Three Hearts Read online

  "Here let me." Travis turned on the tap and held her hand under the stream of cold water. Uncomfortable with his touch, she struggled, but he wouldn't release her until he was satisfied her skin was no longer stinging.

  "You haven't answered me yet. Are you or are you not trying to prove I'm an unsuitable guardian?" She snatched up a towel to dry her hand.

  "No, I'm not. My only concern is Brooke's safety."

  "May I remind you that until the test results come through Brooke's safety is my concern — not yours. I suggest you leave her wellbeing to her legal guardian — me. I've been looking after her for eight years without any mishaps." She stood with hands on hips, daring him to contradict her.

  "Point taken," Travis admitted. "I'm not getting at you, Darcy, but you and I have different ideas about bringing up a child."

  "Well for the moment, I have the experience and legal responsibility, and you have none." She looked at him suspiciously. "At least I assume you have no other children. I've just realized I know very little about you. Perhaps you should take the time to tell me more about yourself."

  "Nothing much to tell." Travis shrugged. "I'm in my early thirties, a freelance civil engineer and I live in San Diego. Married once with an eight-year-old daughter."

  "An alleged daughter." Darcy glared at him, daring him to continue.

  She soon realized he wasn't going to offer any further information and reluctantly let the matter drop. She was tired and didn't have the energy for an argument. If only he'd go back to his hotel before she said something she'd regret.

  "I think it's time I left." Travis must have sensed her feelings. "Do you have any plans for tomorrow?"

  "We have to take Minnie home, but then we're free."

  "I'll be by in the morning then. Would ten be okay?"

  "Fine." Darcy wished he'd go. Her eyelids were drooping as she fought off sleep.

  "WHERE SHALL WE GO?" Travis asked when he arrived the next morning.

  "I don't want to go anywhere." Brooke looked grumpy. "Why do I have to come with you? I wanted to stay at Minnie's. You don't need me around if you're going to get all soppy."

  "Brooke, apologize at once."

  "It's okay, Darcy. I expect it does seem unfair to her."

  "I'm waiting, Brooke." Darcy stood in front of her niece with arms folded and foot tapping as she waited for an apology.

  "Darcy, it's okay. It doesn't matter." Travis put his hand on her arm, but she glared at him and pulled her arm free.

  "Brooke, go to your room until you're ready to say you're sorry." As soon they were alone, Darcy turned to him, and her anger exploded.

  "How dare you undermine my authority."

  "But you were being unfair to her. From her point of view, there's no reason why she should come with us."

  "I don't care what you thought. We have certain rules in this house and one of them is we are never rude to visitors. Brooke broke that rule and she knows it. In future, if you disagree with anything I say or do, I'd be obliged if you wait until Brooke has left the room before you speak. Don't you realize if she thinks you'll stick up for her every time I discipline her, she'll try to play one against the other?" Darcy's eyes blazed with anger as she ripped into Travis, and he took an involuntary step backwards.

  "I only tried to see things from her point of view." His tone was defensive.

  "Well, don't. Leave things up to me until you understand the rules."

  For a few moments, they stood glaring at one another until a small voice interrupted them.

  "Darcy, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been rude to Travis."

  Darcy's face softened as she turned to the child.

  "Okay. So long as you remember rude behaviour isn't allowed."

  "Sorry, Travis." Brooke refused to look at him.

  "Now that's over, where are we going? I hear Oamaru is a nice place."

  Darcy glanced across at Travis. He had a stubborn look on his face and she realized he'd changed the subject because he couldn't bring himself to say he accepted Brooke's apology.

  BROOKE SAT QUIETLY in the back seat on the drive to Oamaru, but when they bought sandwiches, cakes and drinks from a bakery and headed for the penguin colony, she perked up.

  "Are we going to wait and see the penguins coming in?"

  "Not today, hon. You've got school tomorrow so we can't stay too late. Why don't you tell Travis all about them instead."

  Having made her point about discipline, Darcy felt able to let the other two enjoy each other's company.

