Page 212 of In at the Deep End

“Calling your father.” She stabbed the screen. “Hello? Yes. Come to Owen’s. Now.”

Both Owen and Matt stared at her.

She listened for a moment. “No, I’m not explaining over the phone. Just get here.” She ended the call. “He’s on his way.”

Owen was trying very hard not to laugh. “We haven’t even been home for thirty seconds and we’re being invaded.”

Mum looked from him to Matt. “Thank God, you’re smiling again.”

Before Matt could think of a response, there was another knock.

This time, his stomach tightened.

He’d spent the entire journey home thinking about the phone conversation they’d had, and although he’d eventually forgiven his dad enough to tell him the truth, forgiveness wasn’t the same thing as forgetting.

Mum let him in, and Owen laughed. “Sure, it’s only my house.”

Dad stepped inside, glanced at Matt, and smiled. “Hey. Welcome home.” Then he turned towards Owen. “Good to see you.”

“You too.” Owen peeked under the tea towel. “Oh, nice.” He grinned. “That solves the dinner problem. We have lasagne.”

Dad glanced at the dish, then at Mum. “That’s why you called me? To tell me you’ve given Owen a lasagne?”

Mum rolled her eyes. “I called you because our son has been away for four days and apparently he’s come home with a boyfriend.”

“Mum.” Matt gave her a hard stare.

Owen cleared his throat. “Well, seeing as Babs has provided enough food to feed the five thousand, why don’t you both stay and help us eat it?”

Matt was torn between kissing him for changing the subject, and wanting to complain about sharing him with his parents.

“Good idea,” Mum said. “I’m starving.” She took the dish from Owen. “I’ll put it in the oven. You set the table.”

Owen stared after her as she bustled into the kitchen. He glanced at Matt, his eyes twinkling. “Now I see where you get it from.” He followed her into the kitchen.

Matt knew he couldn’t sit down to dinner while his stomach was in knots.

“Let’s go out onto the patio,” he suggested, then headed through the house without waiting to see his dad’s reaction.

He unlocked the patio door and stepped outside. It was still light, and the sky was pink at the horizon.

“Something on your mind?”

Matt sat on the low wall by the steps. “Yes.”

Dad sighed. “Yeah, I thought you might have.” He perched on the wall facing Matt.

He took a breath. “You talked to Owen. You told him to think about the future.”

“I did.”

“And you made him think he was doing the right thing by leaving me.”

His dad lowered his gaze. “I never meant for that to happen.”

“But it did.” Matt swallowed. The anger was still there, but underneath it was something more complicated. Hurt. Love. The knowledge that his dad had been trying to protect him, even while doing something that had nearly broken his heart.

Dad winced, but Matt wasn’t finished.