Three Hearts Read online

  "No, the story goes that a local lady thought the approach to Tekapo needed brightening up so she bought huge bags of lupin seeds and sat on the back of a horse drawn wagon. While someone drove her slowly along, she threw handfuls of seeds to either side of the road. Since then the lupins have flowered like this every year. It's become part of the tourist attraction. Unfortunately, it only lasts a short time."

  For several minutes, they sat in silence looking at the colourful flowers covering the plateau, and the snow tipped mountains on the horizon. Eventually Brooke's frustrated movements in the back seat caused Travis to continue their journey. A few minutes later, the aquamarine waters of Lake Tekapo twinkled at them as they drove down into the town.

  "There are several places to have a picnic," Darcy told Travis. "But it might be a good idea to stop at the shops first."

  "I don't think I've forgotten anything," Travis informed her, sounding slightly offended. "Why don't we go straight on and park by the lake?"

  "I think we should stop for a — what do you call it? A bathroom break." Darcy indicated the wriggling girl in the back seat.

  "Oh. Right." Travis had the grace to look slightly uncomfortable about the misunderstanding.

  Once they had attended to Brooke's needs and their own, they drove along the lakeshore looking for a picnic spot.

  "Let's park by the trees and picnic on the beach." Brooke pointed to a track which led between tall trees.

  "Great idea." Travis smiled at the girl. "This end seems quieter than the other, so how about here?"

  After Travis pulled under some large trees, they all got out of the hot car. Darcy lifted her arms above her head and stretched, then realized Travis watched the slow sinuous movement. She grinned as he turned away and collected the basket from the rear of the car. She grabbed the rugs and followed him as he headed for the pebbly beach.

  "Can I go for a swim before lunch?" Brooke asked.

  "Sure." Darcy looked sternly at her niece. "But don't go too far from us. I want to be able to see you all the time."

  "It's not dangerous swimming here, is it?" Travis frowned. "Do you think I should go in with her?"

  "No, the water's perfectly safe. Brooke tends to forget about staying nearby and I like to keep an eye on her."

  TOGETHER THEY SPREAD the lunch on the blanket, and Darcy had to admit he'd not stinted in his selection. There were pieces of spiced chicken, salads both green and potato, and fresh bread rolls with pats of butter. For dessert, the hotel had provided a mousse and a chocolate cake. There was also chilled juice, sodas and a bottle of dry white wine for them to drink.

  "That's in case you fancy something stronger." Travis waved a negligent hand at the wine. "I'll pass, though. I’m driving."

  Darcy's anger quickly bubbled up. He made it sound as if she needed alcohol to exist. One day he'd push her too far and she'd demand to know his real thoughts about her, but today was not the time.

  "I'm starving. What's to eat?" Brooke plonked herself on the blanket, showering them with droplets of lake water.

  Talk centred around the surrounding countryside as they ate, and Brooke pointed out Mount Cook and told Travis the turquoise colour of the lake was due to rivers that extend back into the valleys of the Southern Alps. In the valleys were glaciers and the melt from them and the snow on the mountains made the distinctive colour. Darcy smiled. The description was almost word for word how she had explained it to Brooke.

  An hour later, most of the food and drink had disappeared. The wine remained untouched as Darcy stubbornly stayed with the fruit juice and Brooke drank sodas.

  That will show him.

  Travis suggested a walk, but she felt full and satisfied and much too drowsy to take any exercise. Brooke and Travis went together. Darcy lay back on the blanket and dozed in the afternoon sunshine. Warmth and satisfaction lulled her into a deep sleep and an hour passed before she opened her eyes again. There was no sign of Brooke or Travis.

  Darcy sat up and shaded her eyes as she looked further along the beach, then twisted round to look behind her. As she turned, she realized Travis' car had gone.

  Panic stricken, she rose to her feet. He'd taken Brooke. Fool! She'd let him persuade her he was Mr. Nice Guy, a man to be trusted. Then he'd kidnapped her precious niece. She had to get to a phone. She must contact Laura and get her to stop Travis leaving the country with Brooke. Grabbing her shoulder bag, Darcy stumbled up the beach through the trees, and then hurried towards the shops which lined the road through Tekapo.

