Knowing You (Second Chance series)

by Maggie Fox

  “Not sure. I think Zane said he’ll be fetching him from the airport in a few days.”

  “There’s hardly room to swing a cat in here!”

  Zane dumped one of Matt’s holdalls on the landing, as the little spare room was full already with Matt himself and his other items of luggage. “Then don’t try to swing a cat in here!”

  Matt ignored him and flopped onto the sofa-bed.

  “You’ll manage,” Zane added. “At least there’s a bed of sorts. See it as good motivation to get a place of your own pretty sharpish.”

  “Too right.” Matt got to his feet and clapped Zane on the shoulder. “Not really in the same league as that flash apartment you had with views of the mountains in Austria, is it?”

  “I’ll survive. Anyway that apartment went with the job, and I can’t afford flash nowadays. All my money is invested in Carrdale. Speaking of Austria, how did things go?”

  Matt shrugged. “These things take time I suppose.”

  “OK. Well, if you want to talk about it—”

  “I don’t. Thanks.”

  “OK. I’m just saying, you helped me out, you know, before, so if you do want to talk anytime, then…”

  “Sure, you’ll be the first to know about it.” Matt nodded. “One thing though…”

  “What?”

  “The stuff I said before we left Austria, that still stands. We agreed not to tell anyone here, right?”

  Zane nodded. “Yeah, if that’s what you want.”

  “It is. It’s easier that way.”

  “OK,” Zane said with a shrug. “Your call. I’ll get it,” he added, as the doorbell rang downstairs.

  “Hi, Emily.” Zane stood back to let his landlady into the cottage. “I’ve got that paperwork sorted for you. Give me a sec and I’ll fetch it.”

  When Zane arrived back in the lounge he found Matt chatting away to Emily.

  “So you guys have met then?”

  “Yes,” Emily nodded.

  “It is OK that Matt stays here isn’t it? I know it’s my name on the rental agreement but he won’t be here for long I promise you. Not if I have anything to do with it.”

  Matt laughed. “Zane’s not keen on sharing a house with me.”

  “And why is that?” Emily asked, looking, Zane thought, as though she’d be quite keen to share a couple of things with Matt.

  Matt met Zane’s gaze. “I’m untidy and it drives him insane,” he answered smoothly.

  Zane shook his head behind Emily’s back. Matt wasn’t untidy at all. But the real reason Zane hated sharing with him was clearly not for Emily’s ears.

  “Well, I need to get going.” Emily waved the envelope of paperwork at Zane. “Thanks for this.” She turned to Matt. “So tomorrow at eight then?”

  “Absolutely,” Matt agreed. “I’ll pick you up.”

  “Fantastic,” Emily simpered.

  Zane shut the door behind her and looked at Matt questioningly. “You’re going out on a date with Emily?”

  “Sorry,” Matt shrugged. “Couldn’t resist.”

  “And so it begins.” Zane shook his head and made for the kitchen.

  “What? No lecture?” Matt asked, following him.

  “Nope. No lecture.”

  “How come?” Matt asked, looking in the fridge.

  “You said this was what you wanted. So do it.”

  Matt nodded and shut the fridge. “OK. Cool. Cheers.”

  Of course, Zane thought, watching Matt as he opened a cupboard, if you’re dating Emily, it will keep you away from Faith.

  “Do you fancy something to eat?” Matt asked, shutting the cupboard.

  “Yeah. There’s not much food in the house though.”

  “I’ve just worked that out. Let’s go to the pub and eat. My treat for leaving you to sort things at this end on your own for so long. There must be a decent pub that does food around here?”

  Zane thought of the Poachers, and instantly thought of Faith. Might be best to find a different pub for tonight then. “Yeah, I think the Green Arms is supposed to be OK. We could try there.”

  “Great. I’m starving. Let’s make a move. Oh, any chance you can give me a lift into town tomorrow? I need to sort out a car.”

  Zane scanned the room looking for Faith. He hadn’t seen her at all in the last few days. Once Matt had arrived, the two of them had spent most of their time up at the Centre sorting the jobs for which they were both needed. All the paperwork had now been signed, and after reaching the point of no return, Matt and Zane were in the final stages of becoming the new official owners of the Centre. Between them they’d set to work on tidying up the place inside and out, moving furniture, creating a new reception area, generally smartening the place up, and making it look as professional as they’d planned.

  Now it was the night of the tourism meeting to discuss the plans for the outdoor activity festival, and he needed to introduce Faith to Matt.

  He spotted her in the kitchen at the back of the café, helping prepare the refreshments for the meeting. He made his way over and stood leaning against the doorframe, watching as she went about her work.

  Faith looked up from arranging sandwiches and sausage rolls on several plates. “Hi, long time no see!” she teased.

  “Hi, Faith. Sorry, I’ve been totally swamped with work these last few days. Thanks again for arranging tonight. I’d like you to meet Matt, have a chance to say hello before we start the meeting proper.”

  Zane turned round to face back into the café, looking for his business partner. “Hey, Matt! Get over here a minute. I want you to meet someone who has been a huge help to me over the past week or so.”