  A smile flitted across her lips as she saw their heads bent low together over the information board. Brooke's voice was full of importance as she explained how the penguins were safeguarded by the community. Not even visitors to the area were allowed to disturb the birds, especially when they were nesting.

  The mood of the moment carried them through the rest of the day until they arrived back in Timaru with a sleeping eight-year-old in the back seat.

  "I'll carry her in if you like," Travis offered. "Perhaps you could get the door."

  Darcy glanced back after she'd opened the door. Travis walked up the path carefully cradling Brooke in his arms and she thought how good they looked together. Another pang struck her heart at the thought of living without either of them.

  After Brooke had been safely tucked into bed, Travis seemed reluctant to leave.

  "Darcy, I'm sorry about this morning. In the future, I'll keep my thoughts to myself until I can talk to you privately. I promise it won't happen again."

  "I just want you to realize you can't come barging into her life and try to make up for the eight years you've lost by letting her have her own way all the time. She needs discipline the same as everyone else. If you let her run wild, she'll turn into a child who everybody hates."

  "I understand. I'll back off until I know her better."

  Travis kept his promise during the following week. He visited every day and Brooke began to regard him suspiciously. Darcy wondered what thoughts were going through the girl's mind. Darcy treated Travis in an aloof but friendly manner, but at the end of the week, she sighed with relief. They'd reached the halfway mark for the test results. Only seven more days to go.

  ON FRIDAY EVENING, they were all together when Travis made a suggestion. "I'm a stranger to New Zealand and wondered if the three of us could go somewhere for the weekend. It would be my treat, of course."

  "I'm sorry but I can't. I've got some urgent work to complete tomorrow." Relief flooded through Darcy as she realized she wouldn't be trapped with him in a strange place with only Brooke for protection. However, a small part of her was disappointed at not being able to agree with his suggestion.

  "How about we go for a drive on Sunday instead?" Travis seemed untroubled by the alteration to his plans. "The drive toward the mountains is supposed to be nice."

  "Let's take a picnic up to Lake Tekapo." Brooke hopped up and down excitedly. "We haven't been out there since we went ice skating in August."

  "That's a good idea, Brooke. Tekapo is over an hour's drive from Timaru." Darcy turned to Travis. "There's a beautiful lake there, with fantastic views of the mountains. At this time of year, it can be breathtaking."

  Plus there'll be no chance of any intimate moments on a trip like that.

  "Lake Tekapo it is then." Travis agreed with a grin.

  "I'll give Minnie a ring and ask her to come, too."

  Brooke headed for the phone but Darcy saw disappointment flood Travis' face. She understood his feelings. Whether or not he was the child's father, she'd agreed to let him get to know her and this would be difficult if Brooke always brought her friend along.

  "Wait, Brooke. I think it would be nice if we kept it to the three of us this time, don't you?" She looked at Brooke, daring her to disagree.

  "I suppose so." Brooke plopped down on a chair, her mood sullen. Suddenly she brightened. "I've just remembered Minnie's stuffy old grandma is visiting on Sunday, so she wouldn't be able to come anyway. You ga
ve me permission to go with Minnie's family to pick the old lady up from Christchurch on Saturday, so I wouldn't have been able to go away for the weekend."

  "Brooke," Darcy said sternly. "That's not a very nice thing to say about someone's relative. You would have been angry with Minnie if she'd called Grams an old lady or stuffy."

  "Well she wouldn't have, Grams was great." Brooke hopped up and helped herself to a biscuit from the tin. "I'm going to do my homework. See you on Sunday, Travis."

  Darcy sighed. There were times when a male presence would be a definite advantage when dealing with Brooke.

  "Grams?" Travis queried.

  "What? Oh, Grams was my mother, your mother-in-law I suppose." She looked quickly over her shoulder to make sure Brooke hadn't returned unexpectedly to the kitchen. "She died two years ago. Until then, we shared the upbringing of Brooke, although I've always had legal custody of her."

  Darcy bit her lip, absolutely furious with herself. Why did I bring up the subject of custody when things were going so well between us? Luckily Travis seemed willing to let the comment pass and continued to drink the second cup of coffee Darcy offered him.

