Tangled Hearts
Carole Mortimer

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

‘ARE you my mother…?’

Sarah looked up from the half-completed canvas of the sea before her, her polite denial never uttered as she looked up at the pale youth beside her. He looked about fifteen or sixteen, wearing faded denims and a tight T-shirt, a faded denim jacket thrown over one shoulder in the heat of the day and held there by one finger. Thick blond hair grew almost down to his shoulders, streaked with white where he seemed to have spent hours in the sun. And green eyes, he had green eyes; Garrett Kingham’s eyes.

The last time she had seen Jason, for this surely had to be him, he had been five years old, a boy with troubled green eyes, having been deeply disturbed by the discord between his parents. He had become a handsome youth, still a little gangly, but she had no doubt the lean, tall body would fill out during the next few years and he would be as muscular as his father.

Garrett Kingham. She could still remember the look on his face the last time she had seen him, the disgust expressed there as she ran at him kicking and screaming, punching futilely against his broad chest at his decision to take Jason away with him.

And now Jason had come back. She could hardly believe it!

‘Sorry.’ The youth gave a self-conscious grimace, suddenly looking very young. ‘You couldn’t be my mother, she’s dead, and you’re far too young to be my mother. I—–It was just that you looked like I remember her,’ he added sheepishly.

‘Jason—–’

‘You know my name!’ His eyes narrowed suspiciously. ‘Who are you?’

Sarah put down her brush, picking up a paint-spattered cloth to wipe her hands. ‘Who did you come here to see?’ she prompted gently.

‘My grandfather and—you have to be my Aunt Sarah,’ he realised in some relief. ‘For a moment I thought I was seeing a ghost.’

Amanda would be a ten-year-old ghost by now. For that was how long her sister had been dead. In fact, the similarity between herself and Amanda was only superficial; both had thick black hair, deep blue eyes, and small slender bodies, but their features could only be called vaguely similar. But Jason had only been five when his mother died, and possibly the similarity between the sisters now seemed more than it actually had been.

She gave her nephew a dazzling smile, standing up. ‘Yes, I’m your Aunt Sarah,’ she confirmed brightly. ‘Have you been up to the cottage yet? Your grandfather is going to be pleased to see you.’

Jason shook his head, looking a little nervous now. ‘There’s no one there.’

‘He said something earlier about walking into the village for his tobacco,’ she dismissed lightly. ‘Why didn’t you let us know you were coming? Does your father know you’re here?’ she added warily; Garrett Kingham had never been particularly fond of his wife’s family, and she had no reason to suppose that had changed over the years.

Jason didn’t answer, his hands thrust into the back pockets of his denims as he turned to look out at the sea. ‘Can you surf here?’ He frowned at the gently falling waves against the sand.

‘No,’ she laughed regretfully. ‘Although we do have windsurfing.’

He nodded, turning back to her. ‘Is it always this windy here?’ he asked ruefully.

‘The east coast of England is known for it,’ she acknowledged with a grimace. ‘Jason—–’

‘Do you think my grandfather is back yet?’ he cut in firmly. ‘I’d really like to see him.’

‘He’ll want to see you too.’ She quickly packed away her things. ‘But you have to tell me whether or not your father knows you’ve come here,’ she persisted.

A mutinous expression marred his youthful good looks. ‘I’m sixteen—–’

‘Not until next month,’ Sarah reminded him gently, very much afraid Garrett Kingham had no idea where his son was. And from what she remembered of him he wouldn’t take lightly the news of Jason being here.

‘I’m old enough to make my own decisions,’ insisted Jason stubbornly.

She would be very interested to know what decision he had made that had brought him here, but now didn’t seem the time to ask him, his manner being defensive to say the least.

Sarah’s initial instinct had been to hug him, but he was at an age where such a show of emotion would only embarrass him. And so she continued to act calmly, as if it was perfectly normal for the nephew she hadn’t seen for ten years to arrive so unexpectedly.

‘Could you carry this for me?’ She held out her canvas. ‘Careful,’ she warned. ‘It’s still wet.’

‘Hey, this is good,’ Jason admired in some surprise. ‘Are you an artist?’

‘No,’ she denied, tucking her easel and chair under her arm, smiling her thanks as Jason bent to pick up her box of oil paints. ‘I’m not the struggling-in-the-garret type,’ she derided. ‘No pun intended!’ she added drily. ‘I’m an art teacher during term time, I only “struggle” during the holidays!’

Jason gave a wary frown. ‘You don’t look like a schoolteacher.’

Sarah was familiar with this reaction from children of Jason’s age; schoolteachers represented an authority they were beginning to resent. ‘School teachers aren’t wearing denim cut-offs and bikini-tops in America?’ she teased.

