Three Hearts Read online

  "Of course I will. Give me a shout when you're in bed."

  Darcy turned to face Travis, dreading his reaction to Brooke's words.

  "I knew I shouldn't have agreed to let her friend come over. She would have agreed if she hadn't had time to think about it."

  Darcy could see Travis was extremely angry.

  "Is that really what you want, Travis?" Darcy stared at him. How could he be so unfeeling? "To make Brooke do something she doesn't want, just because it makes things easier for you?"

  "No, of course not."

  "Give it time, Travis. She has to get used to the fact that you're her father. The trip to America will help and by the end of it — well, who knows? She might want to stay with you."

  "I'm in bed, Darcy." Brooke's voice floated in from the other room.

  "I think you'd better come and give her a kiss goodnight, and then perhaps you should go." Darcy led the way to Brooke's bedroom, but she didn't like the way the girl shrank from Travis.

  "Don't be silly, Brooke, Travis has just come to say goodnight."

  "Night."

  "See you in the morning, Brooke." Travis kissed her forehead and with a nod to Darcy, he left the room. A few seconds later, they heard the front door close behind him.

  Brooke flung herself into Darcy's arms.

  "He won't take me away from you, will he, Darcy?"

  "There won't be anything for him to take you away from, hon, if you don't stop squeezing so hard. I can hardly breathe." Brooke eased off and lay back on her pillow, staring intently at her aunt.

  "Brooke, I need you to give Travis a chance." She held up her hand as the girl started to object. "He is your father and you should take the opportunity to get to know him. What have I always said about making decisions?"

  "To get to know as much as you can before making up your mind," Brooke responded thoughtfully. "You mean I shouldn't make up my mind about Travis until I get to know him better?"

  "Exactly. While we're in America, talk to him, see how he lives. Maybe we can sort out some sort of agreement that suits us all. I don't really know, Brooke, but at least give the man a chance."

  "Okay, but you're not going to let him have custody of me, are you?"

  "Not without your consent, hon. Now snuggle down and I'll read you a few pages before you go to sleep."

  "CAN I SIT BY THE WINDOW?"

  "Of course you can, Brooke. Would you like Darcy to sit beside you?" Travis had been treating his daughter with great courtesy ever since they'd told her he was her father.

  "Oh, you can sit there if you want, Travis." Darcy hid as smile at Brooke's offhanded reply. "Darcy will be able to sit beside me on the way home."

  The last few days had been hectic and frustrating for both Travis and Darcy. Brooke had continued to be cool towards Travis and the interview with the judge had been cancelled when they decided to give her time to adjust.

  Once the pressure had been lifted from her, Brooke had been in a perpetual state of excitement, eager to experience her first plane ride and visit to Disneyland, Sea World and the San Diego Zoo. Darcy and Travis had heard her bragging to Minnie about her American father and they had grinned at each other. As they no longer had a reason to wait for the custody proceedings, they brought their flight forward to Tuesday.

  Darcy felt almost as nervous and excited as Brooke when the wheels left the ground. She had never been out of New Zealand before and had no idea what to expect. Travis had not mentioned his fiancée since that casual remark several weeks ago and Darcy wondered if the woman would meet them at the San Diego airport.

  The flight was long but Brooke enjoyed herself as she watched the in flight movie on the individual screen in front of her, listened to the music and generally enjoyed flying. Travis even managed to get them invited to the flight deck and Darcy had to admit she enjoyed the visit as much as her niece.

  They had to change planes at Los Angeles as, although San Diego had an international airport, unfortunately, there were no direct flights from New Zealand.

  "Where's Travis going?" Brooke asked when they reached immigration. "Isn't he coming with us?"

  "He has an American passport, hon, so he has to go to that desk over there. We have New Zealand ones, so we go over here. We'll meet up with Travis on the other side."

  "Just the bags and customs now." Travis had joined him. "Then a short flight to San Diego and home. Shouldn't take too long."

