‘Just before you came home there was phone call from a firm of lawyers,’ Ethel said. ‘They asked for your e-mail address. Oh, dear!’
‘Well, at least I’ve been warned,’ Kaye said through gritted teeth. ‘Let’s have a look.’
The e-mail was already there, its message conveyed in plain, uncompromising terms.
Mr. Marriot is employing us to handle details of the financial situation between him and yourself concerning his son. He proposes a monthly fee for future support, and a lump sum to cover the previous five years. The amounts he suggests are-
‘Wow!’ Sam breathed, reading over her shoulder. ‘That is one helluva lot of money.’
‘Of course it is,’ Kaye said bitterly. ‘In return he expects to get Mike without trouble. His son is his property, you see, and he doesn’t want me to make difficulties. Oh, boy, is he in for a shock!’
Her voice sounded controlled, but inwardly she was screaming. She’d believed him. She’d even come to the verge of trusting him-a notable journey for her. And all the time this had been the underlying truth.
Her phone rang. She snatched it up, ready to unleash her bitterness on Jared, but she heard an unfamiliar female voice.
‘Ms Linton? I’m calling from Team Cannonball. I was given your number by Mr Marriot. We urgently need to hire someone who can speak several languages, and he says you would be ideal.’
‘Mr Marriot-said that?’
‘He praised you in the highest terms, and he seemed to think you might be available.’
‘I-well, I don’t have a job at the moment.’
‘Excellent. Everyone is in Spain for the Grand Prix, and Mr Vanner, our managing director, would like to meet you. Can you travel today?’
‘Yes-yes.’
‘Splendid! I’ll arrange your tickets and accommodation.’
She hung up, leaving Kaye in a whirl. Now she had no idea what to think. With one hand Jared seemed to push her away; with the other he invited her in. Hope was flowering anew. But she couldn’t believe it. She didn’t want to believe it. Trust was too dangerous.
The phone rang. This time it was him.
‘I told them you were the best,’ he said, adding as an afterthought, ‘Spanish is one of your languages, isn’t it?’
‘Luckily, yes.’
‘Phew. That was a near thing. We’ll meet up later today.’
‘Jared-wait-’
‘We’ll talk tonight,’ he said, and hung up with a speed that might have led a suspicious person to think he was avoiding certain subjects. As for whether Kaye actually was that suspicious person, even she was no longer sure.
‘You see-you were wrong,’ Ethel said. ‘He’s not dumping you. Don’t judge people so quickly.’
‘Is that what I am? Judgemental?’
‘It’s not your fault, but you’re too ready to expect the worst, and the worst doesn’t always happen. Try to keep a more open mind, otherwise you could spoil your own life.’
Kaye kissed her. ‘Bless you. I’ll try to remember.’
The two of them, and Mike, came to the airport with her. Mike was sulking at not being allowed to come too, but at the last minute he relented and pressed a drawing into her hand.
‘I did it for him,’ he said. ‘Promise to give it to him.’
‘I promise, darling.’
‘Will passengers for Valencia please-?’
A round of kisses and she was on her way. During the flight she studied the sketch, which showed a racing car with a helmeted driver waving both hands above his head. It was childish, but skilled for his age, and she looked forward to Jared’s reaction.
Her own feelings were in a state of confusion. Only a few hours ago he’d seemed to have turned his back on her, inspiring in her a resentment that had been almost hatred. But then he’d persuaded his team to employ her and bring her to his side. On the telephone his voice had been friendly, but with an undercurrent of tension that kept her caution alive.
She must cling to that caution, she warned herself. Her heart might urge her to yield, but it was her mind that ruled these days. She wondered who would meet her at the airport. Not Jared himself. He would be far too busy preparing for the race.
But he was there, waiting as she came though Customs, and when he saw her he waved his hands above his head exactly as he did when he won a race-and as the sketch showed. But of course, sang the voice in her heart, refusing to be silenced a moment longer. Of course he’d come for her himself-just as secretly she had always known that he would.
But joy must wait just a little longer. There was a man with him who turned out to be Mr Vanner, the boss. Too impress him, Kaye put on a show, talking to officials in perfect Spanish, and she saw him relax and nod.
‘OK, I’m satisfied,’ he said. ‘We’ll talk money later. Now I’ll be off. I’m sure you two don’t need me.’
‘You bet we don’t,’ Jared murmured in her ear as he led her to a taxi.
As soon as the car started her pulled her into his arms. Years had passed since their last real kiss, and now she knew she’d longed for this from the first moment of his return. The feel of his lips against hers was like returning to life after a long sleep, and the life she rediscovered was glorious. There were so many things they must still discuss, but none of them mattered beside what was happening to her now, and the new person she was becoming.
All too soon they reached the hotel, returning reluctantly to the real world. They must climb out, speaking and acting normally until Kaye had been shown to her room and the door had closed on the porter.
He took a step forward. ‘I was so afraid you wouldn’t come.’
‘I can’t believe this happened,’ she murmured. ‘Those lawyers-money-’
‘But of course. I should have been supporting the two of you already, so it’s only right to make up for it.’
‘I wish you’d told me that earlier. I thought-’
He stared. ‘Thought what?’