‘Not in class, anyway,’ he drawled.

‘Neither would I,’ she mocked, as the two of them walked side by side across the beach towards her home that overlooked the sea. It was more of a cottage than a house, with three small bedrooms and a bathroom above the sitting-room and kitchen. She knew that Jason and his father lived in a house in Malibu, for she had excitedly read Amanda’s glowing description of the house and swimming-pool when her sister first moved in there with Garrett Kingham over sixteen years ago, and it had sounded like a wonderful place to the impressionable ten-year-old she had been then. She was sure the cottage would seem very small to Jason in comparison; Amanda had certainly been dismayed by the smallness of it on the few occasions she had come home for a visit after her marriage. But it had been Sarah’s home all her life, and she loved it.

‘It isn’t just the way you’re dressed.’ Jason still frowned. ‘You don’t look old enough to be a teacher.’

She gave him a teasing look. ‘I’ve never yet been mistaken for one of my pupils!’ She pushed open the cottage door, stacking all her equipment in a tiny room off the hallway. ‘Have you eaten or can I get you something now?’ She looked at her nephew expectantly.

‘I’ve eaten,’ he shruggingly refused, looking around him interestedly. ‘Thank you,’ he added awkwardly as she continued to look at him. ‘Maybe you are a teacher after all,’ he said ruefully.

‘Maybe I am,’ she nodded, eyes twinkling deeply blue. ‘How about a drink?’

‘Coke?’

‘If that’s what you’d like.’ She led the way to the kitchen at the side of the cottage, the outside wall of the room dominated by a large window so that the beach and sea were still visible. ‘Sit down.’ She indicated the bar-stools that were tucked tidily under the breakfast bar in front of the window. ‘Have you come far?’ she asked conversationally as she opened the refrigerator door.

He smiled, suddenly looking boyish instead of the man he had been trying to appear since his arrival. ‘You’re persistent, aren’t you?’ He took the can of Coke, ignoring the glass, sipping thirstily from the can.

‘And you’re evasive,’ Sarah frowned.

‘Do you think my grandfather will be much longer?’ he asked curiously.

If he had been one of her pupils evading an answer in this way she would have known how to handle him, but he was the nephew she hadn’t seen for ten years, and she was so pleased to have him here that she didn’t want him to leave again because she had probed too deeply too fast. No doubt he would tell them what he wanted to, in time. But one thing she was already sure of: his father didn’t know where he was, and knowing Garrett Kingham as she did she knew he was sure to be furious when he found out Jason had come to them.

‘I’m sure he’ll be home any minute now,’ she assured Jason, surprised that her father wasn’t already back. ‘Now—–’ She broke off as the front door slammed shut. ‘That will be him now.’ She smiled encouragingly at Jason as he suddenly looked nervous.

‘I thought you would still be down on the beach, Sarah,’ her father greeted her smilingly. He was short like her, his black hair liberally sprinkled with grey, his eyes a warm, twinkling blue. ‘I walked down to join you when I got back from—–’ He came to a halt in the doorway as he saw she wasn’t alone, his eyes widening with anticipation as he got a good look at their visitor. ‘Jason?’ he said half eagerly, half disbelievingly.

Jason had stood up slowly at his grandfather’s entrance, and now he wiped his hands nervously down the sides of his denims. ‘Grandad,’ he nodded abruptly, swallowing hard.

Sarah felt an emotional lump catch in her throat at the way her father’s face lit up at the sight of his only grandchild. He had talked a lot about Jason, since he had had more time to sit and brood over the past after his retirement a year ago, and she knew how much he had missed seeing his grandchild grow up, doing all the things with him a grandfather liked to do. If only she had had children, maybe he wouldn’t have felt Jason’s loss so deeply—no, she wouldn’t dwell on what hadn’t been, like her father; she would enjoy the fact that they had Jason with them now.

‘Don’t grandads get a hug in America?’ her father teased Jason, who was waiting expectantly.

The boy moved awkwardly into his grandfather’s arms, taller than the older man by several inches, even at only fifteen. He was going to be as tall as his father one day—–Sarah’s delight faded a little as she acknowledged she was going to have to let Garrett Kingham know where his son was. And as soon as she did that, he would come and take Jason away from them again.

‘—–and so I thought you must have changed your mind,’ she heard her father say fondly.

Sarah eyed the two suspiciously as they stood apart now. ‘Changed his mind about what?’ she frowned.

‘Er—how about a cup of tea, Sarah, love?’ her father evaded.

‘Dad!’ She looked at him sternly, sure now that the two of them had been up to something she knew nothing about.

