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She looked at him thoughtfully, then dared to ask, ‘What about you, Ryan? Are you so emotionally under control that you prefer to live entirely without female company?’
He gave a faint snort. ‘Who says I live entirely without female company?’
‘It’s the impression you’ve given me.’
‘Then allow me to correct it. When I need a woman I can always call on Cynthia.’ The statement came out casually.
Her eyes widened. ‘Cynthia...?’ Hearing him mention the name of a woman had given her a shock.
‘Cynthia Birch. She’s a friend who lives at Te Pohue on the road to Lake Taupo. When I go fishing at Taupo, or skiing on Mount Ruapehu, I usually call in and have coffee with her. She’s inclined to rely on me for advice concerning her financial affairs.’
‘She’s fortunate in having someone such as yourself to guide her.’
‘Well—it’s only been since her divorce.’
‘I see.’ She stared down at her empty plate.
‘Are you sure about that? Is there anything else you’d like to know?’ he drawled, while watching her from behind hooded lids.
‘Not particularly,’ she returned in an offhand manner, at the same time knowing this to be a lie. In fact there were several points now jumping about to arouse her curiosity, but they were not questions she felt could be asked—at least not on such short acquaintance. They’d be sure to bring forth a snub strong enough to ruin the delicate amicability that had sprung up between them.
Exactly how deep was his friendship with this woman? she wondered. And then there was the question of Vema. Did he still have any depth of feeling left for her? ‘One doesn’t forget old friends’, he’d said, and Judy wished she knew what had come between them to end their romance.
And then another question that had often simmered in Judy’s mind returned to niggle at her. It concerned the identity of Robin’s father. Did Ryan know of his whereabouts? She had never set eyes on the elusive Mr Bryant, nor was his name ever mentioned. Not that it was any business of hers, of course, although she had often wondered if Verna, as a single parent, was using a fictitious name for the sake of appearances. But now that Robin was going to school he’d soon be asking questions for himself, especially on sports days and at break-up time, when the other boys produced their fathers. Where was his father? he’d soon be wanting to know.
Even as she pondered this question Judy looked at the man sitting at the table. The rays from the nearby standard lamp fell on his thick auburn hair, highlighting the gleam of red in it, and she was reminded of similar glints of red in Robin’s hair. Startled, she was forced to wonder if Ryan could be the boy’s father—was this why Hilda Simmons had sent the boy to Napier? Did she hope that father and son would find a mutual bond, so that when Verna arrived matters could be brought to a successful conclusion?
The thoughts swam about in Judy’s mind until suddenly she told herself she was being stupid. She was jumping to conclusions and assuming a situation which probably didn’t exist. If Ryan was Robin’s father she felt sure he would have acknowledged him years ago—although why she had such faith in his integrity she was unable to say. It was just that he seemed to be an honest person who meant what he said—someone who was totally different from Alan Draper.
She was so lost in her thoughts she almost jumped when Ryan raised his hand to run a long tanned forefinger down her cheek. His touch sent a tremor through her body and her face flushed.
His eyes glinted as he observed her reaction, then his voice became a low murmur as he asked, ‘Is something worrying you?’
She forced herself to meet his gaze. ‘Why do you ask?’
‘Because you’ve been silent for several long minutes and I’ve been watching the changing expressions on your face. They’ve made me wonder if you’re concerned for your safety in this house.’
She caught her breath. ‘You mean from you? No...it hadn’t even occurred to me.’
His dark brows drew together. ‘Does that mean you consider me to be a sexless wimp?’
She gave a faint smile, while allowing her eyes to rest upon his sensuous mouth and strong jaw. This man, a sexless wimp? Not in a thousand years would he qualify. Then she said, ‘No...I feel quite safe because I suspect you’ve no wish for me to rush screaming to Miss Coster. Besides, you need me here to take care of Robin.’
He spoke gruffly, ‘Well, there’s a lock to your bedroom door in case you begin to feel jittery about my intentions.’
Later, when she went to bed, she didn’t even bother to turn the key. There was no need, she assured herself. She held no attraction for him—nor did he hold any attraction for her. Well, maybe that wasn’t quite true, but she’d fight against it because she was finished with men and had no intention of looking at another for a long, long time. As for being caught on the rebound—huh! That would be the day! He must think she was a complete idiot.