‘All that talk of money-’ She took a deep breath and said in a shaking voice, ‘I didn’t think I’d see you again.’
‘You thought I was trying to buy you off?’ he said, aghast. ‘Just claiming my fatherly rights and keeping you at a distance? How could you-?’ But he checked himself with a groan. ‘No, of course you thought that. It’s my fault for being so clumsy. I did it all in a rush-calling the lawyers from the airport as I was getting ready to board. I should have told you first. Kaye, I swear to you, this isn’t about money.’
She gave him a long, heart-searching look, knowing that at last it had come: the moment for which she’d waited years. ‘Isn’t it?’ she murmured. ‘You may have to convince me.’
A faint, self-mocking smile illuminated his face as he reached for her, whispering, ‘I think I’ll enjoy doing that.’ His hands became more possessive as he drew her closer. ‘Let me show you what it really is about.’
CHAPTER FOUR
AFTERWARDS she slept in his arms in a state of peace that she hadn’t known for years. She’d made love not only with her body, but with her heart and soul-something she had never thought to do. But it had felt right. The wariness and mistrust had released her, like bonds falling away, and suddenly everything about being with Jared felt right.
Waking, she lay curled up against him, trying to remember how things had been earlier that same day, when she’d believed he’d rejected her again. Now she seemed to have stepped into another universe.
‘What’s that sigh for?’ he asked.
‘I was just thinking about the way things happen. You just can’t plan for anything, can you? When I woke up this morning I worked for Brent. Then I go in, get fired, and now I’m working for Cannonball.’
‘It’s fate,’ he said. ‘That’s what it is.’
‘It must be-otherwise it would be scary to think what a big part chance plays in life. Who could have predicted that someone would see us together and tell Salcombe that I must be passing on secrets?’
His head turn
ed slightly, and she looked up to find him regarding her with wry humour.
‘What is it?’ she asked, as some inkling of the incredible truth began to dawn on her. ‘Jared, what did you do?’
‘Let’s just say I don’t believe in leaving things to chance.’
‘You-are you telling me-?’
‘Actually, I’m trying not to tell you, because I’m not ready to die,’ he said, looking warily at her face.
‘You fixed it,’ she breathed.
‘I arranged for someone to pass certain information on to Salcombe.’
‘And got me fired?’
‘It was necessary.’
‘Why? I could have given in my notice.’
‘That would have taken weeks. I wanted you today.’
‘You scheming, manipulative, devious, conniving-’
‘I prefer Machiavellian. It’s more dignified. Hey, don’t hit me.’
Laughing, he dodged her flying hands, which were slapping him nineteen to the dozen.
‘I should do more than hit you,’ she seethed. ‘How dare you simply organise my life to suit yourself, without asking what I wanted?’
‘But it’s simpler that way,’ he declared, with an air of innocence that made her fight back her own laughter. ‘You might not have wanted the same as I wanted, and then what would I have done?’
‘Backed off? Given up?’
‘Oh, no, I never do that,’ he said solemnly. ‘If I want something, I take it. Always in charge. Always in the driving seat. That’s me.’
There was mischief in his eyes, but also a warning. This was how he was. Take it or leave it. He would use any means to get what he wanted. Only yesterday she would have taken warning from that, and blamed him. But in this new world where she found herself she only saw that what he wanted was herself.
Overjoyed, she ignored the warning and threw herself back into his arms.
That night was the happiest of her life.
Next morning she awoke to find herself alone, Jared having slipped back to his own room. The press was out in force, and they would have to be careful. After breakfast with the team her day would be spent at the track.
They met briefly going down the stairs, and she seized the chance to show him Mike’s picture.
‘I meant to give it to you as soon as we met,’ she said. ‘But-er-’
‘But we got distracted,’ he supplied wryly. ‘Hey, this is great.’
‘I told you he was an artist.’
‘As well as a computer genius. What a kid. Just a minute.’
He whipped out his cell phone, dialled, and a moment later his face lit up.
‘Mike? Great to talk to you. That picture-wonderful. Did you really do it yourself? I can’t believe it.’
He went on in this way for five minutes, while Mike squealed his pleasure so loud that Kaye heard it.
‘I’ll hand you over to your mum now,’ Jared said at last. ‘But don’t keep her long. We have to get to the track.’
She could have hugged Jared for the way he’d accepted Mike right from the start. He was going to be a wonderful father. She felt that her happiness was surely too great to be real. But it was real. That was the best of all.
Now all his thoughts were of the race, but it was enough to be near him, knowing that he wanted her there. She made herself useful to Mr Vanner in the background, not wanting to distract Jared from the coming danger.
There were three vital days. First came the practice sessions, when the drivers could study the track, making notes about bends and straights, where it was good to overtake, where overtaking should be avoided at all costs. Following that there would be work done on the cars so that they could perform at their best on that particular track, and next day came the qualifying sessions, when the drivers raced around the circuit-the fastest being awarded ‘pole position’ at the front of the starting grid.
In Team Cannonball there were a few nerves. As the current world champion Jared was expected to get pole position, but on the last race he’d lost it to Hal. He’d won that race, but nobody was going to feel at ease until he’d qualified at the front. Least of all Jared himself.
