Chapter 14
Melinda looked up from her computer as she heard a car door slam. She didn’t have any more appointments today. Her front bell rang and she closed down her computer, calling, “Coming,” as she hurried from her office to the front hallway.
She was pleasantly surprised to discover Adam standing on her step, looking almost the same as he did last night, cradling the kitten to his chest.
She pushed back her bangs and opened the door. “Hey, stranger. I wasn’t expecting to see you today.”
Adam stepped into the foyer and held up Skye. “I thought you might like to hear how we made out at our first doctor visit.”
Melinda wondered briefly if it was an excuse for Adam to stop by. If it was, she was glad for the visit. “Come on in. I was just going to make a fresh pot of coffee. Would you care for a cup?”
“Yes, please.”
Melinda glanced at Skye. “You can put him down.”
Adam wrinkled his nose. “I don’t want him to have an accident in your house.”
“I have paper towels and cleanser.” She smiled. “I’m also going to set out a bowl of water for the fur ball.” True to her word, Melinda took a shallow dish from the cupboard, filled it with water and set it on the floor. She clinked the side of the dish to draw Skye’s attention to it.
Skye did a sideways hop and raced to the dish. His antics made Melinda and Adam chuckle.
“Don’t keep me in suspense,” she prodded, “what did the vet say about him?”
“Well, the first thing, Skye is a girl.”
Her lips twitched. “Good thing the name fits a girl or boy.”
Adam nodded. “I know. And we guessed pretty close on her age—she’s around five weeks. Overall, considering everything, she’s healthy.” Adam took the coffee mug Melinda handed him.
“Does this mean regular food instead of the stuff we whipped up last night?”
Adam blew on his coffee. “It does.”
Melinda cocked her head and studied him. “You’re still going to keep her, right?”
“Absolutely. This morning when I told Will, he said the company would be good for me.”
Melinda smiled. “He’s right. We all have a basic desire to feel needed.”
Looking at her over the rim of the mug, he asked, “Even you?”
Adam’s simple question struck a chord with Melinda. “Of course. That is one of the main reasons why I love matchmaking. The people I work with find love. It makes me happy to help others find it.”
Quietly, he asked, “Don’t you want love too?”
Melinda contemplated how she should answer his question, evade or be honest and talk about John.
Adam reached out and lightly touched her arm. “I’m sorry if I am getting too personal. I feel like we have more than just a business relationship.”
“No. It’s okay. You’re right.” She laid her hand on his. “We are friends.”
“If you don’t want to talk about your personal life, you don’t have to.”
She sat on the stool next to Adam and measured her words carefully. “I had a great love. My husband, John.”
“You don’t like to talk about him?”
Thoughtfully, she said, “I don’t mind sharing my past with you. But please”—her voice quivered—“keep whatever I say between us. I don’t want anyone to feel sorry for me.”
Adam gave her a knowing look. “I understand. You have my word.”
She leaned back on the stool and watched Skye flop to the floor, rolling around playing with her tail. “I met John when we were in high school. It was love at first sight for him. He was some superstar jock and I was a nerdy girl who loved books. But he was persistent. He wanted us to be friends and then we ended up at the same college.” She smiled. “That was when we started dating, junior year. He went to a state university to be with me. He had other options. We were together through undergrad. Once we became a couple I knew we’d end up married to each other. I couldn’t ever see myself with anyone else.”
She swallowed the lump rising in her throat. “We weren’t in a rush to get married, we had all the time in the world. After college he went to the police academy and I got my doctorate in psychology. He always wanted to be in law enforcement.” She looked at Adam. “I get the feeling you felt about the Marines like he felt about police work.”
“He sounds like a good man.”
“He was.” She got up, grabbed the cookie jar, handed it to Adam and then sat down. “We got married and had three wonderful years together. We talked about having kids, but again, we felt there was plenty of time.” A lone tear clung to her bottom lashes. “Turns out we were wrong.”