‘Let’s not argue in front of Jason when he’s come to see us after all these years—–’

‘Dad, you—–’

‘It’s like this, Aunt Sarah,’ Jason cut in, in a self-possessed voice that sounded too old for his almost sixteen years. ‘I telephoned Grandad yesterday and asked him if I could come visit the two of you.’

Now that Sarah gave it some thought she supposed she had noticed an air of excitement about her father since she got in from shopping yesterday afternoon, but she had imagined that to be because Mrs Potter from the village had called in to spend a few hours with him while she was out. Her father and Glynis Potter had been seeing a lot of each other over the last few months, and because she knew her father felt embarrassed about having a ‘girl-friend’ at his age she hadn’t ever mentioned that she knew about the two of them. Now it seemed her father had been keeping something much more serious than his friendship with Glynis from her!

‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ She sighed her disappointment in him.

‘Now don’t upset yourself, Sarah,’ he soothed. ‘I couldn’t be sure Jason would really come here, and I—I didn’t want to disappoint you if he couldn’t make it after all.’

Her expression softened as she guessed he would have been the one unable to bear the disappointment if they had made preparations and then Jason hadn’t arrived. She could see it in his eyes now as he looked at Jason, knew he hadn’t been able to put it into words that Jason might visit because until he had seen Jason sitting in the kitchen waiting for him to come home, it had all seemed as if it might just be a dream.

‘Okay, you two conspirators,’ she teased. ‘What was the plan?’

‘You see,’ her father grinned at Jason, ‘didn’t I tell you she’s a good sport!’

She didn’t feel much like a ‘good sport’, not when she knew Garrett Kingham was going to be furious when he found out they had known since yesterday of Jason’s visit and hadn’t chosen to inform him. Oh, she hadn’t technically known about it, but she knew Garrett Kingham was never going to believe that.

‘I’ll make the tea,’ her father offered brightly now that the moment of danger had passed. ‘You two go and sit down in the other room.’

Their sitting-room also doubled as the room where her father designed and built models of old sailing ships, as her sewing-room, and sometimes as an art studio. Nevertheless it was clean and comfortable, and Sarah only had to move a couple of books from chairs to make room for them all to sit down.

Jason seemed more relaxed too now. ‘He’s just as I imagined he would be,’ he grinned.

Had Garrett Kingham ever looked as boyish as his son did now? she wondered. She doubted it. The younger son of Senator Kingham—the elder son Jonathan having followed in the career of his father and also become a senator in recent years—Garrett Kingham had been born with a golden spoon in his mouth, had gone to all the best schools, and then to the world-famous Harvard, before deciding to make a career for himself as a film director. He had fought family opposition, the prejudice towards him from others in the profession, to become one of the most ruthlessly successful directors Hollywood had ever known. And he hadn’t done any of it by being nice, let alone boyish!

Garrett Kingham had been twenty-three when Amanda had brought him home as her husband, but to the ten-year-old Sarah he had already seemed old, had already clawed his way half-way up the ladder of success, the hardness of his eyes letting everyone know that he clearly intended to make it the rest of the way up, no matter who got in his way. His marriage to Amanda had been one of the things that got in his way.

Her sister, much against her parents’ wishes, had gone off to Hollywood at the age of eighteen to ‘find success and happiness’. Six months later she had arrived home as Garrett Kingham’s bride and expecting his baby!

Sarah had watched as her parents did their best to welcome the worldly, cynical young man into their family, and Amanda had seemed happy enough with the way things had worked out, but Sarah couldn’t hide the fact that she didn’t like her new brother-in-law one bit. He had seemed to be looking down his aristocratic nose at them all the time, even insisting he and Amanda stay at a local hotel when there was a perfectly good third bedroom at the cottage that they could have used, that had always been Amanda’s room. Not that Garrett had seemed in the least concerned with the obvious dislike of a ten-year-old; he had ignored her where he possibly could.

No, even though Garrett had only been eight years older than Jason was now when she first met him, Sarah knew he had never been boyish, had probably never been young at all!

‘We’ve thought of you often over the years,’ she told Jason huskily.

‘You never missed a single birthday,’ he acknowledged gruffly. ‘Or Christmas.’

Although Garrett Kingham had never encouraged their interest in Jason after he took him away, they hadn’t thought he could possibly object to the small gifts they sent Jason on his birthday and at Christmas. The gifts were never returned, and several weeks later they would always receive a thank you letter from Jason. It had been the only contact they had had with him over the years.

‘Here we are.’ Her father came in with the tray of tea. ‘I brought you another Coke, Jason,’ he told him, sitting down to gaze at the boy fondly as Sarah poured the tea. ‘I always knew you would look like your father,’ he said ruefully. ‘Even as a baby you had none of the Harvey colouring.’

Jason’s expression was suddenly guarded, as if he sensed criticism.

