Chapter 15
The next day Melinda was at her desk chuckling over the impromptu ice cream get together with Adam. He had been so comical, practicing his opening line with her. She kept reminding him to relax and be himself. That was all he needed to do. He was a fun guy to hang out with; she could see how a girl would be smitten with him, if he would just be Adam.
She checked her email and was pleased to see she’d received a message from Beth. Scanning the contents, Beth had said the plan was to meet Adam for coffee at the ocean overlook on Sunday. Melinda made a note in her calendar to follow up with Beth on Monday. She had been very careful this time and re-interviewed Beth. She certainly didn’t want Adam to go through another lackluster first date.
She picked up a paperclip and toyed with it. She had to wonder what would Beth think when she met Adam in person. He was very handsome, a touch formal until he got to know you, and then he was utterly charming. At least that is how she saw him. Hopefully Beth would as well.
The sound of the electric saw distracted her. She glanced out a small office window. Adam was whistling as he worked. She returned to her chair and leaned back. It struck her as odd; why was she so invested in getting it just right for Adam? Yes, he was a client, but it was more than that. They had spent quite a bit of time together and had become good friends. This was the first time a personal friend was using her service.
She set the paperclip aside. That was all it was, they had become friends. She didn’t need to overanalyze everything.
Satisfied they were on the right track, she turned her attention to Nick and Gretchen. She was disappointed to see that other than a match based on physical attributes and the desire to discover new things, they didn’t have much in common. But Melinda had a hunch they might find discovering new things to do together would be a strong motivator.
She drafted an email to Nick, since he was the most particular of the pair.
Nick,
Enclosed please find a bio and contact information for Gretchen. I feel there is a strong potential for a connection. Please take a look and let me know what you think. If you’d like to pass, I have a couple of other matches to send to you.
All the best,
Melinda Phillips
It’s Just Coffee
She read it over and clicked send. She made the decision to not contact Gretchen. Melinda knew that she’d flock to Nick like a bee to honeysuckle.
The steady sounds of carpentry drifted in through the open window. Curious what was going on, Melinda pushed her chair back and went to look. Adam was loading small pieces of wood in a wheelbarrow. She could hear him singing a Motley Crue song, Home Sweet Home, loud and clear. He had a remarkably good voice.
She called out, “Can I interest you in something cold to drink?”
Adam flushed a very attractive shade of red. “How long have you been standing there?”
She could hear the teasing in his voice. She laughed, “Long enough to know you have a great set of pipes.”
Ignoring the compliment, he said, “Lemonade would be great, if you’ve got some made. Plain water has gotten boring.”
She smirked. “Your wish will be granted, oh master of carpentry.”
She sauntered into the kitchen and stirred up a fresh pitcher of lemon juice, ice and water. She poured two large glasses filled with lemon slices and a sprig of mint.
Adam appeared as she kicked the door open with her foot. Holding the screen for her he asked, “Did you just whip that up?” His smile warmed his eyes.
Melinda was pleased to see they still had that easy banter between them. “I had everything ready, so I just needed to give it a stir.” She handed him a glass as they crossed the grass to a couple of Adirondack chairs. She was admiring his handiwork. “The pergola looks amazing.”
Adam’s eyes followed her gaze. “We should add something to the back corner, maybe lattice. You’ll have no privacy in the fall when the leaves come down.”
Melinda’s smile dipped. “I really don’t like the look of lattice. I prefer climbing vines. Remember, I want to plant grapes.”
“I do, but they will take a few years to get established.” He paused.
She was surprised that she knew that look on his face: his wheels were turning.
“What if I drew something up to illustrate what I have in mind? If you don’t like it, no harm. If you do, I can get it done in a couple of days.”
“Well, I don’t know…”
Casually, he tossed out, “I’ve got time.”
“Adam, I’m sure you have other clients and I don’t want to hold you up.” She wouldn’t admit she looked forward to seeing his smiling face every day.
He held up his hand. “Mel, I was just”—his voice trailed off, he did a rewind motion, which made her grin. “Let’s try this again.”
She exhaled and smiled.
He touched her shoulder to draw her attention to the back of the yard. “So, we might be able to do something, besides lattice, in the back corner. Would you like for me to draw up a rough draft?”
“Absolutely.” She took a long drink of lemonade and smacked her lips. “Wow, that is tart! I forgot the sugar!”
Adam’s glass was half empty.
“How could you drink it?” she asked, laughing.
“Are you kidding? It’s perfect.” He grinned. “Tart, just like you.”
