When Catarina arrived on the front steps of the house, Afonso opened the passenger side door to her and smiled. “Bom dia,” he said to her.
“Bom dia,” she replied with a smile, climbing in.
He wore jeans and a dark gray T-shirt, and she watched him as he went around the truck. His hair had begun to curl around his ears and at the back of his neck, and the light scruff on his face looked good on him. Juan-Carlos had shaved every day, sometimes twice a day, but she liked to see Afonso with a three-day beard.
He climbed in behind the wheel. “Where do I need to drop you off?”
“Downtown will be fine.”
Afonso had errands to run in Castelo Branco, supplies to pick up, and she was riding along for her first doctor’s appointment with one of the obstetricians recommend by the ER doctor.
Nerves filled her chest, and she clasped her hands in her lap. Even though the ER doctor had confirmed her pregnancy, this was her first official appointment. According to what she’d read online, she should have had the first one at eight weeks. But back then she hadn’t been emotionally equipped to deal with the realities of a pregnancy, let alone schedule doctor appointments.
Worry surged through her. What kind of mother was she, unable to provide for the baby she carried? Filipe was generous, but she couldn’t live at his expense for the rest of her life.
She blew out a breath. One thing at a time.
They arrived in Castelo Branco, and Afonso wound his way to the town’s center.
“It’s not a very big town, is it?” The town was decidedly provincial, surrounded by villages, fields, and hills dotted with farms.
“It’s a good size for this part of the country. About fifty-six thousand inhabitants by the last census.” He stopped at a red light and turned to her. “Have you not been here before?”
“If you don’t count the hospital stay, no.” Filipe had picked her up in Lisbon and driven her straight to the house, where she’d been since arriving. Sightseeing had been the furthest thing from her mind.
The town was picturesque: red roofs and historical buildings, edging up the hill to the ancient castle for which the town was probably named. On a much smaller scale, it shared a similar silhouette to Lisbon, and Catarina found herself paying attention to the public buildings. What kind of opportunities were available in this part of the country? How long would she have to stay in the district?
He pulled the truck in front of a public park. “I’m going to need two or three hours to pick up the supplies.”
Catarina grabbed the door handle. “That’s perfect. I’ll meet you here then.”
Afonso’s hand landed on her wrist. “Wait. Do you still have my phone number?”
Her eyes shot to his fingers wrapped around her forearm. When she looked back up at him, Afonso didn’t immediately remove his hand from her. The contact seared her and raised the hairs on her arm at the same time. Fire and ice.
He released her slowly, and Catarina clasped her purse. “I—” Her voice faltered, and she cleared her throat. “I have your number.”
“If you get done early, let me know.” His expression was gentle.
A car behind them honked twice, and Catarina nodded then quickly exited the truck. Afonso merged back into traffic, and she watched him go until the vehicle disappeared down the street.
She stood on the sidewalk for another moment. Was it all in her mind, or was she physically reacting more and more to Afonso’s presence? Whenever they spent time alone, there was something between them, something she didn’t want to qualify or think about for too long. Something she longed to have for more than a moment.
The doctor’s office was located in the newer part of town, a twenty-minute walk away. After confirming the route on her phone, she shouldered her purse and set walking in that direction.
She arrived with time to spare and filled out the registration papers using her maiden name, grateful her Portuguese ID was up-to-date. Her Spanish card would have given her identity away.
By the time the nurse practitioner finally called her name, Catarina’s anxiety had doubled. For as many blog entries and online articles she’d read, reality was so much different than expectation, and reading about things that happened to other women wasn’t the same. Today was about her.
The nurse had Catarina stand on a scale, took her blood pressure and a vial of blood for testing, and handed her a small cup with a lid.
When the doctor came, Catarina had been waiting for almost half an hour.
“Hi, I’m Dr. Paula.” The doctor was a woman in her early thirties with short hair.
Catarina hid a sigh of relief. A female doctor would be so much easier to deal with.
Dr. Paula consulted the tablet she carried. “Catarina, right? I see this is your first pregnancy. Congratulations. Your blood and urine test results are all fine. Do you remember the first day of your last menstrual period?”
She shook her head. “My periods have been irregular for a while.”
“That’s okay. We’ll get your baby measured with an ultrasound.”
An ultrasound that would show her the baby. Was Catarina even ready for that? Did she want to know the baby’s gender? There were so many things for her to consider that she hadn’t yet.
“How long do I have to wait for the ultrasound?”
“One to two weeks, depending on the scheduling availability. We don’t do those here at the office. The secretary can help you schedule it.” Dr. Paula made an annotation on Catarina’s file. “Based on your hCG levels, you should be eighteen weeks along.”
Catarina’s eyes widened. “Eighteen weeks?”
“Does that surprise you?”
