A Needful Heart (9 page)

Matt felt his own lips tip up slightly. “You
don’t believe me?”

“I believe you. I don’t think you have to do
all that, though. I mean, they’re just cookies.”

Matt abruptly sobered. They
were
just
cookies, but he was trying to attach a sentimentality to them that
wasn’t there. Nobody had ever made him cookies before. Looking at
her now, he realized she may not have even made them for him.
Ridiculous hurt poured through him as he realized he was acting
like an idiot.

Gina reached out and rested her left hand on
his crossed arms.

“Matt, I’ll make you cookies anytime. But you
certainly don’t have to pay me for them. Or roof my house.” A
thoughtful look came over her face, and her eyes twinkled. “I may
let you change my oil, though. I think I’m a few hundred over.”

A rusty chuckle burst from him, surprising
them both. Gina laughed with him and wrapped her arms around him in
a hug. Matt allowed himself a few seconds to enjoy the feeling,
even going so far as to bury his nose in her hair and inhale the
fragrance before he pulled back. Gina let him go without complaint.
She stepped to the counter, snagged two more cookies and pressed
them into his hand. “Here. These should hold you till lunch.”

Matt nodded and turned away. He paused at the
door. “Gina, I uh…” He stopped and shook his head, at a loss for
what to say. “Thank you for the cookies.”

“You’re welcome,” she whispered, but he was
already gone.

Matt Calvin was tearing her to pieces, and
breaking her heart one little chunk at a time. It was so difficult
to remain emotionally reserved. Desire danced in her blood, just
from that small hug. Gina knew if she tried to move too fast, he
would be gone. And she didn’t want to spook him.

She finished the cookies and made Matt an
easy lunch of ham sandwiches, but she didn’t stay to chat. After
commenting on the progress of the stairs, she forced herself to
walk away. When she looked at the supplies on the counter, she
decided she didn’t want anything herself right then. Her arm ached,
and her tummy was a little nauseous. She shoved everything in the
fridge and popped a couple of ibuprofen as she straightened the
kitchen. Tiredness dragged at her, and she decided to lay down for
a little bit on the couch in the living room. There she would be
close enough to hear Matt work, but not in his direct line of
sight.

The poufy couch and Matt’s noises lulled her
into sleep almost immediately.

Gina was roused seconds later when her cell
phone rang in her pocket. She fumbled it out and tapped the screen.
The display told her she had actually been asleep for almost two
hours, and this was the second call from her mother.

“Yes, Mom.”

Linda Carruther’s voice on the other end of
the line was nauseatingly chirpy. “Hello, dear. I didn’t think you
were going to answer. I called earlier.”

Gina rubbed her eyes with her casted fingers.
“I know, Mom. I was asleep on the couch and didn’t hear it the
first time.”

“Oh, okay.” Her mother didn’t sound appeased.
“Well, did you get my voicemail?”

“No, Mom. I literally just woke up. Haven’t
had a chance to do anything. What did your voicemail say?”

Sighing the way she always did when everybody
else wasn’t following along with
her
program, Linda repeated
the message, relating party details and an updated list. Gina was
still drowsy, but her ears sharpened when she heard her mother say
‘date’.

“Wait a minute, Mom. What did you say?”

“Just that I got you a date dear. A really
nice man from the fitness club I go to.”

Gina groaned and squeezed her eyes shut. “You
didn’t.”

“Grayson is a wonderful man, and I expect you
to be nice to him.”

Gina counted to ten, struggling to control
her mouth. She knew her mother was only trying to do what she
thought was best, but it still pissed her off. “Mom, I’m not a
child. You can’t just set me up on a date without asking me.
Especially with some guy you don’t even know.”

“Oh, but I do know him dear, from the fitness
club,” she repeated. “He’s wonderful, actually. A doctor. I’ve
spoken with him several times, and I think he would be perfect for
you.”

“Mom,” Gina spoke through clenched teeth, “I
don’t care if he’s a doctor. I don’t care if he’s a lawyer. I don’t
care if he’s a multi-gazillionaire. I pick my dates. Not you.”