She could feel a flush rise in her cheeks. Eager to change the subject from this mild flirtation she said, “Well, since I’m the nosy one”— she grinned — “tell me about Sunday?”
“So you heard.” He shifted uncomfortably in the chair.
“I did, and it is good news.”
He shrugged. “When I called Beth and asked her for coffee, I suggested the diner and she suggested the beach.” He drained his glass and set it on the small table between them. “That’s about it.”
“Are you still looking forward to meeting her?”
Slowly, he nodded. “Sure I am.” He turned abruptly. “I’m just about done here for now, so I’m going to head home and get those drawings for you.
Melinda was enjoying the way the filtered sun danced over the patio and the company. “You’re rushing off already?” What are you doing? It sounds like you’re asking him to stay.
“I’m going to check on Skye; it’s her first day alone. I want to make sure she’s not getting into too much trouble.”
“You’re a real softie, aren’t you?”
“Only when it comes to animals, kids and nice people.” He picked up Mel’s glass. “I’ll set these in the kitchen on my way out and be back after lunch.”
Masking her disappointment, she said, “I’ll be here.” Melinda leaned back in her chair. “I’m going to sit right here, soak up the sun and enjoy my new pergola.”
Adam tugged a stray lock of her hair. She glanced up and her eyes met his. A long-forgotten sensation drifted through her.
He mumbled something that sounded like goodbye, and hurried into the house. Moments later, Melinda heard his truck roar down the street. She wondered what the heck that was all about, and why did she get a flock of butterflies dancing inside when his fingers grazed her hair?
During the short drive back to his place, Adam’s thoughts raced. What had he been thinking, letting his fingers have a mind of their own just to satisfy his curiosity? Her hair was as silky soft as it looked.
Melinda was his friend. But he was slowly recognizing his feelings for her were more complex. There was a connection that seemed to be growing stronger each time he was with her. He pulled into his driveway and sat. What was he going to do about it?
Stacey’s car pulled in next to him. She got out and waved. “Hey, Adam.”
He looked at her. “Hi, Stace.” He pushed open the truck door. “Any chance you have a couple of minutes?”
She closed her car door. “For you? Of course. Let’s sit out back.”
He followed her around the side of the garage. Stacey dropped her bag on the table and pulled a couple of deck chairs into the sun. Sitting down, she stretched her legs out, closed her eyes and tilted her face toward the sun. “Pure heaven.”
“Busy day at the office?” he asked.
“Our other dental hygienist is on vacation this week, so I’m booked solid. I was on the run from the minute I got there this morning. Thank heavens it was only a half day today.” Without looking at Adam, she asked, “What’s on your mind?”
Adam perched on the edge of the chair. “What do you know about Melinda?”
“She’s a great matchmaker and a very nice person.” Stacey opened one eye and looked at Adam. “Why?”
He clasped his hands together. Making a quick decision, he said, “My first match turned out to be a bust.”
“Did you expect lightening to strike the first time?” Stacey asked lightly.
He thought for a moment. That was what it had felt like when he met Melinda. Electric. “No. I guess not.” He leaned back in the chair. “I have another coffee date on Sunday and I was wondering if you and Will could drive by. What if she turns out to be as bad as the last one, I could use a wingman or two. We’re meeting at the overlook at the end of Shore Line Drive.”
“Why did you agree to meet there instead of someplace with more people?”
“She suggested it, and in the spur of the moment it didn’t seem like a bad idea, but now I’m having second thoughts. It’d be better to have an out.” He looked at Stacey. “I know planning for it to be a flop isn’t the best way to start things.”
She gave him a warm smile. “I did the same when Will and I met for the first time. We were at the luncheonette and I had Molly stop in on the ruse of picking up a takeout order.”
“Will never told me that.”
Stacey laughed. “I think he had a back-up plan too. I saw him wave to Mike, who had walked in for a to-go order.” She grinned. “I think that’s when I knew he was the guy for me.”
“That’s all it took?”
“We thought alike. We still do.”
“He never told me about Mike.”
Stacey gave Adam a sly smile. “I’m sure Will doesn’t realize how I know what he’s thinking pretty much all the time. Or if he does, it’s not something he’ll admit.”
He stood up. “Thanks, Stacey. I’ll let you know after I confirm with Beth. It’s tentatively at two.”
“Hey, give the process a chance and let Melinda work her magic. She really is one in a million.”
The image of her face made him smile inside. “Yes, she is.”
“Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“Why do you ask?”
“It’s just that when you talk about Melinda, you seem to smile a lot more. Is there something going on between the two of you?” Stacey sat up in her chair.
