Love Enough For Two (Love Inspired) (14 page)

Matt couldn’t imagine Sierra being angry over something as inconsequential as ice cream on a shirt. She seemed, he thought, like a mother who wouldn’t sweat the small stuff, but who wouldn’t be a pushover, either.

And she’d never leave her child.

“You’ve got a nice mommy,” he said, opening the door to the washroom and ushering her inside.

“You know my mommy?” Maddie stood still while he wetted a paper towel and carefully wiped the stickiness from her face.

“I’ve met her,” Matt said, getting another paper towel for her hands.

“My mommy’s the prettiest mommy in the whole world,” Maddie announced. “Rev’nd Carl says so.”

Matt’s hand tightened around the paper towel and a knot formed in the pit of his stomach. Now that he was out of the picture, it didn’t surprise him that the good pastor wasn’t wasting any time making his move. “Does Reverend Carl come over to your apartment?”

Maddie nodded vigorously. “I like him. He plays Candy Land with me.”

Matt wasn’t sure what Candy Land was, but he didn’t ask. Interrogating a child just didn’t seem right.

He finished wiping her hands. “All done.”

“You’re a nice man.” Maddie stared at him without moving. “I like you.”

Matt smiled, surprisingly touched by the comment. “I like you, too.”

Libby was waiting with the documents in hand when they strolled back into the office. She eyed Maddie with a sharp, assessing gaze and nodded her approval before turning her attention back to Matt. “We’d better get going.”

“Are you going to be able to make the meeting Tuesday?” Matt asked. “I need to go over the final set of figures with you.”

“Tuesday?” Libby raised a questioning eyebrow. “Who’s all going to be at this meeting?”

“Just you and I,” Matt said. “You could stop by the office?”

Libby smiled. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“W
hy don’t you just call him?” Libby urged, leaning forward in her chair and almost spilling her glass of lemonade in the process.

Sierra shook her head. “It’s been over two weeks. If Matt wanted to see me or speak with me, he’d have called by now.”

“Maybe he’s scared,” Libby said. “Maybe he doesn’t know what to say. Maybe he—”

“Just doesn’t care,” Sierra finished the sentence, the thought sending a stab of pain straight through her heart.

The evening was mild and only the merest breeze stirred the air. Sierra enjoyed sitting on Libby’s veranda and chatting, as long as it wasn’t about Matt.

Despite her matter-of-fact words, being without Matt hurt. She missed him with an intensity that took her breath away. But it was over. She had to accept that fact. If she’d had any doubts, the phone’s silence had convinced her.

Though the last thing she wanted was to play the dating game, Carl had been coming around more often since Matt was out of the picture and she hadn’t the heart to send him away.

“Did I tell you Carl is taking me to lunch next week for my birthday?” Sierra tossed off the words as if they were of no consequence.

“You’re not going, are you?” Libby demanded. “Because you know if you do, he’ll get the wrong idea.”

“And what wrong idea would that be?”

“That you’re interested in him as a man, rather than just a friend.”

“Maybe I am.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’ve been thinking,” Sierra said slowly. “That maybe I should take my mother’s advice and encourage Carl. If you think about it, he is perfect for me.”

Carl was comfortable and predictable. He always called before he stopped over. And when he came, he never overstayed his welcome. So far, he hadn’t even tried to kiss her, although last night he
had
held her hand.

And it was like holding hands with a brother. Sierra immediately shoved aside the thought.

“He is not perfect for you,” Libby said. “You don’t love him.”

“Love is overrated.” And, it hurts, Sierra added silently.

“Since when is it overrated?”

“Since forever. It just took me a while to figure it out.”

“Well you’re not going out with him on your birthday,” Libby said. “You and I always go to lunch that day.”

“Last year was the first time,” Sierra said. “That hardly qualifies as always.”

“It was the start of a new tradition,” Libby said. “You’re just going to have to call Carl and tell him you can’t go.”

“’Fraid not,” Sierra said. “I already said yes and he’s made the reservations at Crane River.”

Libby shook her head. “I can’t believe you’re choosing Cootie Carl over me.”

“Libby,” Sierra said in a low warning tone.

“Okay, okay.” Libby heaved a melodramatic sigh and waved a dismissive hand. “It’s your birthday. Do as you want.”

“I appreciate your understanding,” Sierra said with a wry smile.

“Any time.” Libby heaved another sigh. “By the way, I’ll be confiscating Maddie on Tuesday.”

“And why would that be?” Sierra asked.

Though her friend loved Maddie dearly, Libby had never been particularly fond of watching the little girl. And this would be the second time in a week she’d asked to baby-sit.

“Birthday shopping,” Libby said with a mysterious air. “And even if you put ice picks under my fingernails, I won’t say more.”

