Opposite Attraction Page 16

  They had made one stop in route so that Simone could use the restroom and purchase a toothbrush. At that point, her mother took it upon herself to purchase an outfit she felt Simone would look much better in. She 'd been told to change into it right there in the store and her mother then threw away the set of scrubs Cynthia had given her.

  When the driver parked the car Simone reached for the door handle to climb out. Her mother cleared her throat and gave her a stern look. Simone sat back until the door was opened by the driver and her mother climbed out first.

  Yes, she certainly would have had a fit had she seen her climb out of Curtis 's truck only nights earlier and not let him walk her to the door.

  Just as in all her mother 's other homes, with other husbands, Simone had a room. In comparison to the apartment she shared with Sam, it was a penthouse suite.

  "The clothes you left in my old house are in your closest, though you look as though you might have put on a few pounds. Not to worry, I 'll call my trainer and we can get you back in shape. "

  "Mother, I am not gaining weight that I have to work off. "

  "Darling, I know how they eat in the States. Trust me, Pierre will have you looking as good as you did at Christmas. Oh, you were stunning. "

  Did? Were? It had to stop. Her mother had to understand that things were different now. "Mother, I am pregnant. "

  Her mother 's eyes first flashed with humor, but when Simone said nothing else anger settled in them. "Pregnant? Simone, how? "

  Simone cocked her head to the side and her mother 's spine straightened.

  "Oh, I know how. But you are not married. What will we do? "

  Simone 's chest ached. How had she been born to this woman? She longed for Tennessee and a moment with Audrey Benson. Perhaps even better would be to have a slice of pie at Emily Keller 's table. The thought nearly had her laughing, but she actually feared the small, fiery French woman who stood before her in a panic that her thirty-eight year old daughter was going to have her own child.

  Her mother composed herself. "And who is this child 's father? "

  "Doctor Curtis Keller. "

  Her mother searched for recognition, but she had no idea who Curtis was. Not once after Simone had left him stranded on that yacht had her mother paid one bit of attention to her when she 'd pined for him.

  "Doctor? "

  Knowing that was all she heard sent Simone into a rage. "I should have stayed there. You are no better than my father, who cut me off and sent me away. "

  "You are being foolish. He would never do that. "

  "Really? " Simone fisted her hands on her hips. "Tell me, mother, are you not the slightest bit embarrassed by what I have told you? I mean I am in trouble, " she whispered the last part.

  "Simone "

  "I am having a baby out of wedlock and the father does not think it is his. He too has turned me away. Are you not proud of me now? "

  A crease formed in her mother 's forehead. "We can have this taken care of. "

  "This isn 't a ripped dress that can be mended. I am having a baby. "

  "Then we will find you a husband. "

  The first laugh broke free. And then the second. Before long they began to roll straight from Simone 's stomach. "Mother, if the father of my baby did not want me why would anyone else? "

  "It just is not right. "

  Simone walked to the bed near the window and fell back on it. "Do you know what I did when I was in Tennessee? I got a job. "

  "This is no time to joke, Simone. "

  "I am not joking. I got a job in a medical clinic run by the government. "

  She could see the color drain from her mother 's face and there was some merit in knowing she was causing it.

  "Working there showed me that women did not need men to take care of them. They could be brave and strong and raise children all on their own. "

  "That is foolish. "

  "No, really, mother. I helped a woman, her name was Regina. Her husband had beaten her and she had a small son. I listened to her. Spent time with her. I helped to get her a job and even gave her my sixteenth birthday earrings so she could pawn them and get a place to stay away from her husband. Diamonds like that could buy her food and shelter for days. "

  "Your father gave you those earrings. " Her mother swayed. "I feel faint. "

  Simone stood quickly and helped her to the bed where she sat down. Simone knelt down before her.

  "Mother, I will be fine "

  "I am embarrassed for you, Simone, " she said in a whisper much like Simone had earlier.

  "Then you are not who I thought you were and neither am I. "

  Pride swelled inside of her as it had the day she worked for the first time. It bubbled over as it had when she 'd seen Regina feel a bit of pride in herself because Simone had given her the tools to move on. Her mind traveled to the look on Curtis 's face when he 'd brought her the plant for her desk and he was proud of her too.

  Why was she wasting her time at her mother 's trying to justify that she was a grown woman, who now had a mission to raise her child with love and compassion, which money couldn 't buy.

  She 'd need time, and she 'd need money too, but in Paris she could have both. When her baby was born she would leave the confinement of her parents ' world and raise her baby the way she wanted to.

  Curtis 's way of dealing with things was to get lost. But because of his obligations this meant only going as far as his apartment and refusing to answer his phone unless it was the hospital paging him with an emergency.