  They landed in San Diego and collected their bags then went through to the arrivals hall. Darcy's stomach lurched nervously. This was it. The fiancée would appear and fling herself at Travis. She envisaged him engulfed by a cloud of loveliness within the next few minutes, but Travis didn't hesitate. He pushed the luggage trolley towards the exit and headed for the taxi stand. Relief flooded through Darcy. Obviously the girlfriend had to wait a little longer to see her beloved. Or maybe Travis had asked her to wait until he'd got Brooke settled in his home.

  The taxi wound through the San Diego traffic and Travis pointed out things of interest to Brooke.

  "That's the turnoff to Sea World. Only a few minutes and we'll be in La Jolla."

  "It isn't on the signs yet." Brooke gazed intently at the overhead road directions.

  "Yes it is, see." Travis pointed to the top line of writing. "Of course, how stupid of me. It's spelt L-A J-O-L-L-A but pronounced La HOY-ya. It's Spanish and means the jewel. Here we go."

  The cab turned off the highway and a few streets later, stopped in front of the glass doors of a small but elegant looking apartment block. While they waited for Travis to pay the cab driver, Darcy glanced at the surrounding buildings. They were mainly apartment blocks, all of which looked quietly expensive.

  "This way." Travis slid a key card through the electronic lock and once Darcy and Brooke had passed through, he picked up the cases and carried them into the lobby. He then led the way to the back of the building until he reached a door with his name discreetly displayed beside the bell.

  "Welcome to my home." He unlocked the door and flung it wide open.

  Brooke stayed close to Darcy as they entered the apartment, her small hand clinging tightly to her aunt's. Darcy felt equally apprehensive, positive the unknown fiancée would appear at any moment.

  "This way." Travis led them down a short hallway to an open doorway through which brilliant sunlight flooded. "This is your room, Brooke."

  Brooke stared speechlessly round the room. It looked like it had been recently decorated and had been furnished with everything an eight-year-old needed. Two beds followed the corner of the room, both on the upper level with a study area under one and a comfortable sofa under the other. Stuffed animals were scattered around the room and hanging from the ceiling in the corner opposite the bed was a television. The study area boasted its own computer and printer, complete with a scanner Darcy would love for her own office.

  Brooke's speechlessness ended as she moved towards this Aladdin's Cave.

  "Is this all for me? Which bed is mine? Are there any games on the computer?"

  "It's all yours and you can choose whichever bed you want. Why don't you explore while I show Darcy to her room, then we can meet back in the living room," Travis suggested.

  Darcy's room was more restrained than her niece's.

  "Thank you." She watched as he placed her case on the bed. "Travis, do you mind if I say something?"

  "You don't approve of me doing up Brooke's room like that, do you?"

  "Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you shouldn't buy her those things, just not all at once. It looks like you're trying to buy her love, and she won't fall for it. Oh, she'll think it's great for a little while, but it will soon wear off. What she needs is your time and attention, not material things." She looked intently at him, hoping he would understand what she was trying to say.

  "I know you're right, Darcy, but I couldn't help myself. Honestly, I only went to get the beds and the computer, but I found myself buying anything I thought she might like. I pr
omise I won't do it again." He grinned at her, and she thought he looked like a little boy caught doing something wrong.

  "Darcy!" Brooke's worried voice called from the lounge.

  "Here, hon. Come see my room," Darcy called back and was nearly bowled over as Brooke charged into the room.

  "I didn't know where you were." Brooke flung her arms round Darcy's waist and hugged her.

  "Silly, you don't think I'd come all the way to America just to turn around and go straight home again, did you? There's too much to see and do before I'll be ready to leave."

  "Come look at the swimming pool." Brooke caught hold of Darcy's hand and dragged her laughing from the room. Glancing over her shoulder, Darcy saw a thoughtful look cross Travis' face as he followed them.

  "COME ON, LET'S GO DOWN to the front." Brooke charged ahead of them down the steps and commandeered three seats right at the front of the auditorium.

  "I'm not too sure about this." Darcy looked nervous as she sat beside her niece. "I've seen the Sea World show on television and sitting here means we're going to get soaked."

  "We'll soon dry off." Brooke jumped up and down with excitement as the seats behind them filled up and the music gave way to a welcome speech.

