heaven, no. ‘Not the kindergarten.’ Her mind scrambled for a compromise.
Nor the apartment. She couldn’t bear to have him invade her sanctuary, her space, where he’d assume control and she’d have to sacrifice her own in Nicki’s presence … or risk a situation which would alarm her daughter.
Lunch. She could do lunch. Somewhere child-friendly that Nicki was familiar with, and they’d keep it short and sweet … the shorter the better.
She named a venue and stated a time. ‘Tomorrow,’ she added, and saw his mouth tighten.
‘Today.’
‘No,’ she said firmly. She needed to assume some form of control in the situation.
His gaze seemed to bore into hers. ‘Today, Shannay. Twelve-thirty.’ He paused imperceptibly, and his voice became deadly quiet. ‘Be there.’
Today. Tomorrow. What was the difference? How would twenty-four hours change anything?
Marcello was here. And now she had no recourse but to deal with the situation.
‘If—if,’ she stressed, ‘I agree, there would need to be conditions.’
‘Such as?’
A pulse beat fast at the base of her throat, a visible sign of her inner turmoil.
Marcello regarded her steadily, noting the darkness of her eyes, the faint shadows beneath, and her pale features.
It would seem she hadn’t slept any better than he, and there was a certain satisfaction to be had in that.
‘As far as Nicki is concerned, you’re just—’ she hesitated, aware friend wasn’t the word she wanted to use ‘—someone I know.’
Marcello felt like shaking her, and barely controlled the need. ‘And when the paternity test reveals otherwise?’
Shannay’s features whitened dramatically. She really didn’t want to go there … at least, not until she had to. She checked her watch, and felt her stomach curl with apprehension. ‘I have to leave now, Marcello.’ Even if the traffic lights were in her favour, she was going to be late picking Nicki up.
Marcello straightened and extracted a set of keys. ‘I’ll follow at a discreet distance.’
Her eyes flared. ‘Because you don’t trust me?’
‘It’s a more simple process than consulting a map.’
Without a further word he crossed to a sleek sedan and slid in behind the wheel.
The sound of the car’s engine igniting galvanised Shannay into action, and she quickly copied him as she sent her car onto street level.
Dammit, she silently fumed. Who did he think he was?
A man who made his own rules and expected others to abide by them, she conceded grimly.
Nicki was waiting with a carer when Shannay entered the kindergarten, and she offered an apology, gave Nicki a reassuring hug, then she elicited a brief update on the morning before catching hold of her daughter’s hand as she led the way out towards the car.
She deliberately didn’t glance towards the street to check if Marcello’s sedan was parked in the vicinity.
‘We’re going out for a while.’ She kept her voice light, bright, as she attempted to still the nervous tension spiralling through her body.
‘To the park?’ Nicki queried hopefully. ‘Can we feed the ducks?’
Shannay fervently wished such a simple pleasure as eating a packed lunch in the park formed part of the day as she lifted Nicki into her booster seat and secured the safety fastenings.
She leaned in close and dropped a light kiss on her daughter’s nose. ‘After lunch, on the way home,’ she promised, aware there was no better time than now to impart whom they were meeting and why.
‘A friend of mine is visiting from Spain, and he’s invited us to share lunch with him.’ She smoothed a hand over Nicki’s hair and summoned a smile. ‘Won’t that be fun?’
Oh, sure, and little pink pigs should sprout wings and fly!
How could she state this man is your father?
Worse, voice her deepest fear …
Traffic was light, and she fought the temptation to take the route back to her apartment. Only the knowledge Marcello would seek her out and make the situation incredibly more difficult than it already was ensured she drove to the restaurant.
Taking a circuitous route was a minor act of defiance.
Did he know? Possibly. Although he gave no indication as she effected an introduction … and watched dry-mouthed as Marcello hunkered down to Nicki’s eye level.
Shannay stood tense and incredibly protective … anxious to the point of paranoia over her daughter’s reaction to the man who posed such a potent threat to their existence.
Quite what she expected, she wasn’t sure.
She was intently aware of Marcello, but it was Nicki who held her undivided attention.
Outgoing, polite and friendly, Nicki regarded Marcello with wide-eyed unblinking solemnity. Weighing him up with the innocence of youth, reserving judgement until instinct dismissed an initial wariness and a smile curved her mouth.
‘Hello. I’m Nicki.’ Unbidden, a small hand extended in formal greeting, and with great care Marcello enfolded it within his own.
Hearts didn’t melt, stomachs didn’t really perform somersaults … but it sure felt like hers did both as conflicting emotions took hold with unsettling reality.
Father and child.
There was a part of her that wanted to encapsulate the moment for safe-keeping … for Nicki, she assured herself silently.
The venue proved eminently suitable, the food pleasantly presented and palatable. Not, Shannay mused, what her estranged husband was used to, but perfect for a young child.
It was difficult to summon light laughter and appear relaxed and at ease, when inside she’d have given anything for Marcello to be anywhere but here.
Maintaining the pretence of friendship proved to be a strain, and she battled emotional turmoil at the developing rapport between father and child.
Why shouldn’t Nicki be entranced by the man her mother had introduced as friend? The mere appellation sanctioned approval, and heaven knew Marcello possessed innate charm when he chose to employ it.
And he did, with an ease Shannay could only reluctantly admire, whilst silently hating him for capturing her daughter’s innocent heart.
‘We’re going to stop and feed the ducks on the way home,’ Nicki announced as Marcello took care