‘I think it’s as well he inherited Garrett’s height,’ Sarah put in lightly, anxious to reassure Jason that her father hadn’t meant anything by his observation. ‘We Harveys aren’t known for our stature!’ She mocked her father’s and her own lack of inches, relieved when Jason gave a relaxed grin. ‘You never did tell me what plans the two of you had made for meeting today?’ she reintroduced casually.

Jason shrugged. ‘Dad’s in England making a film, and I thought it would be nice to come see the two of you.’

Garrett Kingham was actually in England! Sarah’s hands clenched in reaction to that piece of information. Ten years ago she had no longer been a child, and yet she had flown at Garrett Kingham like a wild thing; she hadn’t seen him since that fateful day. And she didn’t want to see him again now, although surely with Jason here that was inevitable.

‘He brought you over with him for a holiday?’ she asked interestedly.

‘Because he had to,’ Jason corrected harshly. ‘Unfortunately for him he couldn’t dump me on Uncle Jonathan and Aunt Shelley like he usually does because they’re away themselves at the moment.’

There was a wealth of bitterness in the words, and Sarah wondered just how often Jason had been ‘dumped’ on his aunt and uncle over the years. Too many times, by the sound of it.

Ten years ago Garrett had made it clear that any effort they made to see his son would be rebuffed, and for Jason’s sake, because they didn’t think it fair to place that sort of burden on such a young child, they had respected that decision, no matter how much it had hurt them to do so. Now that Jason was old enough to make his own decisions about such things it seemed he felt differently about his grandfather and aunt. She was glad, although she knew Garrett wouldn’t be.

‘I’m sure he doesn’t just “dump” you, Jason,’ she reproved gently. ‘He has to work, after all. And I’m sure your aunt and uncle are very nice.’

‘They’re okay,’ he dismissed. ‘But Dad doesn’t have to work; he has enough money not to.’

‘Don’t you think thirty-nine is a little young to retire?’ she chided.

Anger flared in the brilliant green eyes, and Sarah could see that the last thing Jason had expected was that she would actually defend his father over this. But she wasn’t taking anyone’s side, was just trying to show Jason that there were always two sides to everything. Secretly she thought it was a good thing that Garrett had been forced to bring his son with him this time, and not just because it gave them the opportunity to spend some time with Jason; it sounded to her as if the two of them spent too little time together even when Garrett was at home.

‘He—–’

‘I’m sorry I missed your bus arriving, Jason,’ his grandfather cut in with a warning glance at Sarah. ‘Usually it’s late, and I thought I had left home in plenty of time to meet you off it, only to find when I got to the village that today of all days it had been early!’

So that was why her father had decided to go down to the village mid-week for his tobacco; usually he took a walk down on a Saturday! ‘I gather the two of you missed each other,’ she said drily.

‘Mm,’ her father grimaced. ‘By the time I reached the village the bus had long gone, and Mrs Hall at the shop didn’t know if a young man had got off it or not. I thought perhaps Jason had changed his mind and not come after all.’

Once again her throat filled emotionally at the way her father looked at his grandson. Her father had always been a wonderful parent, had always had time and love for her and Amanda, and he should have had half a dozen grandchildren he could spoil by now. But Amanda had only had Jason and she—her pupils were her children!

‘I asked directions to the cottage at the gas station,’ Jason explained. ‘They said it would be quicker if I followed the coast round, so I walked along the beach.’

‘It is quicker that way,’ his grandfather nodded. ‘But all that sand makes my old legs ache!’

‘Don’t pay any attention to him, Jason,’ Sarah derided. ‘He’s been telling me how old he is for the last twenty years!’

‘And she’s never let me get away with it,’ her father grimaced. ‘Believe me, after living in a houseful of women all these years it’s nice to have another male in residence for a while.’

Sarah’s eyes widened as she looked at the two of them. ‘Jason intends staying with us?’ A day visit was one thing, but she didn’t think Garrett Kingham would allow anything else.

‘If that’s all right with you.’ Jason was at once on the defensive.

‘Of course. I just—–’

‘The spare room is always ready for guests,’ his grandfather assured him jovially. ‘Did you bring any clothes with you?’

Jason nodded, still watching Sarah warily. ‘I left my back-pack outside,’ he answered slowly.

The last thing she wanted to appear was the spoiler of all their fun, but even so… ‘Does your father know where you are?’ she asked with firm control, demanding an answer this time.

Jason flushed. ‘He’s away in Scotland for a couple of days with the owner of the studio. I was sick of sitting around in a hotel room, so I gave Grandad a call.’

‘But even so—–’

‘Jason, why don’t you go and get your things and take them upstairs,’ his grandfather suggested lightly. ‘It’s the room on the right at the top of the stairs.’

