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"Darcy." Even his voice on the phone sent shivers through her, whether through fright or anticipation, she found it difficult to tell. "I've managed to book a flight for tomorrow. Is it okay if I come round this evening and say goodbye to Brooke?"
"Of course. Why not come for dinner and make an evening of it?"
"Fine, I'll see you about seven if that's okay?"
"Better come a bit earlier, we usually eat at seven." Darcy frowned. Travis had been in their home often enough to know mealtimes during the week. Surely he wasn't still trying to let her know he was boss, or maybe he felt he had to be careful after today's heated discussion.
"See you just before seven then."
After Travis rang off, Darcy searched frantically through her cookbooks. She enjoyed cooking but didn't get much opportunity to do any fancy meals. Tonight she would show Travis she wasn't just a substitute mother, but a person in her own right.
"What are you doing?" Brooke sat at the kitchen table, frowning as she saw Darcy take more trouble than usual with their evening meal.
"Making dinner."
"You're making an awful lot. What are we having?"
"Chicken Kiev with new potatoes and salad, followed by a pavlova with kiwifruit and cream." Darcy's tongue peeped out from the top corner of her mouth as she concentrated on filling the chicken breasts.
"Wow! It's not your birthday. What's the occasion?"
"Travis is coming to dinner."
"He comes to dinner a lot. Why is tonight different?" Brooke reached across to take a piece of kiwifruit, only to have her knuckles rapped lightly by a large wooden spoon.
"He's going away for a few weeks." Darcy carefully separated the eggs. "He'll tell you all about it when he gets here. Now go and do your homework or you won't be able to join us for the feast."
By the time Travis arrived, dinner was almost ready to serve and Darcy had showered and changed into a new blue dress. When she put the sleeveless garment on, she realized she would not be able to wear a bra with it, but she daringly decided to wear the dress anyway. Brooke made the supreme effort of putting on a clean tee-shirt, but she flatly refused to wear anything fancier.
"I'll get it!" She heard Brooke yell when the doorbell rang.
"Hi, Brooke." Travis deep voice reverberated in the hallway. "This is for you."
"Gee, thanks! Hey, Darcy, look what Travis brought me." She charged into the kitchen waving a computer software package. "It's the puzzler game I wanted for my birthday."
"Did you say thank you?" Darcy queried, nervousness muddling her mind.
"Of course I did." Brooke pouted indignantly. "Didn't you hear me?"
"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention."
Darcy fought to keep herself calm, but found it difficult with Travis standing across the room looking at her.
"Thank you for inviting me." He held out a bottle of wine, beaded with moisture. "This is my contribution to the meal."
Darcy took it from him and placed it in the fridge, then risked a quick look at him. She sighed with relief. His gaze had turned to Brooke who sat at the table unwrapping the game. Within a few moments the child had the user's book out, frowning as she poured over it. Oblivious of Darcy, Travis moved towards his daughter, and she took the opportunity to take a good look at him.
Tonight he'd also made an effort with his appearance. His tan glowed against a white polo shirt tucked into dark blue moleskins, and his feet were clad in bright white trainers. With his dark golden hair and grey eyes, he looked like a movie star, a make-believe person without any real feelings.
The image shattered as his head bent over the book while he helped Brooke with some of the bigger words, pointing out several things of interest at the same time he read. One thing Darcy was sure of, he wasn't the type of man to play with a child's heart, even if he made her own throb at a much higher rate.
"Time for dinner."
She hated to interrupt them, but after taking the time to prepare this meal, she wasn't going to let it be spoiled by leaving it too long in the oven.
"We're having Chicken Kiev tonight, and for dessert there's pavlova, kiwifruit and cream." Brooke led Travis the way into the dining room. "So why are you going away? Don't you like New Zealand?"
"I love it here, but I have business to attend to in San Diego." Travis held out Brooke's chair for her. "When I've got it sorted out, I'll come back and whisk you both off your feet."
"Silly." Brooke giggled, being treated as a young lady amused her. "They only do that in the movies."
"Would you open the wine for me, please?" Darcy offered him the bottle and corkscrew, but a shiver passed through her as he took them from her gazing intently at her as he did so.
"I hope you're not driving." Brooke sounded more like a middle-aged mother than an eight-year-old.
