The days when she didn’t see him became dull days indeed.
Although she kept in touch with David Bellamy and her mother via email—and worked on the website when David sent her details of some new exhibition he was putting on—what she enjoyed most was sitting on the veranda, sharing coffee and some of Rowena’s delicious muffins with Matt. Occasionally, he discussed his work, usually some article or other he was researching, and she offered him ideas of other articles he could write.
She doubted he found her appearance particularly appealing. She hated looking in mirrors these days, especially after she’d had a bath. It was so unfair, she thought gloomily, when it was impossible to avoid her naked body. Men got women pregnant, without any of the consequences, and then stood back and let nature take its course.
To her relief, there’d been no sign of her erstwhile mother-in-law. Matt didn’t mention his parents at all, except when she asked about his father. She had thought that Adrienne might arrive to check up on her, but she supposed it was just possible that Matt hadn’t told his mother she was here. Though that was hardly believable, in the circumstances. There was always the chance that they might arrive here unannounced.
Matt had also put a car at her disposal and she’d actually taken a couple of trips into the small town of Cable Cay on her own. The roads were fairly good, and she’d enjoyed the feeling of independence it had given her. Although she had to admit, she’d usually chosen a morning when Matt was unlikely to appear.
Although the town wasn’t very big, it was amazingly well equipped, catering to visitors and locals alike. There were small supermarkets and clothes shops, as well as the inevitable duty-free liquor stores. Joanna had spent a whole morning wandering around the open-air market.
An agency advertising deep-sea fishing and water sports had briefly attracted her attention on her second visit, mostly because the name over the door had read M.O. Novak. Matt had told her about the companies he had invested in, and she couldn’t deny a certain feeling of pride that he’d confided in her.
It was a far cry from the Novak Corporation, which, as Matt had told her, Sophie was running now. He seemed to have settled down to life in the Bahamas, and she had to admit it was a good life in many ways.
Joanna had also made friends with the two women Matt had employed to cook and clean for her. The older of the two, Rowena, lived in Cable Cay. The younger, Callie, was Henry and Teresa’s granddaughter, and she lived in the annexe that adjoined the villa with them.
Joanna hadn’t ventured down to the beach again in the early morning. Now that she knew Matt took his boat out most days, she hadn’t wanted to intrude again. Instead, she’d taken to having a stroll along the sands in the early evening. It was cooler then, and she didn’t mind being on her own.
She occasionally heard the SUV leave the villa after breakfast. Callie had told her that her grandfather did most of the shopping and that it was probably him going into town. Matt had converted one of the bedrooms at the villa into his office and that was where he spent much of the day, if he had articles to write; articles Joanna found herself looking for regularly in the local gazette.
One morning, about three weeks after she’d moved into the cottage, Joanna heard the SUV leave soon after eight o’clock. Which was earlier than usual. If Henry was going shopping, he usually left between nine and ten. Was it possible it was Matt who’d gone into town?
There was no way of finding out without going down to the jetty. If the dinghy wasn’t there, she’d know he was still around. He rarely took his boat out for longer than a couple of hours; not long enough for what she had in mind.
It was already hot, but Joanna was getting used to the climate. She’d acquired a golden tan and she was sure her hair was lighter now than when she’d arrived. As she spent most of her days outside, soaking up the sunshine, it wasn’t surprising. She rarely stayed indoors, even when she was doing her job.
Afternoons were when she used her father’s laptop. Sitting on the veranda, she sometimes marvelled at how easily she’d settled in. There were usually messages from David and her mother, asking how she was feeling. But these days she seldom wished that she were back in England.
Now, hearing the car depart, she decided to take the chance that it was Matt who had gone into town. The fact was, she’d wanted to go swimming ever since she’d arrived on the island, but she hadn’t wanted Matt to see her in her swimsuit. The island attracted slim blondes and brunettes in skimpy bikinis, and Joanna was aware that the comparison couldn’t have been more acute.
But the beach area was private and if Matt was away, she’d feel confident on her own. Well, she could cope with a few fish and maybe a pelican or two. The large birds tended to comb the beach in search of sand crabs or flotsam, but they were harmless enough and kept other predators at bay.
Joanna put on her swimsuit before she left the cottage.
It was navy blue with white piping around the hem of the briefs. It had a tank top to accommodate her swollen belly, and she added a multi-coloured wrap she’d bought when she was in Cable Cay. A canvas bag held water—she’d taken Matt’s advice and never left the cottage without it—sunglasses and a tube of sunscreen. She carried a towel over her shoulder, and managed to slip away without either of the other women seeing her.
The dinghy was still at its mooring, so she dropped the bag and her wrap on the beach near the roots of a palm tree and laid her towel on top. Then, not wasting any time, she walked down the sandy slope and into the water. It wasn’t warm, but it wasn’t cold either, and she revelled in the feeling of freedom it gave her.
It was so good to wade out of her depth and feel the weight lifted from her. For the first time in months, she didn’t feel dragged down by the tiny human being growing inside. Striking out with a lazy breaststroke, she swam a little distance away from the shore. Then rolled onto her back and let the water carry her on.
It was heavenly. Even the sun didn’t feel so hot out here. Obviously, this was why Matt took his boat out early in the morning. To enjoy a cooler temperature before the heat set in.
Her eyes closed and she drifted on the tide, feeling totally at peace with herself and the world. How long was it since she’d been in the sea? Not since last year at Padsworth. She’d gone to spend a few days with her parents in early summer. And then, on her return, David had offered her the chance to become a partner in the gallery. He had also suggested that unless she and Matt were planning on getting back together, she should seriously think about getting a divorce.
Reminded of the divorce and of where she was now, Joanna opened her eyes. Turning over, she got her bearings, and then gave a little gasp of dismay. While she’d been daydreaming, the tide had carried her quite some distance from the shore. It had evidently been going out when she’d entered the water, and now she was going to have to swim the better part of half a mile back to the beach.
Panic flared in the pit of her stomach. She had never been a particularly strong swimmer. When she was a kid, a couple of lengths of the local swimming baths had been more than enough for her.
Treading water, she took a deep breath, calculating the distance in her mind. She could do this, she told herself. She would have to. She’d told no one where she was going, and if Matt was away, there was no one else to come to her rescue...
* * *
Matt was still asleep when he heard someone hammering on his bedroom door.
He’d had a pretty rotten night. He seldom slept well these days, and he’d sometimes wondered if it would have been easier to relax if he’d known Joanna was just down the hall.
It didn’t help that he was expecting visitors tomorrow. He hadn’t told Joanna because he’d known how she would react to the news. In consequence, he’d spent half the night downing a fifth of Jack Daniels, and the other half fighting nightmares, that had