‘Such as what?’
‘How about Rachel’s new look? That should keep you two girls going till after midnight, talking about hair and make-up and clothes.’
‘Very funny.’
‘Justin and I could discuss manly things, such as money and football and sex.’
‘You’re a male chauvinist pig, Rafe St Vincent.’
‘Not at all. Just a typical male, as you so cleverly pointed out. And, speaking of typical males, I wonder if Rachel would consider accidentally on purpose getting pregnant to the marriage-shy Mr McCarthy. It’s amazing how the thought of your own cute little baby-to-be can focus even the most commitment-phobic people.’
Isabel’s eyebrows arched. ‘Now, that’s an idea. But a bit too soon, I think. Though I might mention it to her later on. Trust you to come up with that one,’ she finished ruefully.
‘All brilliantly successful ideas should be shared. Come along, darling. If we don’t get out there with this coffee, it’ll be stone-cold!’
Rachel knew Isabel was out there in the kitchen gossiping to Rafe about her and Justin. But nothing her friend could say would stop her from continuing with her relationship with Justin. The more time she spent with him, the more deeply she fell in love with him. And it wasn’t just the sex bewitching her. It was definitely the man. He was everything Eric had never been. Kind. Considerate. Caring. And funny, when he wanted to be. She’d been amazed at what a witty conversationalist he’d been over dinner with people he hadn’t met before. It was obvious Rafe liked him. And Isabel too, if she’d put aside her personal prejudice long enough to admit it.
‘I like your friends,’ Justin said whilst they were sitting there at the dining table alone, waiting for the coffee. ‘And I like their house,’ he added, glancing around the cosy dining alcove which came off the main lounge room upstairs.
‘They’ll probably buy a bigger place after their baby is born,’ Rachel remarked.
‘They’re expecting a baby?’
‘Didn’t I say so? I thought I had. Yes, Isabel was already expecting before they got married. But that wasn’t why they got married. They planned it that way. Or Rafe did. Actually, Isabel wasn’t going to get married at all. But she wanted a baby. Oh, dear, I’m not explaining this very well. It’s a bit complicated.’
Justin smiled. ‘It sounds it.’
‘Let me try to explain it better. Now, let’s see…a few months back Isabel decided to have a baby using artificial insemination, then raise it by herself, because she was sick to death of falling in love with Mr Wrong. You know the kind. Not exactly good husband or father material. She’d already tried the idea of marrying with her head rather than her heart, and was engaged to this really nice architect who felt the same way, but two weeks before their wedding he fell head over heels for another girl and called the wedding off. It was around this time—only a couple of months back really—that Isabel met Rafe. He was going to be her wedding photographer. Right from their first meeting, she was very attracted to him. No, that’s understating things. She fancied him like mad. So much so that when she found out he was single and unattached she asked him to go away with her on her pre-booked and pre-paid honeymoon, on a strictly sex basis with no strings attached. Naturally, Rafe agreed.’
‘Naturally,’ Justin said laughingly.
‘Well, yes, what man wouldn’t?’ Rachel concurred. ‘Isabel’s drop-dead gorgeous. Anyway, to cut a long story short, Rafe fell in love during their fling and didn’t like the idea of Isabel having a baby all by herself. So he set about deliberately getting her pregnant without her knowing, hoping that then she’d marry him.’
‘How on earth did he get her pregnant without her knowing it was on the cards?’
‘I gather he doctored the condoms.’
‘That was an extremely bold move.’
‘Love can make you bold, I guess. And wanting something badly enough.’
‘I guess,’ he said, his eyes clouding over, then drifting off somewhere distant.
‘Did you want children when you were married, Justin?’ Rachel asked before she could think better of it.
‘What?’ He stared at her for a second as though he had no idea what she was talking about. But then his eyes cleared. ‘Yes, yes, I did. Mandy did, too, till she…’ He broke off abruptly. ‘Can we discuss something else, please?’
Isabel and Rafe’s return with the coffee was a blessing, though Isabel’s intuition antennae seemed to pick up on something straight away, and she flicked Rachel a frowning glance.