CHAPTER 27
T heir twenty-four hours together had gone way too fast. Standing next to Kennedy against her car, Matt struggled with himself. Even though he knew they both had to return to their lives, he wasn’t anxious to do that. Instead, he wanted to do nothing more than drive around the back roads of Holmes County, visit the restaurants, wander around shops, and simply relax.
He’d even visit a few more farms and pet animals if it would keep Kennedy nearby.
Should he offer to do that? Was there a way he could possibly convince her to stay one more day together?
Of course there wasn’t.
Not only did she have her jobs to return to, but they also weren’t at that place yet. Both of them had stepped outside their comfort zone by spending this much time together. Asking Kennedy to stay longer or pressing her to change her mind wasn’t going to make things better between them. If he pushed too much, it would probably make things worse. She wouldn’t like him pressuring her.
Looking down at her face, enjoying the way her hazel-colored eyes looked almost green in the afternoon sunlight, Matt pulled himself together. Saying good-bye didn’t mean they were breaking up. That wasn’t going to happen. Not if he could help it.
Her chuckle pulled him back to the present. “Matt, you look like you’re having the biggest debate with yourself.”
“That’s probably because I am,” he answered.
“What’s got you so spun up?”
“Nothing important.”
She studied his expression. She must have found something concerning because she said slowly, “You sure about that?”
“It’s nothing.” Definitely not anything that she needed to know about! He settled for doing the right thing. Doing what she needed him to do. “I’m glad you came down here.”
Her smile brightened. “Me too. I had a good time. It went too fast.”
“I felt the same way.” Deciding he had nothing to lose by telling her the truth, he said, “To be honest, I was just wishing there was something I could do to get you to stay longer. It’s in my nature to cajole and pressure to get something I want, but I don’t want to do that to you.” He rolled his eyes. “I bet you’re wishing you hadn’t asked, after all.”
“I’m very glad I asked, as a matter of fact.” Reaching out for his hand, she added, “I’m glad I’m not the only one who wishes our break could have lasted longer. But . . . I’ve got a Great Dane waiting on me. Believe me, you don’t want to keep Danny waiting.”
He chuckled. “Danny the Great Dane?”
“I watch the dogs. I don’t name them,” she joked. “Seriously, this was so fun.”
“I thought so, too. Maybe one day next month we could come down again.” He paused, realizing what he had said. He’d made it official. He wanted to see her again soon.
Her expression warmed. “I’d like that. I really enjoyed meeting your family, Matt.”
“I’m glad you got to meet my parents and Jonny, too.” Sure, he would’ve loved for Kennedy to have met Kelsey and her husband, but he hadn’t wanted to push things. It was enough for her to have met his parents. The fact that she and Jonny seemed to have gotten along—and Jonny had been agreeable for them to spend time with Treva and her parents—well, that said everything. “They loved getting to know you.”
She smiled up at him. “Well, I guess I better get going.”
Wrapping her in his arms, he once again appreciated how perfect she felt there. Unable to stop himself, he leaned down and kissed her. It was sweet and heartfelt but not too over-the-top. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable, yet he needed to convey his feelings.
“Do you know what’s happening between us?” she whispered when he pulled away.
He thought they were falling in love. But he didn’t want to scare her. “I think I do. What about you?”
“Maybe.” She bit her bottom lip. “Part of me is a little scared. I’ve gotten tired of hoping, you know?”
“Yeah, I do.” He knew that exactly. After everything that had gone on with Helen, he was still emotionally scarred. The day he’d been forced to move out, leaving all four kids with her, was still etched in his mind. That had been a really bad day.
Knowing it was finally time to say good-bye, he leaned down and opened her driver’s-side door. “Text or give me a call when you get home.”
“I will.” Reaching up, she hugged him one more time, then got into her car. Seconds later, she was gone.
“Matt?”
Turning, he saw Martin’s friend Patti coming his way. “Hi, Patti.”
“Hi. Was that your special lady friend?”
“Yes. Her name is Kennedy.”
After a second, she asked, “Like the president?”
He smiled. “Yes. It’s a nice name, don’t you think?”
“To be sure. I’m sorry I didn’t get the chance to meet her.” Looking bemused, she added, “I had coffee with your mamm this morning. She was singing her praises.”
He laughed. “That makes me happy. My mamm doesn’t take to strangers all that easily.”
“She didn’t act as if your lady was a stranger at all. For what it’s worth, I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Your parents thought she was wonderful.”
“For what it’s worth, I thought the same thing about you. Martin is blessed to have you in his life.” When her cheeks pinkened but she didn’t say anything, Matt added, “I . . . listen, I didn’t introduce Kennedy to a lot of people because she wasn’t here very long. I thought maybe a few introductions at a time would be best.”
“I didn’t expect you to throw a big party or anything.”
“You’re different, though. You and Martin are close. If Martin had been here and she had more time . . .”
She waved off a hand. “Don’t you be thinking a thing about that, Matt. I didn’t bring Kennedy up just to make you feel guilty.”
“I know.” He chuckled. “I’ve been on my own for a while now, and I haven’t dated anyone so seriously in years. I’ve been trying to take things slow. Plus, I was worried about overwhelming her with my past.”
“Your past?” She wrinkled her brow. “You mean your children?”
“Not at all. I was referring to the fact that I used to be Amish. I hadn’t told Kennedy that until right before she came down.”
“Why did you keep it from her?”
“It wasn’t from her specifically. Most people don’t know that.”
Her frown deepened. “You keep your childhood a secret?”
“No. I just don’t talk about it because most people who I deal with don’t have any concept about what my life was like. But in my defense no one I work with spends much time discussing their childhood.”
She seemed to think about that. “I guess most people don’t, do they?”
“Patti, thanks for saying hello. I’m glad I got to see you. Martin is a lucky man.”
Her expression softened. “I’m the one who is blessed. I would’ve never imagined that a man like Martin and I would make a good match, but the Lord seems to have put us together.”
This time he was the one who was confused. “A man like Martin?”
“You know . . . he’s handsome and so smart. He has all kinds of degrees and a successful job. I, on the other hand, only finished the eighth grade.”
“That’s all I finished, too.”
“Truly?”
He nodded. “I used to think I needed a bunch of letters behind my name, but I realized over the years that classrooms aren’t the only places to learn something new.”
“That’s true.” She still looked doubtful, though.
So much so, Matt’s heart went out to her. “Patti, I don’t know much about relationships. Every one of my four kids would happily tell you that I’m a work in progress. But I do know one thing for a fact.”
Her eyes widened. “What’s that?”
“You are as worthy as anyone. Years of school and fancy degrees don’t make a person. A good heart does—and you have a great one.”
“Some might say the same thing about you, Matt,” she said, before she walked off.
She’d struck a chord. He stood motionless for a moment, thinking about everything she said. And almost believing she could be right.
Maybe one day he actually would.