“We’re just friends.” Adam felt like he was a kid fibbing about a girl at school he had a crush on. Oh jeez, did he have a crush on Mel? “I need to go upstairs and check on Skye.”
“Be careful, Adam. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”
“Not to worry.” Adam gave her a smile while his heart gave a quick thud in his chest. “Catch you later.”
Mel continued to enjoy sitting on her patio. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander to Adam. Spending time with him made her think and feel things that she had considered long dormant. Images in her mind invariably turned to John. Loving and living with him for all those years were a gift. He had been her best friend, confidante and biggest cheerleader. When she’d struggled with her dissertation, he had made pots of coffee and read every page. When she had received her doctorate, he took her to the swankiest restaurant in Philadelphia and they spent the night at the Ritz. She remembered he had been so proud of her. He told everyone who would listen from the waiter to the front desk clerk to other guests what they were celebrating.
“Melinda?”
Her eyes flew up and she sat straight up. Her heart pounded in her chest. “Stacey, hi.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to startle you. I hope you don’t mind me just dropping by.” She held up a bottle of wine and two paper cups. “I was looking for some girl time.”
“Sure, join me.” Stacey handed her a cup and Mel looked her in the eye. “Seriously, if we’re drinking wine at lunch, we can’t drink out of paper. I’ll be right back.”
Melinda hurried into the house, her steps light with relief. It seemed like perfect timing as she was starting to drift down memory lane and that always ended with tears.
She took two clear wine glasses from the shelf and returned to where Stacey was sitting. She seemed to be taking in every detail of the pergola. “Adam is doing an amazing job.”
Mel beamed. “It’s coming out perfect. From the first time I looked at this house I thought it cried out for something exactly like this.” She held out the glasses for Stacey to pour the wine. “It’s as if Adam saw my vision, and then created it.”
Stacey nodded, accepting a glass. “That’s what I think Will does a lot too. It’s like we communicate without words.”
Melinda took her seat again and sipped the cool white wine. Over the rim of the glass she studied Stacey. “This is good.”
“It’s from a winery in Rhode Island. We got a case as a wedding present.” She held up her glass and took a sip. “At first I thought, who’d give wine as a gift? But after the first taste I was like, this is a great idea.”
Melinda went straight to the point. “Stacey, what’s on your mind?”
She feigned innocence. “What do you mean?” Her shoulders moved up and down as she held back a laugh. “All right, you got me. I’ve been thinking about this for a long time and I’m wondering why you don’t date.”
It was a good thing Melinda was sitting down as that was not what she expected Stacey to blurt out. What could she say to explain her decision? She looked off toward the hummingbird feeder hanging from the maple tree.
Her voice was soft. “John was the love of my life. He was generous, quick-tempered but the kind to get over it. He was a man you could count on. We were together for more than a decade. We were best friends as well as lovers. There hasn’t been a day that’s gone by that I didn’t feel lucky to have ben his wife.”
Stacey swirled the wine in her glass. “Do you think he would want you to be alone?”
Mel slowly shook her head. “Probably not. We never talked about the what ifs of life. You know, like the danger of his job. I’ve told myself you only get one great love in a lifetime. But lately I’ve been wondering am I really just protecting myself from getting hurt.”
“What’s made you change your mind?”
Melinda drank a little more wine. She needed time before she answered Stacey.
She shrugged as an image of Adam popped into her brain.
Stacey set her glass on the round, glass-topped table. “Have you considered plunging into the dating pool again?”
With a small laugh she said, “Jeez, you are blunt, aren’t you?”
“Why pussyfoot around? If you want an answer, why not just be direct?” Stacey’s eyes were bright. “If I lost Will, I would want you to help me find love again. When the time was right.”
“Have you guys talked about it? What you would do if one of you found yourself alone?”
Stacey leaned forward. “We have and we agree. If something were to happen, we both would want the other to find someone to share the rest of their life with. Humans aren’t meant to be closed off from others.” She grasped Mel’s hand. “Even friendships need the opportunity to blossom.”
Melinda was surprised tears didn’t well up in her eyes. Stacey was really and truly her friend. She squeezed Stacey’s hand. “You’ve given me a lot to think about.”
Stacey got up from the chair. “I need to run, but I’m glad I dropped in.”
Melinda stood up. Stacey pulled her in for a hug. “My door is always open. It’s time to let yourself be surrounded with love.” She pulled back and winked. “Who knows maybe your super matchmaker skills will point you in the direction for a new relationship.”
Melinda watched as Stacey walked back to her car with the promise of getting together soon. She sank to the chair—she had a lot to think about.