Promises by Cathryn Hein

Author:Cathryn Hein
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781742533940
Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia
Published: 2011-06-20T04:00:00+00:00

Fourteen

Aaron eyed Sophie from the safety of the verandah as she said farewell to Rowdy. The urge to cross the yard and gather her to his chest was huge. Since her father’s visit, Sophie had been distant and quiet, and he didn’t know what that meant. She hadn’t even admitted to seeing Ian, which worried him even more. Her father could have told her any number of lies.

She still arrived each morning with a smile and laughed when the horses did something funny, but it lacked the joy he adored. And several times he’d caught her looking at him with a frown, as though she was trying to work out what was in his head.

But after his talk with Ian Dixon, there wasn’t a chance in hell he’d reveal that.

Aaron had been sitting on the verandah step with a cup of tea and the local paper, warming himself in the fading Tuesday afternoon sun, when Ian pulled in the drive. He’d stepped out and looked around with an expression that made Aaron ball his fists. Finally, when he’d made his disdain clear, Ian approached the house. Aaron placed his mug down carefully and stood.

‘What do you want?’

‘Your mother sends her love,’ replied Ian.

‘She wouldn’t know the meaning of it.’

Ian’s mouth thinned. ‘Still like your father, I see.’

Aaron said nothing, but he reached for the verandah post and wrapped his hand around the timber. Even after all this time, his loathing for Ian Dixon hadn’t faded.

‘I’m worried about Sophie,’ said Ian.

‘That’d be a first.’

Ian’s grey eyes, so like Sophie’s, narrowed. ‘I didn’t come here to argue. I came here to talk about my daughter.’

‘She’s fine.’

‘No, she’s not.’ He looked toward Vanaheim and shook his head, and to Aaron’s surprise he caught a glimpse of genuine worry on Ian’s face. ‘You have no idea how vulnerable she is. If she finds out about me and Carol …’

The sentence hung. Instinctively, Aaron followed Ian’s gaze to the west even though all they could see of Vanaheim from Hakea Lodge was a flush of green. Christ, he hoped Sophie was all right.

‘Look,’ he said, ‘if you’re worried about me telling her, forget it. Believe me, I’m not in any hurry to spill that dirty little secret, but you won’t be able to keep it from her forever. Better she hears it from you than anyone else.’

‘She won’t cope. It’ll be like before.’

‘Then you don’t know your daughter very well.’

Ian threw him a sharp glance. ‘And I suppose you think you do.’

‘I know her a damn sight better than you do.’

For a long moment, they regarded one another, anger festering. The yard moved with restless horses, attuned to the tension. In his box, Rowdy snorted and stomped. Psycho let out a whinny.

Ian opened his coat and reached into his jacket pocket. ‘I under-stand you and Sophie made some sort of a deal about a horse.’

‘Not that it’s any of your business.’

Ian flipped open a chequebook and clicked on a pen. ‘I’ll pay you double whatever the horse is worth.

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