‘No, this is fine, thanks.’ He wound his fingers around the tall cardboard cup, and Beth saw that they were red from the cold. He’d been working without gloves and although his down jacket was thick enough to keep him warm, his hands must be freezing.
‘They’re just going to pick the children up from Marcie’s parents, and then they’ll come back here. James said they’ll stop off and hire a couple of those industrial blow heaters on the way. They’ll be back in an hour.’
‘Great. Well, I should be able to isolate the power circuits from the lighting ones by then, and we’ll be able to get some heat in here.’ He seemed in no mood to hurry away. Pleasure at the reprieve sneaked up and stabbed Beth in the back, like a treacherous lover.
However much she wanted to, though, she couldn’t keep him there. ‘Look, you’ve already done too much. It’s not that I’m not grateful, Matt, but you must have a whole load of things to do. I’m okay, really.’
His eyes wandered around the wet hallway. ‘Yeah, I can see that.’ He lifted the lid of the cardboard cup and took a mouthful of the hot coffee. ‘Let’s just get on here. I’d be happier if we got the electricity back on. What do you think, Jack?’ He glanced down at Jack, who had been standing between them, following the conversation.
‘Yeah. We can’t leave you on your own. You need our help.’ Jack was obviously repeating his father’s words to her and they stung like crazy. Did she really appear that pathetic? Beth laid her coffee cup down on the hall table, and bent down to face him.
‘But it’s really cold here, Jack. Aren’t you getting cold?’ She pulled off his glove and felt his hand. It was as warm as toast.
‘No.’ There was obvious solidarity between father and son on this point.
‘And we’re new in town here, remember? We’re not exactly overwhelmed with places to go and people to see yet,’ Matt broke in.
‘In that case…. Well, if you’d really like to stay on and meet Marcie and James, that would be great. Marcie was going to take her two home for lunch and then to the cinema this afternoon to let James and I get on here. Perhaps Jack would like to go along with them.’
Matt looked at Jack for confirmation. ‘Would you like to go to the cinema with Marcie? I’ll stay here with Beth and pick you up afterwards.’ He might be perfectly capable of steam-rollering over Beth’s wishes, but at least he listened to those of his six-year-old.
‘Yeah, Dad.’ Jack was practically running on the spot in a little dance of excitement. ‘Is it the film about the fishes? Marcie and I drew some fishes on Mrs Green’s card yesterday.’
Beth nodded. ‘That’s the one. Afterwards, perhaps you and your dad will come with us for something to eat.’ Matt drew a breath to speak and Beth cut him short before he could say no. ‘There’s a new Italian restaurant in town. Meant to be very good and it’s family friendly.’
‘Well…’
‘I insist. My shout. It’s the least I can do. Josh and Anna are around Jack’s age, so we won’t be making a late night of it.’
‘I’m—’
‘Go on, Dad!’ Jack was tugging at his jacket. ‘We never go anywhere.’ Now Matt was on the end of Jack’s propensity to reveal the uncomfortable. He had clearly not been exaggerating when he had indicated that their social life wasn’t exactly glittering at the moment.
Matt held up his hands, laughing. ‘Hold on a minute!’ Beth wasn’t sure whether the instruction extended to her or not, but she fell silent anyway.
‘Thank you—yes, we’d love to come.’ He raised one eyebrow at Jack, who wa
s too pleased with the acceptance to notice. Matt’s grin became broader and Beth took Jack’s lead and ignored him.
‘Good. In that case I’ll just be getting on with something.’ Anything to conceal her flustered delight. She took Jack’s hand and led him into the kitchen, wondering what on earth she had just let herself in for.
CHAPTER FIVE
IT HAD taken Matt a good four days to convince himself that the long, sociable Saturday evening, spent at a great little Italian restaurant and then back at Marcie and James’s house for coffee, had been nothing other than a pleasant evening with new friends. Almost as soon as he had begun to relax in the comforting certainty of that illusion, Beth shattered it with one blow.
‘Oh!’ She had been walking at speed when she cannoned into him and as she staggered back from the impact, Matt’s hand automatically shot out to steady her. ‘Sorry!’
‘Nothing broken.’ Matt lied. The sudden warmth of her body against his had taken him unawares and crushed every one of his carefully constructed defences. Friendship wasn’t all he wanted from her, not by any stretch of the imagination. ‘Where are you going in such a hurry?’
‘A and E.’ She didn’t stop and Matt fell into step beside her. ‘I got a call to say that a deaf couple are down there and can I help.’
‘That’s where I’m going. How come you’re here this late?’ Matt had to lengthen his stride slightly to keep up with her.
‘We have a tinnitus club every other Thursday. Well, support group actually, but we like to think of it as more like a club, it allows us to bring along a few bottles and something to eat. So what about you? I didn’t know the head of cardiology spent his evenings on call.’ She was teasing him gently, and a faint tingle crawled up his spine.
‘I don’t. I am, however, allowed to answer the phone when it rings. Sometimes they even let me make a call or two.’
Beth grinned at him, her grey eyes dancing, and he felt his chest tighten. ‘What will they come up with next? Are you going to see an angina case?’