  She'd barely started walking when a familiar car drove towards her and pulled into the spot it had occupied when she went to sleep. Travis emerged from the driver's side and looked curiously at Darcy. From the back of the car, a small girl with an enormous ice cream carefully detached herself from the seat belt and opened the door.

  "Hey, Darcy, look what Travis bought me." Brooke took a quick lick of the confection before continuing. "We would have got you one too, but you were asleep when we got back from our walk."

  Feeling rather foolish, Darcy followed her niece back to the beach, all too aware of Travis walking behind her. She hoped he'd think the blush staining her skin was due to sunburn and not embarrassment.

  When she finished her ice cream, Brooke returned to the water's edge where she dabbled her toes in the water, then splashed about in the shallows. Travis joined her for a while, but then he returned and plonked himself down beside Darcy.

  "You thought I'd kidnapped her, didn't you?" His voice dripped with accusation.

  "No, of course not." Darcy glanced at him through eyelashes shading her lowered eyes. Travis smirked in a derisive smile, and she knew she'd have to own up. "Well, only at first, but be honest... What would you have thought if you'd woken up and not only were neither of you in sight, but the car was missing, too?"

  "I hadn't thought of it that way." He looked slightly embarrassed. "I'd probably have had a few moments of panic, too."

  They sat silently for some moments then Travis reached out and enclosed her long slim hand with his wide strong one.

  "I wouldn't do such a terrible thing to either you or Brooke. I've no reason to. The test results will prove Brooke is my daughter."

  His words did nothing to reassure Darcy, they only reinforced the belief that she would soon be parted from the one and only person she loved and who loved her in return. Brooke.

  She stared out across the water, desperately looking for a change of subject. At this point, she didn't want to know about Travis and Kelly. The time for that would come when the test results were known.

  "Would you tell me something?" Travis broke into her chaotic thoughts.

  "If I can," Darcy answered cautiously.

  "You agreed on my getting to know Brooke before the results are known, as long as I didn't tell her I was her father."

  "I've only your word about that," Darcy corrected him.

  "I suppose you would see it that way." Travis sounded irritated. "What I'd like to know is why you seem to be putting barriers in the way of my getting to know her?"

  "Barriers?" Darcy was genuinely puzzled. "What barriers?"

  "At the movies last week you obviously didn't want Brooke to sit next to me, and today in the car, you hopped in the front seat so she had to sit in the back. It would have been nice to have her sitting beside me. It was me she was talking to after all. You have her so under your thumb that she wouldn't even sit in the front when I took her for an ice cream." Travis gazed broodingly across the water, his arms stretched behind him, holding his upper body off the ground.

  "You're paranoid, Travis," Darcy told him. "I am not putting barriers between the two of you."

  "So why are you trying to keep us apart?"

  "For starters, we're supposed to be an item, not you and Brooke. Don't you think she'd suspect something if you go for her attention all the time and ignore me?" She waited for his reply, determined to spell everything out for him.

  "I suppose it would look a bit susp
icious."

  "I thought we'd sorted things out regarding the movies, but I'll go over it again. Brooke and Minnie always sit together in the row in front of me. That way I can keep an eye on them, but also get to hear the movie, which can be difficult if they're sitting next to me chattering all the time. Besides, the girls like to feel they're grown up by sitting on their own and it's perfectly safe in Timaru. It's not as if we were in a crowded cinema in America."

  "And today and the visit to Oamaru last week? Surely she wouldn't have seen any ulterior motive if you'd allowed her to sit beside me?"

  "She probably would have been curious. We have a rule that she always sits in the back seat as it's safer. The road toll in New Zealand is quite high, you know. It's also considered unsafe for a young child to sit in the passenger seat of a vehicle with an airbag. If you add up all the reasons, you'll see why I prefer Brooke to be in the back seat of a vehicle, regardless of how short the journey is."

