Lucy Gordon - The Diamond Dad

By the end of the day Garth was feeling hard-pressed and out of sorts. A supplier had let him down on delivery dates, one client had backed out of negotiations at the last minute, and another one was trying to wriggle out of payment on a flimsy excuse.

But none of this had annoyed him half so much as discovering that the dog book contained a chapter by Kendall Haines.

Gradually they settled into an uneasy truce. Faye couldn't live at such close quarters and not be aware of Garth. The sheer animal force that had made him supreme in his world was reflected in every move he made. About the house she tried to avoid all physical contact, knowing that it wouldn't be safe.

One evening he asked casually, 'Do anything interesting today?'

'Yes, I went to see Kendall.'

'Was that really necessary?'

'Why shouldn't I visit my fiance, Garth?'

His lips tightened but he said no more, and Faye didn't offer any further explanation.

In fact, her visit to Kendall hadn't been the comfort she'd hoped. She'd poured out her worries, hoping to find understanding, but Kendall had frowned and said lightly, 'Must you spoil our few moments together by talking about your husband all the time?'

'I'm sorry,' she'd said stiffly. 'I didn't mean to be a bore.'

He'd apologized nicely, but the fact remained Kendall liked her whole attention, and was irked because he no longer had it. Was that what had made him suggest that she move back to Elm Ridge, as Garth wanted?

'It might help get him out of your system again,' he'd pointed out, adding in an undervoice, 'something needs to.'

'That's not fair. It's all over between Garth and me.'

'Well, I certainly hope so, because I'm beginning to find him a very boring third in our relationship. I think a spell in your old home might remind you of what made you leave him.' He grinned. 'Then maybe you'd have eyes for me again.'

'Kendall, I love you. You know I do.'

'Do you?' he asked coolly. 'Or are you just running away from Garth? I want all or nothing from you, Faye. Being your refuge from Garth Clayton just isn't good enough.'

'But you're not. I do love you,' she protested.

'Then we have nothing to fear.'

But she knew there was something to fear, even though, on the surface, she and Garth were managing to get by well enough. She was glad to see that he made an effort to be with Cindy and Adrian. Even so, he often spent Saturday in his office and arrived home with a briefcase full of work. Faye and the children would take Barker for a romp in the fields behind the house and get back to find Garth there, poring over his computer.

She had been briefly afraid that he would try to take over her own computer, but after one glance at it he'd roared with laughter. She understood why when she saw his machine, a sleek, state-of-the-art beauty that made her green with envy.

Kendall's assumption that there was nothing to fear troubled her. Despite their mutual hostility, Garth still affected her dangerously. That might seem an argument for going to Elm Ridge, where there was more room, but she knew such a move would be even less safe. Garth would assume he'd won the battle to get her back, and she would never let him think that.

In the end it was Barker who settled the matter in an unexpected way. His idea of fun was to chase madly through the little house, pursued by Adrian, Cindy and herself. Garth never joined in these games, preferring to enjoy the spectacle from the sidelines.

One Saturday afternoon Barker varied the game by raiding the laundry basket. Seeing him trailing clothes, Faye launched herself onto him in a frantic rugby tackle. The children tumbled after her, and the four of them rolled on the floor. It was at this point that Kelly arrived for her check-up visit.

'When I let you have Barker I hadn't realized just how small this place was,' she said worriedly, over a cup of tea. 'A dog his size needs far more room. Your garden is like a pocket handkerchief.'

'But we do take him for walks in the fields at the back,' Faye said.

'Every day?'

'Well, not for the last week,' Faye amended awkwardly. This wasn't the moment to mention the mayhem Barker had caused by chasing squirrels, all of whom had evaded him easily.

Kelly sighed. 'I did say, when I handed him over, that if I wasn't satisfied with his conditions it might be a case for taking him back.'

Cindy and Adrian set up such an outcry that Kelly winced. 'I know it seems hard,' she said, 'but it really isn't kind to Barker to keep him here.'

'But we love him,' Cindy said desperately. 'And he loves us. You can't take him. Daddy, don't let her take Barker.'

'He can't live in this tiny space,' Kelly repeated.

Garth's eyes, full of a message, met Faye's. She drew a deep breath, knowing how she was being propelled into a decision she'd sworn not to make, yet unable to do anything about it. The children were looking at her frantically as they realized they might actually lose their beloved friend.

'We do have the chance of larger premises, with a huge garden,' Garth said, 'but there are a few problems.'

'There are no problems,' Faye said briskly, realizing that she'd been backed into a corner. 'Elm Ridge is standing empty and we can move in tomorrow. Kelly, why don't you come and see us there next week?'

The children jumped around carolling loudly, while Barker added his voice to the proceedings.

When Kelly had gone, Faye took the tea things into the kitchen. Washing them up would give her thoughts time to calm down. Garth had outmanoeuvred her, but that only increased her determination not to yield any more ground. He came in after a moment.

'I'm glad we got that settled,' he said.

'Garth, don't read too much into this,' Faye warned. 'Nothing has really changed.

'If you're coming home, I'd say a lot had changed.'

'I'm not "coming home". I'm changing premises, but only for a while. I still want that divorce, and when I've got it I'm going to marry Kendall.'

'Don't you think living with me will make a divorce rather difficult?'

'Can't you understand? I won't be living with you. We'll be under the same roof but not living as man and wife. We'll have separate rooms and live separate lives.'

His expression hardened. 'And what exactly does "separate lives" mean?'

'It means I'm still engaged to Kendall, and I'll see him when I like.'

'And suppose your husband has other ideas?'

'It won't make any difference.'

'So my wishes count for nothing?' "That's right. You've won a small victory by getting us there, but that's all. I'm not your wife, and I'll do as I please.'

'My God! It's like beating my head against marble,' he said angrily. 'You were never like this before.'

'I've changed, Garth.'

'You sure as hell have!'

'But so have you. You're not the loving man I married, any more than I'm the docile girl you married.' Her lips curved in a faint, elusive smile. 'Watching you taught me a lot about standing on my own feet, and I've learned the lessons well. Just regard me as a housekeeper.'

'I already have one, in Nancy.'

'Well, now you've got two. And, like any housekeeper, I'll live my own life, and my employer won't ask questions.'

'Oh, won't he?'

'Not unless he wants to receive some dusty answers.' Mischievously she echoed his own words, 'I'm glad we got that settled.'

'I haven't-'

'It's settled, Garth. Believe me, it's settled.'

They returned to Elm Ridge to a huge welcome from Nancy, overjoyed, 'to have some life in the place again', as she said to Faye over a coffee in the kitchen.

'He's been like a bear with a sore head since you all left. Not that he was ever exactly sweetness and light.'

'He was, once,' Faye mused, then stopped. She'd promised herself not to start looking back, no matter how much the house affected her.