Chapter 10

She'd been sitting in her car for ten minutes. Fear gripped her. She'd made her decision to keep Matty a secret thinking it was the best for all of them. Robbie had been a broken mess when he left and his letters hadn't made it seem he was much better.

Her plan had always been to tell him. But the longer she'd kept the secret the harder it had become to tell him. James was right, he needed to know. Opening the door to her car, she stepped out and made the short walk to his front door.

She was just about to knock when the door opened, "Robbie."

"Laura, what are you doing here?"

She smiled, trying to act nonchalant, "I came to check on you."

He looked at her quizzically, "Why are you checking on me?"

"You were a little worse for wear when I saw you last night?"

"You saw me last night?"

Concern shot through her, he didn't remember coming to her home. "You showed up on my doorstep last night. You wanted a drink."

He looked away, ashamed of his actions. "That really happened? I thought I dreamt it. When I woke up in my own bed I was sure it was just a dream." Seeing the concern on her face he reached for her, surprised when she stepped away. "Nothing happened did it?" Anger flooded through her, why did he seem so relieved? "I'm sorry, Laura I didn't say that right. I didn't do anything to you did I?"

Relief flooded through her, "No, you passed out on the bench outside my kitchen door. I called James and he brought you home."

He lowered his head, trying to catch her eye, "Laura, if I did something, please tell me."

She shook her head, "No, you knocked on my door and asked for some wine. I told you I would call you a taxi and before I came back you were asleep on the bench."

"Why didn't you invite me in?"

Biting on her lip, she shook her head, "I didn't think it was wise."

He flashed to the last time he'd been drunk in her home. Clearly she wasn't interested in a repeat performance, now he felt even more foolish. "I don't know what to say, Laura. I shouldn't have…"

She could see his distress and pushed on him, "Perhaps we shouldn't have this conversation here, where all of your neighbors can see."

"Do you want to come in? Or if you aren't comfortable being alone with me we could take a walk?"

She pushed him through the door and closed it behind her before his words fully registered. "What do you mean not comfortable being alone with you?"

Taking a step back, trying to give her some space, "You said it wouldn't have been wise to invite me in. Are you afraid of me?"

"Are you still drunk?"

"No?"

"Hungover?"

"I told you once, I don't get hangovers."

She rolled her eyes, "Then why would you think I am afraid of you?"

"Why else wouldn't you invite me in?"

Laura took a deep breath, wondering exactly when this conversation had gone off the rails. "Could I have some tea? We need to talk and I need something to calm my nerves."

He motioned her through to a small sitting room, "I'll make it. Make yourself comfortable."

She paced the floor of the small room. This wasn't going how she'd planned, oh who was she kidding. How exactly did one plan to tell a man who was, in essence, a one-night stand that he had a child you hadn't told him about? There wasn't a plan for these situations.

"You ordered some tea miss?"

She turned to him smiling, "James told me about finding Val's killer." Robbie almost dropped the tray. She rushed to help steady him. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have just blurted that out."

He smiled down at her, "It's ok. It seems we are a mass of misunderstandings and awkwardness this morning." He set the tea tray on his coffee table then sat, patting the sofa for her to join him. "Is that why you really came by?"

She nodded, "Like I said, to check on you."

"Last night is the first time since the first night I returned from attachment I've gotten drunk." He paused checking to see if she believed him, "As I sat in the pub in my drunken haze, there was only one person I wanted to share the news with. You."

"I didn't know."

He poured tea for both of them, "I didn't think you might remember all of those other times I showed up drunk." Handing her the mug, he smiled, "When I woke up in my own bed this morning, I was thrilled. I was certain it was just a bad dream. I was going to call you later today to see if you might like to have dinner, with just me."

She swallowed, "Dinner?"

"You know, like a date. One where I pick you up at your door, we go to a fancy restaurant, order a ridiculously expensive dinner then end up at chip stand because we are still hungry."

She took a sip from the cup, burning her tongue, "A date?"

"Unless you would be opposed to the idea?"

She shook her head as she set the cup on the tray, "Before I give you my answer, I need to tell you why I didn't let you in last night."

"You said it wasn't because I scared you." He stopped speaking, sudden comprehension dawning, "You had someone there? You're dating someone else?"

"No, that's not true. Well it's true, but not in the way you're thinking."

"I don't understand, Laura."

"I have a son. He was asleep in his bed."

He stood, "A son, when?"

"June 2005 . His name is Matthew, but much like his father he prefers a shortened version. Matty, I call him Matty.