Jason looked about to argue, and then he nodded reluctant agreement, his mouth set rebelliously as he went outside.

‘I know you’re angry, Sarah,’ her father soothed before she could speak. ‘But when he called me yesterday the lad was upset; what else could I do but invite him to come here?’

‘You know I don’t mind the fact that he’s here,’ she admonished. ‘I’m as pleased to see him as you are. I just think you should have acted a little more responsibly and—–’

‘How could I tell Garrett when he isn’t even at the hotel?’ he reasoned.

‘You could have left a message for him,’ she pointed out gently.

‘All right,’ her father admitted irritably. ‘I’ll admit that I was so excited at the thought of seeing Jason again after all these years that I may have acted a little selfishly. But it isn’t too late to leave a message at the hotel for Garrett now; Jason said he isn’t due back for a couple more days. I didn’t see why the lad should be bored waiting for him at that hotel when he could be with us,’ he added persuasively.

Her father was worse than Jason, and despite his sixty-six years he seemed about the same age at the moment, excited at the prospect of having Jason stay with them, if only for a few days. Sarah doubted if either of them would listen if she pointed out that it was probably because all Jason would have to do if Garrett brought him with him was sit bored around hotels, that Garrett thought it best if he stayed with his aunt and uncle at these times! Not that she thought Garrett was right completely; heaven forbid she should think that man was right about anything! But he was Jason’s father, and he was going to be worried about him once he learnt of his disappearance.

She stood up decisively as Jason came back into the room, eyeing them both suspiciously. ‘Don’t look so worried, Jason,’ she said lightly. ‘All we’ve decided is to leave a message at the hotel for your father telling him where you are.’

She made no comment as he mumbled the name of one of the most prestigious hotels in London; where else would Garrett Kingham stay, the famous film director, son and brother to Washington senators!

As soon as she got through to the hotel and asked to leave a message for Mr Kingham there was a strange clicking noise on the line and then a very short ring before the receiver was picked up the other end. ‘Hello, I—–’

‘Who is this?’ demanded a gravelly voice that was definitely American-accented.

But not Garrett’s voice, thank goodness! ‘I wanted to leave a message for Mr Kingham,’ she said awkwardly, completely disconcerted, having expected to speak to the receptionist. ‘But there seems to have been some sort of confusion, because the operator—–’

‘What’s the message?’ that gravelly voice demanded again, and Sarah instantly formed an image of a six-and-a-half-foot giant with the build of Arnold Schwarzenegger—but without the intelligence that man had displayed when she had seen him on a chat show several months ago!

‘If you gave me a chance to finish speaking I would tell you,’ she said in her sternest schoolteacher voice, receiving silent attention for her effort. ‘Could you please tell Mr Kingham that Sarah rang, and that—–’

‘Sarah who?’

This conversation wasn’t going at all as smoothly as she had hoped, and she was glad she was out in the hallway and didn’t have an audience to her embarrassment. The man on the other end of the telephone line had the finesse of a bulldozer! Although he probably had a point: Garrett Kingham probably knew a hundred women named Sarah—all of them intimately.

‘Sarah—–’ She hesitated. If she said Sarah Croft then Garrett probably wouldn’t realise who she was; she doubted he had troubled himself to learn that his once-sister-in-law had been married and divorced since they had last met. ‘Sarah Harvey,’ she decided firmly. ‘Could you tell him Jason is with us, and that—–’

‘You’ve got the kid?’ The gravelly voice was instantly alert, making Sarah wonder if she could possibly have underestimated his intelligence just because she didn’t like the sound of his voice.

She bristled indignantly. ‘His name is Jason. And yes, he’s with us. I wanted to—–’

‘What do you want?’ the man growled.

Sarah gave a start at the aggression. ‘If you would just let me finish speaking instead of—–’

‘I think I should warn you that you aren’t being clever, that the kid’s old man is angry, very angry, so if you—–’

‘No more angry than I am, let me assure you,’ she snapped furiously. ‘Now would you kindly tell Mr Kingham that Jason is with us, and that if he wants him he’s going to have to come here and get him!’ She slammed the receiver down, glaring at it indignantly, as if it were its fault she had just been spoken to so rudely. She was shaking because she was so angry, had never been spoken to in that aggressively rude way before.

Jason looked up at her searchingly as she went back into the lounge with controlled violence, pacing the room, still too angry to sit down. ‘What happened?’ he finally asked wearily.

Her eyes blazed with fiery blue sparks as she turned to face him. ‘I’ve just spoken to the rudest man—–’

‘Dad?’ He looked anxious. ‘But he isn’t supposed to be back—–’

‘It certainly wasn’t your father,’ she snapped. ‘If it had been I would have known how to deal with him. This man sounded like an all-in-wrestler and heavy-weight boxer rolled into one—–’

‘Dennis,’ Jason said knowingly.

