He snapped his eyes back open. First things first. Right now, he would see his son again. Spend time with him.
He swung out of the car, headed for the front door, letting himself in, striding down to the kitchen, where he could hear voices. As he walked in, Laurel’s head whipped around. She was sitting at the kitchen table, focussing on Dan sitting beside her as he read to her from a children’s early reading book. As he saw Xander, Dan broke off, leapt to his feet, face alight.
“Dad!” he exclaimed, and Xander’s heart caught.
“Who’s hungry for lunch?” he announced. He’d deliberately timed his arrival for lunchtime so that Dan could have the morning to getting used to being in the cottage. For himself he’d put in some time working from his hotel room and made use of the hotel’s gym facilities. The hotel was a large old country house, five stars and well suited to this affluent corner of the Home Counties. It also had a spa, and a pool, along with the gym. An idea came to him, but he would save it for now.
“Me!” Dan was answering him about his readiness for lunch.
“Great!” Xander smiled. “Let’s get going.” His glance went to Laurel. She had not stood up and was carefully closing Dan’s reading book. Her expression was just as closed. He didn’t give a damn. “No need for you to come,” he told her.
She got to her feet, chair scraping on the tiled floor. “No, I’ll come,” she said.
He shrugged indifferently, focussing instead on Dan. That was why he was here. The only reason.
He waited while Laurel fetched a jacket for Dan, and Xander frowned. It looked shabby and distinctly second hand. None of his clothes were anything other than cheap chain store brands.
“After we’ve eaten we’ll go clothes shopping,” he announced. “Get Dan some decent clothes.”
His eyes flicked dismissively across to Laurel as well. She, too, could do with some decent clothes. What she was wearing, some cheaply made baggy top over shapeless trousers, did nothing for her.
He didn’t bother to wait for Laurel’s reply. Her opinions, her thoughts, her views were all totally irrelevant. So was she herself. Her sole purpose was to be there for Dan.
My son—
The precious words still rang in his head as they set off.
Laurel was keeping her temper. It was hard, but she was doing it, stifling the anger flaring at how Xander was ignoring her existence. Dan must have no idea of the enmity between his parents, each of them wishing the other to hell.
She’d managed to get through lunch—Xander had taken them to a family-friendly up-market country pub a few miles away, where conversation had focussed on Dan, and Laurel had mostly left them to it—and now Xander had driven them to a small retail park beside the motorway, which included an out-of-town branch of a national department store he evidently considered an acceptable place to purchase clothes for his son. It was clear he wanted to lavish an entire new wardrobe on Dan, but Laurel was standing her ground.
“Just three things,” she’d insisted. “As he grows he can get more then.”
Xander threw her a killing look, but she didn’t care. Dan was quite excited enough at getting a jacket sporting his favourite adventure film character, a new sweater with another, and a pair of sturdy trousers. To defy her, Xander threw in a baseball cap and a pair of colourful socks. Dan beamed happily, and Laurel sighed inwardly. She didn’t want to be a killjoy, but she didn’t want Dan becoming spoilt. Whatever his father might want. It was all too easy to get used to luxe living…
Something twisted inside her painfully. That’s what Xander had accused her of, that hideous day when he’d condemned her for taking that bracelet…
With a start she realised Xander was already heading off with Dan, making his way across the floor towards the toy section. She hurried after them. They were looking along the shelves holding boxed construction kits. They were Dan’s favourites, but her budget had only run to the smaller items. But now Xander was lifting down the largest box, and disbelieving delight was on Dan’s face, his eyes widening like saucers.
“It’s huge!” he exclaimed. “It’s like a giant, giant birthday present!”
Laurel watched Xander hunker down to Dan’s level. “Let’s call it that,” he said. “I wasn’t here for your birthday, so this is a bit late.”
“Oh, wow!” said Dan breathlessly.
Xander limbered to his feet. “Okay, what else?”
Laurel stepped forward. “This is great for now,” she said firmly. “Save something else for next time.”
Another killing glance came her way. “I have six birthdays to catch up on,” Xander said in a harsh voice.
She took a breath. “But not all at once,” she said. She took Dan’s hand. “Let’s look at the books while we’re here.” She knew the latest in a fantasy series that Dan loved had just been published, but affordable second-hand copies had not yet started to circulate. A rush of extravagance filled her. She’d buy the full-price new one and be damned.
“This is on me,” she said determinedly, as Dan spotted the book and seized it happily.
Xander said nothing, only threw her a caustic glance as she made her purchase before getting out his gold-plated credit card to pay for the massive construction kit.
As soon as they got got back to the cottage, Dan turned to her. “Can I open it now, Mum? Can I?” he asked with eager excitement.