  "What time shall I pick you up on Sunday?" He put down his empty cup.

  "Is nine o'clock all right with you?"

  "Fine. I'll see you on Sunday then. Don't worry about food. I'll get the hotel to make up a picnic hamper." As he pushed himself away from the table, he inadvertently knocked over the cup. They both reached out to catch it at the same time and their hands touched. Darcy snatched hers back as the uncomfortable heat and tingling sensation she hoped had gone raced up her arm. Travis' forehead wrinkled in a puzzled frown. "We'll have to talk about us some time, too."

  After he'd gone, Darcy struggled for several moments before she got her emotions under control. Only when her pulse stopped racing did she realize Travis would be left alone on Saturday. Well, it couldn't be helped. He'd find something else to keep him amused.

  TRAVIS SPENT SATURDAY catching up with work on his laptop. Due to the time difference it was still Friday in the U.S. so he called a few of his clients to sort out minor problems that had arisen during his absence. Work finished, he forced himself to walk in the direction of Caroline Bay. What he really wanted to do was drive past Darcy and Brooke's house in the hope of catching a glimpse of his daughter.

  Who are you kidding? You know she's not there today. It's Darcy you want to see.

  He sat on a seat overlooking the beach and tried to sort out his feelings for the woman. Now that he knew the truth about her, he had to admit he felt an attraction for her. Why was he thinking of Darcy? The focus of his visit to Timaru was supposed to be his daughter Brooke. Would Darcy put any more obstacles in his way? Aunt and niece were very close and he expected more emotional outbursts in his fight for Brooke. However, it had been her suggestion he should get to know Brooke. Did this mean she was coming around to his way of thinking?

  His thoughts turned to his deceased wife. Kelly had been so beautiful and full of life. He'd been shocked to find out she'd died giving birth to their daughter. He shook his head. Even if he'd known he wouldn't have been able to do anything to help. Kelly had died in a well equipped hospital, but even their facilities couldn't help her.

  Darcy didn't look anything like her sister, but she had an attractiveness all her own. Brooke did have a slight resemblance to her mother. The sisters' personalities were also different. He remembered Kelly as a sweet tempered, slightly naïve woman. He didn't blame her for leaving. Their marriage had been a mistake. They had mistaken lust for love. His wife's sister was completely different. She had a feisty temper and wouldn't let anyone walk over her. Plus she was very protective of the child in her custody.

  The ozone smell of the sea tickled his senses. Travis stood and stretched. He had a lonely night in the hotel to look forward to, but tomorrow he would spend with the most important female in his life. No make that the two most important females in his life.

  BROOKE SAT AT THE KITCHEN table while Darcy washed the breakfast dishes on Sunday morning. She obviously needed to talk, but Darcy knew by experience it was easier to let Brooke get things off her chest in her own way.

  "Darcy, are you and Travis getting serious? He's here all the time and people are beginning to talk about you."

  "People?"

  "Well Minnie asked me yesterday if you were in love with him."

  "We're not serious, hon." Darcy spread the tea cloth out to dry, then sat down opposite Brooke. "He's fun to be with and we enjoy each other's company. It's nothing more than friendship, Brooke. Besides, he'll be going back to America in a short while."

  "That's all right then." Relief flooded Brooke's face. "I thought you two were headed for marriage or something."

  "No, Brooke. There's nothing like that between Travis and me." Darcy's mind surprised her as it finished the sentence with I wish.

  Brooke rushed off to get ready for the Tekapo trip and Darcy went to her own room. As she dressed, her mind relived the moments when Travis was around. His presence often sent flutters through her body, sometimes causing arousal without even touching her. Keeping up with the dating pretence for Brooke was bad enough. This meant allowing him to put his arm around her shoulders, or hold her hand, but if they were forced to keep the pretence going much longer, she'd end up in his arms again and that would be disastrous.