  Darcy thoroughly enjoyed the dolphin display. The animals seemed to understand every word and gesture from their trainers. When the orcas appeared, she began to get nervous. They were so huge, and sitting this close to the tank made it seem more dangerous.

  Then the orcas did their grand finale and for a moment, Darcy thought they were going to get away with a few droplets as the mammals swam past. She'd forgotten they raced around the pool, then lifted into the air and came down with a wallop. A sheet of water rose over the side of the tank and soaked the first six rows of spectators. Darcy ended up looking through a fringe of dripping hair at her equally wet companions.

  "That was great!" Brooke laughed.

  "But wet." Travis grinned, as he looked down at his clothes.

  Darcy also looked and saw how his tee-shirt had become transparent and now clung to his chest, revealing all the dark curling hair beneath. She shivered, and became aware that her own clothes were clinging to her body.

  "Here, let me." Travis reached over and pushed the hair from her eyes with his hand. He smiled at her in a wistful way, before turning his attention to Brooke as she tugged at his hand.

  "Where are we going next?"

  "Home, young lady. We've had enough excitement for one day, besides we need to get changed. We can go for a walk along the Coastal Walkway and have a picnic tea in Scripps Park. Is that okay with you, Brooke?" He grinned at Brooke, but the warmth of his smile also included Darcy.

  "LOOK AT ME, TRAVIS." Brooke splashed the water in the pool to grab their attention, then swam from one end to the other.

  Travis applauded and Darcy marvelled at how close he and Brooke had become in the week since they'd arrived in San Diego. Although the child still called him Travis, she often turned to him rather than her aunt for approval. At first Darcy had felt a twinge of jealousy, but common sense told her it was all for the best. Only when Brooke accepted Travis as a friend would she even consider him as her father.

  The fiancée had remained invisible and Darcy was tempted to ask Travis about her, but thought he might consider this an intrusion. A little voice in her brain told her she had a right to meet the woman who would be Brooke's stepmother, but she felt too nervous to open the subject.

  Travis' mobile phone rang and he reluctantly answered it.

  "Hello." Darcy heard him say as he rose and moved away from her. "Yes, I'm back. How are you?"

  Maybe it's the fiancée. Darcy tried hard not to appear as if she was eavesdropping. Perhaps she's been away and that's why we haven't seen her.

  "Yes, I've missed..." Travis moved further away and Darcy didn't hear the rest of the conversation, until his casual pacing brought him back towards her. "She's great. Full of fun and I'm enjoying showing her San Diego."

  He moved away again and Darcy felt extremely frustrated. He had obviously been talking about Brooke and she'd wanted to hear what else he had to say.

  "Fine, I'll catch up with you later." Travis finished his call and flopped down in the chair beside Darcy.

  "So when do we get to meet this fiancée of yours?" Darcy knew she sounded spiteful, but she longed to know more about the woman. Her curiosity needed to be satisfied.

  "Fiancée?" His brows puckered in confusion.

  "Yes, fiancée. Remember you said you'd started making enquiries about Kelly when you wanted to get married again?"

  "Yes, I did, didn't I. Fortunately, I never got around to actually popping the question. When I found out about Brooke, the lady cooled off rather rapidly. She didn't take to the idea of becoming an instant mother."

  "But I thought..." Her glance fell to the mobile phone.

  "You thought I was talking to my fiancée?" A smile twinkled in his eyes and tugged at the corners of his mouth. "No, that was an old friend who knew Kelly. I told him about Brooke and he wanted to know how things were going."

  "Oh." Darcy felt such a fool, but Travis continued to grin.

  "I can assure you that I'm completely free of entanglements and I can give all my attention to you and Brooke."

  He didn't look in the least bit upset about his lady love's fickleness. Darcy couldn't resist a further probe into his past.

  "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to open up old wounds."

  "You didn't. I'm glad I found out what she was really like before I introduced her to my daughter. Well done, Brooke," he called as the child did another lap of the pool. "I think that's enough for now though, don't you?"

