boney knees and climbed her thighs.
Dan reeled, like he’d spent too long on a roller-coaster. ‘Mum?’
She turned. A sunny, half-crazed smile stretched her lips. ‘Daniel, darling! What a wonderful party. I’m having a marvellous time. Have you met my new friend? This is—darn and blast it, I’ve forgotten your name.’
The man swept off his hat. A thick mane of dreadlocks tumbled out and kissed the small of his back. ‘I’m Robert Owusu, my snow-queen.’
Dan’s knees weakened. A stream of nausea rushed up from his belly, threatening to choke him. He gripped the door frame. ‘Owusu?’
‘That’s right.’ Robert turned. He loomed, like a cold, dark mountain. ‘And you’re Daniel. The one seeing mi little girl.’
Little girl?
‘I’m Karen’s boyfriend if that’s what you mean.’
‘You seem a little old for her, Silver Fox.’
Dan touched the streaks of grey in his hair. ‘That’s none of your business.’
‘Daniel! So rude.’ Maxine wobbled over, grabbed his hand and gave his wrist a firm slap. ‘I taught you better than that.’
He jerked away and focused on Robert. ‘You’re Karen’s dad?’
‘Yes.’
‘Her actual, blood father?’
Robert exhaled sharply. He seemed to grow taller still and spoke with all the menace of a grizzly bear. ‘What are you saying, Silver Fox? You weren’t expecting mi?’
Fuck, no.
He licked his lips. ‘Where’s Karen?’
Maxine shoved her way forward. ‘No idea, Darling, but when you find her, tell her to bring out more of those wonderful chocolate chip cookies.’
‘Please say you’re joking.’
‘I don’t know why you hid them—naughty boy!—but I made sure everybody sampled them. I simply must have the recipe.’
Robert grinned, showing off a mouthful of gold teeth. They gleamed to match the sovereigns dangling from a thick chain around his neck. Another flashed on his left middle finger. ‘Mi can help you with that my Ice Queen. Mi think maybe them cookies are a special kind. That right, Silver Fox?’ Amusement seemed to strengthen his accent, broad Caribbean with a hint of something else.
Dan didn’t answer. Couldn’t. He backed off. ‘I’ll talk to you in a minute, Mum. Don’t eat any more cookies.’
She waved her hand, an absent dismissal as she returned to dancing. As she swayed to the sensual music, Robert curled his arms around her waist to grind up close. Maxine giggled—actually giggled—and slipped her arms around his neck.
Dan choked on a surge of horror. I can’t watch this.
He fled, stumbling into the kitchen and slamming the door behind him. His escape dulled the music to a low roar, but the pounding in his head continued.
Karen sat at the table, clutching her mother’s hands. Tears streamed down her face.
‘Your dad is outside.’ The words didn’t sound like his. Heat rose in his neck and jaw. He forced it down. ‘Karen?’
She looked at him. Her eyes sparkled with tears. ‘Dan . . .’
‘Your dad , Kaz. Really? What the hell?’
‘This isn’t the time—’
He pounded his fist on the sideboard. Plates rattled on the draining rack. A tumbler fell into the sink. He didn’t care. Two steps took him closer to the table. ‘You told me your dad was dead.’
Charlaine winced. ‘Sweetie, how could you?’
Karen leapt up, flinging her mother’s hands away. She paced the room. ‘He is dead to me. As far as I’m concerned that man died years ago. He shouldn’t be here.’
‘But he is here,’ Dan snarled. ‘In our living room. Mauling my stoned mother.’
‘What?’
‘Pete bought space-cakes—idiot!—and they’re doing the rounds. I don’t know how many she ate, but she’s not herself.’
Karen gave her mother a pointed look then wiped her nose on the back of her wrist. ‘Please, Dan, I know you’re pissed off, but we’ll talk about it later. Something bigger is going on.’
‘Bigger than your dad coming back from the dead?’
