been, Daddy? Why have you come now in the middle of the night?”
Quin didn’t even pause to think. He came straight out with, “I’ve been lost in another world to yours, Zoe. And I’ve only just found my way here. I couldn’t wait until tomorrow to see you. I hope you don’t mind.”
Magnetic charm was pouring out of him.
And Nicole hated him for it.