“I didn’t think I was that far ahead.” Almost halfway done with her pregnancy. How was that possible?
The doctor stood. “Let’s take some measurements.”
Catarina lay down. Prone and flat on her back, the bump was more noticeable than in an upright position.
Dr. Paula frowned. “You’re measuring quite small. Have the measurements been consistent? How much did you weigh before you got pregnant?”
Catarina hesitated. Juan-Carlos had been insistent she keep her weight right under fifty kilograms, but she’d probably weighed less when she arrived at Sunset Manor. With the morning sickness and irregular meals, she must have lost weight since then. “I think it was fifty kilos.”
The doctor frowned. “Have you had any problems?”
She had plenty of problems but none she wanted to talk about. “I had nausea and vomiting.”
“Which is normal. But if you’ve lost weight, it could be cause for concern. You can’t afford to lose any more weight. You’re too small already. You have been taking your prenatal vitamins, right? Do you need a new prescription?”
Catarina could answer truthfully to that. “I’ve been taking them at night, and I could use a new prescription.” She’d fill it at a pharmacy before she met with Afonso.
Dr. Paula swiped a page on Catarina’s file. “Do you have a supportive environment at home?”
Catarina hesitated. A few weeks ago, after Filipe left, she would have said no. But Afonso was supportive, even if he didn’t know she was pregnant. “Yes, I have help at home.”
Dr. Paula brought out a device that resembled an old microphone and pressed it to Catarina’s belly.
A fast rhythmic thump-thump, thump-thump filled the room from the small speaker.
“That’s your baby’s heartbeat, Catarina,” the doctor said with a smile.
Catarina held her breath. The baby she’d wanted for so many years was real. Nothing made it more real than hearing that heartbeat coming from her belly. A tear rolled down the side of her face, and she wiped it. “Oh my goodness,” she said after a moment. “There really is a baby in there.”
Dr. Paula chuckled. “Of course there is.”
Catarina smiled through her tears. She was going to be a mother. Already she was a mother, as proved by the sweet little sound of her baby’s heartbeat. “It’s so fast and loud.”
Dr. Paula put the device away and helped her sit up. “Just as it’s supposed to be, fast and strong. Have you felt your baby move?”
“I don’t think so.” Catarina reached for a tissue and dabbed her eyes.
“First-time moms sometimes have a hard time identifying the baby’s movements. But since you’re measuring so small, it could be you’re carrying your baby toward your back, which would make it harder to feel. Let’s see you back here after the ultrasound for a quick visit.”
The receptionist helped Catarina schedule an ultrasound at the imaging center and booked an appointment for the same day.
Catarina found a nearby pharmacy and bought a new box of prenatal vitamins. As she walked back downtown to meet with Afonso, she passed a shopping area with storefronts. The white-on-blue Chicco logo with the red dot stood out to her, and, before she could talk herself out of it, Catarina went in.
Had she thought yet about everything a baby needed? She walked around the store looking at items she didn’t even know existed, let alone knew were necessary. The prices shocked her. Ironic that she never would have thought twice about paying €200 for an infant carseat when she’d been married to Juan-Carlos, but now that she needed to buy baby gear, she couldn’t afford any of it.
She’d have to research what was absolutely indispensable. It would be easy to get carried away and buy beautiful, unnecessary baby items that she couldn’t afford. Did she even own anything that she could turn into cash? If she could find a buyer for the diamond studs, she’d try selling them, but she had no idea how to go about it.
“Can I help you find anything?” the store clerk said.
Catarina put the soft blanket back on the shelf and resisted pulling the sunglasses onto her face. “I—I don’t know what I’m looking for.” This was a mistake; she should have never come in.
“Is it for a gift?” the clerk asked.
“Yes,” Catarina replied quickly. “It’s for a friend due next month, but she doesn’t know the gender of the baby.” Why did lies come so easy? Guilt pricked at her as she thought of Afonso and his unflinching honesty.
Her chest tightened, and sweat beaded at the nape of her neck. Catarina hadn’t intended to get anything, but she couldn’t resist the idea of buying a keepsake for the baby, something small that could be easily kept from view. Other than the doctors, nobody else knew she was expecting, nobody else celebrated the existence of this unplanned, surprise baby. What kind of mother was she if she didn’t celebrate? She took a breath, a surge of emotion rising in her chest.
When the clerk steered Catarina to a display of brightly colored stuffed toys, Catarina reached for the lion.
“This one is a musical toy. It plays Brahms’ lullaby when you pull on the cord.” The clerk demonstrated. The melody was familiar, but Catarina couldn’t place it.
“I’ll take it.”
The clerk wrapped it, and Catarina paid for it, the anxiety mounting as each minute passed. Once on the sidewalk, she stuffed the small bundle in the pharmacy bag, grateful it fit well enough to hide from sight.
