to be away at pony-club camps or skiing or spending time with their father in Italy. Matthew had said it was to keep them from scuffing Angie’s elegant beechwood floor and lounging about making the primrose suede sofas untidy.
‘Do you remember when you fell out of that tree?’ Emily pointed to the low-branched oak on the railway side of the allotments, just beyond Zoe’s grandfather’s scarlet shed.
‘I broke my arm.’ Zoe smiled. ‘I must have been about eight I suppose. I remember they called it a greenstick fracture and I kept saying that it wasn’t, it was me that was broken not the tree branch.’
‘Seems so long ago.’ Emily sighed, hugging her arms round her thin little body.
‘It was. We’ll soon be fifteen, halfway through our teens. Halfway from ten to twenty.’
‘Too young for babies.’
Zoe could hear the threat of tears in Emily’s voice again, but could only agree, ‘Yes. Definitely too young for babies.’
‘I think I might take up tennis again,’ Matt was saying as he stacked the dishwasher after supper. ‘I think I’ll join that gym you go to, get fit. We could go together.’ He patted his stomach and Jess grinned at him.
‘We could. And in the car you could listen to Angie talking about her latest love, or should I say lust, interest. She collects them you know, young builders and plumbers and what-have-you. It’s what she means when she says she’s “got the men in”. And then she tells me all about it on the way to the gym.’
Matt looked doubtful. ‘Blow by blow as it were? Does she have to? Perhaps she won’t if I’m there.’
Jess laughed. ‘But there goes my entertainment!’
‘OK, I give in. You don’t want me crowding you, I know. I’ll mooch round the park, pick up a tennis partner there. Or drag Eddy out. He’s OK. Should’ve got to know him better before. You don’t get time, wasting all day in an office.’
‘Tennis would probably kill him.’
‘True. Listen, you didn’t mind me staying in the Leo this afternoon did you?’ Matt put the last of the glassesin the dishwasher and then put his arms round Jess. She snuggled against him, remembering how she’d thought she’d felt safe like that, all those years ago when she’d first met him. It was probably from reading too many drippy romances in which the heroines frequently leaned their pretty heads against hunky chests and felt secure and adored. This had been purely in the interests of research – Jess’s earliest writing attempts had been romantic fiction, rather too cynically told to be acceptable. These days cuddled up to Matt she just felt comfortable – there was no such thing as secure – and thankful that with her ear against his shirt she could still make out a strong and regular heartbeat.
‘Is that how you’re going to spend your days? Hanging out in the pub with a clapped-out old rock star?’ she asked, hoping it didn’t sound as carping to him as it did to her.
Matt pulled away and looked at her coldly. ‘No. Not every day. But when I do I’m not going to ask for permission.’
‘But you just did! You just asked if I minded!’
‘I asked if you’d minded about this afternoon . We didn’t really have much of a discussion in the Leo, I thought you might have wanted to continue it at home, that’s all.’
‘Oh right. Well “at home” I had work to get on with so no, I wouldn’t have been able to spend hours chatting to you about what you’re going to do with the rest of your life. Anyway it looks as if you’ve already decided that one.’
‘Course I haven’t. We could try again tomorrow, a nice long boozy lunch, just the two of us, no interruptions.’
‘Can’t. I’ve got an editor lunch, Paula from the Gazette . She wants to talk about the column and some other stuff.’
‘Oh well, if that’s more important …’
‘Of course it is, especially now! Anyway I’m not cancelling – I like Paula.’
‘I like Paula, I could come too. Or would
‘Do you remember when you fell out of that tree?’ Emily pointed to the low-branched oak on the railway side of the allotments, just beyond Zoe’s grandfather’s scarlet shed.
‘I broke my arm.’ Zoe smiled. ‘I must have been about eight I suppose. I remember they called it a greenstick fracture and I kept saying that it wasn’t, it was me that was broken not the tree branch.’
‘Seems so long ago.’ Emily sighed, hugging her arms round her thin little body.
‘It was. We’ll soon be fifteen, halfway through our teens. Halfway from ten to twenty.’
‘Too young for babies.’
Zoe could hear the threat of tears in Emily’s voice again, but could only agree, ‘Yes. Definitely too young for babies.’
‘I think I might take up tennis again,’ Matt was saying as he stacked the dishwasher after supper. ‘I think I’ll join that gym you go to, get fit. We could go together.’ He patted his stomach and Jess grinned at him.
‘We could. And in the car you could listen to Angie talking about her latest love, or should I say lust, interest. She collects them you know, young builders and plumbers and what-have-you. It’s what she means when she says she’s “got the men in”. And then she tells me all about it on the way to the gym.’
Matt looked doubtful. ‘Blow by blow as it were? Does she have to? Perhaps she won’t if I’m there.’
Jess laughed. ‘But there goes my entertainment!’
‘OK, I give in. You don’t want me crowding you, I know. I’ll mooch round the park, pick up a tennis partner there. Or drag Eddy out. He’s OK. Should’ve got to know him better before. You don’t get time, wasting all day in an office.’
‘Tennis would probably kill him.’
‘True. Listen, you didn’t mind me staying in the Leo this afternoon did you?’ Matt put the last of the glassesin the dishwasher and then put his arms round Jess. She snuggled against him, remembering how she’d thought she’d felt safe like that, all those years ago when she’d first met him. It was probably from reading too many drippy romances in which the heroines frequently leaned their pretty heads against hunky chests and felt secure and adored. This had been purely in the interests of research – Jess’s earliest writing attempts had been romantic fiction, rather too cynically told to be acceptable. These days cuddled up to Matt she just felt comfortable – there was no such thing as secure – and thankful that with her ear against his shirt she could still make out a strong and regular heartbeat.
‘Is that how you’re going to spend your days? Hanging out in the pub with a clapped-out old rock star?’ she asked, hoping it didn’t sound as carping to him as it did to her.
Matt pulled away and looked at her coldly. ‘No. Not every day. But when I do I’m not going to ask for permission.’
‘But you just did! You just asked if I minded!’
‘I asked if you’d minded about this afternoon . We didn’t really have much of a discussion in the Leo, I thought you might have wanted to continue it at home, that’s all.’
‘Oh right. Well “at home” I had work to get on with so no, I wouldn’t have been able to spend hours chatting to you about what you’re going to do with the rest of your life. Anyway it looks as if you’ve already decided that one.’
‘Course I haven’t. We could try again tomorrow, a nice long boozy lunch, just the two of us, no interruptions.’
‘Can’t. I’ve got an editor lunch, Paula from the Gazette . She wants to talk about the column and some other stuff.’
‘Oh well, if that’s more important …’
‘Of course it is, especially now! Anyway I’m not cancelling – I like Paula.’
‘I like Paula, I could come too. Or would
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