  "You're making excuses. I've seen tons of kids sitting in the passenger seats. Some of them young babies and toddlers in booster seats." Travis glared at her. He evidently thought she was lying to cover her own back.

  "Even when Brooke was a baby in a car seat and later in the booster seat, I made sure she was in the back of the car. I'm not the only one who does it. Minnie's parents never let her travel in the front seat." Darcy stared coolly back at him, and his convinced look wavered.

  "What are you two talking about?" Brooke wandered towards them and Darcy recognised the signs of boredom on her face.

  "Nothing really. What do you think we should show Travis now, hon? That's if you've had enough of the swimming."

  "Why don't we go around the other side of the lake and on the way, show him the church and the dog?" Brooke's eyes lit up with enthusiasm, boredom banished by this new challenge.

  "I thought you said the church and the dog." Travis laughed. "Surely you've got that a bit mixed up."

  "Wait and see." Brooke's eyes twinkled mischievously.

  They packed the car and drove back through Tekapo and took the first turn left. The road curved to the right, following the shore of the lake.

  "See, there's the church. You didn't believe me, did you?" Brooke pointed excitedly to the small stone building sitting on a slight rise right beside the water.

  "Ah, but where's the dog?" Travis asked as he parked in the small car park below the church.

  "Over there." Brooke pointed to a small statue further along the shore.

  "This is really amazing." Travis stared at the inside of a church so small that there were only a dozen seats inside.

  "People come from all over the world to get married here." Darcy pointed to photos on the notice board outside. "It's called the Church of the Good Shepherd."

  After a short time, they moved on to look at the bronze statue of the dog.

  "He's supposed to represent the working dogs of Mackenzie country." Brooke's voice was full of importance as she spoke to Travis. "They thought it was important to have a statue for them."

  "Who was Mackenzie?" Travis asked.

  "Legend has it he was a sheep stealer and right rogue, but history tends to make him kinder than reality." Darcy explained. "I doubt if the people he stole from looked at him kindly though."

  THEY ARRIVED HOME JUST as the sun set. Brooke raced inside while Travis and Darcy followed at a more leisurely pace.

  "Here." Travis offered her the bottle of wine. "I thought you might like this."

  "Thanks." Darcy opened the fridge and placed the wine inside. "I'll put it in the fridge so we can share it sometime."

  "Would you like to go out to dinner?"

  "I'd love to, but not tonight," Darcy replied. "Brooke has school tomorrow and she's had a tiring day. I was thinking of making a snack tonight. After that huge picnic, I don't think I want too much to eat. You're very welcome to join us."

  "Another time maybe. As you say, it's been a long day. I'll see you tomorrow, if that's okay."

  "Fine."

  After Travis left and Brooke had been fed and put to bed, Darcy sat on the deck, hands wrapped round a cup of coffee, and looked at the brilliant starry sky above her. She thought about the events of the day. She'd been really scared when Brooke and Travis went missing, but her anger had not been entirely due to fear. It had been partly disappointment that he would betray the trust she placed in him by allowing him to get to know Brooke. She prided herself on her ability to read a person's true nature, but she found Travis an enigma. As soon as she decided he would play by the rules in this custody issue, he changed them. Mr. Nice Guy changed to Mr. Stern and Disapproving, but her main problem was that no matter which mode he was in, she found herself irresistibly drawn to him.

  Chapter Five

  "Darcy, it's time we told Brooke the truth."

  "No! Absolutely not. You promised to wait, Travis. It shouldn't be too long before we get the test results. Can't you hold on a bit longer?" Her gaze followed him pleadingly as he paced up and down her lounge.

  "I don't think we're being fair to her by lying like this." Travis ran a hand through his hair, distracting her as she fought the urge to smooth it down again. "It would be much better if we told her what was really happening."

  "And how do we explain it away if you're not her father, Travis? We don't know the truth yet."

  "I do! Brooke is my daughter!" He stared at her defiantly, reminding her of Brooke in a stubborn mood.

