Chapter 27
Stacey beamed at him while Adam groaned, “What have I done, broken the cardinal rule of working with a matchmaker?”
“My work here is done.” She smirked and tossed her hair. “I’m going back to Melinda’s. Tell Will I’ll be home later.” She poked Adam in the arm. “Don’t be hard on yourself, you two are perfect for each other.”
“Except that she has zero interest in dating me or anyone else.”
Stacey grinned. “You’ve fallen in love with a woman you haven’t even dated. Give it time.” She patted his arm. “She’s a great person.”
He nodded. “I know. She’s the best.”
“Adam…” He could hear the cautionary tone in her voice. “You have to tell her the truth about your injury before she finds out. It’s best for you and her.”
“We’ve known each other for a few months. Do you think I should have told her already?”
“As part of the matchmaking process, yes.”
“You know I don’t like to talk about it.” He lifted his head. “I don’t want her to treat me differently.”
“Trust her.” Before Stacey walked away, she paused. “You should have asked Mel to the concert. Not Beth.” Without another word, she got in her car and drove away.
He pushed open his truck door and stepped out. He had a date with Beth on Friday and he was going to keep his distance from Melinda until Saturday. That would give him time to figure out what he really wanted.
“Damn it.” In a few weeks he and Mel would be spending the weekend together at a wedding. How the hell was he going to hide his growing feelings from her? Or did he have to hide them? He wondered if it was time to throw caution to the wind and go after the woman he really wanted to be with.
Adam took a deep breath before he knocked on Beth’s door. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but once he had made the decision to cancel their date, he needed to do it in person.
Knock, knock.
It opened before his arm returned to his side. “Hi, Adam, it’s nice to see you.” Beth stepped away from the door and turned to walk down the hallway. “Come on in.”
Adam closed the door behind him. He couldn’t help but notice she wasn’t very tidy. She had sporting gear strewn around the hallway and a few dirty dishes on the side table. Unconsciously he compared it to Melinda’s home and stopped himself.
He entered the small kitchen. Beth smiled brightly. “Can I get you a cup of coffee or perhaps a beer?”
“No, thanks. I can’t stay long.”
She wiped off the counter with a rag. “I’ve heard the band we’re going to hear on Friday is really good.”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Oh?” Beth stopped what she was doing and leaned against the counter.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think we should go out again.”
Her facial expression never changed. “May I ask why?”
He shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. “I don’t see a relationship developing between us. I didn’t think it was fair to you to go out again once I made this decision.”
A look of relief washed over Beth’s face. “Thank heavens one of us had the courage to be honest.”
Relief flooded him. “You felt the same way?”
A smile broke out across Beth’s face. “I did. But you are such a good guy I kept telling myself to give it one more date, just to be sure something didn’t spark.”
“So you’re not upset?”
She came around the counter and gave him a friendly hug. “Not in the least.” She took a step back. “Is there someone you are interested in?”
“Am I that transparent?”
“Not at all. She’s a lucky girl.”
“Thanks, Beth. I appreciate you saying that.”
“Good luck.”
She walked him to the door, and Adam stopped on the threshold. “I hope Mel can help you find someone.”
She gave him a knowing look. “Mel, huh?” He wasn’t sure how to respond. With a laugh Beth said, “Don’t look so shocked. You just saying her name speaks volumes.”
He stepped onto the front walkway. “I have no idea what you mean.”
“It’s written all over your face. She is an amazing person and she’s lucky too. Good luck Adam.”
“See you later.” Adam slowly walked down the path to his truck. All he had to do now was ask Mel to go out with him on Friday night.
Adam drove from Beth’s to Mel’s and then parked in her driveway. He sat there for over ten minutes. He couldn’t procrastinate any longer. Before he had a chance to give it another thought, the front door opened and Melinda ran lightly down the front steps, the late afternoon sun glinting off her copper-colored curls.
She smiled at him. “Hey. Twice in one day.”
He got out of the truck. “I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time?”
“Not at all. I just finished in the office and thought I saw your truck out here. Want to come in?”
“Yeah.” Silently he admonished himself. He was going to have to do better than this. He caught the line of conversation Mel was on…
“Stacey and I have planned a wonderful bridal shower for Molly. The guys are invited to meet us for dinner. Do you want to join us too?”
Adam pulled open the front door and Mel stepped inside. “Sounds like a fun time.” He wondered what she would wear to a nice dinner, he was sure she would look amazing. He grinned.
“Come on in the kitchen. I was just going to have a glass of wine. Interested?”
He couldn’t take his eyes off her face. She seemed to sparkle.
“Sure.” Another clever one-word answer. If Mel noticed, she didn’t seem to take exception.
He waited while she poured two glasses of red wine and said, “It’s cool out back—let’s sit in the living room.”
He followed as she strolled inside, clicking on a few lights as she walked. She settled on one end of the deep cushioned sofa while Adam sat at the other end.
“So, what brings you by?” She took a sip of wine and set her glass on the maple coffee table.
He shifted in his seat and set his glass down. “I came to a decision today.”
“Do tell.” Her smile gave him courage.
“I stopped by Beth’s and cancelled our date for Friday night.”
Melinda pulled at the fringe on a decorative pillow. “I’m not sure I understand. Earlier you said you were going to give it one more shot.”
He inched forward on the cushion. “I had to be honest with myself, and with Beth.”
Slowly she said, “Of course, but…?”
He took her hand. “Mel, I wanted to ask you to go see the cover band with me.”