As she resumed her walk, she slowed her pace and took a deep breath. Then she realized what she’d bought: a musical toy that played Brahms’ lullaby.
She’d been thinking of the Brahms’ waltzes Afonso had played on the piano. The melodies had stuck with her and now she had bought something that unconsciously reminded her of him.
Not Juan-Carlos, her late husband and the baby’s father, but Afonso, the groundskeeper she’d met a few weeks earlier.
Would Afonso even be around when the baby came?
If Filipe decided to sell the property, she would be living somewhere else as well.
* * *
Afonso parked the truck at a nearby public garage and walked to where he’d dropped off Catarina earlier. It had taken him longer to fit what he could in the truck bed and order the larger supplies to be delivered, including a load of soil.
Catarina sat on a park bench under a wisteria tree. When the breeze blew, the purple petals scattered around her, and she swept them off her lap.
The pink tunic she wore brought out the rosy tone in her cheeks. Her face had filled out a bit, and she had a healthy glow, but it was hard to tell how much weight she’d put on with the large clothes she wore. It was almost as if she hid herself in ill-fitting clothing and behind large sunglasses. What would it feel like to hold her in his arms?
The thought stopped him cold. When did he start wishing to hold Catarina? He couldn’t entertain such thoughts.
“Sorry I’m late.” He sat next to her. “I hope you haven’t been waiting for long.”
“Not too long.” A relaxed smiled graced her expression. “It’s nice here in the shade.
“Did you do everything you needed to?”
She crossed her hands over the purse and pulled it onto her lap. “Yes. Thank you for the ride. I’m ready to go.”
He stretched an arm over the back of the bench, angling his body toward her. “There’s a school supply shop not too far from here that carries art materials. Afterward we could have lunch. If you’re not in a hurry.” As much work as he had waiting for him at Sunset Manor, taking a break for lunch sounded better than clearing overgrown bushes. Besides, Catarina hadn’t been in town before.
“What kind of art supplies do you need?”
“A sketch pad and some pencils. Can you help me choose?”
She frowned, a little wrinkle between her eyes he hadn’t notice before making an appearance. “Wait a minute. Are those for me?”
Afonso chuckled. “You caught on to that, did you?”
Her face bloomed into a smile. “I should say no to the art supplies, but I’m not going to.”
“Good,” he said. A stray petal was tangled in her hair, and Afonso reached for it. Her breath hitched, and she stilled as his hand hovered near her face. He held her gaze and for a crazy moment imagined what it would be like to lean in and kiss her. Catarina scooted back, and Afonso came to his senses and did the same. He must have been loading the truck in the sun for too long. Kissing her was a bad idea.
He cleared his throat. “For lunch we could grab some sandwiches and eat at the gardens of the Episcopal Palace.” As long as he kept it to lunch only instead of staring at her lips.
Forty-five minutes later they entered the gardens and found a stone bench in the shade by the staircase that led to the upper level. Afonso had never visited Castelo Branco before coming to Sunset Manor, and his brief excursions since then had not given him the time for any sightseeing. If he was honest with himself, he just wanted to prolong his time with Catarina before returning to work. He knew he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t resist being in her company. As badly as they’d started off when he’d arrived at the manor, his attraction to her grew every time he saw her and with every conversation they had. And last night, she’d come to him in his dreams, a sign that his mind was at peace. He couldn’t remember a dream in months, certainly not while he was in prison. Dreaming of Catarina at night and spending time with her during the day didn’t help his resolve to keep his distance.
For all they’d talked about, Afonso still didn’t know much about Catarina. She shared childhood memories but didn’t talk about her recent past, and certainly not about her husband, his last name, or what had happened to him.
Was Afonso making the same mistakes he’d made with Anabela? Getting close to a woman who didn’t open up as he did with her?
Catarina was different from Anabela. She didn’t manipulate him into doing things that only benefited her, but she still had secrets, and he couldn’t go down that path again. This pull he felt toward her—he’d put a stop to it. If he kept away from her, he’d safeguard his heart.
After they ate, they walked through the gardens, as he’d promised Catarina, but he cut the tour short. Despite her obvious confusion, she didn’t ask for an explanation, which only made Afonso feel worse. Anabela had always wanted to know why he did everything, whether it concerned her or not. How could he have been so blind to her scheming and manipulation?
His phone vibrated with an incoming message. Can we talk?
He frowned. The number was one he didn’t recognize. He slipped the phone back into his pocket.
“Do you need to send a reply?” Catarina asked.
“No, it’s probably a wrong number.” He shouldn’t have had the phone out in the first place.
The drive back was quiet for both of them. His thoughts distracted him, and the woman sitting beside him intrigued him too much. Catarina seemed preoccupied with something, probably related to whatever she’d done in town.