CHAPTER THREE
NEXT morning Judy was awakened by the sound of Robin’s high-pitched voice coming from the kitchen. She sprang out of bed and shrugged herself into a wrap, made a quick visit to the en suite bathroom, and, having raked a comb through her blonde hair, hurried to the kitchen where she found Robin enjoying a plate of porridge.
Standing beneath the archway, and hardly able to believe her eyes, she exclaimed, ‘Porridge—my goodness, wonders will never cease.’
Ryan said, ‘I didn’t have any cereal that snapped, crackled or popped, which I’m told he usually demands.’
Robin licked his spoon. ‘This is good. It’s better than that stuff Gran makes. Uncle Ryan says if I eat porridge every morning I’ll grow up to be just like him.’
Just like him. The words clicked in Judy’s mind, seeming to confirm her thoughts of the previous evening.
Ryan sent her a wink while spooning marmalade on to buttered toast. ‘The secret lies in raw sugar and creamy milk. Would you like to try some? It takes only three minutes in the microwave.’
‘No, thank you. Tea and toast is all I ever have for breakfast.’ Then, suddenly conscious of her appearance, she added hastily, ‘I’d better go and get dressed.’
Ryan spoke quickly. ‘No... don’t go. I like you as you are. There’s something homely about a girl in a wrap and slippers.’ He poured a cup of tea for her, then moved to put two slices of bread in the toaster. ‘We didn’t wait for you,’ he went on. ‘We thought it possible you needed the extra sleep.’
We, she noticed. It was almost as though he was beginning to acknowledge Robin and himself as a unit. Strangely, it gave her an intangible feeling of being left out, but she brushed it aside and spoke casually. ‘To be honest I was glad of the extra sleep. Yesterday had its stressful moments.’
Ryan frowned as he demanded dryly, ‘Are you referring to the welcome I gave you—or rather the lack of it?’
‘Oh, my troubles had begun before that,’ she admitted.
Robin sent her a morose look that also held apprehension and guilt. ‘I suppose you’re going to tell Uncle Ryan about me being naughty on the plane?’ he queried sulkily.
Ryan assumed a shocked expression. ‘You were naughty? What did you do? Or was it something you wouldn’t do?’ he asked with perception.
Robin hung his head. ‘I wouldn’t stay in my seat when Judy told me to. I kept running between the seats,’ he admitted contritely.
‘Up and down the aisle like a young fiend,’ Judy put in.
‘He was over-excited by being on a plane for the first time.’
Robin became defensive. ‘I was trying to make the plane go faster,’ he explained. ‘It didn’t seem to be going very fast.’
Ryan was amused. ‘No doubt it got up speed with the help of your efforts?’
Robin looked at him blankly. ‘I don’t know. A man put his arm out and stopped me. He pulled me into an empty seat beside him and we talked until the lady in uniform told me to go back to my own seat and fasten my seat belt.’
‘So what did you talk about?’ Ryan asked with undisguised curiosity.
‘We talked about Judy,’ Robin admitted with childish candour.
‘Me...?’ Judy demanded indignantly. ‘What did he want to know about me? I’d never seen the man before.’
‘He wanted to know your name,’ Robin informed her. ‘He said he thought you were very pretty.’
‘Nothing wrong with his eyesight,’ Ryan remarked in a droll tone.
A flush crept into Judy’s cheeks but she said nothing. ‘Don’t allow him to talk to any strange men,’ Hilda Simmons had warned. Obviously she was right, but in this case there was little Judy could have done to prevent it. Then she felt herself shrink as Robin gave out more information.
‘I told him you were taking me to stay with Uncle Ryan. He asked if Uncle Ryan was your boyfriend.’
Judy’s cheeks became even more pink. ‘He had a darned nerve,’ she snapped, while avoiding Ryan’s eye.
The latter chuckled as he spoke to Robin. ‘So what did you say?’
‘I said that Uncle Alan was her boyfriend, but that perhaps she might swap him for Uncle Ryan.’
A gasp of fury escaped Judy. ‘You said what?’ she exploded.
Ryan held up a hand to soothe her. ‘Simmer down and let him go on.’ Then he turned to Robin. ‘So, what else did you tell this man?’