Gently Adam asked, “What happened?”
“He was on patrol. There was a car broken down on the side of the highway and he stopped to provide assistance.” She looked away. Her voice broke. “John never knew what happened. He was struck by a drunk driver.”
Adam stretched his hand and took hers. Giving it a squeeze, he said, “Melinda, I am truly sorry.”
She pulled her hand away and wiped away the tear as it slid down her cheek. “That was four years ago.”
“It still feels like it just happened, doesn’t it?” Adam stated.
With a small nod, Melinda said, “I miss him every day, but we shared a lifetime of love in twelve short years.” She looked up, her heart full of memories, and smiled through the tears that slid down her cheeks, her eyes bright. “I wouldn’t trade what we had for anything.”
He wiped away her tears from her cheeks with his fingers.
“To cry in my soup would be to tarnish the memories. John wouldn’t want me to continue to grieve.”
Adam arched a brow. “Then I don’t understand.” He looked at the gold band on her hand.
She knew what he was asking without saying a word. “The stars aligned when I met John. I couldn’t settle for less than what we had and what if I lost him too. I couldn’t live through that again, I just couldn’t bear it. Instead, I can help others find it. It seems to be the greatest gift John left me. Each couple that finds their happily ever after is like a part of me and John live on.”
She didn’t know why she let so much spill out, but Adam was easy to talk to. “I’m sure that makes zero sense to you.”
“I understand what you mean. You have tucked yourself away so you wouldn’t have to open yourself up to losing someone you love again.” He grazed her hand with his. “You’re short changing yourself and some guy who would be lucky enough to have you in his life.”
Melinda blinked away what was left of her tears. Was he insinuating she was hiding as part of some self-preservation thing?
Before she could speak, Adam shrugged. “Trust me, I know what it’s like to do things out of self-preservation.”
It was as if he was reading her mind. She studied him. “What are you hiding, Adam?”
Color flushed his neck and face.
“I can tell you’re protecting a part of yourself.”
Adam stood up. His eyes were filled with something Melinda thought was a mix of anger, sorrow and regret. “For now, let’s just say we both carry scars from our past.” He scooped up Skye and turned toward the door. “I need to get Skye home. She’s had a busy day. See you later, Mel.”
“Adam, wait!” she cried. “Don’t leave angry.”
He paused mid-step. “I’m not.” He gave her a half smile. “Really.”
Melinda watched as Adam walked out without a backward look. She leaned against the closed door. Suddenly the house felt empty and she was alone. Adam was right about one thing. Her decision to remain the single matchmaker really was an excuse to protect herself from any further pain. How on earth did he penetrate her carefully crafted shell?
Adam took his time driving home. His heart was heavy. Mel had endured so much loss at a young age. Losing the person you love couldn’t be easy. They had both suffered a significant loss due to a horrific, random act. He’d lost a physical part of himself, and Mel’s heart had been shattered.
He pulled up behind the garage and turned off the truck. His cell phone pinged. He looked at the screen. It was a text message from Beth, his most recent match. He dropped the phone in his shirt pocket and picked up Skye. He would contact her later. Right now, he needed to call Mel. He should have told her when he was at her place that he’d be back to work on the pergola tomorrow, weather permitting of course. The last thing he wanted to do was have her think he was walking off the job after leaving her place in a black mood.
After climbing the stairs and feeding Skye, he pulled out his phone. Should he text or call? “A coward would send a text.”
He dialed the phone and it seemed like forever until he heard her say, “Hello.”
“Hi, Mel.”
“Hi.” He could hear the surprise in her voice.
“I wanted to let you know I’ll be over tomorrow, as long as it doesn’t rain.”
“Adam…” She hesitated. “I’m sorry I upset you.”
He sighed. “No, it’s not you. I’ve got a few things that I’ve been dealing with. I apologize, Mel.”
He heard her say softly, “I guess we’re both a bit tender from things. Still friends?”
