Lucy Gordon - The Diamond Dad

'Is anything wrong, Daddy?' she asked.

'No. I was just thinking how pretty you are.'

She beamed and clasped her second hand over his with a sigh of contentment. After a moment he bent down and kissed the top of her head.

In the end, Adrian's goal was the only one and his victorious team carried him from the field. His family walked over to where he was being pummelled joyfully.

'Well done, son,' Garth told him.

Adrian turned shining eyes on him. 'Did you really see my goal?' he asked.

'Every moment of it.'

'I thought you weren't going to be here,' Faye said quietly to Kendall. 'You said you had a book to finish.'

'I got it done last night.' He glanced at Garth. 'Is that-?'

'Yes, that's Garth.'

Kendall made a wry face. 'I wish he wasn't quite so good-looking.'

'Don't say things like that,' she urged. 'He means nothing to me now.'

Garth turned his head at that moment and she wondered how much he'd heard. She made the introductions, and to her relief her husband reacted civilly. So did Kendall but she could see the two men sizing each other up, and the knowledge was there between them.

Garth congratulated Kendall politely on his team's success, but this proved unfortunate as it gave Adrian the chance to say, 'Ken's the best coach we've ever had. He knows everything about soccer.'

'Nonsense, you did it all yourself,' Kendall said, aiming a playful punch at him. 'Golden feet, that's what you've got.'

'Am I really going to be good enough to play professionally?' Adrian asked, his face shining.

The sight hurt Garth and prompted his demon to say, 'It's a bit soon to be asking that, isn't it? After all, this isn't the only thing in life.'

He regretted the words instantly, because a light went out of Adrian's face. But he brightened again when Kendall said, 'Keep up the hard work, and you can do anything you want.'

Barker, evidently feeling that he'd taken a back seat long enough, gave his noisiest woof.

'Barker thinks so too,' Cindy confirmed.

'Is he yours?' Kendall asked.

'Daddy gave him to me for my birthday.'

'He's a fine fellow.' Kendall ran his hands knowl- edgeably over Barker's frame and tried to look into his mouth, but Barker wriggled free in order to sniff one of Kendall's pockets. 'All right,' Kendall said hastily. 'Don't tear me to pieces. I know what you're after. Here!' He produced something which he tossed to the dog, who swallowed it in one gulp.

'What was that?' Faye asked.

'Aniseed. Dogs love it, and I always keep some aniseed sweets in my pocket for my own dogs.'

'Just for the dogs?' Adrian asked cheekily.

'Meaning that I swipe some for myself?' Kendall asked, all innocence. 'Me?'

'Of course not,' Cindy assured him with a carefully bland face. 'We know you wouldn't ever eat aniseed when there was a starving dog who just loved it.'

Kendall grinned and tossed the 'starving dog' another sweet. 'Shame on you, you terrible brats!'

Both children giggled, evidently finding this form of address acceptable. Garth's hands balled into fists inside his pockets.

'Is Barker all right?' Cindy asked.

'He's fine, but don't let him eat too many sweets,' Kendall said, straight-faced. 'He mustn't put on weight.'

'The voice of the expert,' Garth said in a tone that was apparently friendly, but had a slight edge.

'I don't call myself an expert,' Kendall said. 'Not next to my friend, James Wakeham. He's made a special study of St Bernards and he's one of the finest veterinary surgeons in the world. We were at vet school together; used to pinch each other's girlfriends. He was always in trouble. In fact, he owes me a favour for keeping quiet about- Well, never mind. He could have been thrown out for it.' He was talking for the sake of talking, saying anything to lighten the atmosphere. Garth responded with a mechanical smile.

While Cindy asked more questions about Barker's care, Garth found something else to look at.

'This is Ken's subject,' Faye urged him in an under- voice. 'If he needed advice about business, he'd have to come to you.'

'But he never would need advice about business, would he?' Garth growled. 'I know his kind. He floats loftily above money as though the rest of us were beneath contempt. For pity's sake, I gave her the damned dog!'

'Then why don't you tell her how to look after him?'

'What time have I got to study dogs?'

'You're the man who believes in keeping track of your investments,' she reminded him. 'And this sudden rush of concern for Cindy is just that-an investment.'

'You're determined to think the worst of me, aren't you?'

'You make it easy,' she said after a moment, and turned away from him.

They were both relieved when the awkward meeting was over. Adrian parted reluctantly from Kendall, promising fervently to be at the next practice.

'As long as you don't neglect your schoolwork,' Garth said. 'You've got a career to think of.'

Adrian became absorbed in Barker, and didn't reply. It was Kendall who said quietly, 'Surely he's a bit young to be deciding his career! If he wants to be a sportsman why not let him dream his dreams and believe he can do anything?'

'Because the world is a tough place, and a man has no time for dreams in case he falls behind,' Garth snapped. 'And I'll thank you not to interfere in my son's upbringing.'

'Hey, come on! I was only-'

'I know damned well what you were only doing. And you'll do it over my dead body.'

Luckily Faye had gone ahead and didn't hear this exchange. Garth was able to conceal his unsettled state of mind on the journey home. They'd meant to go to a restaurant but, since Barker refused to be left behind, this was abandoned in favour of a Chinese takeaway.

Later that night, when Garth had gone in to say goodnight to Cindy, she heaved a sigh of delight. 'Oh, Daddy, wasn't Adrian simply superT

'He was pretty good,' Garth agreed.

'He was more than good,' Cindy said fervently. 'He was the very, very best. I wish I could do something as well as that.'

Garth brushed her cheek with a finger. 'Don't put yourself down. There must be things you do well.'

'Not as good as Adrian. I'm going to clean the boots he played in this afternoon,' she added in tones of ecstasy. 'He says I can.'

Neither his best friends nor his worst enemies would have called Garth a New Man, but this moved him to protest. 'Let him clean his own boots. You're not his skivvy.'

'But I want to.'

Garth gave up. His daughter's eyes were shining with hero-worship. He wasn't deeply perceptive where feelings were concerned, but he guessed that the need to idolize was a part of her character.

That was dangerous, he thought. A girl who worshipped blindly was vulnerable to the wrong man. She would have to be protected…

Another pair of adoring eyes came into his mind. That was how Faye had looked at him once. She'd loved keeping house for him, ironing his shirts with the same pride as Cindy showed at cleaning her brother's boots. He remembered how her single-minded, vulnerable adoration had been there on her face for all to see. When had she changed into the stranger who kept her thoughts aloof from him?

'Go to sleep, now,' he said abruptly.

'Goodnight, Daddy. Thank you for the best birthday ever.' Her arms were tight around his neck.

'Was it really the best birthday ever?' he asked with rare humility.

'Oh, yes, because you came back for it.'

'Of course I did,' he said, hoping she couldn't see his sudden awkwardness. 'I'm still your Daddy. Nothing can ever change that.'

'No,' she said happily. 'Nothing, ever.'

'Goodnight, darling.' He kissed the top of her head and went out, thoughtful.

As soon as he arrived at his office on Monday, he instructed his secretary to get him a book on dog care, with special reference to St Bernards. She provided an impressive-looking volume by lunchtime, and over a quick sandwich he flicked through it.