  Matt appeared next to him, still laughing, with some woman Zane hadn’t recognised. Zane sincerely hoped Matt wasn’t going to alienate the entire local female population by flirting with them, using them, and then dumping them and moving on to his next conquest. He’d have to have a word with him about that. For one thing, this was their own business they were talking about now, and they couldn’t risk upsetting the locals. For another, he thought – hoped – Matt’s behaviour had changed after the last mess he’d found himself in.

  “Matt, meet Faith,” he said, pulling Matt into the kitchen and away from the woman he’d been flirting with.

  In the silence that followed, Zane instinctively knew he would regret this moment for the rest of his life. Something was wrong.

  Very wrong.

  Faith had gone pale, her smile had vanished and she stood in silence staring at Matt.

  And Matt, so unlike him, was just standing there in total silence.

  What was going on?

  Chapter Seven

  This couldn’t be happening.

  Zane had said his business partner was called Matt. She was sure of it. Yes, he’d definitely just introduced him as Matt. But the man standing before her wasn’t Matt.

  It was Aaron.

  Faith wiped her hands on a tea–towel. She wanted to speak, but couldn’t get her brain into gear enough to make her mouth form the words.

  She’d thought Aaron was gone from her life.

  It looked as though she was wrong.

  She took a step back, wrapping her arms around herself. Suddenly she felt cold and shaky. Aaron was back? This was impossible.

  Yet here he was, standing in her kitchen. She felt dizzy and light-headed.

  How should she react? Should she admit they knew each other? Why had Aaron changed his name to Matt anyway? Would he prefer it if the fact they knew each other was kept quiet?

  But she knew she couldn’t keep something like that from Zane.

  As she debated what to say and do next, the room remained awkwardly silent. Zane was looking at her questioningly.

  What should she say?

  Come on, think, woman. Think.

  Too late. Aaron spoke first.

  “Faith, it’s amazing to see you again after all these years.”

  OK. So he didn’t want to keep it a secret t
hat they already knew each other.

  “Aaron,” she managed to say. “This is a bit of a shock.”

  “That’s an understatement,” Matt said, stepping forward to pull her into a hug.

  “Hang on a second,” Zane said, pushing into the room. “Aaron? That’s your proper name isn’t it?” He raised enquiring eyebrows at Matt. “What’s going on? You two already know each other?”

  “Yeah, Faith and I knew each other as kids. We were great friends.”

  Faith looked down. OK, so he was admitting they knew each other, but he wasn’t admitting the whole truth.

  “Right.” Zane looked from Faith to Matt.

  Matt laughed. “Aaron turned out to be a tricky name for people overseas to get their heads and their tongues around, so I changed to using my middle name instead. Plus, in my line of work, well, Aaron isn’t a cool dude kind of name is it? ”

  Aaron Matthew Caldwell. Matthew. Matt. Of course.

  Faith nodded and forced her lips into a smile. “Makes sense, I suppose.”

  She felt her cheeks burning. Matt and Zane were both staring at her now, gauging her reaction. She needed to escape. “If you’ll excuse me I need to get these refreshments into the café. And then we’d better start the meeting.”

  As Faith disappeared with the plates of food she saw Zane pull Matt to one side.

  “Why do I get the feeling there’s something you’re not telling me?” she heard him hiss.

  “Just chill,” Matt replied. “There’s nothing to worry about. Honestly.”

  Faith thought Zane hadn’t looked too pleased when he’d discovered about her already knowing Aaron.

  Knowing Matt, she corrected herself.

  She couldn’t get used to thinking of him as Matt, not yet, though everyone in the café was calling him that. But then, they hadn’t known him when he still went by his given name of Aaron, had they? They also hadn’t known him the way she’d known him.

  Once the meeting was over, Zane would probably start asking questions about her and Aaron. Questions she didn’t want to answer. But if she didn’t answer the questions, then no doubt he would ask them of Aaron instead.

  Maybe he’d ask them both, and then compare their answers, to see if they came up with the same story.

  How would Aaron reply?

  Would he tell the truth?

  Doubtful.

  Would he go all macho and make out she’d been to blame for the end of their relationship, saying she was too clingy or demanding, wanting a commitment from him when he wasn’t prepared to give it?

  Quite likely.

  Yet in spite of that, she’d thought a look of understanding might have passed between the two of them. For once, maybe Aaron would do the right thing and keep his mouth shut. She hoped so, because at the moment she hadn’t got a clue what to say to Zane about the two of them. It was difficult enough just trying to get used to the idea of seeing Aaron again after all this time. She knew that the conversation with Zane about him was inevitable, but perhaps she could get away with saying as little as possible. Hopefully that would be an end to it.

  One hour later the meeting had finished, and everyone was chatting over refreshments. Zane thought Faith still looked a bit uneasy. She’d obviously been shocked to find Matt standing in her kitchen. Zane was quite sure that there was something he wasn’t being told.

  Faith had not only kept herself busy all evening, she’d also kept away from him and from Matt. Maybe it was time to talk to her.