‘Dennis?’ she repeated incredulously, trying to see the owner of that voice answering to such a name—and failing. Killer, sounded more appropriate! But he must have been a baby once; how could his mother be expected to know he would grow up to resemble a gorilla?

‘What did he say to you?’ Jason’s eyes were narrowed questioningly.

She was about to launch into a word-for-word account of the conversation when she remembered what Dennis had said about Garrett being very angry concerning Jason’s disappearance. She had no idea when Garrett was going to come for his son, and she didn’t see why Jason should be in a state of apprehension until he did deign to do so.

‘I just didn’t like his manner,’ she avoided. ‘But he said he would let your father know you’re staying with us.’

Jason frowned. ‘He didn’t say anything else?’

She gave a rueful smile. ‘I’m afraid I didn’t give him chance to; I slammed the phone down!’

Jason raised amused brows. ‘I bet Dennis just loved that!’

‘I really couldn’t give a—care less about what Dennis loves,’ she dismissed. ‘Now, how about the two of you helping me get a meal ready, and then we can all sit down and have a chat?’

They had fun all crowded together in the kitchen, tripping over each other most of the time. Jason was a little uncertain what to do at first, which reminded Sarah that he probably didn’t do any of these things for himself at home, that Garrett Kingham probably had a houseful of servants to do things for them. Jason seemed to find it all the more fun because of that.

It was an enjoyable meal, her father in his element with his grandson there, the two of them managing to draw out more information about Jason’s life with his father without being too obvious about it. He certainly didn’t sound like an underprivileged child, but his visit here today meant he obviously felt something was missing from his life. Sarah only hoped Garrett Kingham realised that was his reason for coming here before venting his ‘anger’ on anyone.

If Jason found their cottage cramped after the spacious luxury he was used to he didn’t show it, and was already sleeping like a baby by the time Sarah checked on him on the way to her own bed. Her father had gone up to his room at the same time Jason had, mainly, Sarah was sure, because he didn’t want any more lectures on how irresponsible his behaviour had been concerning Jason. Jason had acted impetuously, but her father had known better than to agree without first consulting Garrett, and he knew it; Sarah considered she had said enough on the subject to make him realise that.

She smiled indulgently as she prepared for bed. Her father really was incorrigible! He—–She fastened her robe over her cotton pyjamas as she heard the sound of a car stopping outside; it was almost midnight!

It was a clear night, and silhouetted against the moonlight was the tall figure of a man with silver-blond hair. Garrett Kingham…

CHAPTER TWO

WELL, she had told Dennis to tell him that if he wanted Jason he was going to have to come and get him, Sarah thought ruefully as she hurried down the stairs to answer his thunderous knocking on the door before he woke her father and Jason up too; she just hadn’t expected him to get here this quickly!

She unlocked the door, barely having time to pull back the bolt at the top before the door was pushed open and Garrett Kingham strode inside without giving her so much as a second glance; the first one had been enough, ripping into her! He certainly hadn’t changed, she acknowledged as she closed the door behind him and followed him through to the sitting-room.

He was so tall he made the room seem smaller than ever, his silver-blond hair brushing against the ceiling, the width of his shoulders completely blocking her view of the painting that stood over the fireplace behind him. Green eyes narrowed as he looked at her coldly, his nostrils flared, his mouth tight. And it was still the most handsome face Sarah had ever seen, powerful and magnetic, his muscled body exuding the same power in the black shirt and black fitted denims.

As he silently continued to look at her Sarah began to shift uncomfortably. Her knee-length cotton robe matched the blue pyjamas she wore beneath it, her hair was soft and silky after its nightly brushing. She felt sixteen again, and she knew she probably looked it!

‘As instructed,’ he finally bit out. ‘I’ve come for my son.’

Like icy fragments his voice cut into her. She drew herself up to her full height of five feet two inches. ‘Jason is asleep upstairs,’ she informed him haughtily. ‘Maybe if you had arrived at a respectable time instead of—–’

‘I had to fly down from Scotland before coming the rest of the way by car,’ he rasped.

‘Oh yes,’ she taunted. ‘You left Jason alone in London while you went away on business.’

Garrett’s gaze didn’t falter, not a muscle moved in his face, and yet the anger emanating from him now seemed more intense. ‘Jason wasn’t alone,’ he told her coldly.

‘Oh no, of course he wasn’t, he had Dennis with him,’ she scorned. ‘He must be a delightful companion for a fifteen-year-old boy!’

‘Jason is hardly a boy any longer,’ Garrett bit out stiffly. ‘And Dennis isn’t supposed to be his companion!’