Sierra shook her head and laughed. Her friend was definitely up to something, but it looked as if she was going to have to wait until her birthday to find out what.

Matt breathed a sigh of relief when Libby finished reading the last of the documents and signed her name with a flourish at the bottom.

When she’d arrived at his office with Maddie in tow, he’d been unable to hide his surprise. But Libby had quickly explained Maddie’s presence by saying that the two of them planned to do some birthday shopping for Sierra.

He’d expected the little girl to start chattering away as she had the other day, but instead she’d smiled shyly and settled down at his desk with a handful of crayons and a coloring book that Libby had brought with her.

Libby’s cell phone rang just as she handed Matt the last document. She answered her phone and her eyebrows immediately pulled together. “I’ll be right there.”

She stood. “I have to go. Carson has a crisis.”

Matt nodded and rose to his feet. “We’re all through here anyway.”

“You don’t mind, do you?” she asked. “I won’t be long. While I’m gone, maybe you two could think of a gift Maddie could give her mother.”

Matt realized he must have missed part of the conversation but before he could clarify, Libby was already at the door.

“Hey, aren’t you forgetting something?” He cast a pointed glance at Maddie, who still sat at the desk, her head bent over the coloring book.

Libby rolled her eyes. “Weren’t you listening? I said you’ll have to watch Maddie for me. I won’t be long. I promise.”

Panic rose inside Matt. He didn’t know the first thing about taking care of a four-year-old. “Libby, I can’t—”

But she was gone, out the door before he could even finish the sentence.

Matt raked his fingers through his hair and shifted his gaze back to Maddie. The little girl looked up, her eyes wide and innocent. “Do you want to color with me? I’ll give you the red.”

Matt glanced at the stack of work on his desk and then at his watch. He didn’t have time for coloring or for baby-sitting. His meeting with James Hanna was in fifteen minutes. If he left now, he’d still be able to make it.

Rachel should be able to handle Maddie. After all, hadn’t she told him she had two younger sisters?

But Maddie doesn’t know her. She might be scared.

The thought grabbed him and wouldn’t let go. Heaving a resigned sigh, Matt hit the intercom.

“Rachel, I need you to call Mr. Hanna and reschedule our meeting.”

His afternoon now free, Matt pulled a chair up to the desk and sat down next to Maddie. “Can I have a blue crayon, too?”

Maddie thought for a moment then shook her head. “Just red.”

After about ten minutes, she not only let him have the blue, but the green, as well. Still, Matt hadn’t really missed the other colors and he thought his red elephant looked quite nice.

A knock sounded at the door and Rachel popped her head inside. “Mr. Dixon, there’s a delivery for you. It’s…it’s quite large. Too big for the outer office.”

Matt paused in the middle of coloring a red moon. “Have it brought in here then.”

Setting down his crayon, Matt smiled at Maddie. “I wonder what it is?”

Maddie scrambled up from the chair, her eyes dancing with excitement. “A surprise?”

A man dressed in coveralls expertly wheeled a dolly through the door and deposited the cherry wood box on the floor.

“What’s this?” Matt asked.

“Didn’t they notify you?” The man handed Matt a delivery confirmation form. “You won the raffle.”

The man was out the door and on his way before Matt had a chance to blink.

“It’s boo-ti-ful,” Maddie crooned, her gaze openly admiring. “Pretty flowers.”

Matt glanced down, noticing for the first time that there were indeed tiny spring flowers sewn into the tapestry on the top of the chest.

Rachel wandered into the room and stared at the cherry wood box. “What is it?”

“It’s a hope chest,” Matt explained, much as Sierra had to him. “Women fill them with their hopes and dreams and their husbands make those dreams come true.”

“Sounds corny to me,” Rachel said with a laugh.

“I like it,” Maddie said, a stubborn tilt to her jaw.

“I like it too, princess.” Matt gave the girl an affectionate pat on the head.

“See.” Maddie glared at Rachel and her chin jutted out even farther. “
We
think it’s pretty.”

Rachel glanced helplessly at Matt. “I didn’t say it wasn’t pretty. Or that I didn’t like it.”

“I know you didn’t,” he said, in a reassuring tone.

Still, Matt couldn’t help but glance down at the little girl at his side and smile. The little spitfire was so much like her mother he couldn’t help but love her.

His heart skipped a beat at the realization. He’d as much as told Sierra he couldn’t love a child who wasn’t his, but in a matter of hours Maddie had made a mockery of his words. Without him knowing quite how, she’d stolen her way into his heart.

Loving Sierra carried with it great responsibilities, he realized. If he married Sierra, he would not only be responsible for making
her
dreams come true, but those of this little girl, as well. It was a daunting task and would likely be more than most men could handle.

But then, Matt reminded himself with a smile, he’d never been like most men.

Libby barely blinked an eye when Rachel informed her that Mr. Dixon was “in conference” with his father and didn’t want to be disturbed.

