Page 99 of In at the Deep End

He sat at the table. “Okay, show me the photos from the zoo.” Mum blinked, and he laughed. “I know what you’re like when Jamie’s around. You take a gazillion pictures.” He glanced towards the door. “Where is the little tornado, by the way?”

“At the park with Zach. Beth’s asleep upstairs. She didn’t have a good night.” Mum got her phone out and started scrolling.

Matt gazed at photos and laughed in the right places. He was doing his best to listen, but every few seconds, his mind wandered, taking him to multiple memories. The piano in the American Bar. The photographs. Owen laughing so hard he nearly spilled his daiquiri. The shower. Owen’s mouth on his cock. Owen’s shaft in his hand.

The way Owen had smiled that morning as though nothing awkward had happened.

No—as though nothing awkward could happen.

“Matt?”

He blinked. “Hmm?”

Mum was staring at him. “I asked if you’re all right.”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“You seem miles away.”

He gave her an apologetic smile. “Sorry. I’m just tired.”

Dad studied him for a second. “Long couple of days, huh?”

“Yeah,” he agreed.

It wasn’t a lie, just nowhere near the whole truth.

The front door opened, and seconds later, Jamie came charging into the kitchen, followed by Zach’s useless request for him to be quieter. The little boy waved a red panda in the air, and Matt did the uncle thing, admiring it, stroking it, and pretending to wince when it ‘bit’ him.

Zach stood in the doorway. “We’ve got a budding artist. Did Mum show you?” He pointed to the fridge, where two sheets were held by magnets. One was mostly green scribble, the other red.

Matt chuckled. “Let me guess. Steggie and Panda?”

Then Jamie asked about a thousand random questions, climbed into laps, and generally made it impossible for anyone to have a calm adult conversation for more than a minute.

After two emotionally huge days in London, the constant noise, questions and toddler energy were too much.

Matt stood. “I think I’m going to get a couple of hours on the dissertation while I’ve still got the momentum.”

Dad nodded. “Tell Owen thanks again.”

“I will.”

It wasn’t until he’d collected his laptop and was heading out the door that Dad’s words hit him.

He knew I was going next door.

Except Matt’s real destination wasn’t the barn.

It was Owen.

He had no idea what plans Owen had for his day, but he didn’t intend disturbing him. The idea was to slip through the side gate and head for the back garden, set up the laptop, and get his head down.

Yeah right.

Part of him hoped to be distracted, too.

Owen stood on the patio, mug in hand, watching a squirrel balancing on the bird feeder, its nose buried in one of the feeding ports.