Looking at him now, Sarah could easily see how Amanda had initially fallen in love with this man. It also wasn’t difficult to see why he had made Amanda so unhappy after their marriage; he had the surface attraction to entice any woman, it was only on the inside that he was cold and empty, unable to love.

‘Nevertheless, you left Jason alone with him in a hotel in London—–’

‘Not that I have to explain my actions to you,’ Garrett looked at her coldly, ‘but I asked Jason to go up to Scotland with me, and he declined in favour of sightseeing in London.’

Sarah gave a perplexed frown. She doubted Garrett felt the need to lie about his motives to her, which meant that Jason had—–But no, he hadn’t actually said his father had left him in London either, only that he was sick of sitting in a hotel room; she had just assumed—–Maybe in future, with her dislike of Garrett so intense, it would be better if she didn’t assume anything about him.

‘I must have misunderstood him,’ she avoided awkwardly. ‘But that still doesn’t excuse the fact that you left him with that—–’

‘I left him with his bodyguard,’ Garrett cut in arrogantly. ‘As I always do when I’m unable to be with him myself.’

‘Bodyguard?’ Sarah repeated shakily, suddenly pale. ‘Why on earth would Jason need a bodyguard?’

Garrett’s mouth twisted. ‘Because he comes from a rich family—–’

‘A rich and powerful family,’ she amended flatly.

‘And powerful,’ he acknowledged with an inclination of his head. ‘And because kidnapping the children of the rich and powerful for ransom seems to be in fashion in the States at the moment.’

Sarah swallowed hard. ‘Then when I telephoned earlier Dennis must have thought, you must all have thought—–’

‘That Jason had been kidnapped and you were telephoning with the ransom demand, yes,’ Garrett confirmed grimly. ‘It was all I could do to prevent Dennis from coming here with me once he had relayed your message to me and I told him I knew where Jason was; he thought you were trying to lure me into a trap,’ he derided.

The thought of some six-and-a-half-foot muscle-man demanding entrance to her home made her feel ill.

‘But I assured him you were only my sister-in-law,’ Garrett taunted at her sickly pallor. ‘And that Jason had decided to pay you an unscheduled visit.’

Her eyes flashed angrily, a flush to her cheeks now. ‘How could a visit to us from Jason be anything but unscheduled?’

His mouth thinned. ‘Jason has never shown the slightest inclination before to visit you and your father.’

‘Well, obviously he now feels differently about that,’ she snapped, unable to subdue the antagonism she always felt around this man.

‘Without asking my permission,’ his father rasped harshly.

‘Does he have to ask your permission for everything he does?’ she challenged.

Green eyes ripped into her coldly. ‘Jason is still only fifteen years old, and I think taking off on a whim is a little more serious than asking to go to the damned bathroom!’

He was right, of course he was right, Jason should never have just left the way he had and worried everyone. But it was the way Garrett called Jason visiting her father and her a ‘whim’ that rankled! ‘I realise he shouldn’t have done this quite the way that he did, but I also—–’

‘How magnanimous of you,’ Garrett drawled.

She flashed him a look of intense dislike. ‘But maybe if he felt close enough to you to be able to talk to you he could have told you how curious he felt about us!’ she snapped.

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.

‘Maybe if you and Amanda hadn’t been spoilt by your parents all your lives you wouldn’t throw a tantrum every time your husband failed to spoil you too!’ he rasped harshly.

‘Oh you—you—–’

‘Yes?’ he mocked.

‘Biased idiot!’ she glared. ‘Amanda and I were loved, not spoilt. It’s obviously an emotion your family knows nothing about, you in particular!’

He rose slowly to his feet, instantly dwarfing her. ‘There are many kinds of loving, Sarah,’ he murmured softly. ‘Which type did you have in mind?’

Her eyes were wide at the sudden threat he posed towards her. How had the conversation come around to this? ‘I—no, Garrett.’ She held up her hands defensively, only to have them flattened against his chest as his arms moved firmly about her. ‘Garrett!’

‘Sarah,’ he returned tauntingly, his expression grim. ‘Whoever would have believed the little she-cat would grow up to be such a beautiful woman ?’ he mused before his head bent to hers.

His lips were cool and moist, and totally possessing as they claimed hers, and Sarah’s last thought, before she couldn’t think at all, was that this just couldn’t be happening, not to her, and with Garrett Kingham.

And then her mind went completely blank as her body acknowledged the expertise of Garrett’s mouth moving against hers, his hands roaming caressingly across her back and down to cup her bottom as he pulled her up against him. Sarah trembled as she felt the hardness of his body, gasping as she felt one of his hands move between them to unbutton her pyjama top.

His fingers were warm against her heated flesh as he undid first one button, then the second, and then the third, until her breasts were completely exposed and that hand moved confidently beneath the cotton material to cup and claim one of them.

