last four years,’ she was stung into replying. ‘And the man who answered the telephone just now is only a friend.’
‘Who is he?’
‘Brad, I can't believe you made this call just to ask me about my casual acquaintances,’ she sighed her impatience, not willing to talk about Sin Thornton and involve him in something that was none of his business.
‘It's how “casual” he is that bothers me,’ her ex-husband drawled insultingly.
Robyn drew in an angry breath. ‘He's a guest of your uncle's,’ she snapped. ‘Using the cottage next door.’
‘Oh,’ he dismissed any guest of his uncle's as not being in the least interesting. ‘How is the old man?’
‘Very well.’
‘And Caroline?’
Robyn frowned. ‘She's well too,’ she answered in a preoccupied voice, wondering at the reason for this delay in the real reason Brad had telephoned; it certainly wasn't to discuss his uncle or Caroline! He usually came straight to the point, barely wasted time on pleasantries. In fact, this whole telephone call was out of character. ‘The twins are in bed——’
‘I know that,’ he bit out abruptly. ‘I deliberately called when I knew they would be asleep——’
‘They would have liked to talk to you——’
‘—because I didn't want them to be around if you should prove to be difficult,’ Brad finished as if he hadn't been interrupted.
Robyn stiffened warily. ‘Difficult about what?’ she asked slowly.
‘You've had the kids to yourself completely for the last four years, and God knows I didn't interfere in the way you were bringing them up even when we were together——’
‘Because you weren't interested!’ she snapped.
‘Maybe not,’ he admitted grudgingly. ‘But I'm not unique in that, a lot of men can't bring themselves to be interested in small babies the way women are. But Kim and Andy are older now, and——’
‘You noticed,’ she taunted nastily.
‘Don't be bitter, Robyn,’ he rasped.
‘I'm not,’ she sighed, some of her anger leaving her as she realised how badly she was behaving. ‘I'm just wondering what it is you don't want me to be difficult about.’ In fact, she was more than worried about it; she didn't like the sound of it at all.
Brad was silent for several lengthy seconds. ‘I want the children for a weekend,’ he finally told her.
His blunt statement rendered Robyn speechless. Whatever she had been expecting Brad to say it wasn't this! He had open access to the twins, she would never try and deny any of them the closeness a father should have with his children, but Brad had never even hinted before that he would like the children to go and stay with him in London, always visiting them here in the past while he stayed with the Colonel and Caroline.
She swallowed hard. ‘What weekend?’ to her chagrin her voice cracked a little, revealing how disconcerted she was by the request.
‘Whenever it will suit you, of course,’ Brad's relief at her relatively calm reaction could clearly be heard. ‘And the twins,’ he added pointedly.
That last comment had been deliberately designed to remind her that her own feelings of horror and dismay at the thought of her two children going away for the weekend had to be outweighed by the fact that Kim and Andy would be thrilled at the thought of going to stay with their father. London, and Brad's life there, held all sorts of wonders for the two five-year-olds. But Robyn couldn't help wondering, perhaps unfairly, at Brad's motives for issuing the invitation.
‘Why, Brad?’ the question came out bluntly.
‘Why not?’ he was instantly defensive. ‘I am their father!’
Only through sheer effort of will could she hold back the sharp retort she felt tempted to make at the indignant declaration. It was true what she had told Sinclair Thornton earlier, she wasn't in the least bitter about the break-up of her marriage, but when she spoke to Brad she had difficulty hiding the bitterness she felt on the twins’ behalf for his neglect of them all these years. And her suspicions about his reasons for this proposed visit had only intensified after his reaction to her question.
‘So you are,’ she acknowledged stiltedly. ‘How long would this weekend be?’
'The usual Saturday to Sunday,’ he taunted. ‘I'll drive down on the Friday evening and we'll leave early Saturday.’
She drew in a ragged breath, the thought of being without the children even for that short length of time leaving her devastated. They had been a threesome for so long now, her responsibility to them total from the moment they were born, that she knew her life would be empty without them, even for two days. But she had to be fair to Brad and them, and if he really did feel more interested in them now that they were older who was she to deny them this further closeness? After all, what could possibly go wrong in two days? She determinedly pushed aside all the things that clamoured to be heard.
‘This weekend is out,’ she told him after careful thought. ‘We've already made plans.’ And tentative as they might be she needed the excuse to give herself the extra time to adjust to this change in all their lives. ‘But if next weekend is all right with you I'm sure the twins would love to come.’
‘Even if you won't like letting them,’ Brad guessed dryly.
She sighed. ‘I'll admit I find this sudden interest in the children a little—surprising.’
‘I'll bet you do!’
She couldn't altogether blame Brad for his resentment, knew there had been too much between them in the past for them to talk on a personal level with any degree of politeness. It would always be that way between them, although she tried not to let Kim and Andy see it. ‘Perhaps you would like to come to dinner Friday evening?’ she suggested softly. ‘The twins haven't seen you for some time, and it would help break the ice.’
‘I'll accept the invitation, Robyn,’ he told her harshly. ‘Although I don't accept the fact that I need the ice broken with my own kids.’
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