The last time he had been here had been the night…but no, she wasn’t going to torture herself by going all through that again.
The phone rang abruptly, cutting through her thoughts. She picked up the receiver, not really surprised to hear her mother’s voice.
‘Heather, you’ll never guess what! Kyle came to see your father tonight. Apparently he’d heard about…about him being ill, somehow or other, and he came down to the hospital to see him.’ Her voice faltered suddenly. ‘Darling, are you still there?’
Gripping the receiver, Heather forced a smile into her voice as she responded, ‘I’m still here. You must have been happy to see him.’
There was a pause, during which she sensed her mother’s hesitation.
‘I should have waited until you came in to see your father to tell you, darling, but we were both so surprised to see him.’
‘Mum, I’m all grown up now. I don’t resent Kyle any more. I’ve come to terms with my jealousy of him, and I’m delighted that he’s been in touch with you.’
Over the distance that separated them she felt her mother’s relief. After a brief pause she hurried on, breathlessly, ‘He’s offered to give us whatever help we need. Oh, Heather, it’s such a relief! I’ve been so worried… Kyle’s promised to come with me when I go to see the specialist…’
Jealousy, sharp and piercing, twisted inside her, and she fought it down. She had taught herself to deal with this years ago, and she wasn’t going to give in to it now.
‘Dad must have been thrilled,’ she interrupted, putting as much enthusiasm and warmth into her voice as she could. ‘I know how he’s missed Kyle…how you’ve both missed him.’
‘He should be getting in touch with you. I was saying how worried we were about the business, and he’s offered to go through the books for us. You don’t mind, do you, darling?’
The anxiety and concern in her mother’s voice stilled her jealousy.
‘No, of course I don’t,’ she lied. ‘I’ll have the books ready for him…’
‘I know how you feel about him, darling, but… Oh, I’ve got to go, there’s someone else wanting to use the phone. I’ll ring you tomorrow.’
There had been no disguising the happiness in her mother voice. Face it, Heather, she told herself fiercely. They do love him, not more than they love you, perhaps, but in a different way. You’ve always known that, and now’s the time when you finally prove to yourself that you’ve actually grown up.
Her parents needed someone to lean on, she knew that. They needed someone who could remove from their shoulders the burden and responsibility of their failing business and, although she hated it, that someone could not be her.
She was still working an hour later when she heard Kyle’s car drive up.
It was gone eleven, and she wondered what their neighbours down the quiet country lane would make of his arrival. By tomorrow it would be all round the village that she had been entertaining a man in her parents’ absence. She smiled wryly to herself. There was nothing malicious about the village grapevine, and once she had explained who her late visitor was the gossip would quickly die down. Most of the villagers would remember Kyle, and his reappearance would be greeted with the same tactful lack of comment that had been their reaction to her own folly all those years ago. The village was a community that believed in protecting its own, and she had never been made to feel uncomfortable about what she had done.
Perhaps that was why she liked living here so much; she enjoyed the feeling of being part of an extended family. City life, with its pressures and aloneness, was not for her. Not for the first time, as she went to let Kyle in, she wondered a little at her own lack of driving ambition.
The casual jeans and sweater he was wearing should have made him look less imposing, but somehow they didn’t. He was a man who did not need expensive clothes to make one aware of his power, Heather realised, as she stepped back instinctively when confronted by him.
‘Still the same old Heather,’ he goaded softly. ‘Still retreating into your own safe space and giving off “keep off” signs.’
‘I’ve got the books ready for you,’ she told him shortly, turning her back on him.
‘What a welcome. Don’t I even get offered a cup of coffee?’
He was already making his way toward the kitchen, and Heather felt the old familiar antagonism spike through her.
‘I didn’t think you’d want to waste time drinking coffee. Not when it was so imperative that you have the books tonight.’
‘I told you, I want to go through them before we lunch tomorrow. Forget the coffee, if that’s how you feel.” He shrugged, and as he moved Heather saw that he actually looked tired and strained.
Guilt attacked her. Kyle did love her parents, and his love was a stronger, more altruistic caring than her own. She knew that, and she hated the way he made her feel small-minded and mean.
‘There’s
some made. I’ll heat up some milk.’
Although he said nothing, she saw the tightening of his mouth at her curt response.