Tangled Hearts

Garrett drew in a harsh breath, his expression contemptuous. ‘On the basis of a few hours’ acquaintance with Jason you have decided that I’m a totally unfit father who at best ignores him, and at worst browbeats him?’

‘No, of course not—–’

‘It certainly sounds like it to me!’

‘It wasn’t just that—–’

‘No, I forgot,’ he rasped. ‘There’s also the fact that you already disliked me intensely and would gladly believe anything anyone said against me!’

It had never been difficult to hate this man, it was true, to hate the way he had preferred Amanda not to visit her family after they were married, the pain he had caused Amanda during their marriage, until it became so impossible for her to live with a man who didn’t love her that she had finally left him and come home, only to be killed in a motorway pile-up the day after her arrival back in England. Garrett Kingham had arrived in time for Amanda’s funeral, and after the service he had told them he was taking Jason back to the States with him. The five-year-old boy was all they had left of Amanda, and Sarah could see how it was breaking her father’s heart to part with him too. But Garrett was immune to their pleadings, until finally, impatiently, Sarah had flown at him, screaming and kicking as she told him how much she hated him.

She had been sixteen then, her body mature but her emotions still those of a child, and all she had been able to think of was that he had hurt her sister and that he was taking Jason away from them too. She was a woman now, but she still hated him.

She looked at him coldly. ‘Maybe that’s because it’s always so easy to believe!’

He sighed. ‘Sarah, it’s late, I’ve had a long journey to get here, and I’m in no mood to argue with you.’

She stood firm in spite of the lines of tiredness she could now see beside his eyes and mouth. She didn’t want to think of this man as vulnerable, because that would make him human, and she knew that was something he wasn’t. ‘I told you, Jason is asleep, and, unlike the last time you dragged Jason out of his bed and away from us, I am now all grown-up and more than capable of handling you without resorting to violence!’

She wished she had never issued the challenge as his narrowed gaze moved over her insolently in a totally male assessment, making her instantly aware of her own inadequacies. She didn’t need Garrett Kingham’s contempt to tell her that although she was slender enough her body certainly wasn’t of the shape to drive a man wild with desire, just as she also didn’t need him to tell her that, although she and Amanda had a surface similarity, Amanda was the one that had sparkled and charmed, while she just quietly glowed.

Garrett’s mouth quirked in the semblance of a smile. ‘You don’t look any different to me now than you did at sixteen,’ he taunted. ‘Or any more capable of “handling” me.’

‘No?’ she flared at his condescension. ‘Then perhaps you would like to try and take Jason away again?’

His eyes narrowed to icy emerald slits. ‘I don’t like being threatened, Sarah.’

‘Really?’ she challenged, her head back. ‘Well, neither do I!’

They continued to glare at each other for several tension-filled minutes, Sarah determined not to be the one who backed down—mainly because she had no idea how to stop him taking Jason away now if he wanted to do so, despite her claim to the contrary. All she knew was that Jason was no longer a child to be dragged away when he didn’t want to go, and that it would break her father’s heart a second time if by some miracle Garrett persuaded Jason to go with him now. Her mother had died twelve years go, Amanda ten years ago, and she and Jason were all her father had left. She would keep Jason here, if only until tomorrow when he could say goodbye to them properly.

Finally Garrett was the one to drop his gaze, sighing as he folded his length down into one of the fireside armchairs. ‘Do you still make a delicious cup of coffee?’ he asked wearily.

She blinked. ‘I still make the same coffee.’ She wasn’t even prepared to take a compliment about such a trivial thing from this man!

He nodded. ‘Strong, just the way I like it. Black, please.’

She wanted to tell him that it was after twelve o’clock at night, that she was tired too, and certainly not in the mood to make coffee for anyone. But despite herself she could see that he really was tired, looking all of his thirty-nine years as he relaxed back in the chair. And with that realisation came the knowledge that he must have been worried out of his mind about Jason before receiving her call, that whatever else she thought about him, he did seem to love his son.

On the few occasions she had allowed herself to dwell on the past, Garrett had always seemed ageless to her, but now she could see that the years hadn’t dealt kindly with him, that his hair wasn’t blond at his temples but grey, giving it a salt-and-pepper look, the deep lines of cynicism beside his mouth long ago having banished any claim he might have had to youth. If he had made those around him unhappy he certainly hadn’t fared any better himself.

‘Very well, Mr Kingham,’ she sighed. ‘Then I would suggest you—–’

‘My name is Garrett, Sarah, as you very well know,’ he said drily. ‘Prove you aren’t still a child and use it.’

Her cheeks were burning as she moved about the kitchen preparing the coffee. She was a teacher, had been a married woman, and yet something about Garrett Kingham reduced her to the petulant child she had always been in his presence. How could Amanda have ever fallen in love with such a man, despite his surface attraction?

