A Match Made by Cupid (Harlequin Special Edition) (15 page)

“You be quiet. I’m asking them.” Now Doreen rested her questioning gaze on Melanie.

Swallowing, Melanie darted a glance toward Jace, thinking she’d let him answer this one. But he was looking at her with arched eyebrows and that cocky grin she sometimes loved and sometimes hated. Fine. She’d handle this, then. No problem.

“Why do you think we might be a couple?” she asked Doreen.

Doreen lifted her frail shoulders in a shrug. “Oh, it’s written all over you. Your body language, the way you both sneak glances at each other and…this might sound silly, but you look as if you belong with each other.”

“Body language?” Melanie gurgled. “What body language?”

“I think she means how you keep brushing your leg against mine, Mello Yello,” Jace said, a teasing lilt to his voice. “I noticed that, too.”

Red-hot heat coursed through Melanie’s face. “I…um—”

“And the way you touch her shoulder or her arm every so often, as if to reassure yourself that she’s here with you,” Doreen said to Jace. “That’s how Patrick is with me.”

Finding her voice, Melanie said, “That’s sweet. Really sweet, actually. But Jace and I are—”

“Dating,” Jace filled in without so much as a peek in Melanie’s direction. “But we’re in the early stages of our…um....relationship, so your astute appraisal took us off guard.”

Doreen’s smile widened into one of delight. “Well, isn’t that wonderful. I wish both of you the best. You’re such a cute couple.”

“You’re embarrassing them now, Doreen,” Patrick said, saving the day. He nodded at Jace. “You’ll have to join me on the golf course one of these days.”

To Melanie’s great relief, the two men launched into another discussion about golf. Smiling faintly at Doreen, she said, “I still can’t get over fifty-two years of marriage. Though I suppose after a while everything settles into an easy rhythm.”

The corners of Doreen’s lips twitched. “I suppose there’s some truth to that. But there are days when you wonder if your relationship will make it another week, let alone another year.”

“How do you combat that?”

Now Doreen grew serious. “By choosing to stay married every single day. By remembering that we’re partners, that we love each other.”

Melanie swallowed heavily, thinking of her father. “It can’t be that easy.”

“I never said it was easy,” the older woman said, her voice gentle. “But we’re stronger together than we would be apart. A good marriage is worth fighting for.”

Jace cleared his throat. “Ready to go, Mel?”

She nodded and stood. Once she and Jace were outside, Melanie narrowed her eyes. “I was
not
pressing my leg against yours.”

“You absolutely were. I thought you might scoot over and crawl in my lap. Alas, that wasn’t the case. But,” Jace said with a sidelong glance as they approached their cars, “I don’t recall touching your arm and shoulder repeatedly.”

“You did. Like every two minutes.” Okay, maybe it was closer to ten. “I kept thinking you were trying to get my attention, but no. You were just manhandling me.”

Grasping her shoulders lightly, Jace turned her toward him. “If I didn’t have an errand to run for my brother, I would take you home and charm you with my sexy smile. Then I would carry you to bed and show you what I consider manhandling. Based on the other night, I’m guessing you’d enjoy it. I know I would.”

Oh! Just, oh! “Well, then I guess it’s your loss that you have an errand.” How could she want to slap him and kiss him at the same time? “You’re impossible.”

“Your loss, too.” Jace grinned, stepped back and rounded to the driver’s side of his car. “By the way, I wasn’t trying to pacify the Breckenridges. In my mind, we
are
dating. Which means that you should expect to be wooed. Oh, and we’re having dinner with my brother and his wife…Saturday night at six. Are you free?”

“Saturday. Uh-huh,” she said weakly. They were
dating?
And he was going to
woo
her?

“Perfect. I’ll pick you up around five-thirty.”

With that, he donned his sunglasses, waved and drove off. Melanie stood there and stared for a good thirty seconds before her legs felt capable of moving. A pressure she hadn’t realized existed lifted off of her shoulders. Well. This was an interesting turn of developments.

Maybe…just maybe, she’d go along for the ride and see where it took her. As long as she remained cautious, what could it hurt?