  Darcy took this to mean that the conversation was over and she thought maybe he had been badly hurt, even though he wasn't willing to admit it. Brooke raced up and Travis enveloped her in a big fluffy towel and dried her young body. As the child chattered to her father, Darcy drifted off into her own thoughts.

  She was glad Brooke wouldn't have a rival for her father's affections at this critical time when she had to get used to him being the only adult in her life. Nevertheless, the lack of romantic attachments didn't mean he had any feelings for Darcy. Sure, they'd kissed a few times, but both times had been in the heat of the moment, driven by emotions which had nothing to do with romance. Travis wanted a clean handover of Brooke with no last minute dramatics, and he was obviously willing to go to any lengths to get this.

  "Are you listening?" Brooke's shrill voice interrupted her train of thought.

  "Sorry, I was daydreaming. Did you say something?"

  "I suggested we go to Disneyland for a few days," Travis repeated. "We'd stay at the Disneyland Hotel. If you remember, I promised Brooke I'd take her there when she came to America. What do you think?"

  "I think I'm a bit old for that type of thing." Darcy would have loved to join them, but she felt it might be time to start weaning Brooke away from her. "Why don't you two go together? I'd rather stay here and lounge around doing nothing. It's not very often I get the chance and I'm exhausted after all the sightseeing we've done this week."

  "Please, Darcy." Brooke opened her eyes wide to add weight to her request. "I don't want to go without you."

  "Neither do I," Travis surprised her by saying. "It won't be as much fun with just the two of us, will it, Brooke?"

  "See!" Brooke threw off the towel and plonked herself down beside her aunt. "We want you to come."

  "Okay! Okay! I give in." Darcy laughed and a happy Brooke ran off to have another swim.

  "Why didn't you want to come?" Travis wanted to know.

  "I thought it might be an opportunity for the two of you to be on your own. It's got to happen sometime and I'd rather it wasn't when Brooke realizes I'm returning to New Zealand on my own."

  "Seems a bit too soon to me. You still have several weeks before you fly back. Let's wait for a better opportunity."

  Darcy smiled in agreement, but her mind refused to accept the '
too soon' aspect. The quicker Brooke became used to depending on Travis, the better. Hopefully, it would become a habit long before she needed to leave the child.

  AS THEY SPED NORTH to Anaheim, Darcy revelled in the luxury Travis' lifestyle provided. Despite his avowal that his business needed him, he hadn't spent any time at his office and Darcy wondered if he really needed to work. Every time she felt she was getting to know him, something would make her realize most of her knowledge came from Travis himself, and how did she know he was telling the truth?

  At present, they were driving along in his beautiful convertible and Brooke had pronounced it just like the ones on the television. Darcy wasn't sure, but she had doubts that a respectable businessman would drive such a car. Surely a sedan would give a better image, or perhaps a station wagon to carry the tools of his trade around with him. Darcy had no idea what sort of equipment a civil engineer needed, but he must have to visit building sites and do something.

  "Darcy, look!" Brooke's excited voice interrupted her thoughts. "There's the Disneyland Hotel. Where's the monorail, Travis?"

  "You can't see it from here. Let's check in to the hotel."

  After settling into their rooms, Brooke insisted on visiting Disneyland immediately. Although tired by the journey, Darcy and Travis knew they'd get no peace if they didn't let the child have at least one look around before settling down for the night so they gave in gracefully and all boarded the monorail.

  They walked down Main Street and Travis pointed out many of the sights which they'd only seen on television before. Brooke's excitement overflowed when she saw Mickey Mouse and after waiting their turn, Travis took a photo of her cuddling up to the oversized cartoon character.

  "Minnie would never believe me if I just tell her, but the photo will prove I met Mickey." She yawned and the adults looked at one another.

  "I think it's time we went back to the hotel," Travis stated firmly, but Brooke tried one last plea.

  "Darcy, do I have to?"

  "Yes, you do. It's late and Disneyland will be here tomorrow. You'll like it better if you're not so tired." She smiled at her niece. "Come on, let's do as your dad says and go back to the hotel."