Amanda had been beautiful all her life, could have had her pick of any of the local young men who always seemed to be at the cottage to see her, and yet she had wanted to go to America to become an actress, so sure that she would be a success, despite her parents’ warning that every young girl who set out for Hollywood believed the same thing about herself, but few actually ever made it. Amanda had never actually appeared in a film, had become Garrett Kingham’s wife instead, and apparently the Kingham wives didn’t work. All Garrett required of her was that she be a mother to Jason and a beautiful hostess in his home. And Amanda had been good at both those things, had openly adored Jason, become the society hostess of Hollywood.

But even that success hadn’t been enough for the arrogant Garrett Kingham, and for the most part he had ignored the existence of his wife and son as he ruthlessly furthered his own career. He had made Amanda miserable, and he couldn’t be allowed to continue doing the same to Jason, Sarah decided determinedly.

Her expression was set aggressively as she marched back into the sitting-room with the coffee, only to have her determination completely deflated as she saw that Garrett Kingham had fallen asleep in the chair!

She put the tray down carefully, glaring at him frustratedly. He looked only slightly younger in sleep, as if even in that relaxed state he had to maintain a guard over his emotions. Or maybe it was as she had always suspected: he didn’t have any emotions that needed guarding!

No matter how tired he was he looked completely out of place in their comfortable sitting-room, dominating even in sleep. And he couldn’t continue to sleep there, he had to leave.

‘Garrett?’ She shook his shoulder gently. ‘Garrett, wake up!’

His answer was to fling her hand away from his shoulder, his eyes hostile as he glared up at her. ‘What the hell do you think you’re doing?’ he grated harshly, straightening stiffly.

Sarah stuck her hand behind her back as if she had been burnt. ‘You fell asleep, and you can’t stay here,’ she told him abruptly. ‘I had no idea I wasn’t supposed to touch the great Garrett Kingham!’ she snapped scornfully.

Some of the tension left his body, determinedly so, it seemed, his mouth twisting wryly. ‘Believe me,’ he drawled, ‘I’m not usually averse to having a beautiful woman touch me; you just startled me, that’s all.’

She didn’t want to hear about the women in his life, or his relationship with them. He had been her sister’s husband, and as such she felt he should have kept his affairs to himself. ‘I can assure you I won’t do that again,’ she bit out stiffly. ‘I’ve brought your coffee. I suggest you drink it and then leave.’

He shook his head before drinking the black brew thirstily. ‘Not without Jason,’ he told her grimly.

Her cheeks were flushed. ‘Jason said you’re working in England at the moment; surely it isn’t going to hurt anyone if he stays with us for a few days?’ Her father had enjoyed being with his grandson so much this evening, and, while he knew Jason had to go back with his father some time, surely it didn’t have to be just yet?

Garrett’s expression was grim. ‘Maybe if he had spoken to me about it—–’

‘You wouldn’t have let him come here,’ Sarah snapped. ‘The same way you discouraged Amanda from visiting us once she was your wife.’

His eyes were narrowed, his expression cold. ‘I never stopped Amanda from coming home.’

‘I said discouraged,’ she said sturdily. ‘You made it pretty obvious you didn’t approve of her coming here.’

‘I—Sarah, let’s not rehash history that’s years old,’ he sighed wearily. ‘Jason knows better than to evade Dennis and just disappear the way that he did.’

It sounded very much as if he did, as if he had known exactly how much his actions would worry his father. ‘In my experience his behaviour sounds like a cry for your attention—–’

‘And just how much experience of parenthood have you had. Miss Harvey?’ he derided harshly.

Her cheeks were pale, her eyes stormy. ‘I only told Dennis that my name was Sarah Harvey so that you would realise who was calling; my surname is actually Croft now,’ she told him with dislike. ‘And although I may not have any children of my own I am in charge of several hundred pupils during a day!’

His eyes were narrowed as he ignored the latter, staring at the bareness of her left hand. ‘Are you telling me that you have a husband waiting for you upstairs?’

His incredulity angered her even further. ‘Not any more, but I did, yes!’

Garrett’s mouth twisted. ‘The Harvey girls seem to make a habit of “running home to Daddy” when things don’t go quite the way they want them to!’ he said with derision.

‘I didn’t have to “run home”, because David and I lived here with my father,’ she blazed. ‘And, for your information, David and I divorced amicably.’ If her six months’ marriage six years ago could be called that when it had been nothing but a disaster from start to finish!

‘Maybe if he had been man enough to demand that the two of you have your own home it wouldn’t have happened!’

She wasn’t about to tell this man that as a last resort she and David had even tried living on their own, that the marriage still hadn’t worked. ‘Don’t presume to judge my marriage when you made such a mess of your own,’ she scorned.