secure soft drinks. Kaye’s mind was in a whirl.
Why had he suddenly turned up now? Had she really seen him before or was that just an incredible coincidence?
‘Jared and Hal get on well, even though they’re on different teams,’ Stella explained. ‘I think he’s lonely because he’s got no family of his own.’
But he has, Kaye thought sadly. He has a son that he doesn’t know about because he doesn’t want to. He doesn’t even remember me, and perhaps that is because he doesn’t want to.
But a surprise was waiting for her. As they returned to the bench she handed Jared a glass of sparkling water, which he raised to her in salute.
‘We’ve met before, haven’t we?’ he said.
Yes, she thought furiously. We’ve met before, and you went all out to charm me, then left me stranded with a child as you danced away to the next woman. Oh, yes, we’ve met before.
But she only said coolly. ‘I didn’t think you’d recognised me.’
‘You worked for Brent,’ he said, making room for her to sit beside him. ‘I gather you’ve rejoined them?’
‘Yes, I left when I had Mike, but I went back recently.’
‘Still translating everything?’
‘Sort of. I run errands for Warrior. He’s part of the management now.’
‘How do you stand him?’
‘Not very easily. He goes on a bit about his “great days” and we all keep a straight face and pretend we don’t know you took the title from him.’
Jared gave a crack of laughter, and for a moment she was back in that other time when he’d seemed to laugh as he breathed, as though the joy of life infused everything.
He was the same man, she thought. The years had merely increased his pleasures and triumphs, making him more himself, more enviable, more confident that he was king of the world. And she knew a flash of resentment so sharp that it took her breath away. How dared he be so unchanged after what he’d done to her?
Her resentment increased when she saw that he was already forgetting her. Mike had demanded his attention, wanting to hear Jared talk about his last race, and then his next.
‘Valencia’s going to be good,’ Jared said. ‘It’s a winding circuit, challenging-chances to overtake.’
Kaye had to admit that he didn’t talk down to Mike, but discussed the track sensibly. In the face of her little boy’s blissful happiness her annoyance faded, just a little.
Soon Hal and his family were ready to leave. Jared rose to depart with them.
‘Nice to see you,’ he said politely to Kaye.
He gave her a nod, ruffled Mike’s hair, and was gone.
‘Mum, you should have asked him to come home with us,’ Mike protested.
‘He arrived with his friends. He has to leave with them,’ she said mechanically.
Her words seemed to echo in a void. The world, so full and vibrant a moment ago, was empty and desolate again.
‘Come along, now,’ she said. ‘Let’s go home and make sure Sam’s all right.’
Her grandparents had planned to attend the pageant, but Sam’s sudden toothache had sent them hurrying to the dentist in alarm. But all was well. Kaye could see that as soon as she reached home.
‘So it wasn’t too bad?’ Kaye said.
‘Bad?’ Ethel echoed scathingly. ‘He’s had the time of his life: couldn’t take his eyes off that pretty nurse.’
‘A man needs his pleasures,’ Sam declared, getting carefully out of his wife’s way.
Kaye especially loved them when they were like this: cracking jokes, chuckling together. It was typical of them that they had always wanted her to call them Sam and Ethel.
‘No need to make us old before our time,’ Sam had said. Which Kaye thought showed some style, considering they were in their seventies.
‘There’s more to love than romance,’ Ethel had told her once. ‘A good laugh matters just as much-well, almost.’ And, watching them, Kaye knew it was true.
Over tea Mike told them all about his wonderful afternoon. They were suitably impressed. Not until the child had gone to bed did Sam say carefully, ‘That is him, isn’t it? Mike’s father?’
The subject was never discussed. They knew, but were discreet.
‘Yes, it’s him.’
‘Did he-you know-say anything?’
‘What would he say? I’ve never been able to tell him, and I don’t think he remembers much.’ Her tone was cool and ironic.
‘Perhaps it’s time he knew?’ Ethel suggested.
‘Force it on him? No, thank you. The night it happened he wasn’t completely sober, and he didn’t really think we went all the way. I wasn’t even sure myself until I found I was pregnant. Can you imagine trying to convince him, begging him to believe me, joining the other hopeless females who go chasing after him?’
Try as she might to speak rationally, the note of bitterness crept into her voice.
‘You really hate him, don’t you?’ Sam said gently.
‘No, I don’t hate him. I’m just angry. Who does he think he is, walking back after years away? Acting like he’s some sort of deity and we’re all supposed to gasp and applaud. I’ve managed very well without him so far, and I’ll manage even better in future.’
‘Aren’t you being a bit hard on Jared?’ Sam asked.
‘Hah! If only you could have seen him. He barely remembered me. Oh, he put on a good performance, but I could tell he was scrabbling around in his memory. I won’t hear from him again and that suits me fine.’
‘Well-time for bed,’ Ethel said.
Kaye bade them goodnight, took a final look at the sleeping Mike, then went downstairs to sit in the garden, gazing up at the moon, wishing with all her heart that she hadn’t met Jared again. His second rejection would be a thousand times harder to take.
Her cell phone rang.
‘It’s me,’ he said. ‘I’m just across the road.’
Answers jangled in her head.
‘I’m just coming,’ she whispered.
The house faced a park. Emerging from the front door, she could see him standing beneath the trees, watching for her. The light of the full moon was just enough to show that he was full of tension, which seemed to ease as she came nearer. At last she saw him smile, and wondered if he was really overwhelmed with relief-or was that just his usual charming act?
Be careful, warned her inner voice. Don’t trust him for a moment.