  She also worried about the test results. If they were positive, she'd have to tell Brooke that Travis was her father. How will Brooke react to the news? Will she be angry with me for not telling her right away? Maybe she'd feel Darcy had betrayed her and this could push Brooke into Travis' arms. The ring of the doorbell interrupted her thoughts and she hurried to let Travis in.

  "Do you think we should still go?" She saw him glance worriedly at the hazy street.

  "No problem," Darcy assured him. "These light mists burn off by about ten and then we'll have a fine day with lots of sun and blue sky. If you'll take this bag out to the car, I'll get a couple of sweaters in case it's cool up by the lake."

  AS DARCY AND BROOKE left the house the sun broke through the mist, throwing a shaft of light around them. Travis drew a quick breath. Both aunt and niece were dressed in shorts and tee-shirts with ankle socks and trainers on their feet, but whereas Brooke's clothing merely covered her childish form, Darcy's accentuated every enticing line of her body. Suddenly he saw Darcy frown as she looked at him and prayed she hadn't guessed his thoughts?

  "Aren't you going to be hot in those clothes?" Darcy indicated his shirt, tie and jacket, and Travis sighed with relief. She'd been looking at his clothes, not the lust in his eyes.

  "I've got some shorts and a tee-shirt with me, but I wasn't sure if the weather would be too cool."

  "If you want my advice, you'll change before we set off. You're going to get very hot otherwise. You can use the bathroom if you like."

  Travis quickly escaped, glad of the chance to cool himself off. His reaction to Darcy in shorts made him uncomfortable and a few moments in the cool, tiled bathroom were just what he needed to regain his composure.

  Darcy and Brooke were waiting by the car when Travis reappeared.

  "Forgot to tell you the car doors are unlocked." Travis opened the passenger door, hoping Brooke would hop in the front seat. Frustration and a niggling anger ruffled his calm when Darcy settled herself in front and Brooke opened the rear door and climbed in. Surely Darcy realized he wanted his daughter to sit beside him on the journey.

  "Don't forget your seatbelt, Brooke," he heard her say as he climbed into the driver's seat.

  Travis glanced across at Darcy and she smiled at him as she turned back from checking Brooke. He was too annoyed to return the smile, and instead he nodded slightly in her direction, then put the car into drive.

  Minutes later they left Timaru behind them and drove towards the mountains hovering on the edge of the horizon. Travis gradually calmed down, but he decided to have a word with Darcy concerning his contact with B
rooke. Once the test results came through, she wouldn't be able to push him to one side like she had today and last weekend at the movies.

  DARCY ENJOYED THE RIDE. She usually made this trip as the driver, with one — and often two — young girls in tow. The girls never stopped talking so it was nice to be able to enjoy the view and let Travis respond to the non-stop chatter which poured from the back seat.

  "And this is Pleasant Point," Brooke said as they came abreast of the railway shed. "It has this lovely old steam train and you can go for rides on it."

  Although they had to slow down to pass through, the place wasn't large and they were soon speeding along State Highway 8 towards Fairlie.

  "Once we pass through Fairlie, we're almost there."

  "Not quite, Brooke." Darcy felt impelled to step in before Travis got the wrong idea about the amount of time it would take them to reach their destination. "Once we get through Fairlie, we start to climb and then we go through Burkes Pass. This brings us up onto the plains that surround Tekapo and Twizel. They're covered with tussock grass."

  "I see."

  Travis looked annoyed at her interruption, so Darcy stopped talking and resumed her perusal of the passing scenery. She let her thoughts drift to the test results. It was highly likely they would prove Travis was Brooke's father, so they really should talk about how they would break the news to the child. Today might present an ideal opportunity.

  Lost in her thoughts, she didn't speak again until they'd passed through Fairlie and climbed above Burkes Pass. Then a gasp from Travis and a yell from Brooke brought her back to the present.

  "Hey, Darcy!" Brooke's voice sounded ear-splitting in the close confines of the car. "Look! It's lupin time."

  "This is magnificent." Travis pulled in to the side of the road to look at the hordes of multicoloured heads nodding in the breeze of the passing cars. "Are they native flowers?"