‘Why would you think that anything might go wrong?’
‘Joanna, we’ve been trying to have a baby for a few years now. Do you want to take the chance that there might be a complication?’
‘Well, it won’t be the middle of winter when I have the baby,’ she replied reasonably. ‘And nothing’s going to go wrong.’ She crossed her fingers superstitiously. ‘You always think the worst, don’t you?’
‘I wonder why,’ murmured Matt drily, but she heard the bitterness in his voice.
‘In any case, there’s a maternity unit in Padsworth—’
‘A unit.’ The way Matt said the words told her what he thought of that.
‘And there’s a large teaching hospital in the next town,’ she continued staunchly.
‘Which is what? Fifteen miles away? Twenty? On roads that are hardly freeways?’ Matt stifled a curse. ‘What if there’s a late snowfall? Those narrow roads get blocked, you know that. Think what you’re committing yourself to, Joanna. Much as I like your mother, she’s no Florence Nightingale.’
‘So what are you suggesting? That I stay in London where I can be sure of reaching a hospital that you’d consider satisfactory if there was an emergency?’
‘No.’
Matt got up from the chair and pushed his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. It put her eyes on a level with his lower body and she bent her head, trying not to think about the hard muscles that stretched his tight jeans. Or imagine how he’d looked when he was naked. She dragged her eyes away. She needed to get a grip on her emotions, not focus on what she remembered of his lean powerful body.
Matt, apparently unaware of her distraction, spoke tersely. ‘I’m suggesting you come back to Cable Cay with me.’ He rocked back on the heels of his boots and continued, ‘There’s a small house in the grounds at Long Point. A couple of bedrooms, one and a half baths. You would be perfectly comfortable there with your own staff.’
‘You can’t be serious!’
‘Oh, I am.’ Matt had never been more serious in his life. ‘There’s no large hospital on the island, I give you that. But I can put the helicopter I use on standby for an emergency. And there are at least three major hospitals in Nassau, half an hour away, catering to everything from insect bites to heart surgery.’
Joanna shook her head. ‘But I don’t want to go to the Bahamas,’ she protested. She got to her feet. ‘I’ve met the doctor in Padsworth. He knows my mother very well.’
‘It’s not your mother he’ll be dealing with.’ Matt shrugged. ‘Besides, I don’t think it’s your decision. You owe me, Joanna. I may not have been around for most of the pregnancy, but I think I deserve to be there at my son’s birth, don’t you?’
JOANNA ASSURED HERSELF she wasn’t disappointed that Matt hadn’t come to meet her in Nassau. She’d taken the flight directly from London to the Bahamas and been met by Matt’s helicopter pilot, Jacob Mallister, instead. He’d flown her on to Cable West, the small airport that catered to Cable Cay’s commercial and personal needs, where Henry Powell, Matt’s steward, was waiting to greet her.
It was good to see a familiar face. She’d met the old man before on the two occasions she and Matt had holidayed at the villa. ‘Hey, there, Mrs Novak,’ he exclaimed, his dark features beaming as he gave her a hand to negotiate the steps down from the aircraft. ‘Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?’
‘A sight, certainly,’ agreed Joanna drily, glad to be on solid ground again. She didn’t like helicopters. They tended to dip and sway quite alarmingly, and even the short trip from New Providence had left her feeling slightly sick. The thought of having to do that journey again, when she was in labour, filled her with a sense of alarm.
‘Well, welcome to Cable Cay,’ declared Henry cheerfully. ‘Did you have a good journey?’
‘It was fine.’ Joanna didn’t mention the helicopter ride. ‘But I’m glad it’s over.’
‘I’m sure you’ll feel better once you’ve had a good night’s rest,’ he said, taking charge of her cases. ‘I know Mr Matt will be glad you’re here safely.’
Joanna made no comment to this. She doubted Matt would care, one way or the other. He’d given her an ultimatum: let him play a part in the remaining weeks of her pregnancy—which he regarded as only fair—or face the prospect of him petitioning for custody of the child after he was born.
She didn’t know whether Matt would have done such a thing, but she decided not to take the risk. And after all, surely it was no hardship to spend weeks being pampered by servants on a semi-tropical island in the sun.
Now, looking about her, she had to admit that she’d forgotten how picturesque the island was. The view, even this late in the evening, was so beautiful, and, in spite of everything, she had to smile.
The sunset was just gilding the palms that edged the runway, and the heat was very welcome after the rains of January back home. She was glad now that Matt had sent the helicopter. The ferry ride from Nassau would have taken the better part of two hours, and it would have been dark before she arrived.
In the distance, she could see a beach, with the ocean creaming softly on the shoreline. A cool breeze blew in from the water, and she breathed deeply as she gazed towards the horizon. The sea might look dark now, and even a little threatening, she remembered, but when the sun rose in the morning, it would be a delight in shades of pink and green and gold.
‘It is good to see you again,’ Henry continued, stowing her luggage in the back of a gleaming SUV. ‘I think Mr Matt’s been a little lonely since he moved here. But if you don’t mind me saying so, you’re looking a little pale, Mrs Novak. Maybe a dose of our hot Bahamian sunshine is exactly what you need, eh?’
‘You could be right,’ said Joanna, realising she actually was glad to be here at last. ‘How are you and Teresa these days? I thought you might have retired by now.’
‘Oh, no. We’re not ready for retirement, Mrs Novak,’ he assured her, making sure her suitcases were safely installed. He lifted her father’s old laptop, which she’d brought with her. ‘Will this be okay in the back?’
‘Oh, yes.’ Joanna nodded. ‘It’s just an old machine that used to belong to my father, but I’ve brought some work from home, and I thought it might be useful to keep in touch with my family as well.’
‘Work?’ Henry pulled a face.
‘I run a website,’ Joanna explained. ‘Didn’t Matt tell you, I have shares in an art gallery in London? My partner is keen for me to keep my hand in.’
‘Mr Matt probably forgot,’ said Henry cheerfully. ‘And it’s good to keep in touch with family, too. But Mr Matt’s parents don’t come here like they used to when the children were small.’
Joanna couldn’t deny a sense of relief at these words, but she guessed that since Oliver had had his second stroke, he didn’t travel as much. It hopefully meant she wouldn’t have to face Matt’s mother. Which could only be a plus.
The journey to the villa didn’t take long. Henry spent most of it regaling her with stories of his grandchildren and asking her if she minded that she was having a boy.
‘Mr Matt told me,’ he added, pulling a wry face. ‘He’s pretty buzzed about the whole thing. I know he can’t wait to meet his son.’
‘Henry—’
‘Oh,