Unsuitable

“Now who’s the poet? What?”

“Think about it, honey. Audrey is a woman who has a career and chose to have a baby on her own. That doesn’t tell me family is her main priority. It tells me independence is. It tells me she planned to buy the support she needs.”

He looked away. “Are you saying she only used me?”

“I don’t know. I know you don’t want to think that.”

He shook his head. “You always think the worst about relationships. I get why, but it’s not like that with us. Audrey loves me, but I scared her. I can make it right. I just have to work out how to do that without pushing her away. She goes back to work Monday, she’s tense about that. I need to play it cool, give her space, it’ll all work out.”

His phone peeped and he fished it out and smiled. Audrey.

Barrett coming this arvo & spending weekend. Better if you weren’t here. Hope your hands are okay.

“What hon?”

“I need to make a call.” He wanted to hear Audrey tell him that. She’d asked about his hands, not about him, and there was no see you soon, no warmth at all.

“Reece, you just got through telling me she needed space.”

“If I don’t correct what she’s thinking—”

“You can’t correct her. She has to make up her own mind.”

He closed his eyes and snorted air. Shit, this was messed up and it didn’t need to be. It’s not like they’d had a fight. It’s not like anything between them needed to change.

“Stay and have dinner with us tonight. I’m not working.”

He looked at the plate of uneaten toast. “You mean stay and cook dinner.”

Charlie laughed. She binned the toast. “We’ll go out. My treat.”

Yeah, that’d be good. Keep his mind off Audrey and Mia hanging out with Barrett. He’d seen photos of Barrett. Handsome bastard, elegant look about him. An antique dealer. Well off, lived in New York but travelled extensively. The idea of him made Reece itch. He preferred to think of him as the furniture removalist—juvenile, but so what. To agree to have a kid, and to not be a part of their life. He couldn’t fathom it. It was exactly what his own dad had done, fathered a kid and nicked off never to be heard from again. That wasn’t what Charlie had needed, but it was what Audrey had gone after. Confusing as hell. Charlie left the kitchen and he sent Audrey a text.

He made it simple. I miss you.

He watched the screen, wanting a response more than was sensible. He got it. I miss you too. It brought sucker punch of relief.

I want to see you.

My last weekend with Mia, before work. Barrett complicates it.

He typed: Are you breaking up with me? Jesus, how needy could he be? He deleted and replaced it with, Call if you need anything. Then watched the screen for way too long.

He left before Charlie found him something to help out with and headed to the beach. He wanted to catch Sky and unless she’d changed, a good place to find her on a Saturday was playing volleyball.

She was finishing up a game when he got there. He watched her from the walkway. She looked great, stripped down to black lycra. She played better, not giving a point away and relishing her victory as if it was a novelty. She’d have been a cranky sod if she’d lost. That was something to be grateful for. He went down to the sand to meet her. She watched him approach, the expression on her face a mixture of surprise and too much chilli powder.

“To what do I owe this sudden pleasure?” That was all chilli, then she grabbed for his hand, her mouth dropping open. “What happened?”

“Bit of trouble in the city last night. It’s nothing.” She wouldn’t give his hand back. Sky, who’d never been clingy. “You should see the other guy.”

“Yeah, right. What really happened?”

He peeled her fingers away. “No, that’s what happened.”

“You’re not fighting again?”

“No way.”