But everything went well. In practice he stormed ahead, his qualifying lap was fastest, and he achieved pole position. On the night before the race he retired early, blissfully happy.
‘Tomorrow’s going to be a good day,’ he murmured sleepily.
‘Just be careful,’ she urged. ‘Please be careful.’
‘Careful? That’s not what it’s about.’
‘But Jared-Jared-?’
He was already asleep.
He didn’t know what she was talking about, she realised. Caution? What was that? The risks he took were calculated to the extreme degree, and as far as he was concerned that was all that mattered.
But now she was living in a different world, one that shrieked DANGER when he got into the car.
She tried to be reasonable. Everything was safer now. Drivers crashed, but got out of their cars and walked away. It was a long time since anyone had been killed.
She thought of the last few years, when she’d watched a hundred Grand Prix on television, feeling only the calm interest of one who knew the industry from the inside. Jared had never been hers, and the feeling of distance had protected her from fear.
But now everything was different. With every hour she was growing closer to him, perhaps loving him, and was devastated at the thought of his death. She turned and lay beside him, trying to see his sleeping face but not quite managing it. He was oblivious to her, lost in the only world that would matter to him for the next few hours. She leaned over and kissed him, just managing to touch his ear.
‘Come back to me,’ she whispered. ‘And to Mike. Don’t leave him, whatever you do. He couldn’t bear it now-any more than I could.’
Then she turned over, knowing there was no more to say. She wouldn’t mention the subject tomorrow, because the worst thing she could do was nag him before a race.
In the event her worries seemed groundless. Jared held the lead from start to finish. At first Kaye held her breath, her heart pounding, but Jared’s mastery soon became so clear that she was able to relax until he crossed the finishing line.
She rejoiced in his victory, but what warmed her heart most was the fact that he took the first opportunity to call Mike, and talked to him for ten minutes before handing the phone to Kaye.
‘Now we’ll have a month without travelling,’ Jared said as they lay together that night.
He was referring to the fact that the next race, in two weeks’ time, was at Silverstone, in England, and she hastened to say, ‘You know what Mike’s going to want, don’t you?’
‘Yes. He’d never forgive either of us if he didn’t get a visit to Silverstone. I’ll fix it. I want to get to know him well before we say anything.’
‘Tell him who you are, you mean? You could tell him now. He’s such a fan of yours that he’ll be thrilled.’
‘He’s a fan of the driver. I want him to be a fan of the father. Please, Kaye, humour me in this.’ His eyes suddenly held a mysteriously distant look. ‘It’s important.’
‘Of course,’ she said. ‘We’ll tell him together when the time comes.’
It was another reason for happiness. She hadn’t expected such insight from Jared.
As before, he fell asleep first-which must be natural, she realised, in a man who lived though his senses. She guessed that recent events had brought about the first hint of a change, and the discovery of his son had made him think seriously for the first time in his life. But he was still ruled by instinctive reactions.
And so am I, she mused. How many times have we made love? And did I take precautions? It never crossed my mind any more than it seems to have crossed his. And if I become pregnant again? Is that what I secretly want? Is it what he secretly wants? Is he hoping I won’t notice that we aren’t being careful?
A faint, daring smile illuminated her face.
Fine, sh
e thought. Then I won’t notice.
And might it not be best like this? Perhaps there was something to be said for trusting Fate to show you the way.
On the journey home next day he could talk of nothing but how much he was looking forward to being with Mike in the school holidays.
A funfair had arrived in the local park and Jared seized his chance. An evening spent with thrill rides, dodgems, big wheel and rollercoaster was exactly what the two daredevils needed to bond with each other.
Sam and Ethel came too, but went off in a different direction.
‘The stalls are quite exciting enough for us,’ Ethel said. ‘See you later.’
Kaye never forgot that first ride on the rollercoaster-climbing slowly up into the sky, the moment at the very top with nothing between them and the heavens, then the headlong plunge. It was like her life now, she thought. Glorious heights, the descents, then climbing again, and finally coming to rest.
‘Again,’ Mike demanded when they landed.
‘Aren’t you scared?’ she demanded.
His puzzled look answered her. What on earth did ‘scared’ mean?
She went up three more times, then persuaded her crazy menfolk to get out and head for the hoopla stall. But after a few throws Mike was determined to return to the rollercoaster.
‘If you don’t like it, Mummy, you don’t need to come,’ he said kindly.
‘That’s very nice of you, darling.’
Suddenly Mike threw his arms around her. ‘I don’t want you to be scared or upset.’
‘As long as you’re safe I’ll be fine.’
They drew back, smiling into each other’s eyes in perfect understanding. For a moment they both forgot about Jared, watching them with the gentle, quizzical expression of a man who’d just made a stunning discovery.
The moment passed quickly. A boy of five could only allow himself to be soppy for a brief time. As if to make up for it, Mike seized Jared’s hand in both his, hauling him away. Jared threw Kaye a helpless look and allowed himself to be commandeered.
‘I’ll bet Jared was exactly like that at his age,’ Ethel said from behind Kaye, where she and Sam had just appeared.
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