"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.
Chapter Eight
The phone startled her on Sunday night just as she was going to bed.
"Hello, Darcy."
For a moment, she didn't reply.
She hadn't expected Travis to ring her from America. She wasn't sure exactly what she'd expected after their last meeting, but an international phone call was definitely not on the list.
"Darcy, are you there?"
"Yes. I mean, I'm here. Is anything wrong?" Maybe he missed her as much as she did him and he was ringing merely to hear her voice.
"Wrong? Why should anything be wrong? Oh, you mean because I'm calling you." Travis' deep chuckle echoed down the phone. "No, nothing's wrong. I just wanted to know how things were going on your end."
Darcy's nervousness rapidly deflated. He hadn't rung to see how they were, or to apologize for his behaviour at their last meeting. He wanted to know how the custody proceedings were going.
"Not bad." She kept her voice devoid of expression. "We've applied for passports. Brooke's will have to be in the name of Farrell for now. You can get it changed later. Laura and Mr. Case are sorting out the custody, and Brooke's bugging me every day to know what's going on."
"What do you mean? You haven't told her anything, have you?" Travis sounded suspicious, and before Darcy could reassure him, he went on the attack. "You know we agreed not to tell her anything until I get back to New Zealand. It's my prerogative to tell her. I'm her father."
"Hold it! Let me explain, will you?" Darcy managed to interrupt. "I haven't told her anything about you but I had to give her some reason for having her photo taken for the passport. I said we might be going on a trip but I wasn't going to tell her where or when in case it fell through and she got disappointed."
"And that's it? That's all you told her?" Travis demanded.
"You know, you're paranoid when it comes to what you think are your rights. I'm going to hang up if you've only rung to tell me off."
"Wait! I'm sorry. I feel so out of it over here. Why I really called was to say I'll be back next Friday, but I need to know when to book the tickets for us to return to San Diego. Does the following Monday suit you?"
Darcy felt as if her world was collapsing around her as she realized in seven days, she'd be leaving New Zealand with Brooke and when she returned, she would be alone.
"Monday's a bit quick, don't you think? You'll want to talk to Mr. Case and see if the agreement he's reached on your behalf is okay. I hope you don't think I'm still trying to delay matters, Travis, but I think Wednesday would be best. Maybe you should check with Mr. Case as there might be some things he needs to finalize before we take Brooke out of the country." Her voice got faster and faster as she spoke, and by the time she finished, she could barely speak clearly.
"Good idea. I'll get hold of Mr. Case in the morning. Is it okay if I ask him to let you know what we decide?"
"That will be fine."
"Darcy." He paused.
"Yes?" Darcy said when the silence lengthened.
"I miss you and Brooke. I'm really looking forward to bringing you over here and showing you around. I know Brooke will love it, and I hope you will, too."
That's right, add me as an afterthought.
"This call must be costing you a fortune."
Darcy could have kicked herself. She was so used to having to watch the cents she'd forgotten Travis didn't have the same restrictions.
"I'd best go then." His voice was barely audible. "I'll call next weekend as soon as I get back to Timaru."
"Fine. I'll see you then."
Darcy put the phone down and leaned weakly against the wall. Even on the phone, his voice had a devastating effect on her. At long last, she let herself believe she was seriously attracted to him — then honesty took over and she admitted she had fallen in love with him.
"AS FAR AS HERBERT CASE and I are concerned, we think Thursday or Friday would be the best time for you to travel to the States," Laura rang to tell her on Monday afternoon. "Brooke needs time to adjust to having a father, and it's not a good idea to whisk her off to San Diego right away. Plus, we've arranged for a custody hearing on Tuesday and you all need to attend."
"So which day does Travis want to fly to America?"
"He's leaving it up to you. He says you would be more aware of how long it will take Brooke to get used to the news."
"Like I tell her she's got a father every day of the week." Darcy let sarcasm hide her real feelings. "How do I know how long it will take? I do know it will be longer than a few days, more likely months."
"Make it Thursday then." Laura ignored Darcy's outburst. "I'll let Herbert know, so he can make the arrangements. Have you got the passports yet?"
"They came in the mail this morning." Darcy didn't tell Laura how hard she'd cried when she'd seen Brooke's. Her niece looked so young and Darcy wanted to hide her away and protect her from the imminent upheaval in her life.
"That's all for now. I'll let you know if anything else needs to be done."
