Читать книгу Father In Secret - Fiona McArthur - Страница 6

‘THE judge said he was better off with me. I’m his mother. So put the money in the account every month and you can see him when I say you can.’

The Blue Mountains shimmered in the sunlight, but the shadowy depths of the thickly wooded gullies mirrored the darkness inside him. Theo McWilliam wondered how he had ever married Marie. He’d thought she was Snow White with her long black hair, creamy skin and those red, red lips. He’d fallen hard and married her straight away. She’d been so sweet in the beginning, and so plausible to the judge at the end. But her black heart showed clearly now. The selfish witch had his son but certainly not because she loved him as a mother should. No, Marie was just using Sam to get back at Theo.

At first there had been no problem seeing his son, as long as he hadn’t kept Sam overnight. Marie had agreed for Theo to take Sam for the day on most weekends because it had suited her. Then it had changed. The money hadn’t been enough.

Lately, when he’d driven the five hours to Sydney to pick Sam up, he’d found the house empty. No one home even to ask.

Sometimes she’d cancel at the last minute and the more frustrated Theo became, the more it seemed to amuse her.

Now it had come to this.

He’d planned some time with Sam on the farm at Bendbrook for several months. Marie had reneged again, just as Theo had arrived in Sydney to collect Sam. To have this time with his son snatched away had ruined Theo’s holidays—not to mention the gut-wrenching part of it—and he was scared Sam would forget who his father was.

Theo fought the urge to tuck the boy under his arm and run. They could find somewhere new to live. Let her try and find them. He could taste the adrenaline in his mouth but his lawyer had warned him against it. ‘You’ll lose him for good,’ he’d said.

He had to do this the right way. He would wait for the time that he could take Sam home permanently and never again have to worry whether or not his son was happy in Sydney with his selfish mother. But time passed slowly in limbo, and Theo wondered how long he could postpone the rest of his life.