LITMIR.BIZ

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      ‘Married?’ Joanna looked puzzled and Matt was relieved.

      ‘I guess it was the only way she knew to get my interest,’ he said drily. ‘She couldn’t be sure I’d do anything about it, but she took that chance.’

      Joanna nodded. ‘Knowing what a control freak you are, I suppose she knew you’d resent me doing anything without your knowledge,’ she remarked, pulling her soda towards her.

      ‘I’ll ignore that and just say, I was concerned about you,’ he retorted. ‘And I have to admit, the thought that you might be marrying Bellamy wasn’t a good one.’

      Joanna sighed. If only he knew. Changing the subject a little, she said, ‘Did Sophie know we’d slept together?’

      ‘Not initially, no.’

      ‘But you told her?’

      ‘She asked,’ said Matt flatly, sprinkling sugar into his coffee.

      ‘But she didn’t tell you I was pregnant?’

      ‘No. As I say, Sophie is discreet. Or she can be in certain circumstances.’

      ‘So your mother doesn’t know you’ve come to England?’

      ‘Need you ask?’ Matt took a mouthful of his coffee, wiping his lip with the back of his hand. ‘What with my father demanding so much attention, she hasn’t had the time to check up on me.’

      ‘Oh, God, Oliver, yes.’ Joanna was ashamed she hadn’t asked about his father before. ‘How is he? I’ve thought about him a lot since you told me about his stroke. Has he made a good recovery?’

      ‘He’ll get there if he stops arguing with the physios,’ replied Matt, pulling a wry face. ‘He’s accepted that he won’t be fit enough to work again, but he can be a pretty difficult patient at times. He’ll never recover the use of his left arm, unfortunately, but, as we keep telling him, that’s a small price to pay for his being alive.’

      Joanna nodded. ‘If—when—you see him again, give him my best, won’t you?’

      ‘I will.’ Then, after a moment, ‘So, how have you been?’

      ‘Not too bad.’ Joanna sipped her soda. ‘I had some morning sickness to start with, but that’s normal. And during the last few weeks, I’ve been feeling pretty tired by the end of the day. But that’s normal, too. I’m usually in bed by ten.’

      Realising she was chattering, Joanna bit her tongue. Matt wasn’t interested in the everyday details of each trimester. He’d meant how was she feeling now? But his response was typical.

      ‘You shouldn’t still be working,’ he said. ‘Particularly not for that—for Bellamy.’

      ‘David’s been really kind to me.’ She hesitated. ‘In any case, I don’t actually work for him anymore. I used some of the money you sent after selling my shares in NovCo and became his partner.’

      ‘You’re kidding!’ Matt was appalled. ‘So what happens next? You get married and share everything?’

      ‘Oh, Matt.’ She shook her head. ‘You couldn’t be more wrong where David is concerned.’ She bit her lip and then added, much against her better judgement, ‘He’s more likely to be interested in you than in me!’

      Matt was stunned. ‘I can’t believe it.’

      ‘No, well, it’s David’s business, not mine. FYI, he has a partner. They’ve been together for—oh, I don’t know—about five years.’

      Matt absorbed what she’d said with relief and incredulity. Relief, because it meant his fears so far as David and Joanna were concerned were groundless, and incredulity because David had always seemed to treat her as a man treated the woman he loved.

      And perhaps he did love her. Whatever the situation, Matt owed the man an apology. An apology he could never give, he realised, not without betraying Joanna’s trust.

      Joanna took a deep breath now. ‘Anyway, as you heard, I’m taking a temporary leave of absence at the end of this week.’

      ‘To go stay with your mother?’ Matt regarded her closely. ‘Is that what you really want?’

      Joanna shrugged. ‘It was her idea,’ she said defensively, tracing a pattern on the counter with her fingernail.

      She hesitated and then added, ‘I should tell you, she didn’t approve of me keeping the baby’s existence to myself. When I first saw you, I thought she’d contacted you.’

      Matt hesitated, and then said, ‘So how do you feel about spending the next couple months in Cornwall?’

      ‘Well…’ Joanna sighed and Matt waited somewhat curiously for her reply. ‘I can’t go on working at the gallery, and she and Lionel have been very good to me,’ she added, jiggling the straw in her glass.

      Matt realised that she’d probably thought it was a good solution. But that was before he’d been involved. This was his child she was carrying, he thought possessively. He should have some say in where she spent the rest of her pregnancy.

      ‘I saw from your solicitor’s letter that you’re living in the Bahamas these days,’ she said, probably hoping to divert him, but she’d inadvertently given him an idea.

      ‘I told you I was going to buy a couple of businesses on Cable Cay,’ said Matt casually. ‘I guess you could say I’m helping to bolster the tourist trade on the island. And I’ve done some writing, too. Not the great American novel,’ he added, as her eyes widened. ‘Just a couple of articles for the local rag.’

      Joanna was impressed. ‘And does it keep you busy?’

      ‘Well, that and some sailing,’ agreed Matt, wanting to get back to the real reason he’d brought it up. He paused. ‘When is the baby due?’

      Joanna hesitated, and he wondered if she was thinking of lying to him. But she evidently thought better of it, and replied quietly, ‘Around the middle of March. The second week, I think they said.’

      ‘Do you have a date?’

      Matt regarded her enquiringly, his arm brushing her sleeve as he reached for his coffee, and Joanna felt her awareness of him rocket up a notch. Hormones, she reminded herself again, drawing away from him. One of the women at the clinic she attended had been talking about how sexy she was finding her husband these days. A crazy admission, but Joanna couldn’t say her reactions where Matt was concerned were all that different.

      Now she said shortly, ‘Really, Matt, what does it matter? I doubt if you’ll be around when he’s born.’

      ‘He?’ Matt was instantly distracted, picking up on that before anything else. ‘You’re having a boy? For God’s sake, Joanna, were you going to deprive me of seeing my own son?’

      Joanna’s face burned. Matt had spoken thoughtlessly, and his voice had been much too loud. She doubted anyone in their immediate vicinity hadn’t heard that damning accusation.

      Eyes turned in their direction; curious eyes, eyes that held a certain amount of sympathy—for him. She wondered if she’d ever be able to come into this coffee shop again without being recognised, or meeting someone’s censorious gaze.

      ‘I want to go,’ she said abruptly, sliding off her stool, and draping the strap of her bag over one shoulder. ‘Thanks for the drink.’

      ‘Wait!’

      But Joanna wasn’t listening to him. With her head down, she headed for the exit. Let Matt deal with the fallout, she thought resentfully. He’d created it. All she wanted to do was go home and lock herself in her apartment.

      And give way to the tears that were threatening to destroy what little confidence she had left.

      

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