Love Inspired October 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 by Mindy Steele

Author:Mindy Steele
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2021-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

Catalina swallowed hard. Guilt, pain and fear tasted pretty nasty. “Andres, I know it sounds so far away. But my plans are to be up there for only a few years. Five at the most.”

He spun back around to her. “Five years? I’ve already lost the first five. She’ll be ten before you make it back to Texas. Would you even come back to Port Del Mar? Maybe Paris next? You’re running away again. These last few weeks, I thought maybe you had changed, but I feel like I’ve been sucker-punched all over again. Why did I think it would be any different this time?”

“Because it is different. I’m different.” She had to stay calm and talk through this. “I’m not running away from you. I’m running to an opportunity.” She waved her arms to what he assumed she thought was north. “I’m not taking this lightly. I’ve spent as many hours working on a plan to keep you and Willa in touch as I have researching the job. Willa comes first, but I can still pursue my dreams. I want to be a role model for my daughter. I promise between me coming to Texas and you visiting, you’ll be able to see Willa at least once a month.”

“Ha. That’s great.” His jaw tightened as he turned from her. His breathing came harder as he pushed his fist against the frame around the window. “I’ve missed the first five years and now for the next five I get to see her briefly every four to five weeks.” Pushing away from the window he looked straight at her, eyes burning. “No, thank you.”

She’d never seen him this close to violence. “We both have careers that we care about. This can work, if we keep an open mind and communicate.”

“You only told me because I asked you to leave Austin. When was I going to find out?”

“I didn’t see any reason to tell you until I knew there was even a chance. I would talk to you before I made my final decision.”

His sarcastic laugh burned her ears.

“How terribly considerate of you. I think it’s time we got some legal paperwork drawn up.”

“No. I don’t want lawyers involved with our relationship with Willa.”

“And I don’t want my daughter to be taken off to Canada.”

Arms crossed, they mirrored each other. Neither said a word as they stared the other down. The last time they had stood like this, she had wanted to ride a new stallion that had just been brought in from Oklahoma. Her father had said no, and Andres had agreed with him.

Yes, at times he and her father had been on the same side. Against her. And she had hated it. He had claimed to be protecting her from herself. “You always thought you knew what was best for me.”

“You had some strong self-destructive behaviors. Is this one of them? Or is going to Canada easier than staying and dealing with me?”

“No. It’s a great opportunity, but not an easy choice.

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