‘Mama has cancer,’ Karen roared. Her
Dan reeled, like he’d spent too long on a roller-coaster. ‘Mum?’
She turned. A sunny, half-crazed smile stretched her lips. ‘Daniel, darling! What a wonderful party. I’m having a marvellous time. Have you met my new friend? This is—darn and blast it, I’ve forgotten your name.’
The man swept off his hat. A thick mane of dreadlocks tumbled out and kissed the small of his back. ‘I’m Robert Owusu, my snow-queen.’
Dan’s knees weakened. A stream of nausea rushed up from his belly, threatening to choke him. He gripped the door frame. ‘Owusu?’
‘That’s right.’ Robert turned. He loomed, like a cold, dark mountain. ‘And you’re Daniel. The one seeing mi little girl.’
Little girl?
‘I’m Karen’s boyfriend if that’s what you mean.’
‘You seem a little old for her, Silver Fox.’
Dan touched the streaks of grey in his hair. ‘That’s none of your business.’
‘Daniel! So rude.’ Maxine wobbled over, grabbed his hand and gave his wrist a firm slap. ‘I taught you better than that.’
He jerked away and focused on Robert. ‘You’re Karen’s dad?’
‘Yes.’
‘Her actual, blood father?’
Robert exhaled sharply. He seemed to grow taller still and spoke with all the menace of a grizzly bear. ‘What are you saying, Silver Fox? You weren’t expecting mi?’
Fuck, no.
He licked his lips. ‘Where’s Karen?’
Maxine shoved her way forward. ‘No idea, Darling, but when you find her, tell her to bring out more of those wonderful chocolate chip cookies.’
‘Please say you’re joking.’
‘I don’t know why you hid them—naughty boy!—but I made sure everybody sampled them. I simply must have the recipe.’
Robert grinned, showing off a mouthful of gold teeth. They gleamed to match the sovereigns dangling from a thick chain around his neck. Another flashed on his left middle finger. ‘Mi can help you with that my Ice Queen. Mi think maybe them cookies are a special kind. That right, Silver Fox?’ Amusement seemed to strengthen his accent, broad Caribbean with a hint of something else.
Dan didn’t answer. Couldn’t. He backed off. ‘I’ll talk to you in a minute, Mum. Don’t eat any more cookies.’
She waved her hand, an absent dismissal as she returned to dancing. As she swayed to the sensual music, Robert curled his arms around her waist to grind up close. Maxine giggled—actually giggled—and slipped her arms around his neck.
Dan choked on a surge of horror. I can’t watch this.
He fled, stumbling into the kitchen and slamming the door behind him. His escape dulled the music to a low roar, but the pounding in his head continued.
Karen sat at the table, clutching her mother’s hands. Tears streamed down her face.
‘Your dad is outside.’ The words didn’t sound like his. Heat rose in his neck and jaw. He forced it down. ‘Karen?’
She looked at him. Her eyes sparkled with tears. ‘Dan . . .’
‘Your dad , Kaz. Really? What the hell?’
‘This isn’t the time—’
He pounded his fist on the sideboard. Plates rattled on the draining rack. A tumbler fell into the sink. He didn’t care. Two steps took him closer to the table. ‘You told me your dad was dead.’
Charlaine winced. ‘Sweetie, how could you?’
Karen leapt up, flinging her mother’s hands away. She paced the room. ‘He is dead to me. As far as I’m concerned that man died years ago. He shouldn’t be here.’
‘But he is here,’ Dan snarled. ‘In our living room. Mauling my stoned mother.’
‘What?’
‘Pete bought space-cakes—idiot!—and they’re doing the rounds. I don’t know how many she ate, but she’s not herself.’
Karen gave her mother a pointed look then wiped her nose on the back of her wrist. ‘Please, Dan, I know you’re pissed off, but we’ll talk about it later. Something bigger is going on.’
‘Bigger than your dad coming back from the dead?’
‘Mama has cancer,’ Karen roared. Her
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