By the time Matt pulled into the carpark outside the café I’d worked myself into a state.
He killed the motor and looked at me anxiously. “If you want caffeine that badly, I’m sure one won’t hurt the baby.”
To be honest, caffeine was probably the last thing I needed. I was wired enough.
Stepping out of the car, the gravel gave a familiar crunch beneath my feet and the sunshine warmed my skin, making me calmer as I walked through the carpark. But then that could have been the aroma of the coffee wafting towards me on the light breeze.
We stepped past the twenty or so bicycles stacked against the railings and pushed our way between the Lycra clad cyclists who took their morning ride seriously. The glass doors of the café were pulled back allowing the morning heat to permeate the air conditioning, and the atmosphere was filled with chatter from the morning crowd. I bypassed it all and found an empty table under the flowering frangipani tree as Matt walked inside to place our order.
I was just enjoying watching the sunlight dance on the river, the ripples caused by the tide pulling it out to sea, when a voice spoke up behind me.
“Morning Molly.”
I looked over my shoulder as Tom wiped a nearby table, his smile outshining the sun.
“Hey Tom. It’s busy here today.”
“Mondays always are. Our regular group of cyclists will be here for at least another hour. I don’t normally see you here this early though. It’s a lovely surprise.”
“Awwww, that’s sweet. Thanks Tom.” His smile really was enchanting.
“Have you ordered?”
“Matt’s just in there now.”
I noticed the subtle tightening of his jaw, but Tom’s smile remained in place.
“So, he’s back in town?”
“Ahuh. He got back yesterday.”
Tom’s smile faded. “It’s none of my business, but did you sort out what happened with the photo you were worried about?”
Remembering the picture, I’d spoken to Tom about, I shook my head. It felt so much longer than a week ago.
“Only Matt’s adamant he was out of town.” A weight sunk to the depths of my belly.
Tom nodded, but I got the impression he wasn’t agreeing with the explanation.
“Well, as long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters,” he finished, his smile back in place.
“Thanks. I am happy.” When I didn’t think about those photos or the fact I was closely related to the father of my baby, that was. A little voice in my head did mention the fact I would have to deal with it all at some point, but I shushed it as Matt sauntered towards me, his long legs covering the ground effortlessly.
He nodded as Tom waved and made his way back into the café.
“So, I really didn’t know what to get so I ordered you one decaf and one regular cappuccino,” Matt explained. He pulled the chair out opposite me and sat, his forehead a bunch of adorable crinkles.
“Thanks. I’ll let you know which I decide on.”
The clock hadn’t yet struck nine a.m., but the day was already sweltering. Matt pulled his sunglasses from his cap and shielded his eyes, his long fingers swiping his hair aside. Today he’d dressed in navy blue capri shorts and a wrinkled white linen shirt he’d kept untucked and lose. He looked completely edible, and as his knee gently rubbed against mine desire flashed through me taking my breath with it. Oh boy. I was in so much trouble.
A woman bumped my chair as she pushed past me, dropping her oversized bag alongside mine. As her contents spilled across the timber decking, she hurriedly sank to her knees, pushing everything back into it.
“Do you need a hand?” I asked, as she pushed her sunglasses up the bridge of her nose and tightened her cap, tucking her blondie grey hair behind her ear. Matt jumped up to help her, but she waved him away.
“No. I’m fine. So sorry. So so sorry.”
“It’s no problem.”
As she took her seat, I retrieved my phone, found the photo that had me miffed, and showed it to Matt, carefully monitoring his response.
“Do you know anything about this?” I asked as he took the phone from me and zoomed in on it.
“Where do you keep getting these from?” He rubbed his chin as he studied it.
“I have no idea. This one came early hours this morning. Who’s the girl?”
He shrugged. “Dunno. Sorry.”
Bugger. I was hoping he was going to say it was an old photo taken long before he met me.
“But that is you, right?” I leaned across and tapped the screen.
“It looks like me, but I have no memory of this.” He didn’t appear to be lying. At least he had none of the tell-tale signals I’d learnt to pick up on.
“This doesn’t make sense. You must know. Were you drunk and just have no memory of it? Were you drugged against your will by this gorgeous woman? Abducted by aliens?”
“I’m sorry, Molly. But I don’t know who she is.”
“What about the location? Anything there that will jog your memory?”
“There’s not a lot to go on really.” The photo was taken at the beach. The sun was bright, and the photo was overexposed which bleached most of the detail. “You’re the photographer. Is there any way you can work your magic and pull some of the detail out of it?”
“Maybe. I’ll give it a try later.” I stared at him as he handed the phone back to me. A vertical line appeared between his brows, and his mouth was pinched.
“What worries me is who is sending them and why,” he mused.
“You’re not at all worried about the fact they show you with another woman?”
“No. I know that bit’s not true.”
It was my turn to frown.
“Come on Molly. You’re a whizz at photoshop. You know how easily this photo can be manipulated.”
He had me there. “So, you believe someone is framing you?”
“It sure looks that way.”
“Why would they do that?”
“No idea.”
“For a smart man you don’t have a lot of ideas.”
Matt’s grin exploded. “I’m having one right now.”
He reached across the table and took my hand in his. As his thumb traced small circles on my wrist, tingles travelled all the way to my...well you get my drift.
His gaze dropped to my lips. “I’ve missed you,” he managed, his voice low and gravelly.
“I’ve really missed you too,” I commented, licking my lips, all thoughts of our touchy relationship fleeing my mind. “What are we doing after our coffee?”
“We were visiting your grannie Carol.”
“Ahuh. Do we have time to duck home first?” I asked, my breathing becoming ragged as his fingers danced up my arm.
“You read my mind.” His grin was delicious. “But is it okay for the baby?” he asked, uncertainly.
I shrugged. To be honest, as heat flashed to areas not suitable to mention with a stranger sitting only a few feet away, I didn’t really give two hoots.
“I’ll check my app.”
****
We had a quick stop at my place before continuing our day. Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones, or maybe it was just because I’d really missed him, but as Matt lowered me on the bed before smothering me in kisses, I didn’t question it.