Silence stretched on the other end of the
line, and Gina knew what was coming. The wounded, ‘I’m just trying
to do what’s best for you’ act. So many times over the years she
had heard the same thing. Gina loved her mother, she really did,
but certain things got on her nerves.

“Besides,” she said quickly, “I already have
a date for the cookout.”

Gina’s eyes widened as she realized what she
had done. Her mother gasped on the other end of the line.

“What do you mean you have a date? Since when
are you dating?”

The doubt was thinly veiled, and Gina had to
admit, she hadn’t been dating much recently. It had all gotten
boring, and the men were always the same.

“Just recently, Mom, and he’s very nice. A,
uh--” Gina gulped before plunging in with both feet, “--carpenter
actually. His name is Matt, and he’s very nice.” Her eyes slammed
shut when she realized she’d said he was nice twice. “So there’s no
need for you to set me up on a date, because I already have
one.”

Gina realized there was no noise in the
hallway, and when she opened her eyes, Matt was standing at the
doorjamb glaring at her, brows furrowed dangerously. Mortification
burned through Gina, and it was all she could do to get off the
phone with her mother. “Mom, I have to go, I have, uh, an issue.
I’ll talk to you later.”

She quickly pressed the screen to disconnect
the phone and sat up on the couch. Searing heat burned her cheeks
as she looked up at him with a forced smile.

“Um, that was my mother.”

Matt regarded her carefully, not saying
anything. There was a small screwdriver clenched in his left fist
at his side, and his knuckles were white.

“She set me up with some schmuck, and I
didn’t want to do it. I told her I was dating you.” A fresh wave of
embarrassment burned her cheeks. “Matt, would you mind going to my
sister’s sweet-sixteen birthday party cookout? With me?”

Matt looked down at the floor and was quiet
for a very long time.

“I don’t know that it’s a very good idea, but
yes, I’ll go with you.”

Without another word, he disappeared. A power
something-or-other started up outside the room.

Stale air burst from her lungs in a rush, and
the heat in her face receded. Certainly not the smoothest of
invitations, but he had agreed to go. The aggravation on his face
had been plain to see, but she had panicked. She didn’t want to
face a pity date.

Shit. That’s what she herself had just set
up.

Groaning, Gina covered her face with her
hands. Why the hell had she said Matt’s name? Her mother would be
frothing at the mouth right now, dying to know who he was, how they
had met, and so many other innocuous details.

She debated calling her back to say she had
been wrong; Matt wouldn’t be going with her. But that would be the
coward’s way of dealing. And she wasn’t a coward. But she
would
go back on her word if Matt wanted her to.

Saying that in her head over and over, she
crossed to the doorway.

Matt had set up a saw-horse on the porch and
was just getting ready to cut through a board with a circular saw
when she came to the front door. He looked up without saying
anything.

“I’m sorry I set you up like that,” she told
him softly. “I was looking for a way out of a difficult situation,
and I used you. If you don’t want to go, I’ll call my mother back
right now and get you out of it.”

Matt looked down at the saw in his hands. One
thumb ran over a gash in the plastic handle.

“Maybe you should listen to your mother. I
mean, if the guy’s a doctor, you should be open-minded.”

Shock rocked her back on her heels. “You want
me to go on a date with some guy I don’t even know? Just because
he’s a doctor?”

Matt shrugged and shifted on his feet. Then
his face closed down, and he looked almost angry. “Yes. Because
he’s a doctor. You’re a great woman. You’d make a wonderful
doctor’s wife.”

Gina decided she didn’t know Matt at all. Why
would he even suggest that? She knew her mouth was open in shock,
but she couldn’t seem to get her mind around what he’d said. Hurt
came to the forefront as she realized he didn’t even want to go on
a date with her. Her eyes filled with tears. She turned to the
screen door to let herself in. “I’ll call my mother, then, to let
her know,” she gasped out, before she slipped inside.

She was jerked to a stop as her arm was
caught and she was spun around. Matt gentled his touch immediately,
but he pushed her back against the entryway wall. His face was
contorted with anger.

“No, I fucking don’t want you to go out with
a damn doctor, but I want you to be happy.”

Gina’s heart softened, because she knew he
meant every word.

