Page 92 of The Christmas Highland Lodge

Jason gazed heavenwards for a few seconds at the churning ghost-grey sky through the ceiling of woodland. ‘Look, Blake,’ he faltered. ‘I didn’t want to tell you like this.’ He regarded him out of conflicted amber eyes. ‘I’m… I’m your dad.’

Chapter Twenty-Three

Blake stiffened beside me. ‘Is this some sort of joke?’

Jason Driscoll shook his head. ‘I’m so sorry, Blake. Like I said, I didn’t plan on telling you like this.’

I looked up at Blake, my head swimming with concern for him. His dad?

Blake let out a strained bark of laughter. ‘I don’t believe you. I don’t know why you’re here or what you think you’re doing.’ He gestured to Rob. ‘And who is he? My great-grandfather?’

Rob’s boyish expression flooded with colour. He introduced himself and added, ‘I’m your dad’s husband.’

Blake stared at them both. ‘So you’re both in on this crap? Ok. Whatever floats your boat, I guess.’

‘We aren’t in on anything,’ replied Jason. ‘Rob is my partner. He didn’t want me to tell you this way, to show up again like this, but I had to see you, son…’

Blake stood beside me, bristling. ‘Don’t call me that.’ He gave a disbelieving shake of his dark head. ‘I know my dad came out years ago, when I was a kid, but that doesn’t mean you’re my father. It doesn’t mean anything.’

There was an icy silence, almost as chilly as the woodland air. Blake’s attention swivelled from Jason Driscoll to Rob and back again.

‘Look, what do you want? Have you found out I used to be on TV and thought you might have a crack at a bit of blackmail? Or have you fallen on hard times and thought you could go to the papers with your lies?’ Blake gave a mocking sneer. ‘Whatever your plans are, threatening me isn’t going to work, but I suggest you leave Lottie out of it.’

Jason hovered on the cabin porch, his face stricken. ‘I’m not here to blackmail or threaten you or anyone else.’ He flopped his head back and gazed for a few seconds up at the churning winter sky. ‘You’ve got this all wrong, Blake. I am who I say I am. I’m your dad.’

Blake’s challenging sneer was wavering. ‘So, if you’re my father, prove it then. What’s your name?

‘Jason Driscoll,’ completed Jason with finality. ‘My name is really Jason Driscoll.’

Blake pushed a shocked hand through his dark hair.

I reached out and squeezed his arm. ‘Are you ok? What’s going on?’

But Blake flashed me a confused look. It was as if he didn’t hear me. ‘You still haven’t proved it though. Well done. You know my AWOL father’s name. Anybody could have found that out with a bit of detective work.’

Jason reached one hand into the pocket of his denims and produced his driver’s licence. He offered it to Blake.

Blake stared at it for a few moments. The man was who he said he was: Jason Driscoll.

‘And I have this too,’ murmured Jason. He reached inside his wallet in the other pocket and pulled out a curling, faded colour photograph. He handed it to Blake.

Blake examined it. It showed a much younger Jason Driscoll with longer, darker hair, cuddling an adorable little grinning boy in a paddling pool in a sunny garden somewhere.

Blake swallowed and turned over the photograph. Scrawled in loopy pencil on the back was written:

Daddy and Blake, aged four, July 1989.

Blake’s eyes looked like they were alight. He thrust the photograph and the driving licence back at his father. ‘Well, well, well. Just in time for Christmas dinner. Was that the plan? I wondered when you might crawl out of the woodwork.’

Jason flinched. ‘Please, Blake. I need to talk to you.’

‘Well, this might surprise you, but I am going to politely decline. You are thirty-odd years too late.’ His lip curled at his father. ‘So why now? Why show up here, just before Christmas? Is this some sort of twisted joke?’

I blinked up at Blake, almost giving myself a crick in the neck in the process. So, it was true? This man was Blake’s father? Oh God. And I had pegged him as a snooping journalist.

I studied Jason Driscoll’s proud, long nose and his expressive brows and then turned to look at Blake. They were very similar.

Jason bowed his head for a moment. ‘I had a car accident a few months back. I could have been killed. I know it shouldn’t have taken something like that to make me think about my life, but it did.’ Jason shifted from foot to foot. ‘I realised the mistakes I’d made and wanted to put them right. I know I was never there for you growing up, son…’