Instead, she rounded Rachel’s desk, rapped lightly on Matt’s office door and entered the room without waiting for an acknowledgement.

Maddie was at the desk contentedly cutting out pictures from a magazine while Matt and his father sat in the two matching wing chairs.

They stopped talking when she entered and rose to their feet.

“Did you get the crisis resolved?” Matt asked. A tiny smile hovered at the corners of his lips and a knowing look filled his gaze.

“Crisis?” Libby stammered, finding it impossible to concentrate with Lawrence Dixon’s steely gray eyes fixed on her. Even dressed casually in navy pants and a polo shirt, the man cut an imposing figure.

“At the restaurant?” Matt reminded her.

Libby waved one hand in the air and tried to collect her thoughts. “It was ridiculous,” she said. “A complete waste of my time. How did you and Maddie get along?”

“Fine,” Matt said, casting a quick glance at Maddie. “We got along just fine.”

“Is this Stella’s daughter?” Dix demanded.

Matt quickly introduced the two. It didn’t surprise him that his father would interrupt. Dix never had liked being on the sidelines.

Dix’s gaze swept approvingly over Libby. “You’re a beauty, just like your mother.”

Libby smiled. “Thank you.”

“Your mother and I were hoping you and Matt would get together.” Dix shrugged. “But I guess some things aren’t meant to be.”

Light dawned in Libby’s eyes. “Is that what her donation to the Advocacy Center was all about? Matchmaking?”

Dix chuckled. “You know Stella. Once she gets a notion she goes full speed ahead and money is no object. For a while I thought it was actually working. Until I found out that the woman my son fell in love with was someone who was only masquerading as you.”

“Fell in love?” Libby’s gaze shot to Matt. “You love Sierra?”

Matt nodded. “I do.”

“Why haven’t you told her?” Libby demanded.

“There were some things I had to work out.” Matt’s gaze lingered on Maddie.

“Maddie is a wonderful girl,” Libby said, her tone daring him to say anything different.

“Yes, she is,” Matt concurred. “And after what she’s been through, she deserves to have a father who loves her.”

Understanding flickered in the depths of Libby’s blue eyes. “You know about Jerry.”

“Dad was telling me about the case,” Matt said. “I’m surprised Sierra wanted anything to do with me, knowing my father defended the man.”

“Everyone is entitled to a defense,” Dix protested.

Matt shot his father a silencing glance. “Personally I agree with Sierra’s mother. The man should have been locked up for what he did.”

Matt’s stomach churned at the thought of anyone hurting such a sweet, innocent child. He could see why Sierra found it impossible to forgive the guy. And certainly why she’d divorced him.

Libby stared at Matt for a long moment.

“Sierra’s birthday is Tuesday,” she said. “She’s having lunch with Carl at Crane River. He wants to be the man in her life. You can’t let that happen.”

“You don’t like Carl?” Matt couldn’t hide his surprise. He’d thought everyone liked the minister. Even Rachel had raved about Carl after hearing him preach last Sunday.

“Sierra deserves to be with someone she loves,” Libby said. “And someone who loves her.”

“And you think that someone is me?”

Libby tilted her head and gazed up at him through lowered lashes. “Time will tell.”

The hostess at Crane River had no problem changing Carl’s reservation from two people to four and seating Rachel and Matt at the table to wait for their luncheon companions.

“Are you sure they won’t mind if we join them?” Rachel asked, a hint of unease in her tone.

“Not at all,” Matt said. “Carl will be happy to meet an adoring parishioner.”

Rachel blushed. “He’s a wonderful preacher.”

“And you think he’s cute,” Matt reminded her of what she’d told him earlier.

The pink in her cheeks turned rosy. “I hope you’re not going to tell him
that
.”

Matt winked and sipped his iced tea. “Nope. I’m going to leave that for you to do.”

The hostess stopped next to the table and Sierra’s breath caught in her throat. She turned an accusing gaze on Carl. “What’s going on here?”

“I don’t have a clue.” Carl’s gaze shifted to Matt and his companion then back to the hostess. “Our reservations were for two.”

His voice was strained and Sierra realized he’d had no part putting this chink in their plans.

Matt rose to his feet and smiled, directing his words to Carl. “I hope you don’t mind if we join you. This is Rachel Eaton, my new receptionist. She’s recently moved to Santa Barbara and joined your congregation. She’s been dying to meet you.”

“Mr. Dixon, please.” The woman blushed.

Matt finished the introductions and Carl glanced at Sierra, leaving it up to her whether they joined the twosome or left.

Sierra’s gaze shifted to Matt. The uncertainty in his eyes told her he was nowhere near as confident as he appeared. But it was the bald hope she glimpsed beneath the uncertainty that solidified her decision.