The boy thought for a few minutes then admitted, ‘I told him that I had a girlfriend and that her name was Sally and where she lives—and guess what? He said he knew her, and that Sally’s mother is his cousin.’
Ryan spoke doubtfully. ‘This is beginning to sound a little too far-fetched.’ He fixed Judy with a stern eye and demanded, ‘Did you speak to this man who was obviously trying to pick you up?’
His last words made her feel angrier than she already felt. ‘Of course I spoke to him. Before disembarking I thanked him for bringing Robin’s racing along the aisle to a halt. Believe me, with the fear of a tantrum hanging in the air I was more than grateful for his help.’ She paused to draw a deep breath, then went on, ‘Nor do I think it’s too far-fetched for Sally’s mother to be his cousin. In a country where the entire population is little more than three million people, cousins are not usually difficult to find.’
Robin’s shrill voice piped up, ‘What are cousins? Have I got any cousins?’
Judy smiled at him. ‘I’ll leave Uncle Ryan to explain while I shower and dress. He’s known your mother for a long time—so he should be able to tell you all sorts of things.’ The glance she flicked at Ryan was full of significance.
Ryan turned to regard her with a penetrating stare. She knew he was about to ask what sort of things she had in mind, but before he could do so she hurried away to her room.
A few minutes later, as she stood beneath the soothing waters of the en suite shower, she recalled Ryan’s care and attention to Robin at the breakfast table. Fatherly was the word that sprang into her mind, and then the boy’s own words leapt to join it. ‘Uncle Ryan says if I eat porridge every morning I’ll grow up to be just like him.’
‘Is that a fact?’ Judy murmured her thoughts aloud. ‘So how does Uncle Ryan know you’ll be just like him? Surely the answer is clear. It’s because he’s your father, m’lad. That’s why your grandmother has sent you here to await your mother’s arrival...and then...?’
Judy turned off the taps and began to towel herself vigorously. Again she warned herself that there was too much guesswork going on in her mind, and if she had any sense she’d just take each day as it came. She’d enjoy Ryan’s company while she could, and when Verna arrived she’d leave, with the hope that Robin had found his father.
When she returned to the kitchen she discovered that Ryan had cleared the table and tidied the worktop. And, although she waited for him to pursue the subject of why she expected him to have knowledge of Robin’s relatives, he failed to do so. Instead she became aware of his interest focusing upon her own appearance, his eyes resting on her blonde hair before lowering to gaze at the rounded mounds of breasts beneath her dark red jumper.
‘I suppose you know you’re looking most attractive,’ he remarked in a low voice. ‘The men will be goggle-eyed.’
‘Thank you.’ She savoured the compliment while hoping her inner pleasure didn’t show too much. ‘They’ll be here for a meeting?’
‘No. They’re pruning apple trees at one of the orchards. It happens during winter between leaf-fall and bud-burst. I’m taking Robin with me while I check their progress. You’ll come with us to keep an eye on him,’ he stated firmly. ‘I hope you won’t be too bored.’
The request to accompany them had come as an order rather than as an invitation, and for one mad moment she thought of refusing him. However, she decided to let the niggle pass. As for boring her-he must be joking. And to hide her eagerness to see part of his domain she spoke with quiet dignity. ‘Of course I’ll come...if you want me.’
If she’d expected a response to her last words she was to be disappointed, because he merely regarded her in silence, his frown indicating that something about her disturbed his peace of mind. But before she could utter a query Robin, who was hopping impatiently from one foot to the other, tugged at his sleeve.
‘When are we going, Uncle Ryan? Can we go now?’
Judy spoke to the boy. ‘Have you cleaned your teeth? Have you been to the toilet...?’
Robin shook his head. ‘Aw, Judy... Uncle Ryan and me...we gotta go out in the Range Rover right now.’
She spoke with gentle firmness. ‘You’re not going anywhere until you’ve done those things—and don’t forget to wash your hands.’ Then, as the little boy ran towards the bathroom, she turned to Ryan with an apologetic smile. ‘I’m sorry to cause this delay, but these things are important.’
‘Yes, of course they are. Don’t worry, your efforts are not wasted. I’m really most impressed.’ His mouth twisted slightly and the words came mockingly.