Chapter Nine

T
he rest of the week seemed to be attached to wings, flying by so fast that before Melanie realized it, the weekend was upon her. And that meant a date with Jace. She didn’t bother pretending she wasn’t excited. Nor did she consider their evening a business function, even if the original reason for meeting Grady and Olivia was because of the Valentine’s Day feature.

Her eyes darted to her bedroom clock. Five-fifteen. Ack. He’d be here soon. She’d already checked her hair—which she’d chosen to wear loose around her face—and her cosmetics three times in the last fifteen minutes. She’d changed from jeans paired with a sweater to a somewhat revealing dress and back again in the same fifteen-minute span. Now she was strongly considering the dress again. Simple and casual or slightly sexy and feminine?

Dammit. She wished she had more experience with the dating game, but she hadn’t been out on a true date for over a year. In fact, the only reason she had the box of condoms in her bathroom was because Tara had given them to her as a gag gift on New Year’s Eve.

Hmm. She was really going to have to thank her friend for that.

Melanie had just decided to go for the dress when her phone rang. It was her mother. “Hey, Mom. Are you okay?” she asked as a greeting. “I’ve left you three messages today.”

“Quit being such a worrywart,” Loretta said, her tone brisk but not unkind. “I work on Saturdays, and I’m planning a wedding. I called you back as soon as I could.”

It had now been over two weeks since Melanie had last seen her mother, which was an odd occurrence—though being happy and engaged probably had a lot to do with that. “Sorry. I’m used to us talking more often, that’s all.”

Loretta’s voice softened. “I know, dear. I’ve just been busy and trying to keep everything together and moving forward. But I miss you, too. How are you?”

Hmm. Her mother didn’t exactly keep it to herself when life wasn’t going well. If she claimed to be fine, she probably was. “Good. I have a…date tonight.” Wow. Saying that was easier than Melanie expected. “With Jace.”

“Oh, darling! That’s wonderful! I won’t keep you, but I…finally backed Wade into a corner. We’d love to meet you for a late lunch tomorrow.”

“You had to back him into a corner to meet his future stepdaughter?” All of Melanie’s worries about her mother’s fiancé crawled to the surface. “You’d think he’d want to meet me.”

“I…was speaking more about his schedule. Why, I’ve barely seen him this past week, myself. But of course he wants to meet you! Don’t be silly, Melanie.” Loretta paused for a millisecond, as if to gather her thoughts. Then, “About tomorrow? Say around two. Does that work for you? Oh, and you should bring Jace with you.”

“That’s fine, and sure…I’ll ask Jace.” Hey, he was the one who’d declared they were dating. It was completely appropriate to ask him along. “Where at?” After agreeing on a local restaurant, Melanie said, “You’re sure everything’s okay, Mom? You sound a little off.”

The slightest of sighs came through the line. “You need to stop fretting over me. Enjoy yourself tonight, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

It wasn’t until they hung up that Melanie realized her mother hadn’t actually answered the question. Loretta also hadn’t quizzed her endlessly on Jace, nor had she buzzed with excitement over wedding plans. Crap. Something
was
wrong.

She almost called her mother back, but decided not to. Loretta probably wouldn’t say anything more than she already had. Besides, what if Melanie was wrong? Better to wait until tomorrow, when she’d see Mom in person. And of course, she’d also be meeting Wade. Finally.

For her mom’s sake, Melanie really hoped she liked him.

“I assumed we were meeting them at a restaurant,” Melanie said as Jace pulled into the driveway of a green-shingled Victorian house not so far from where she lived in Northeast Portland. “Not their home.”

Switching off the ignition, Jace said, “This is my parents’ house, not Grady and Olivia’s.”

“What?” Every inch of her skin grew clammy at the realization that she was meeting his parents, his brother and his sister-in-law in one fell swoop. “You should have warned me.”

“So you could say no?” Jace turned toward her and shook his head. “Trust me, Mel. My family is awesome, and…I really want them to meet you. They know—” He broke off and shook his head, as if reconsidering whether he should voice his thoughts.