“Absolutely.”
“That’s good, because I really don’t have a lot of friends in town.”
He kept the shock from his voice. “What are you talking about? Everyone loves you.”
She laughed. “If you say so.” Changing the subject, she asked, “Did you contact Beth yet?”
“No, but she sent me a text. I’ll touch base with her later.” He smiled into the phone. “Don’t worry, I’ll give you the four-one-one tomorrow.”
“Sounds like a plan. Have a good night and see you in the morning.” Melinda disconnected, and Adam wondered what had just happened. Did Mel admit that she really did feel isolated in a town where people respected and genuinely liked her?
Before he could overthink anything, he called Beth. She answered on the first ring.
“Hello, Beth. This is Adam Bell.”
“Hello, Adam.” He liked the sound of her voice. Warm and friendly, a nice combination.
“I was wondering if you’d like to meet for coffee on Saturday or Sunday?”
“That would be nice. I was impressed with the information Melinda Phillips sent me. You are a Marine? Thank you for your service.”
He was pleasantly surprised she used the present tense. Always humbled when someone said that, he said, “It was my honor.”
“I could meet you on Sunday. Say two?”
Adam didn’t hesitate. “Two is fine. Do you want to meet at the coffee shop downtown?”
“I have a better idea. I’ll bring a thermos of coffee and we could meet at the beach. Weather permitting, of course.” She continued, “The forecast doesn’t look that promising for the balance of the week, and if we don’t get a break I’ll call you to make a different plan.”
“Let’s meet on the bench at the end of Shore Line Drive. Do you know where that is?”
Beth said, “I do. I’m looking forward to it.”
Adam said goodbye and disconnected. He had just made a coffee date with one woman, but a very pretty matchmaker dominated his thoughts instead. Before he could change his mind, he dialed.
“Hey, Mel, I know I just left your place but do you want to grab ice cream? I was thinking maybe you could coach me on first date conversation.” Inwardly he groaned—now that was lame, and he hadn’t even let her say hi.
A soft chuckle answered him. “Hello to you too.”
“Sorry, I just got off the phone with Beth. We have a date Sunday and I’d like to make a good impression so I thought maybe we could go out and have ice cream. Sort of a practice run.”
“That sounds like fun. Give me twenty minutes and I’ll meet you at the diner?”
“No, I’ll swing by and pick you up. No reason to take two cars.”
“See you soon.” The phone softly clicked. He was shocked at his own impulsiveness. He was taking Mel for ice cream. He grinned and scooped up Skye.
“You be good and I’ll be back soon.” He gently set her on the back of the sofa and picked up his keys from the coffee table. He’d stop in and chatted with Will and Stacey before heading over to Mel’s place.
Melinda ran a brush through her long waves. She leaned toward the mirror and checked to make sure her mascara wasn’t smudged. She brushed her teeth, swished some mouthwash. What had possessed her to agree to go with Adam? Well, it didn’t really matter now because he would be here in a few minutes. This was the second time he had asked her to do something with him on the spur of the moment.
Her nerves jumped when she heard the doorbell chime. On her way down the hall, she grabbed a light cardigan sweater and her brown leather bag from the living room chair.
She grinned as she opened the door. “Hello there.”
Adam met her eyes and smiled back. “Hi yourself.”
“This is a great idea. I can’t remember the last time I did this.”
His smile brightened. “Did what?”
“Got picked up for ice cream.” She stopped short of saying the word date.
“Then it’s long overdue.” After a grand sweep of his arm, he walked with her to his truck. “Shall we?”
She stepped onto the running board of the silver Ford pickup and slid across the leather seat. This felt like a date. How could she make it clear why she had said yes?
She waited for Adam to buckle up and start the truck. Deciding to jump right in, she said, “I was surprised when you said you wanted to have a dry run for your date with Beth.”