  He 'd had an earful from 1Cynthia the moment they realized Simone was gone, as if smacking him across the face hadn 't been enough. If she talked to him again he 'd be surprised. Funny how the woman in his life had bonded with the woman he thought he 'd wanted in his life and now he was the odd man out.

  The only reason he 'd answered the phone when Zach called was because he thought he 'd have some information on Simone. But no, he 'd called to chew him out too.

  Who cared what everyone else thought. Simone got herself into trouble, why did she assume it was his responsibility to get her out of it?

  He plopped himself down on his couch and kicked his feet up on the coffee table.

  With the remote in his hand he sat there staring at the TV, which he 'd never turned on. Instead his mind replayed the moment he 'd walked in on Simone and Sam. The image of the baby on the screen had hit a nerve. He shouldn 't care, he didn 't want to care. But damn it he did.

  He dropped his feet to the floor and threw the remote on the couch next to him.

  If the baby were his she would have told him. Simone wasn 't the kind of person to skirt issues. She 'd been plenty blunt with him about the number of men she 'd been with, there must have been a reason for that too.

  Curtis dropped his head back against the back of the couch. The part that hurt the most was that no matter how upset he was, he still loved her and he wanted that feeling to go away.

  It had been two weeks since Simone walked out of Curtis 's life. It had also been that long since he 'd seen Cynthia. What could it hurt on a beautiful Sunday morning, to try an mend a long and meaningful friendship? He 'd trekked across the grounds from the hospital to the clinic on his lunch break to say hello.

  Luckily, she was on break, sitting outside at the concrete tables next to Sam. She glowered at him when she saw him walking toward her.

  "Didn 't suppose you 'd come out of hiding for a long time. " She pulled a chip from the bag and bit down on it.

  "Can 't hide forever. " He sat down at the table and gave Sam a nod. "Hey, Sam, how 's it going? "

  "Can 't complain. "

  "So what are you doing here? " Cynthia was more direct, but that had always been one of her 1more charming qualities.

  "I just thought I 'd drop by to say hi. "

  "Hi. "

  There was a bitterness in her tone. He 'd lost a lot more than Simone that day she 'd walked away from him, again. He 'd lost the respect of his deare
st friend.

  Sam wadded up his trash. "I 'd better get going. " He turned to Cynthia. "I 'll pick you up after work. "

  She gave him a nod but it said much more.

  "See ya ‘round, Curtis. "

  "Sure. Hey, Sam, if you need me to come by and get Simone 's things out of your place let me know. I know you probably need to get it rented out. "

  "No hurry. I got a check in the mail the other day for rent for a few months. I figure she 'll be back. " He gave them a wave and walked away.

  "Simone sent a check? " His voice had risen higher than he 'd anticipated.

  "Someone sent a money order. Not her specifically. My guess is Zach. "

  "She 's talked to Zach? "

  Cynthia rested her arms on the table and inched in closer to him. "Did you come over here to hound me for information? What makes you think I 'd give it to you? "

  He 'd never been uneasy around Cynthia before. He didn 't like the distance between them now.

  "No, actually until Sam said that I hadn 't planned on mentioning her at all. "

  "Standup guy you are, Keller. " She stood and gathered her trash.

  He stood and followed her to the trash can. "What did I do? "

  "She needed you and you let her down. "

  "I let her down? She walked out on me again.1 "

  "You didn 't give her a chance. You 're never going to know your child and that doesn 't sit well with me. "

  There was a sharp pain in his chest. He reached his hand to his breastbone and rubbed it away. "My baby? She told you it was my baby? "

  "Go away, Keller.:

  She turned from him but he reached for her. "Listen, she told me she 'd been with all these men. Rich, influential men. How am I supposed to know this is my baby? "

  Cynthia 's eyes softened. "Because you love her and you know in your heart that 's why she came this far and why she even kept the baby. Look what she had to lose to do that. "

  Curtis rubbed the heat at the back of his neck. That piece of logic didn 't settle well with him.

  "Why wouldn 't she just tell me then? "

  "Perhaps she wanted to prove to you that she could do this. The world only sees heiress. Some of us see a woman wanting to prove that she 's worthy of everything. "

  Cynthia placed her hand on his shoulder. "Go talk to Zach. See if he 's talked to her. Maybe now that she 's back in Paris she 's come to terms with who she is. Maybe money and prestige is what she was missing. And if the baby isn 't yours, maybe she 's told the father. "

  "But you don 't think that 's the case? "

  "No, I don 't. "

  She moved in closer to him and kissed him on the cheek. "Go get her. You 're miserable. "

  She knew him best. He was absolutely miserable.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Simone had settled back into her father 's house as comfortably as she could. He didn 't parade her around or take her in public. In fact, he hardly spoke to her at all. No matter what, she 'd embarrassed him.