"Luckily I'm not." Travis's lips twitched. "I've got an early start in the morning, so I took my rental car back this afternoon and came by taxi tonight."
"Good!" Brooke nodded sagely, and Darcy found it hard to suppress her laughter as she caught a corresponding glint in Travis' eyes.
After placing the dishes on the table, Darcy moved to sit down, but Travis got there before her, and held out her chair.
"Thank you." She tried to hide her discomfort by fiddling with her napkin. Quickly she helped Brooke with the salad, then silence hung over the table for a few moments as everyone began to eat.
"This is delicious."
Darcy blushed at the compliment and bent her head to her plate when she saw the intensely suggestive gleam in Travis' eyes.
"Thank you."
"Darcy only makes things like this when it's a special occasion." Brooke seemed at ease talking to Travis.
"I'm flattered you went to all this trouble for me." Travis frowned as he looked across the table at Darcy.
"It's no trouble. I felt like cooking something unusual." Darcy tried to hide how flustered she felt.
"Your health, ladies." Travis held up his glass in a toast to them, and Brooke solemnly followed her aunt's lead and raised her glass of lemonade.
Brooke kept them amused with her constant chatter throughout the meal, and they reached dessert before the child returned to the topic of Travis going to America.
"When are you coming back?"
*****
"IN ABOUT TWO WEEKS. It depends how quickly I can get things done. Why? Will you miss me?" Travis grinned at Brooke, but his body tensed like a coiled spring as he waited for her answer.
"I suppose so." Brooke replied after a few moments. "Are you coming back to see Darcy, or do you have business in New Zealand, too?"
"Both actually. Having business over here means I can come back and see you both again. Is that okay with you, Brooke?" Again the tenseness as he waited for her reply.
"Fine." Brooke seemed unconcerned by his questioning.
The rest of the meal passed quickly and as they cleared the table, Brooke began to yawn.
*****
"OFF TO BED WITH YOU, young lady." Darcy gave Brooke a small push. "If you're quick, I'll let Travis come and read you a few pages of your book while I tidy up."
Brooke scooted off down the hallway and Travis turned to Darcy. "Does she always have a story at bedtime?"
"She has a few pages read to her every night. I thought you should get used to her routine and the type of books she reads. It's going to be your job before too long." He saw the tears glint in Darcy's eyes even though she turned to the sink to hide them. Travis moved towards her, but Brooke called and he turned and left the room.
Brooke was snuggled down in bed and Travis took the chair beside her.
"Is this your book for tonight?" He picked up the thin volume from her bed. "Do I start from the beginning?"
"Please." Brooke delved even deeper under the covers and looked expectantly at Travis.
"Kit the Kiwi was lonely..." Travis began. As the story unfolded he became engrossed in the different characters and used a different voice for each one. Brooke giggled at first, but after about ten minutes Travis was aware she'd been silent for some time. He glanced at the bed and saw her eyelashes were fanning her cheeks as she breathed gently in and out in her sleep. Quietly he left the room and returned to the kitchen.
"She fell asleep." He smiled at Darcy. "Poor kid was worn out."
"She's always been one of those children who go to sleep immediately when they're tired." Travis moved forward to help Darcy pack the plates into the dishwasher. "I've never had any trouble getting her to bed. When she's ready, she goes without any arguments."
"Darcy, we have to talk about when I come back."
*****
SHE WAITED FOR HIM to continue and only when he spoke again did she realize she'd been holding her breath, and she let it go in a whoosh. This was the moment she'd been dreading all evening.
"How are we going to tell her? You said you want to be there when she's told, so have you any ideas about the best way to approach the subject?" He looked at her with an appeal in his eyes and her resistance faded away.
"The best way would be to catch her at the weekend when she's just started the day. I'd hate for her to be told immediately before bedtime in case she worries about it all night. If you tell her at the beginning of the day, and let her know you'll answer her questions as honestly as you can, I think you'll be okay. Does that help?"
While Darcy spoke, her mind kept asking her why she was helping this man. Fancy telling him how to take my beloved niece from my side! Sadly, she knew the announcement to be inevitable and she had to help him for Brooke's sake.
"It does help a bit." Travis looked thoughtful. "But how do I actually say the words? What exactly do I say?"