  “Faith, you’ve hardly stopped all evening. Why don’t you grab a coffee and join me for a sit-down for ten minutes?”

  She shook her head, her ponytail swinging from side to side. “Sorry, Zane I’m too busy. Clearing up to do.”

  “How about I give you a hand to sort things down here then we go up to your flat for a chat?”

  “OK,” she sighed, seeming reluctant.

  Thirty minutes later she was seated opposite him on the sofa in her flat. She was looking tired and uncomfortable.

  Should he ask her about Matt now, Zane wondered, or wait till they’d finished their coffee? Part of him didn’t want to ask at all, because he had the distinct feeling she didn’t want to talk about it, but the other part of him wanted to know if there was something more to this whole Faith, Aaron, Matt business. Should he be worried about their past and the likelihood of it side-swiping the future, for both Carrdale and himself?

  “So, you know Matt then?” he ventured. “Must be confusing, having him appear in your kitchen, being introduced by another name.”

  She fiddled with a cushion, avoiding looking at him.

  OK. This wasn’t going well. Zane really liked Faith, and had begun to think they might have a chance at a relationship. But Matt’s appearance seemed to have thrown the proverbial spanner in the works.

  “Yes. Like he said. We knew each other years ago. Went to school together. I haven’t seen or heard from him since we both went to university.”

  “You went to university together?”

  “Yes. It was ages ago. It’s all ancient history now.”

  “What, exactly, is ancient history?” Zane asked.

  He was behaving like some jealous boyfriend. He and Faith weren’t even officially dating properly yet, but here he was questioning her about Matt. But he couldn’t help himself. Whilst his head was telling him to back off, his mouth had taken on a mind of its own. “Were you and Matt an item? Were you guys serious?”

  “We were just kids, going to university, making grand plans, the way you do when you’re eighteen and think the whole world is at your feet.”

  Zane shifted in his seat, wanting to know what had gone on between them, but at the same time not wanting to know. “What happened?”

  Faith sighed and looked him in the eye for the first time during their conversation. “You’re not going to let this go are you?”

  Zane shook his head apologetically.

  “OK. We dated when we were at school. For a while we were inseparable. That’s how we ended up at the same university. We were on different courses though. He did Recreation Management and I did Business Studies. In the naïvety of youth, we thought it would be exciting, being away from home, being independent, having freedom to do what we wanted.”

  “And?” Zane prompted, though he had a good idea where this particular trip down memory lane was heading. And right now he wanted to hijack it and make it do a severe U-turn.

  “Matt – or rather, Aaron, as I knew him then – was a huge flirt, and I found out he was cheating on me, seeing some girl from his course while still going out with me. We had a huge row and I finished with him.”

  “I’m sorry.” Zane chewed on his bottom lip. This sounded like classic Matt behaviour. For most of the time they’d worked together in Austria, Matt had messed around and made no secret of the fact. It came as no surprise to hear that he’d cheated on Faith all those years ago.

  “Why are you apologising? It wasn’t your fault.”

  “I know, but I’m still sorry for the way he treated you. Not sorry that you split up, of course, otherwise we wouldn’t be… Anyway, I’ve worked with him long enough. I know what he’s like with women.”

  A small smile crept across Faith’s face. “A pig you mean?”

  “Yeah, that about sums him up. He can’t help himself.”

  “You’re good friends though.”

  Zane held his hands up. “Yeah, we are, but don’t get the wrong idea and tar me with the same brush as far as women go. Matt’s excellent at the extreme sports stuff, one of the best there is. We have similar ambitions, we both wanted to run our own activity centre. He might be bad news as far as women are concerned, but he’s a good friend, and really driven when it comes to work.”

  “Yeah, he certainly is.” Faith sipped her coffee. “If he wants something he generally gets it. He’s the only child of wealthy parents, and anything he wanted growing up, he only had to snap his fingers and he got it.”

  “I
think the same rules still apply. Most of the money Matt put into the Centre is from his parents.”

  “He always was, and probably still is, a charmer. I was charmed by him for a while, until I saw the real person underneath.”

  “How do you feel about him turning up again?” Zane asked. “You don’t have any lingering feelings for him?” He wanted to be sure. Well, as sure as he could ever be.

  “I was stunned. I haven’t seen or heard from him in years. It was all over ages ago. But I’m not going to fall for his charm again, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  “I’ve spent years witnessing him working that charm. He had the looks, the exciting adventurous job and the money. Most women found him irresistible when we were working in Austria.”

  Faith put her mug down on the table and leaned towards him. “What about you?”

  “Me?” Zane frowned. “No, I never found him irresistible!”

  “Not what I meant and you know it!” Faith laughed. “You had the same things. Didn’t the women find you irresistible as well?”

  “I didn’t have all those things.”

  “You’re avoiding the question. Looks, yes, adventurous job, yes, charm, yes. Women must have been all over you.”

  “Nope.”

  “Oh? Why not?” she asked.

  “Because.”

  Faith shook her head. “You’re trying to be either elusive or modest. You don’t want me to know just how many women found you irresistible. Come on, tell me the truth. I’ve been honest with you about Matt.”