  "Well, I withhold judgement on that until we get the results." Despite the similarities between him and the child, she was not going to give in until she was sure. She knew she was being illogical, but that was the effect he had on her. A part of Darcy knew Travis was Brooke's father, but the rest of her didn't want to believe it and this made her reactions swing wildly from one extreme to the other. At this particular moment, she needed to show she was just as stubborn as he was, but it didn't seem to be working.

  "Do you realize you're totally irrational when we talk about the test results? You know they'll prove I'm Brooke's father, but you blindfold yourself to the inevitable. Give in, Darcy!" He'd been yelling at her, but now he lowered his voice until it became almost caressing. "Admit it, Darcy. You'll eventually have to let her go."

  "Not until I have the written proof! You're the one who's so positive. What will you do if you're wrong and Brooke isn't your daughter? You haven't even given that a moment's thought, have you?" Darcy felt as if she'd stabbed him when she saw the wounded look on his face. "I'm sorry, Travis, but neither of us knows what happened to Kelly between her leaving you and arriving back in New Zealand. I don't believe she would have been unfaithful to you, but I'm not willing to take the chance and tell Brooke until I'm absolutely sure. Can't you understand what it would do to her if she was told you were her father, and then a few days later we had to say we were sorry, we'd made a mistake?"

  "Okay, you've made yourself perfectly clear." Travis sounded harsh as he reluctantly gave in. "It's against my better judgement, but I'll wait until the results come through."

  She reached out a hand to offer comfort, but he either didn't see her gesture, or wanted to hurt her by ignoring it. He stormed out of the room and Darcy heard the front door slam behind him. With a sigh, she went to the kitchen to prepare a snack for Brooke when she came home from school.

  "DARCY, I'VE BEEN THINKING..."

  "Congratulations, hon. What exactly have you been thinking?" Darcy grinned at her niece.

  "I like Travis."

  "That's great, Brooke. I like him, too."

  "So how come you two never go anywhere?"

  "We do. We went to Lake Tekapo last Sunday and the movies and Oamaru the week before."

  "I know, but you never go anywhere alone. Minnie and I came to the movies and the three of us went to Oamaru and Tekapo. If you're dating, the two of you should be going out alone." Brooke's big eyes looked questioningly at Darcy, and she found it difficult to meet the child's penetrating gaze.

  "We enjoy
doing things with you, Brooke. We have plenty of time alone when you've gone to bed." Darcy felt like a hypocrite. She never lied to Brooke and now she'd broken her own rule. When Brooke went to bed, she and Travis discussed their next meeting before he left. Part of her was relieved she didn't have the opportunity to be tempted by him, but she had to admit she'd enjoyed his company the few times he'd stayed for the evening. Despite this, she'd always been aware their relationship was only make-believe.

  "Well Minnie and I decided you're having a rough time. On Friday, I'm sleeping at her house and you and Travis can have a lovely night out on your own. The deal is you tell me all about it when I come home." Brooke smiled at her aunt then skipped off to play in the garden.

  Darcy's brain did somersaults as she worked her way through Brooke's ultimatum. Of course, she and Travis could pretend they'd gone out, but that would be another lie. She hated keeping the real reason she and Travis were seeing each other from Brooke.

  Since the conversation when Travis had insisted on telling Brooke, things had been rather cool between them. She still held out for the remote possibility he wasn't Brooke's father, determined that until the results came through, Brooke would not be told why Travis had come to New Zealand. Perhaps Friday night would be a good opportunity to try and persuade Travis again. Between the two of them, they might be able to come up with a plan of action.

  "The situation is getting a bit awkward." Travis agreed when she phoned him to make the arrangements. "I don't like skirting the truth any more than you do, especially to my own daughter. Yes, let's have a meal together Friday evening, and discuss the next step over coffee. I'll pick you up about eight, is that okay?"

  Darcy muttered her agreement and hung up. Her heart pounded erratically and she tried to calm herself by thinking of the meal as a business meeting, but her mind refused to accept this. Instead her thoughts turned to what clothes to wear, and if she had time to have her hair done.