"Travis, I can't tell you what to say. I'm sorry, but this is going to be an extremely traumatic moment for me. You'll have to come up with your own way of breaking the news. If it's any comfort, I know you'll find the right words when the time comes."
Darcy turned away to hide the tears the thought of parting brought, but Travis caught her shoulders and stopped her. His finger lifted her chin until he looked straight into her tear-filled eyes. His arms tightened round her, pulling her body close to his in a comforting embrace.
She relaxed against him and the tears flowed unchecked as all the tension and worries of the past weeks surged up within her. She cried for the loss of her beloved Brooke, the complete change of direction her life would take, and the empty space Travis would leave behind him. How did the man manage to invade my heart so totally in such a short space of time?
Gradually the tears ceased, but Travis continued to hold her close and Darcy felt warm and secure in his arms. She need not worry about Brooke with this man as her father. He would defend his child with all of his being and give her the love and security she would need in a strange country, with a new family growing around her.
"Darcy."
Travis' voice was almost a whisper and she looked up at his face. He stared at her for a moment, and then his lips descended on hers, softly at first, but then crushing them under his. His arms moved from a comforting to a possessive hold as he tangled his fingers in her short hair, his other hand gently rubbing her back.
Darcy settled into his embrace, and her arms encircled his body, holding him close. Feelings she had only dreamed of rippled through her as one of his hands stroked her bare arms, while the other slowly slipped the thin straps from her shoulders.
She knew she should stop him, but she felt so weak, unable to make even a verbal protest as he slid her dress down over her naked breasts. His palm brushed across her nipple and she jumped as the shock ran right through her body, igniting feelings deep within her that she'd never felt before.
His touch roused her emotions, but it also jogged her mind into reality. Frantically she pushed at Travis, shoving him away from her and dragging her dress up to cover herself.
"Darcy, what's wrong?" His eyes were still clouded with passion, and he seemed genuinely puzzled by her rejection.
"Wrong? You ask what's wrong?" She took a hasty step back as his hands moved towards her. "We must be crazy, Travis. You're Brooke's father, for heaven's sake. I can't let you make love to me. It doesn't feel right!"
"It didn't seem to bother you a few moments ago. How on earth can it be wrong when the only relationship we have is through Brooke?"
"Well, it feels wrong to me. Besides, Brooke might come in and see us. We got carried away by the heat of the moment because I was upset and you comforted me, and that led to further emotional complications. It's not as if either of us has any true feelings for the other. We wouldn't even be going through the charade of dating if it wasn't for Brooke. We have nothing in common after all!" By this time, Darcy had her dress straps back on her shoulders, and she felt more in control of the situation.
"Wait a moment, are you telling me you didn't feel anything just now?" His eyes bored into her, daring her to deny her feelings.
"Of course I did, but it was merely a reaction to the moment. I was upset, you comforted me and it got out of hand. We both know this is only make-believe for Brooke's sake. Unfortunately, pretence spilt into reality for a few moments." She lifted her chin and stared defiantly at him. "I can assure you it won't happen again."
"If that's the way you want it." Travis looked as if this was the last thing he wanted. "I've got to go. I've got an early start in the morning. I'll be back in two weeks. I'll contact you then."
Without another word, Travis headed for the front door and Darcy heard it close softly behind him. Inexplicably she felt bereft, totally alone and empty. Two weeks stretched in front of her like a lifetime. She had a lot of arrangements to make during that time, the least of which was to get a passport for herself and Brooke, but the thing which loomed largest in her mind was that at the end of the two weeks, she would only see Travis for a short while and then he and Brooke would be out of her life, probably for ever.
*****
AS THE PLANE FOR AMERICA took off from New Zealand the next morning, Travis glanced down at the scenery below. He knew he would be returning, but he felt he had left a big part of himself behind. He'd arrived in this country less than two months ago, expecting to gain immediate custody of Brooke and take her back to America with him.
Nothing ever went smoothly and he accepted the delay of revealing his identity to his daughter as inevitable. This didn't explain his turbulent feelings for Darcy, and why seeing her made feelings of anger, annoyance, frustration and lust invade his thoughts.
Hopefully he would be able to work through the difficulties of living on different continents while he was at home. If his idea of how to solve the problem worked out they could all look forward to a more settled future.