With a nervous laugh she said, “Adam, you hired me to be your matchmaker.”
“Well, I’m firing you,” he stated with simplicity. “You only need one when you have no idea where to look for someone to spend time with.”
She pulled her hand away and got up. Going to stand in front of the fireplace, she looked at the cold, empty hearth. “I don’t date.”
He got up and went to her side. “Then don’t call it a date. Just say you’ll spend time with me and have fun. We don’t need to label it, we can just enjoy time together.”
“I wouldn’t want to lead you on.” She glanced his way. “It wouldn’t be fair to you.”
He lightly touched her arm and turned her to face him. She looked into his eyes. Hers filled with a mixture of fear and maybe a little hope. “Let me worry about me. You’re the woman I’d like to spend time with.”
Mel remained silent.
“Agree to have dinner with me and we’ll see the band.” He gave her a big grin. “It’s just dinner.”
A tentative smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “We can go Dutch.”
He cocked his head. He had no intention of letting that happen, but that was something he wouldn’t get into now. He was raised in the old-fashioned way—the man paid for dinner.
“It sounds like we have plans for Friday night.” He stopped short of saying the word date.
Her face lit up. “I guess we do.”
“Great, I’ll pick you up at six forty-five.”
She nodded and smiled. “Is the place dressy?”
He let his gaze slide over her. “No, it’s casual, so anything you choose will be perfect.” He picked up his glass. “I need to get going, but I’ll see you Friday.”
“Sounds like we’ll have a lot of fun.” She took the glass from his hand and her fingers grazed his. He felt the warmth flow from her into him. This was exactly the right decision for both of them, and he would give her time to come to that same conclusion.
She walked him to the door. He could feel her watching him as he sauntered down the steps. She called after him, “Adam, I really am looking forward to Friday night.”
He turned to look at her, thrilled to see her eyes light up. “Me too, Mel.”
Friday night finally arrived and Adam picked her up exactly on time. She looked amazing in snug-fitting jeans, dark boots, a white top and suede jacket and long dangling earrings. He drove listening to Mel talk about her garden and other safe topics.
The restaurant came into sight. “Here we are.”
Mel unbuckled herself and opened the door, not waiting for Adam. “I’ve never been here before.” She looked around. “Looks like it’s going to be busy tonight.”
“Not to worry, we have a reservation. The acoustics are excellent.” Adam locked the truck and walked next to her. There was definitely a sizzle of electricity between them. He opened the door and they stepped into a buzz of activity.
While they waited for a table, Mel looked around. “This place is really hopping tonight. I’m not surprised, a Stones cover band would be popular.”
Before Adam could answer, they were shown to a table halfway into the room and off to one side. It had a good view of the stage, but they’d still be able to hear each other talk. Well, at least before the band started to play. It was as if the host knew they were on a date and was allowing them the opportunity to get to know each other.
After ordering cocktails, Mel perused the menu. “Do you have a favorite here?”
“The steak is always tender. I’ve also had a few nightly specials. I think you can’t go wrong no matter what you order.”
The drinks were delivered and they placed their order. The silence that settled over the table made Adam wonder what he should say next. Small talk was not his strong point.
With a nervous laugh, she said, “So this is what it’s like”—she did air quotes—“spending time together? It’s been a while for me.”
He groaned. “Mel, let’s just be ourselves. It’s just like any other time we’ve hung out.”
He could see her visibly relax. Placing a hand on his arm, she said, “Agreed.”
Melinda took a slow, deep breath. It did little to quiet her racing heart. Now that she and Adam agreed to treat the evening like any other time they had gotten together, she needed to relax. She stole a peek at him as she pretended to unfold her napkin over her lap. She had a hard time believing she had agreed to have dinner with him tonight. Not that she wasn’t excited. After all, it had taken her over an hour to decide what to wear. She smiled to herself. If he only knew.
“So, I wonder how many people will come to hear the band.” A nice safe topic, the band.
He took a quick look around as his eyes met hers. “I’ll bet it will be standing room only. I’m glad we came for dinner. We have great seats.”
The way he held her gaze did nothing to slow her heart rate. A man hadn’t looked at her like this since John. She broke the connection and looked at the stage. Could he sense her apprehension?
“Mel?” His voice was low as he touched her hand very lightly. “Are you okay?”
She nodded but couldn’t look him in the eye. She looked at his mouth. Her gaze slid up. She didn’t want to stare at his mouth, wondering what it would feel like if his lips touched hers.
With a shake of her head, she willed herself to look into his eyes. “I’m fine. It’s just that this is the first time I’ve gone on a date in a very long time.” She leaned in closer. “Am I doing it right?”
He chuckled. “This from the matchmaker.” He leaned in too and let his finger trace the line of her cheek to her chin. “You’re perfect.”
A long-forgotten sensation slipped over her. “You’re very sweet.”
With nerves on edge she picked up her glass and took a sip, breaking the moment. For now.
Mel stretched out on her bedcovers still dressed in her jeans and blouse, her boots were kicked off the moment she came into the door. What a night. Adam had been a total gentleman and let her set the pace of their date.
She squealed. She had been on a date! It felt good. Well, who was she trying to kid, it felt great! Tomorrow he was picking her up and they were having breakfast. There was something about his past he wanted to talk to her about. How was she going to fall asleep?
She replayed so many moments of the evening. The way his eyes grew big when she opened the door was the first of many moments where she felt an old familiar zing of excitement.