“A doctor wouldn’t make me happy, Matt. A man
who would love me and be there for me would make me happy, and
believe me, I know doctors. They work terrible hours and usually
have terrible home lives. And if Mom met him at the club, he’s
either obsessive about his health or vain. Neither of which I can
put up with.” She smiled at him and motioned to her hips. “He
probably wouldn’t even let me make cookies.”

Matt’s expression eased, but he still held
her shoulders. Now the hold was gentle, though, as if he didn’t
want to let her go.

“I want you to make cookies,” he
admitted.

Her smile broadened. “That’s why I like you
so much.”

Her words made him frown. “Gina, I’m not good
for you. I think I would hurt you, whether I meant to or not.” His
hands fell away, and he stepped back. “I don’t do relationships. I
wouldn’t even know what to do in one.”

Gina forced herself to shrug lightly, in
spite of her wounded feelings. “So let’s just be friends and see
where it takes us. There doesn’t have to be any serious talk. Let’s
just help each other out.” Smiling up at him, she winked at him
with one eye. “You go to the barbeque with me, and I’ll keep you
rolling in cookies.”

Matt smiled reluctantly. “Okay, I’ll go to
your barbeque.”

Gina made herself stand still and not reach
out to hug him in gratitude.

“Thank you. Actually, the grill-out is
secondary. It’s my sister Charli’s sixteenth birthday party. It’s a
big deal for her, so we’re trying to make it special. It’s going to
be kind of an all day thing,” she warned. “I think we’ll probably
get there in the afternoon, spend the night and drive home in the
morning, if that’s okay with you.”

Matt winced. “I didn’t even ask you where it
was.”

“Outside of Dayton, about half an hour east
of the city.”

He nodded and stepped even further back.
“Just let me know when you want to leave and the details
later.”

He turned and pushed open the screen door to
the porch.

“I will,” she answered. He waved as he let
the door slam shut.

Gina leaned against the wall and listened to
him saw the board he had abandoned. Matt Calvin was a good man,
whether he knew it or not.

Now she just had to convince him of that.

Dr. Graham called Gina that night, after Matt
had gone home, and asked her how she was feeling. He suggested she
start out at half-days on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, then full
days the latter part of the week. The suggestion worked for Gina,
even though she knew the girls would be especially busy without her
there. Her arm still ached and had begun to itch now as well.

The stairs were not done yet, but Matt had
promised to be over Monday afternoon when she got home from work.
He said if he weren’t done by then, Tuesday definitely. The
deadline depressed Gina. She was getting used to his gentle smiles
and big appetite, and genuinely enjoyed having him in the
house.

Gabe didn’t come over for a couple days.
During the day he was at school, and after school Chuck had loaded
more chores onto him. Gina didn’t like it, but at least she wasn’t
getting him into trouble. She checked on him at night, just like
she always did, and reassured herself he was okay.

Matt called her on Tuesday to reschedule. One
of his regular clients had had a tree fall through their house and
it was exposed to the elements until Matt could get it repaired.
Gina told him to do what needed to be done. Her banister wasn’t
going anywhere.

She answered his call eagerly on Wednesday,
hopeful that he would tell her he’d be over that evening. But it
wasn’t to be. There’d been a delay, and he wouldn’t be able to work
on her house until the next day. Trying desperately to act
unconcerned, she told him to let himself in whenever he could get
there.

Thursday afternoon after her first full day
of work, she dragged herself in the front door, dropped her keys to
the table and collapsed onto the couch. Sleep claimed her almost
instantly.

Tugging on her hair woke her up. The
afternoon sun shone in her front window, and Matt knelt on the
floor in front of her. Happiness bloomed in her chest at the sight
of his hat-less head and slight smile. His hand withdrew when she
opened her eyes, and Gina was tempted to close them again just so
he would touch her. It felt wonderful, soothing and tantalizing all
at once.

Smiling, she pushed her hair out of her face
and sat up on the couch. She glanced at the clock on the fireplace
mantle and gasped. Six o’clock. She had gotten home at four.

“I’m sorry to wake you up,” he told her, “but
you’ve been asleep for hours, and I didn’t think you’d get much
rest tonight if you slept any longer. I ordered pizza for dinner.
Hope you don’t mind.”