His main reason for trying to hurry things once his paternity had been proven was due to his need to get away from the unsettling influence she had on him. Now the parting had arrived, he realized how hard it would be to forget her. Ever since his first glimpse of Darcy in that ridiculous outfit, he'd not been able to see her as the mere custodian of his daughter. To him, Darcy was much, much more.
*****
"WHY HAVE I GOT TO HAVE my photo taken?"
"Well, hon, I'd hoped to keep this a secret, but we might have the chance to go on a trip overseas soon. We need a passport to leave the country so we have to be ready, just in case." Darcy chose her words carefully, not wanting to reveal too much to Brooke before it was time to tell her the whole truth.
"Great! Are we going to Australia like you said we would when we had enough money? Can I tell Minnie?"
"Whoa! Hold on, Brooke." Darcy managed to stem the flow of excitement. "I'm not saying any more yet because I don't know exactly where we'll be going, or when. I'm not going to tell you, and then have you get mad at me because it all falls through. Let's just say we're preparing for a possibility and leave it at that, shall we?"
"Okay, but can I tell Minnie what I do know?" Brooke widened her eyes in the 'sweet and innocent' look she used when she wanted something.
"You don't know much, Brooke." Darcy laughed when she saw Brooke take a deep breath, ready to argue the point. "Fine. Tell Minnie if you like. It should take you all of two seconds."
Darcy was wrong. Brooke knew she mustn't tie up the phone for too long during the daytime because of the business, so she rang Minnie and cryptically asked her friend to come around as she had something really special to impart. Well aware that Brooke would spin out the telling as dramatically as possible, Darcy got drinks and snacks ready and when Minnie arrived, she left them to it and retreated to her office.
Unfortunately, being on her own turned her thoughts to Travis. She wondered if his fiancée had met him off the plane in San Diego. She longed to see what the unknown woman looked like. Probably some gorgeous model or a smart, successful businesswoman. They were surely laughing right now about the provincial aunt who had charge of Brooke.
Darcy worried how a professional woman would cope with a child. Brooke still showed insecurity about losing Grams. A new father, new stepmother and separation from everything she knew and loved might make her an emotional mess.
The only reassurance she had to ask Travis was for his promise to allow Brooke to speak to her aunt on the phone whenever the child felt the need. In return, Darcy would give her word that she would not undermine his position as Brooke's father.
The first few days of the two weeks passed quickly, arranging for the passports, finding some trustworthy person to look after the business for a month, discussing details of the transfer of custody with Laura. Most of this had to be done without Brooke's knowledge. Darcy began to feel like a hypocrite. She'd never lied to her niece and keeping the arrangements secret frayed her nerves. The hassles with the legal transfer weren't helping either.
"Don't give away too much, Darcy," Laura told her on the first Friday. "Just because Travis is Brooke's father, there's no need for you to hand her over without asserting your own rights."
"I know, but Brooke's the one I keep thinking about. She's going to hate me for keeping this from her. What happens if she doesn't like America and doesn't want to live with Travis?"
"That's why the final papers will not be signed until after Brooke is told. What I'm talking about is giving up your visitation rights. She's been your daughter, Darcy. You can't hand her over to a stranger and not keep in touch. Apart from anything else, it will devastate Brooke." Laura looked fiercely across the desk, but Darcy was tired of all the arguments.
"Laura, I know you mean it for the best, but unless Travis is willing to pay for Brooke or me to fly across the Pacific, there's no way I'll be able to see her again. You know my financial circumstances. I barely make enough to keep us comfortable. I haven't got the sort of money to trot across to the States every few months." A jagged sigh escaped her lips proving she was very close to tears. "That's why I see no point in asking for visitation rights."
"As your solicitor, I'm advising you to put it in anyway. You never know, you might win Lotto and be able to give up work and live a life of luxury."
"Yeah, and I might wake up and find this is all a bad dream." Darcy managed a small grin. "Okay, Laura, do what you think is best. Now is there anything else?"
"The only other thing is a definite date for you and Travis to tell Brooke and whether the actual exchange of custody will take place immediately. We can't decide these dates until Travis comes back, so I think that's it for now."
The weekend passed slowly for Darcy. Brooke tried to drag the details of their trip from her aunt, but she didn't succeed and eventually went off to discuss the unknown destination with Minnie.
Darcy spent the weekend drifting from one task to another, unable to concentrate on anything for too long.