His lips moved along the line of her jaw to tug on her exposed earlobe, before moving slowly down her throat to the breast that waited expectantly.

Sarah was trembling so badly that her knees shook, was feeling weak, and dizzy, and a hundred other emotions this man had no right to make her feel. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut as his warmly sensuous mouth claimed her throbbing nipple, opening wide with dazed disbelief as he suddenly thrust her away from him. Had he just been playing with her, teaching her a lesson she would never forget? And she knew she never would forget!

‘Cover yourself up,’ he instructed harshly. ‘Someone is coming down the stairs!’

The words were barely uttered when she too became aware of the sound of footsteps on the stairs, the heated colour leaving her cheeks as she hurriedly rebuttoned her pyjama top, Garrett stepping in front of her as the door opened, giving her the few precious seconds she needed to complete the task.

‘Garrett!’ her father greeted in some surprise. ‘I had no idea… Sarah!’ He gave a perplexed frown as she stepped out from behind Garrett.

She knew she must look flustered, although her pyjamas and robe were now refastened and tidily back in place. But her cheeks felt pale, and she knew her eyes were wide with the shock of what had just happened. And Garrett looked as coolly composed as ever.

‘Garrett was—we were—–’

‘As you’ve probably guessed, I came to take Jason back to London with me,’ Garrett cut in harshly. ‘Sarah was just trying to persuade me to let him stay on with the two of you for a few days,’ he added. ‘I’ve told her I’ll think about it. We certainly didn’t mean to disturb you, Geoffrey,’ he apologised abruptly.

Her father looked pleased at the fact that Garrett was actually considering letting Jason continue to stay with them, while Sarah felt sick at the implication behind Garrett’s words. He seemed to think that she would willingly have given him her body in an effort to influence his decision in their favour!

She couldn’t explain what had happened between them just now. She realised for the first time that hate could be as powerful an inducement to passion as love. Because she hated Garrett Kingham more than she ever had!

Damn him and his biased presumptions!

‘It doesn’t matter,’ her father dismissed, unaware of the friction between Garrett and Sarah. ‘You don’t need as much sleep when you’re older.’

Garrett gave an abrupt inclination of his head. ‘I’d better be on my way to the hotel. I’ll be back in the morning,’ he added warningly.

He was much quieter about leaving than he had been when he arrived, the car accelerating away seconds later.

‘Well, what do you make of that?’ her father mused in some surprise.

Sarah could see he was already anticipating that Garrett’s answer to Jason staying on with them would be yes. She just didn’t happen to have the same confidence. ‘I think we’ll have to see what he’s decided in the morning,’ she said resolutely.

‘I would have asked him to stay, but—–’

‘Why leave yourself open to insult, Dad,’ she dismissed, her eyes narrowed. ‘Garrett Kingham is just as arrogant as he ever was!’

Her father shook his head sadly. ‘I never could understand how Amanda became involved with him in the first place.’

Even Amanda hadn’t seemed able to explain that, but on the day she married Garrett she had been three months pregnant with his child!

Her parents had been very upset when Amanda had introduced Garrett as her husband of a week, and in the same breath announced that they would be grandparents in six months’ time. Sarah hadn’t quite understood what all her mother’s crying and her father’s shaking of head was about, although she realised it had something to do with them not approving of Amanda’s hasty marriage to Garrett Kingham. Sarah had been twelve before the full significance of Jason’s birth so quickly after the wedding had become clear to her, and by that time her mother had died and her father become resigned to Amanda’s marriage.

Her father sighed. ‘When she left here she was so determined to become an actress; it came as a great surprise when she married Garrett and settled down to being a wife and mother!’

Sarah wouldn’t have exactly called Amanda’s parties and hectic social life ‘settling down’ to anything, but she understood what her father meant. ‘Garrett has been successful enough for both of them,’ she dismissed scathingly.

‘Mm,’ her father nodded with a sigh. ‘But it hasn’t made him happy.’

She wondered if Garrett had ever been happy. Not that she particularly cared; Garrett had disturbed her life enough during the last half-hour for her to hate him more than she already had.

‘What do you think he’ll decide about Jason?’ her father frowned.

She was sure that Garrett had already decided to take Jason away with him in the morning, that he had only told her father he was thinking about letting him stay as a way of showing his contempt for her. After all, he was hardly likely to decide to leave his son in the care of a woman who had just shown him how wanton she could be. And with a man she had quite clearly shown she hated.

‘Don’t get your hopes up, Dad,’ she advised him. ‘I’m afraid my “persuasion” didn’t influence him one little bit.’

Except maybe to convince him she wasn’t a suitable companion for his son!

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