He drove carefully as the night went from dusk to deeper shadows. “I’ve been thinking about my date with Susan, and maybe I played a part in the date falling flat. I didn’t want to repeat the same mistake, especially when you’re trying so hard to find a good match for me.”
Surprised she felt a tinge of jealousy, Mel said, “So give me your opening line.”
He tipped his head from side to side. “I’ll say it’s nice to meet her.”
“And then?”
He laughed, “I have no idea.” He slowed the truck as they approached a roadside ice cream stand. “Do you like soft serve?”
“It’s like you read my mind. I think there is a place just up the road.”
The truck picked up speed as he drove past. “Good. That place serves hard ice cream.”
“The Dairy Barn has soft serve and the chocolate dip too.”
“Tell me, vanilla, chocolate or twist?”
She relaxed and leaned back into the seat and said, “Mmm, twist, dipped. There is nothing like it. Heaven on earth.”
He shook his head. “Vanilla dipped in cherry.”
She said, “Nope. If you’re going with a vanilla cone, the coating has to be chocolate.”
He held up a hand in mock surrender. “I give! I’ll try it your way.” He flashed her a wide smile. “We’ll be twinning it.”
He slowed the truck and flicked on the blinker. Coming to a stop in the busy parking lot away from a bunch of small kids playing tag. They strolled through toward the takeout window in the cool evening breeze. Melinda pulled her cardigan closed.
Waiting in line to order, she watched as a mother smoothly steered her children, who were balancing small cones, around other patrons. A stab of longing washed over her. Wistfully she thought, If only John and I had had more time.
Adam touched her elbow. “Mel, ready to order?”
She gave the girl on the other side of the window her order and handed her a ten. “I’ll pay for his too.” She flipped her head toward Adam standing right behind her. “He’ll have the same.”
Taking the change Mel dropped the coins and a bill in the tip jar and then handed the first cone to Adam. “Here you go.”
He looked a little confused when she turned with another cone in her hand. “You didn’t need to pay for mine.”
She gave a one-shoulder shrug. “You drove, so we’re even.”
Licking the first drip that landed on her hand, she wished she had asked for a bowl to lay them in. Glancing at the long line of patrons, she knew that ship had sailed.
He pointed to a bench on the edge of the parking lot. “Let’s sit over there.”
They crossed the pavement as a man approached them from the opposite side off the lot. He held up a hand in greeting to Adam as he walked purposefully toward them.
“Hey, Adam. I’m not sure if you remember me, but we talked a couple weeks back at the hardware store.”
“Hi, Scott, how’s it going?” He half-turned to Melinda. “This is my friend Melinda.”
Scott smiled and reached out his hand to her. “Nice to meet you.”
“Hi, Scott.”
Adam said, “So what’s going on?”
“Remember the gazebo we were talking about? Well, I hate to interrupt your evening, but could you take a quick look at the overall measurements and let me know if you think I’ve gone too big. I’ve got the plans in my van.”
Mel noticed a van lettered with ELECTRICIAN in bold letters.
Adam hesitated. “Mel, do you mind?”
She stood up. “Do you mind if I take a look too?”
“Not at all,” Scott said.
After they walked across the parking lot, Scott pulled the plans from his passenger seat. He handed them to Adam, who looked at Mel and asked, “Would you hold my cone?”
“Yeah, sure.” She made sure to have an extra napkin ready when Adam passed it over.
He studied the plans, pointing out a couple of areas for change that would make the roof have a better pitch for snow in the winter.
Melinda felt the cool drip of his ice cream on her hand. And then another. Adam was totally absorbed in his conversation.
Should she let it just drip all over or… after giving it a thought, she brought the cone to her mouth. She licked the melting ice cream. She looked up through her lashes to see Adam’s eyes open wide. With a sheepish grin, she said, “Sorry.” She gingerly held out the cone to him.
He handed Scott the plans and without hesitation took a big bite out of his cone. “Good stuff, right, Mel?”
She gave him a shy smile. “Right down to the last drip.”