‘Well, I don’t want him to think that this is not already planned out. He’s not going to just walk in and change everything to suit himself.’
‘Hmm. Fair enough.’ Marcie went over to the window and stared thoughtfully out of it. ‘Do you think he’s going to try?’
Beth shrugged, joining Marcie at the window. Matt and James were deep in conversation, James holding onto Anna’s hand while the two boys played on the steep bank of mud that was to form the side of the pond. ‘I don’t know. He likes to get his own way.’
Marcie laughed quietly. ‘And you don’t, of course.’
Matt looked up, grinning as he saw the two women at the window, and Marcie gave a little wave. He always seemed taller, broader when not in a suit and tie, his shock of blond hair bright in the low sun against the dark leather of his jacket collar. James laughed at something he said, and Matt gestured towards the house. ‘Looks like he’s lost interest in the pond.’ Marcie’s quiet comment was accompanied by a wry smile.
‘What do you think of him, Marcie?’
‘It doesn’t matter what I think.’ Marcie had been uncharacteristically keeping her own council on the subject ever since last weekend.
‘It does to me.’
Marcie sighed. ‘I think he’s a nice guy. Pete was always a bit too fond of being your knight in shining armour—making such a song and dance about how you needed him because you’re deaf. I think he relied on it, to feel a bit better about himself. From what I’ve seen of him, Matt doesn’t make concessions. He’ll give you a bit of a nudge when needed, but he doesn’t make a big thing out of it and he doesn’t give you an inch the rest of the time.’
Beth raised her eyebrows. ‘You’ve thought about this, haven’t you?’
‘Well, you did ask. Mind you, he does seem a bit distant at times.’
‘You think so? I was wondering whether it was just me who thought that. But, then, he would, really, wouldn’t he? With everything that’s happened to him.’
‘Yeah. Maybe.’ Marcie was staring speculatively out of the window. ‘We all have baggage, though.’
Beth ignored the observation. She didn’t have baggage, she had hard-won experience. ‘Well, sometimes baggage is just evidence of
a journey.’
Marcie rolled her eyes. ‘Sometimes.’ She gestured out of the window. Matt had lifted Anna up onto his shoulders and was good humouredly trying to remove her hands from over his eyes. ‘But look at him. Don’t you think he deserves a chance?’
‘Maybe he doesn’t want one. He had the perfect woman. Mariska Sutherland’s a pretty hard act to follow, you know. I don’t think I’m quite in her league.’
‘Oh, so there are leagues now, are there?’ Marcie was grinning wickedly.
‘Oh, stop it!’ Beth laughed. ‘Anyway, half the time we’re arguing like cats and dogs. As soon as he starts telling me what to do, it brings out the worst in me.’
Marcie chuckled. ‘Yeah, I imagine he likes a good fight. Anyway, I’m not suggesting you move in with him, just get to know him a bit. You never know, he might have some hideous hidden flaw.’ Marcie stopped and regarded Matt for a moment. She obviously didn’t believe it any more than Beth did.
‘Yeah, like…’ Beth looked towards the little group outside, which seemed to be about to come back into the house ‘…falling asleep halfway through a film and making you watch the second half again when he wakes up.’ Marcie’s hoot of amusement stilled Beth’s hands.
‘That’s me you’re talking about. James says he really hasn’t seen a film unless he’s seen the end twice.’ Marcie turned from the window. ‘Come on. Looks as if the hungry hordes are coming our way.’ Matt was striding towards the house now, Anna perched on his shoulders, with James and the boys in tow.
There was laughter outside the back door and the thud of mud being kicked from Wellingtons, then James appeared. Three small blurs of activity followed him and finally Matt, standing motionless by the door. Beth managed a hello in his direction before she was surrounded by the younger members of the party. Anna and Josh received something each from her pocket and then Jack, who had been hanging back, got his parcel.
Matt was at his side in an instant, craning over the top of the little group of heads to see what was inside. Jack carefully took the tissue paper from the box and lifted out his gift, a blank look on his face.
‘What is it?’ The boy twisted his head around to his father, obviously in need of some kind of prompt as to what he should do next.
‘Here, let me show you.’ Matt took off his jacket, pulled a chair up and sat down, pulling Jack into the circle of his body so that the boy could see what he was doing. Planting the gizmo in front of Jack on the table, he flashed Beth a wink across the top of the children’s heads, seemingly oblivious to the havoc he played with her body chemistry whenever he did that.
He picked up the handle of the metal loop that was threaded onto a long, undulating length of thick wire. ‘Look, you’ve got to move this loop all the way along here, without touching it against the wire.’ Matt began to deftly move the loop along the twists and turns, his hand as steady as a rock.
‘I bet your dad can’t keep this up for long.’ Beth grinned at Matt. He was altogether too good at this and Jack was not getting the idea. Matt jerked his hand, as if by mistake, and a line of coloured LED lights along the base pulsed on and off as the metal loop touched the snaking wire.
Jack jumped up and down, clapping his hands and babbling excitedly. He had turned to Matt and was tugging at his sweater.
‘You give it a try.’ Matt gave the loop to Jack, almost reluctantly, and watched intently as the boy took his turn. The lights flashed again and Jack wriggled with delight. ‘No, mate, the idea is to stop the lights from lighting up. You have to get all the way along here to the end.’