“Right!” He didn’t care how much Nicole might resent it. In fact, seizing opportunity rather than waiting for it seemed a very good idea. “I’ll bring the chain with me on Saturday morning and if it’s okay with your mother, we could spend the whole day together.”
“Mummy?” Zoe cried expectantly.
Nicole forced a smile for her daughter. “Okay. Now I think you should get dressed and go and have the breakfast Nanna is preparing for you.”
“Can Daddy have breakfast with me?” she asked eagerly.
“No, your father has to go to work. That’s why he’s wearing a suit. It was very good of him to come this morning especially to see you. Have you thanked him for his gift?”
“Oh, no, I haven’t!” Zoe looked at him, appalled at having forgotten to do so.
Seizing opportunity again, Quin smiled encouragingly and held out his arms to her. “How about a hug and a kiss?”
She flew at him in happy relief. Quin lifted her up against his shoulder and her little arms wound around his neck as she planted a big wet kiss on his cheek. “Thank you, Daddy. I love my Ulysses.”
It was said with such fervour, Quin felt his heart turn over. It was all he could do to control his embrace and not squeeze her too tightly. This beautiful child was his and he didn’t want to let her out of his possession. Then he caught sight of the pained look in Nicole’s eyes and knew that pushing this visit any further would be counter-productive to holding the ground he’d already taken.
“I’m glad it’s very special for you, Zoe,” he murmured, his voice husky with pleasure. “I’ll come again on Saturday.”
“Don’t get lost in your other world again, will you, Daddy?”
“No. Now that I’ve found you, there’s no chance of that happening.”
“Good!”
She grinned happily at him and he grinned right back as he set her down on her feet. “Better do what Mummy says. Bye for now, Zoe.”
“You won’t forget the silver chain?”
“I’ll go shopping for it at lunchtime today. You work out where you’d like to hang the Ulysses on the tree, and we’ll do it first thing on Saturday morning.”
She sighed her contentment.
“Be a good girl for Mummy,” he said in parting.
“I will. Bye, Daddy.”
Nicole accompanied him out of the bedroom in tightlipped silence, shutting the door behind them. As they walked down the hall, Quin asked, “Do you have any photo albums of Zoe’s life so far?”
“Yes,” came the curt, uninviting answer.
“I’d like to see them,” he pressed.
“I’ll bring them with me on Friday night.”
Not letting them out of her possession.
“Thank you. And thank you for Zoe, too, Nicole. She’s a wonderful child.”
“Yes, she is.”
It was said so vehemently, he could hear the unspoken words—And you’d better not change that, Quin Sola!
They stepped out on the front porch and Nicole halted by the front door. “Don’t start spoiling her with what your money can buy, Quin,” she warned.
He nodded. Money was the big issue between them. Quin realised they could not truly make a new beginning until he’d addressed Nicole’s perception of him.
“We’ll have a lot to talk about on Friday night,” he said