Page 40 of Wandering Souls

Satisfied the fire wouldn’t go out, Ray got to his feet and crossed the room to sit beside her. Her face held a swirl of emotions and he doubted even she could express them all. Lifting her hand in his, he stroked her palm with a fingertip.

“You missed having a father. That’s understandable.”

She stared at the wood heater, though she saw right through it. Into her past? Or the past she’d always wanted with a father she never had?

“I loved my mother, Margery. She was strong and independent. She kept me safe and I never wanted for anything.” With a blink, she focused on him. “Except a dad.”

Ray felt the warmth coming from the wood heater and unzipped his coat, never letting go of her hand. Her delicate fingers wrapped around his; her soft skin smooth to the touch.

“That’s nothing to feel guilty about,” he insisted. “I don’t know Damien very well,” he confessed, “but I know he’s a good man. You can trust him.”

“Have you met Penny?”

He nodded and shifted closer to Abi. “I have. An amazing woman. Strong and determined, extremely compassionate. She was working in Yemen when she was kidnapped. You father saved her life.”

“Do you think I should meet her?”

Ray’s breath caught. “Abi, I can’t advise you—”

“I want you to. Please, Ray.”

Responsibility weighed on his shoulders but for him, it was a no brainer. He’d grown up with a picture-perfect family and while Abi was an adult, he wanted the same for her. It dawned on him that he didn’t know the family well enough to make an accurate assessment, but Damien had welcomed his wife home, and Stevie had embraced her mother’s return with vigor. In his few interactions with Penny, he’d seen nothing but a compassionate woman who wanted to make up for all her mistakes.

“I think you should.”

Anger flashed through Abi’s eyes, brightening the blue in them for a second. “She abandoned me.”

“I know it feels like that, but she didn’t just give you up for no reason, did she?”

Acceptance warred with the anger. “No, but you try telling a five-year-old that.”

Ray reached out to trail his fingertips down her cheek. The contact seemed to release the tension and her expression relaxed. “Then you tell her.” She eyed him warily. “I mean it. Tell her how you feel but Abi, find it within you to hear her out and if, after that, you don’t want a relationship with her, then don’t have one. You don’t owe her anything. You have to do it for you.”

Her features softened and she leaned closer, her nose barely an inch from his. “Your support tonight has been wonderful. I don’t know if I would’ve made it through without you.”

Ray squeezed her hand. “Aw, Abi.”I’d do anything for you.He blinked at the unspoken thought, surprised because he’d barely known her for two days, but at the same time, not.Old habits die hard.“It’s no problem.”

Her eyes darkened. “You’ve been my champion since I arrived. Do you have any idea how much that means to me?”

His cheeks grew hot under her intense stare and the words dried up in his mouth. The attraction he felt to her grew to a scary level and he reminded himself that her stay in the Crossing was temporary. In a couple of months, she’d fly out of his life back to Queensland. He didn’t want her to take his heart with her, but as he gazed into her pretty face, he understood it might very well be too late.

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