Page 62 of Coveting Catherine

The curtains closed off the view she loved. Leo placed his keys on the counter and opened a bottle of wine.

“Chase said you and Kassie worked day and night to make the opening special. You must be exhausted.”

Catherine nodded as she accepted the glass of wine he offered. She walked toward the glass window and turned toward him.

“May I?” She asked.

Leo nodded as he came up behind her, and she pulled the curtain away. Her mouth dropped open at the sight of the small amusement park in the backyard. It resembled a freaking carnival. A miniature horse carousel, a dirt digger, swings, two giant slides, and one seemed to have some kind of hose stuck to it. Off to the side a playhouse sat under a tree, and a big red circle adorned the grass. Something black covered the entire yard and traced around the tall tree closest to the play area.

“What happened?” Her eyes widened as she took in every detail.

“The guys and I slapped it together over the weekend. Dinner’s ready.” He moved from the window back to the kitchen.

“Sure.” She couldn't stop gaping at the monstrosity in the backyard. She refrained from asking if it came with lights or circus clowns.

“What do you think?” he asked with pride.

She grimaced before smiling, “It’s very quixotic,” she giggled.

Leo narrowed his eyes as if he was trying to determine if she liked it.

“Come sit down. I have some things to talk to you about.” Leo grabbed dinner from the oven and placed it on the hot pads in the middle of the table.

“It smells wonderful,” she complimented him.

“Thank you. Maddie made it for me. It's her seafood casserole. I made the bread, though.”

“I thought I recognized the smell. Kassie loves to cook, but Maddie loves making meals for the family. It's a good thing, too. Victoria's men pop in occasionally, and Victoria and Ivan came for the opening.” Catherine attempted to make small talk as he sat down.

Leo scooped out the food and handed her a dish before scooping out a more considerable portion for himself.

“I want to apologize for our disagreement. I acted out of line and should've stayed and talked through it. I understand Emma and Melody overheard the guys talking and busted them. I've asked the men to watch our discussions in the future.” He cut the bread and handed her a slice.

“I understand I made it difficult for Kassie. I said things out of anger, and I'm attempting to work on doing better.” Catherine sat stiffly in her chair while he watched her. “What did you want to discuss with me? I’m not as hungry as I thought.”

Leo observed the tight way Catherine held her shoulders. He didn’t miss the darkened circles under her eyes, or the paleness of her skin. He leaned over the table and felt her forehead.

“Are you sure you feel all right? Chase mentioned the flu earlier. Especially at the school and some of Victoria’s men reported they felt sick.”

Catherine sighed. “I’m fine. What did you want to talk to me about?”

Sighing at her untouched plate, Leo led her to the couch and sat down next to her. He picked up a card and handed it to her.

“What's this?” She held the envelope in her hand as she met his gaze.

“Chase got the test results. I wanted us to find out together.” Leo waited for her to open the envelope.

Her hand shook as she ripped the seal and pulled out the card and the test results. Catherine's heart sped up, and she licked her lips as she read through the markers. At the bottom, the test indicated Leo as Melody's father. The card floated to the floor.

“It says you're Melody's father,” she whispered. Catherine felt sick. What had she done? It didn’t make any sense. All this time, Leo missed out on his daughter’s first tooth, her first steps, her first words…She blanched as her hand covered her mouth in dismay.

Leo’s grin slowly disappeared as he noticed her face. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion before he stood. “I have something to show you.” He held out her hand and guided her to Melody's previous playroom. He flipped on the light, and she walked into the room. A gorgeous canopy bed sat in the middle of the room. A white dresser and desk sat on opposite walls of each other. A miniature table sat in front of the window with a teddy bear and a doll sat in two of the chairs. On top sat a small tea set. A room depicting a little girl’s dream.

Catherine choked back her emotions as she walked into the room, and her hand glided across the dresser. “It's beautiful.”

“I wondered if I could take her for the weekend and go shopping for her comforter for the bed. We probably need to discuss child support payments. I'm sure I owe you some money. I still plan on going on missions. We'll have to discuss it with Melody at some point.” Leo smiled wider as he began sharing his plans for Melody.

Catherine backed up. She swallowed the bile, threatening to come up. Shocked to discover Melody was Leo's daughter, her mind whirled with questions. The apparent joy on his face let her know how ecstatic he felt over the news. Her stomach plummeted to the floor. Between the playground made for Central Park and Melody's new room, Leo made no bones concerning his desire to stay a part of Melody's life.

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