“They know what?” she prodded.

“That I’m crazy about you. My mother would never let me forget it if I introduced you to Grady and Olivia before her. Besides, I’ve met
your
mother.”

And there he went being Mr. Sweet again. Who was the real Jace, anyway? She held back a sigh, knowing she couldn’t really fuss. They were already here
and
he hadn’t objected to going for lunch with her mother and Wade. Still. “You should have warned me.”

“Probably.” Skimming his fingers lightly through her hair, he tossed her a boyish grin. “But you’ll forgive me, won’t you?”

Her stomach flip-flopped. Damn that smile of his, anyway. “Yes.”

“That’s my girl.” He unsnapped her seat belt before leaning over to open her door.

Melanie exited the car and joined Jace on the path that led to the front porch. She pushed her hands into her pockets. “I’m nervous,” she admitted. “I haven’t ever really done the meet-the-parents thing. Well, once. But that was for my high school prom, and only because my date’s parents insisted on taking pictures.”

Strong, warm fingers clasped around her wrist. Jace pulled one of her hands out of her pocket and wrapped it in his. “Then you have one on me. I’ve never brought a woman home. Not even for prom. Believe it or not, Mel, I’m nervous, too.”

They were on the porch before his statement processed. “Never?”

“As in zero. Never had a reason to.” He twisted the doorknob. “Until now.”

“Because of the Valentine’s Day article. Right.”

“No,” he said as he pushed open the front door. “Because of you. Because we’re dating. Because it’s important that you meet my family. The article is secondary.”

She gaped at him. Of course he would drop that bomb when she didn’t have time to process, consider or weigh every word spoken. Let alone decide how she felt about them.

They entered a foyer that had a living room to the left and a staircase to the right. After hanging up their coats, Jace led her to the living room, where he introduced her to his father.

John Foster had the look of a man who’d worked hard his entire life and had enjoyed every minute of it. Tall and broad-shouldered, his bright blue eyes were welcoming as he shook Melanie’s hand. That, along with his red flannel shirt and snowy-white hair, brought Santa Claus to mind—albeit a well-groomed and extremely fit variation.

“We’re so happy to have you here, Melanie,” John said. “We’ve heard a lot about you.”

Melanie raised a questioning brow at Jace. “I hope only good things.”

“I suppose,” John said with a light grin, “that depends on your definition of
good.
”

“Oh, quit teasing the poor girl.” A woman entered from the dining room. She had a slender figure, gray-peppered dark blond hair, warm cinnamon eyes and a smile that brought a soft beauty to her face. “You’ll have to forgive my husband, Melanie. He likes to keep people on their toes.” She stopped in front of her. “I’m Jace’s mother, Karen. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you, too,” Melanie said, trying hard to combat her nervousness. A quiet strength emanated off of Jace’s mother, as well as a great deal of curiosity about the girl her son had brought home. “Thank you for having me for dinner.”

Before Karen could respond, the front door opened and two laughing voices trailed in. Grady and Olivia, Melanie presumed.

Jace pulled Olivia into a quick hug the second she emerged from the foyer. When he released her, he asked, “Is my brother taking good care of you and my niece- or nephew-to-be?”

Olivia’s wide-set blue eyes beamed with happiness. Placing her hand on her flat stomach, she said, “He is. Though he acts as if the baby will be here tomorrow instead of in August. He’s gone a bit overboard on the baby books.” She tucked a loose strand of long, dark brown hair behind one ear, saying, “Don’t get him started tonight, or you’ll learn more about the birthing process than anyone—including me—ever needs to know.”

“What? I can’t be excited?” Grady asked as he stepped through the archway. “Not a damn thing wrong with being prepared.”

John and Karen joined the mix, giving hugs and asking questions. Melanie was too stunned by the resemblance between the Foster brothers to move. Her gaze flipped from Jace to Grady and back again. If she had bumped into Grady on the street somewhere, she would’ve known in a heartbeat that they shared the same gene pool.

