Did you confront your mother about leaving? Did you ever see her again?
Once. The word exploded from his mouth before he could drag it back. I saw her once. At Fathers funeral. But that was no place forshe had no place there, dressed in mourning.
After a long pause, Maggie nodded for him to continue.
He finally found the strength to go on. John didnt come, he started. Not to his own fathers funeral. The idea still astounded him, but things were becoming clearer, the more hed found out about Johns situation.
I had to take leave from my unit to attend. Come down from the mountain passes and turn my back on my mates in their battles, in order to say goodbye to my father. He rubbed at his temple, trying to shake the images out of his head. I only discovered a few weeks ago that, by then, the SIS had recruited John for an international drug sting in Mexico. John was deep undercover, and couldnt attend Fathers services.
I see, Maggie said with a catch in her voice. And now youll never be able to talk with your only brother about any of it again. That might be one of the saddest things Ive ever heard.
Stunned at her words, he stared over at her profile as she swiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. He reached for her, brushing his fingertips across her hair.
Maggie His own voice cracked, reminding him that hed promised himself not to touch her again. He needed to come away from this experience whole and strong, and falling under Maggie Ryans spell could destroy him.
He dragged his hand back to his side, and she never gave any sign that shed known hed been stroking her hair. Furious with himself over his lack of control, Colin slumped lower into his seat and closed his eyes.
The next morning in soft gray light and under overcast skies, Maggie tightened her grip around eight-month-old Emma and stared down at the grave belonging to the babys father. For months she and Emma had been coming here regularly, to place flowers on the two lonely graves. But before today, Maggie had spent her time in the cemetery, wondering about the people buried beneath the headstones. This morning she knew a little more about one of them.
She glanced over at Colin. Hed bowed his head, but his jaw remained tight and set. He suddenly reminded her of her father. She well remembered being at her grandfathers funeral six months ago in this very same cemetery. When her father had stared down into the grave of his own father, whom he also hadnt spoken to in many years, his expression had appeared equally sad and distant. She sighed, blinked and turned her face away.
Colin had been too quiet since theyd arrived at home last night. Hed barely said two words, except for asking to come here to see his brothers grave this morning. On the other hand, shed been eager to pick up Emma from Lara, her friend and neighbor whod been babysitting, and couldnt help babbling about the baby. But theyd gotten in to town well after midnight, and she had forced herself to wait until this morning to retrieve the baby.
Snuggling Emma closer, Maggie breathed in the fresh, sweet smell of baby powder and no-tears shampoo and felt the tension leaving her shoulders. So far, Colin had been conspicuously quiet about his niece. It was torture not knowing what he intended to do about Emma.
Maggie wanted to ask him but was still too afraid to know the answer. Rather than just come out with it, she decided to wait until the timing felt right.
Before he made any rash decisions, his spirit needed healing. The guilt he felt about his brother was written all over his face, and in the way his shoulders rounded as he stuck his hands in his pockets. She had the knowledge to help him heal, if he would let her. Despite her trepidation about how incredibly attracted she was to him, she still hoped he would stick around long enough for her to help him.
Emma must have suddenly come to the conclusion that no
one was paying enough attention to her. She squealed and lifted a pointed finger toward Colin.
Ba! Ma!
Colin turned to look at the baby without smiling. She looks like my mother.
Maggie glanced down at the child in her arms. I think she looks like you. Do you want to hold her?
He shook his head and edged back a step. I know what her father looked like, but what about the mother?
I never met her, of course, Maggie began as she bounced Emma in her arm. But her drivers license picture showed a pretty woman with dark, golden hair and fair skin. Which is a little strange, because their neighbors in Alexandria say she spoke with a heavy Spanish accent.
You think my brother met her while he was in Mexico?
Its possible. But if so, that would mean she probably came from a wealthy family. The richest and most powerful families there take pride in being descended from fair-skinned Spaniards. My own mothers family comes partially from those Spaniards and partially from the original native Indiansrelated to the Mayans. She stopped talking for a second, waved her free arm widely across her body and smiled, hoping to get a smile in return. Thus, the stark but beautiful differences you may notice in my own coloring.