As they approached the village, a full-size van behind them honked the horn twice. It was larger than the Ford pickup and Afonso could discern two passengers in the front—a man and a woman wearing sunglasses. He slowed down to let them pass, and they slowed down too. The road only had two lanes but there was enough room for the vehicle to pass. Why didn’t they do it?
Afonso kept an eye on them in the rearview mirror.
Catarina glanced over her shoulder. “Is there a problem?”
He didn’t reply right away, keeping watch.
“Afonso, you’re all tense. What’s going on?”
“I’m not sure. I thought they wanted to pass, but they pulled back.” The other driver slowed down and turned into one of the neighboring farms.
Afonso relaxed his grip on the wheel and kept a steady speed.
A few minutes later, the same van appeared on his rearview mirror, gaining speed. It accelerated until it came on behind the truck, barely missing it.
Afonso turned on the blinkers to pull onto the shoulder, and the van accelerated again, but instead of passing, it rode up next to Afonso. Afonso hit the horn and the other driver hit his back.
“What are they doing?” Catarina’s voice pitched higher.
“I don’t know, but I’m trying to pull over.”
When he glanced over to the other vehicle, the woman in the passenger seat turned to Afonso and smiled.
He knew that smile. It chilled him. Afonso’s heart dropped in his chest. How was it possible that she’d found him?
In the second it took him to get his focus back, the van sideswiped them off the road.
Catarina screamed.
“Hang on!” he said to her.
He grabbed the wheel and held on to it, easing into the brake until the Ford came to a stop in a ditch, leaning forward at a slight angle.
With the heavy load in the back, he’d feared they’d overturn, but he’d managed to prevent it.
He turned to Catarina. “Are you okay?”
She nodded, breathing hard.
Afonso released his seatbelt, hopped out and opened the passenger side door. “Can you get out?”
“I think so.” Her voice trembled, and the click of the seat belt followed.
He was ready to catch her, and his hands went around her waist, setting her down on the ground. Her knees buckled, and he brought her up against him with a firm hand against her back. Catarina sighed and relaxed in his arms for a moment. Afonso released a pent-up breath, grateful nothing worse had happened; mad at the other driver for putting them in danger.
When Catarina let go of him, Afonso led her to a grassy patch, and she sat down. “Are you sure you’re okay? You don’t have any injuries?”
“I didn’t get hurt. Just a bit shaken.” She looked to the truck, pitching forward in the ditch, doors wide open. “Who were those people?”
“I don’t know the driver, but I think I might have recognized the passenger.”
He drew out his phone from his front pocket. After locating Matias Romano’s number, he hesitated for a second before calling him.
He answered right away. “This is Matias. Hello?”
“Captain Romano, it’s Afonso Cortez. I’m sorry to be calling you.” He didn’t know if the captain was on duty.
“You’re fine. It’s my off week. What’s going on?”
“Have you had any updates on the case, sir?”
Catarina remained seated, watching him tiredly with questions in her eyes. Afonso offered her a half smile. How could he reassure her when he had so many doubts?
“Not in a while. Last time I talked to Senhor Valadares, the investigator still didn’t have any leads. Has something happened?”
“I think I have a lead.” He wasn’t sure, but who else could it be?
“Where are you?”
“I’m still in Castelo Branco. Well, we’re near Sete Fontes, the village on the way to your cousin’s property. A passenger van forced us off the road, and we ended up in a ditch. I didn’t recognize the driver, but I think the passenger was Anabela.”
“Are you sure?” Matias Romano’s voice took on a more urgent tone.
“She wore sunglasses, and the driver sped off after hitting us. I was trying to keep us upright and didn’t even get a good look at the license plate.”
“There wasn’t one,” Catarina said in a low voice.
“Is someone with you?”
“Yes. I’m actually here with—”
Catarina stood and tugged on his arm, shaking her head. Her panicked expression stopped him. “I’m with a friend, sir.”
“Just call me Matias. Did you or your friend get hurt? Was there any damage?”
“We’re fine. No damage.” He placed a hand on Catarina’s shoulder, and she breathed in deeply. “I’m just mad at the situation. Especially if it is her. I’m sorry I can’t be more certain.” It was too much of a coincidence.
“I think you did well in calling me. We can’t be too careful where it concerns Anabela Rialto.” Matias said something in a hushed tone to someone else. “I’ll call Senhor Valadares and apprise him of the situation. Let me know if anything else comes up.”
“I will.”
“Afonso? Be careful, and take care of your friend too.”
Afonso hung up. Catarina had sat back down, with her legs pulled up and her chin resting on her knees. He joined her on the ground, and she turned to look at him.
“I have so many questions, but I’m tired. Can we go home?”
“Let me see if I can get the truck out of the ditch without help.” He turned his palm up, and she took it.
Catarina wasn’t the only one who had questions.