Their tone jarred on her, causing her eyes to widen into a glare of sudden anger. ‘Are you suggesting I’m deliberately trying to impress you?’ she almost hissed. ‘If so, you’re very much mistaken. I’ll leave that to Verna—’ She stopped abruptly, appalled by what she’d said.
He eyed her narrowly. ‘Vema, huh? She’s coming here to impress me, rather than to just collect Robin? Well, now...that’s most interesting.’
Judy shook her head in a helpless manner. ‘Please forget what I said, because I really don’t know—’
‘You must know something to have made that remark,’ he cut in, his tone like granite. ‘Why do I get a strong smell of the dragon’s breath? Is this some of her scheming?’
Her slim shoulders lifted slightly. ‘I suppose it’s to do with why she sent Robin to you. I don’t think he’ll be long,’ she added, hoping to get off a subject that was making him scowl.
‘There’s no hurry; I’m not yet ready to leave. Last evening Kate was in such a tizz she forgot to take her wages. I thought I’d drop them in to her in case she needs it. I’ll probably stop and chat for a few minutes.’
Watching his athletic form descend the back stairs, she decided he had an unusually kind nature, and that few men would be so thoughtful. There was also a controlled strength about him, and suddenly she began to look upon his dominance as a gift of clear thinking, which enabled him to make the right decisions. But he was not meant for her. He was meant for Vema, she felt sure, and sooner or later they’d make up their differences. And then Robin would have a father.
Sighing, she closed the back door, and at that moment the phone rang. She went into the living room, lifted the receiver and gave Ryan’s number. Her answer was greeted by a momentary silence before a female voice from the other end said, ‘Is Ryan there, please?’
‘No—I’m afraid he’s out for a short time.’
The voice said, ‘Is that you, Kate? It doesn’t sound like you.’
‘It’s not Miss Coster. It’s Judy Arledge speaking.’
‘Judy Arledge?’ The caller’s voice sharpened. ‘May I ask who you are and what you’re doing in Ryan’s house while he’s absent from it? I don’t recall him ever mentioning a Judy Arledge.’
‘I’ve come to stay with him for the rest of the school holidays,’ Judy explained rather inadequately, while feeling there was no need to go into details for this unknown person.
‘The rest of the school holidays—but there’s over a week to go.’ The words came faintly, yet held a hint of agitation. ‘Are you a school teacher? Am I right in assuming you’re Miss Arledge?’
‘Yes, you’re quite right. May I ask who’s speaking so that I can tell him you rang?’
‘Indeed you may.’ The caller’s tone sharpened again. ‘It’s Cynthia Birch speaking. Ryan and I are very close friends—and I can hardly believe he has a...a single woman staying in the house with him. He’s always been adamant in his refusal to do so—so how did you manage it, Miss Arledge?’
Something in her tone jarred upon Judy. Or was it the fact that Cynthia Birch had claimed to be very close to Ryan? ‘I’m sure Ryan will fill you in with any details you wish to know—’ she began.
Cynthia’s voice rang with determination. ‘If you don’t mind, I’d like to know a few of them now. Where have you come from?’
Judy answered politely, ‘From Christchurch.’ And before more questions could come she added quickly, ‘I’ll tell Ryan you rang. Goodbye.’ She replaced the receiver.
She hadn’t actually hung up on Cynthia, but it had been near enough to make her feel guilty. After all, why should she care if this woman and Ryan were close? It shouldn’t concern someone like herself...someone who was finished with men...and in an effort to convince herself she almost muttered the last thought aloud.
The question was still niggling at her mind when Ryan returned. She was in the living room when he walked in the back door, and for several long moments they just stood and looked at each other through the archway. The expression on his face was inscrutable, and as slow strides began to take him towards her she became conscious of a strange fluttering in her breast.
To control her nerves she drew in a deep breath, then spoke calmly. ‘There was a phone call while you were out.’
He stopped in his tracks to stand very still. ‘Did you get a name?’
‘Yes—she said to tell you that Cynthia Birch rang.’ Judy swallowed, but said nothing further, while watching for a reaction of some sort. How would he cope with both Cynthia and Verna—when she arrived? As for herself—it seemed clear that she wouldn’t stand a chance.