THE REST OF THE WEEK passed in a dream for Darcy. She realized she only needed a substitute for two weeks and would be able to take a longer break if necessary. The beginning of December was always quiet, and she usually closed down from two weeks before Christmas until the third week of January.
The thought of Christmas came as a shock to Darcy. They'd be in America for Christmas, which meant she'd have to pretend to be cheerful and festive, plus she'd have to buy Travis a present. What on earth could she get for the man who was going to take away the only things of value in her life? A child she adored and a man she loved, but who didn't love her.
By Friday, Darcy had worked herself into a frenzy of uncertainty. The more she thought about the days ahead, the more unsure of herself she became. When it came down to the bare facts, she would be travelling to America with a man she hardly knew, to hand over her beloved niece and return to New Zealand empty handed and broken hearted. It sounded like a bad television series, but unfortunately this was reality.
"IT'S ME, I'M BACK." Travis sounded excited when he rang on Friday night. "How are you?"
"I'm fine, thank you. Where are you?"
"I'm in Timaru. I suppose it's too late to come over now?" He sounded hopeful.
"Yes, Brooke's in bed and asleep. Besides it'll best if you tell her in the morning, not evening. That way she won't worry about it all night."
"Actually, I knew she'd be in bed. I meant is it too late to come and see you?"
Darcy was about to say she couldn't see him tonight, but then she realized it was only eight thirty and maybe it would be a good idea to discuss tomorrow. She'd already upset Brooke by telling the child 'No' when she asked to stay with Minnie on Saturday night.
"I think that would be a good idea. We need to discuss how we're going to prepare the stage, so to speak."
"I'll be right there."
Before Darcy uttered another word, Travis hung up. Smiling at his enthusiasm, she went to put the kettle on, but she'd only taken a few steps when the doorbell rang.
"Sorry." Travis stood on the steps looking like a naughty schoolboy. "I called you on my cell while I was parked outside. I couldn't wait any longer."
"Okay, I'll take pity on you. Come on in." Darcy stood back to allow him through the door. His unexpected appearance had left her emotions swinging from longing to frustrated anger.
"Thanks." He had the grace to look sheepish.
"I'm going to make coffee." Darcy smiled at him. "If you promise to be very quiet, you can go and take a look at Brooke. I'm warning you though, if you wake her, you'll be leaving immediately."
Travis tiptoed dramatically down the hallway to Brooke's bedroom. Flashing a cheeky grin at Darcy, he gently opened the door and looked in. She left him to it and went off to make the coffee. A few moments later, he joined her as she was pouring the rich brown liquid into the mugs.
"That was quick." She handed him a mug.
"I didn't want to disturb her, so I didn't go into the room, just looked at her from the door." Taking her coffee from her, he placed both mugs on the table, then took her hands in his. "Darcy, I may not have said this before, but I can't tell you how grateful I am you're not m
aking a big fuss about this. It means a lot to me that you're not trying to turn Brooke against me before she's had the chance to judge for herself."
"Whatever I feel about this horrible situation, you are Brooke's father and she has a right to know you without any baggage unloaded on her from me." Gently Darcy disengaged her hands from his before he became aware of her sweating palms and nervous reaction to his touch.
"Thank you."
"You may not thank me tomorrow morning. She's already in a bad mood. She announced this afternoon that Minnie's mother had offered to take them to the cinema tomorrow and she'd be staying overnight at Minnie's house. When I told her 'No', she wasn't amused and demanded to know why. The news that my supposed boyfriend was returning didn't impress her." Darcy sighed and pushed the hair back from her eyes. "I'm beginning to think I may have been a bit soft on her. Maybe it's time she learned the discipline a father can give her."
"Pardon? You expect me to start off right away like a heavy father?" Travis looked horrified at the thought.
"Of course not. I simply want you to be aware of what you're getting yourself into. Don't make the mistake of spoiling her rotten because you feel you have to make up for the last eight years. Spoil her by all means, but make sure she knows where the line is, and be firm with her. She'll love you all the more for it."
"Thanks for the tip."
At first, Darcy thought he was being sarcastic, but when she looked at him, she realized he was serious and a small grin quirked the corners of her mouth.
Without a word, they picked up their respective mugs and took them into the lounge. Darcy curled up in her favourite armchair and Travis sat on the sofa and stretched out his long legs.
"That feels good," he sighed. "You don't realize how small the space between the seats on a plane are until you're forced to sit in them for hours on end."
"How reassuring it is to know that." Darcy grinned.
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