They were close in height and build, had the same hair and eye color, and jeez—their voices were almost carbon copies of one another. There were differences, though. Jace held himself in a relaxed confidence, while Grady’s stance was focused and watchful. Grady wore his hair shorter and less shaggy than Jace did, and somehow Jace’s features were a tad gentler than his brother’s, his jaw a smidge less angled.

While the differences were minimal, and there wasn’t a reasonable explanation as to why, she found Jace the more attractive of the two.

Jace, apparently noticing that Melanie hadn’t budged, beckoned for her to join them. Okay. She could do that. They were just people, for crying out loud. Pasting on a smile, she firmed her shoulders and pushed herself forward.

Grady’s gaze found her. Smiling broadly, he said, “You must be Melanie. Sorry my dimwit brother didn’t introduce us, but I’m Grady and this is Olivia.”

“I kind of figured,” Melanie said, returning the smile. “And wow. I’ve never heard anyone refer to Jace as being dim-witted. He’s the man-who-can-do-no-wrong at the
Gazette
.”

A rumble of laughter erupted from Grady. He gave her a wink. “Before too long, you’ll know all of Jace’s stories. Then you can blow his cover wide open at work.”

“Hey, hey, hey,” Jace said, coming to Melanie’s side and wrapping his arm around her waist. “Remember I know all of your stories, too. And unlike you, I have a medium in which to share those stories with a much larger audience.”

Grady laughed again. “Uh-huh. You do that, bro.”

“Is that a dare?” Jace asked good-naturedly. “Because if it is—”

“How old are you two?” Melanie interrupted, loving the back-and-forth between brothers. “Eight? Ten? Because I know two men in their thirties are not about to double dare each other.”

Grady and Jace grinned at each other and shrugged. “Nothing wrong with a good double dare,” Grady said. “Besides, he’s used that same threat for years and has never followed through. Can’t say I’m all that worried.”

“Is that so?” Jace punched his brother lightly on the shoulder. “But you’re not thinking about the Valentine’s Day piece that your lovely wife has already agreed to. Who knows what type of interesting tidbits I could drop into that?”

Melanie’s lips twitched when Grady sent her a pleading look. “Yeah, but
you’re
not thinking that you need Melanie’s approval first. That is what you said, right?” Jace narrowed his eyes in mock annoyance and nodded. Angling his arms across his chest, Grady continued, “Seeing as she’s sure to side with me, I’m still not worried.”

“Oh, for goodness’ sake. Melanie’s right. You’d never guess that you two are grown men.” Karen’s firm voice also held a noticeable tinge of amusement at her sons’ antics. “Knock it off or there will be no dessert for either of you. Now, though, let’s go eat dinner.”

Everyone began to drift toward the dining room. Olivia sidled into place next to Melanie, saying, “They go at each other like that all the time, but it’s how they show their love.” She shrugged. “In truth, they’d do just about anything for each other.”

“I caught that,” Melanie said. “And I know Jace worries a lot about Seth. Grady probably does, too.”

“We all do,” Olivia said. “But he’ll be home by early June. We’re all just counting the days and keeping him in our prayers.”

They reached the dining room, and Olivia went to take the seat next to her husband. The center of the table was filled with bowls and platters of food. Pot roast and all the fixings, from what Melanie could tell. Jace stopped next to her, leaned over and kissed the top of her head in full view of the rest of his family. All of a sudden, every eye was on her. On
them
.

Jace didn’t seem to notice. It bothered Melanie, though. She’d never been comfortable with public displays of affection, and Jace seemed to thrive on them. Besides which, she’d barely met his family, so a kiss—even one similar to that you’d give a child—flustered her. She sent him a scathing look, hoped he got the message and followed him to the table.

Soon everyone was chattering about one topic or another as they ate. Jace extracted information from Grady and Olivia about their relationship for Melanie’s benefit. She knew he really wanted to include them as one of the couples in the feature, and honestly, she no longer objected. Not only did she like Grady and Olivia, but come on, she’d already slept with Jace. Losing the bet now seemed inconsequential to the possibility of losing her heart.