Matt’s face fell. ‘I’ve got to make decisions, love. If I’m going to get this business up and running, I’ve got to order equipment.’

She couldn’t hold his gaze, concentrating instead on Ezra, who clung to her like a limpet. She stroked his hair, his head resting on her chest. ‘I missed you, Mummy,’ he murmured. ‘Are you coming home now?’

‘I’ve just got a bit more work to do, little smudge.’

She couldn’t tell Matt the truth with Ezra there, knowing the conversation would get heated. There was no escape from the consequences of her actions, but she could try and delay the inevitable a little longer.

‘Can we talk tonight?’ She glanced up at Matt, cringed when she saw the disappointment in his eyes. He was about to reply when Molly, who ran the mums and tots group, popped her head round the door.

‘Is it all right for me to set up a bit earlier than usual? There’s nobody in the room, but I just wanted to check.’

Matt gave her a full-wattage smile. ‘I don’t suppose you’d like a little helper, would you?’ He nodded towards Ezra. ‘We’ve just got a bit of a crisis to sort out.’

Sara tensed. Molly stepped into the office and held out her hand. She and Ezra knew each other well, as Sara had attended the mums and tots group with him before he’d started going to nursery. ‘My favourite helper,’ Molly said. ‘And there’s always a treat for helpers, isn’t there?’

Ezra scrambled down off Sara’s knee and grasped Molly’s hand. Sara watched him leave, her heart racing as her excuse for avoiding the conversation walked out of the room. Matt closed the door, his eyes locked on hers. She swallowed, unable to look away.

‘What’s going on, Sara? I get the feeling you’re avoiding talking to me about my business.’

She chewed her lip, unsure where to start.

He pulled up a chair and sat down, leant forward with his elbows on the desk, a determined glint in his eye. ‘We don’t really need to discuss this, do we? All I need is for you to transfer the money to our joint account. I’ve been into the bank this morning and set up a business account, but it’s going to take a few days before it’s up and running.’

‘I’m not…’ She bit her lip. ‘I can’t…’

He frowned, throwing himself back in his chair in frustration. ‘I get it. You’re not behind me on this.’ He folded his arms across his chest, anger flashing in his eyes. ‘You don’t think I can do it, do you? Think it’s too risky, is that it?’

She shook her head. ‘No, no, that’s not—’