  He 'd offered her a portion of her trust fund back and had s1ent someone to purchase her tasteful maternity clothing, in case she was seen. But not once had he said he was glad she 'd come back.

  Nearly forty years old, and still she was treated like a child, but she needed the security of his home and his money for her child.

  The swell of her stomach was obvious now as she lay in her childhood bed. At night, especially, she could feel her baby move, but she was still lonely.

  Since that day she 'd walked out of the hospital she hadn 't talked to anyone in the States. It was as if they had forgotten her, but she knew that wasn 't true. Simone Piermont had come and gone her entire life. When she needed company, she took someone home with her. When she needed a friend she always landed at Zach 's house. And when a real man fell in love with her and took care of her -she stranded him.

  The baby moved reminding her of her biggest mistake of all. If she 'd gone directly to Curtis and told him about the baby she might just be wrapped in his arms, not hiding in her father 's house.

  She rolled onto her side and looked out her window as the drapes blew in the night breeze. She missed her waterbed in her tiny bedroom back at Sam 's. What she wouldn 't give to be there again.

  Curtis pulled up in front of his sister 's house. He hadn 't realized that the seasons were changing as quickly as they were. The leaves on the trees, which lined the drive, were falling to the ground and there was a cool nip in the air.

  His mind had been otherwise occupied he guessed.

  The front door of the house opened as Curtis parked his truck and climbed out. The sight before him had nearly buckled his knees. His nephew stood there, unsupported, waddling toward him.

  It affected him more than he ever thought it would. How could one moment in time be so precious and steal a man 's breath?

  He hurried up the steps toward Tyler who continued his waddle into the waiting arms of his uncle.

  Curtis scooped him up and planted a kiss on his cheek. "We 're going to have to get you some new squeaky shoes so mama knows where you are at all times. "

  "Maybe you could come over on your next day off and hang all the gates in all the doorways for his mama. That would be most helpful, " Regan said from the doorway.

  "I 'd be happy 1to. " He carried Tyler into the house, stopping long enough to give his sister a peck on the cheek.

  He noticed immediately that her body was changing. The swell of her stomach was very pronounced now even though she was only halfway through her pregnancy.

  Immediately, he thought of Simone.

  He didn 't know specifics of Simone 's pregnancy, but he knew she was nearly as far along as Regan. She 'd be showing now too. He figured there was no more hiding it from the world.

  What could Monsieur Pierpont think of that?

  When he thought about it that way a knot of regret formed in his stomach. He knew he didn 't think much of it at all and if he had Simone wouldn 't have shown up on Regan 's front step in the first place.

  What could it possibly be like to be a grown woman and not have anyone to believe in you? Well, he thought, she 'd always had Zach.

  As Curtis walked further into the house he saw Zach sitting in his office, the phone to his ear, and a look of absolute concentration on his face. Even after business hours, the man worked hard.

  He continued on to the kitchen, his sister close behind.

  "How are you feeling lately? " He asked her as he set Tyler on the floor near a small pile of his toys.

  "Much better. Aside from the fact that I don 't sleep real well and my back is already starting to hurt. But I 'd take my size changing in lieu of getting sick every day. "

  He helped Regan set the table and finish up dinner. He was happy to see only three settings on the table. There had been some fear that dinner at Regan 's would turn into an entire family affair with his brother and their parents. As this was the first time he 'd come out of hiding long enough to be near his family in nearly a month, he didn 't want to have to face them all in one night.

  Zach joined them as Regan set a plate of fried chicken on the table. Curtis noticed his eyes. He was preoccupied with something, probably something to do with the phone call he 'd taken in his home office.

  Curtis appreciated his brother-in-law. Though as a doctor he had to maintain a certain amount of patience, Zach Benson had more.

  When Curtis tended to a patient they usually were under his care until they were well enough to go home or move to a1nother area of the hospital. His commitment to that person, though it be life or death, was usually a few days at most. But with Zach Benson, everything was set up to take years and years. A build didn 't just happen. There were plans, buys, investors, more plans, and then construction could take years itself. How he managed that everyday Curtis would never understand.

  Regan sat Tyler in his high chair and took the seat next to her husband. She rested her hand on his, Curtis noticed as he helped himself to chicken.


  "Everything okay? " He heard her whisper as Tyler beat the table with a spoon.

  "It will be, " Zach said as quietly.

  The dinner conversation was kept to Eduardo 's job with Zach, Arianna 's current role on Broadway, the invitation the next evening to see Clara play at her guitar recital, and Tyler 's play date at the park. Nothing had been mentioned about Simone and he wanted to find comfort in that, but he didn 't.