Matching Mr. Right (Rocky Mountain Matchmaker Series Book 1) (22 page)

“Nope.” Lori held up her hand. “I understand. Beth purposely made it sound like she and Nick were going on a date, of course you were upset. I was mad at Nick too, until I calmed down a bit and thought about it. Nick was just being . . . Nick. He can be kinda clueless sometimes, but he actually meant well with the spying.”

Meant well?
Was
she pulling an Elizabeth Bennet on Nick? Jo said there might be more to the story.

Didn’t matter. Nick wasn’t the right guy, as much as her heart kept telling her so, she needed to listen to her sensible brain.

Emily ran toward her with her arms spread wide. “Hi, Shelby.”

She lifted Emily up and gave her a tight hug. “Hi, Em. Happy birthday! Are you having fun?”

Emily nodded “Yeah. But I miss Uncle Nick.”

“I know, kiddo. But hey”—Shelby lifted her bag of books—“wanna pick out which books to give to your friends and then I’ll sign them?”

“Okay.” A big smile formed on Em’s face as she dug through the bag. Lori wrangled all the little girls and managed to organize a line.

Em, seated on Shelby’s lap and excited to help, held the book open to the right page for her to sign. Emily’s hair smelled like Johnson’s baby shampoo and something sweet, a little like . . . cake. Shelby drew a deep breath and imprinted the memory. She hated that she probably wouldn’t see Em much anymore.

Just as she signed the last book, Emily pointed and screeched, “Look. It’s Chester!”

When Shelby spotted the six-foot-tall monkey carrying a present, she smiled. She hadn’t seen that character when she’d come in. Must be part of the birthday package Nick paid for. It was nice he thought to get Emily a monkey that looked so much like Chester.

Emily squiggled out of Shelby’s lap and dropped to the floor. She ran full tilt toward the monkey, dodging all the other kids in her path. The monkey leaned down and opened its arms wide. Emily screeched with joy as the monkey picked her up and swung her around.

As depressed as Shelby had been the last few days, it felt good to smile. The happiness on Emily’s face made it hard not to. Maybe this place wasn’t so bad after all.

After the monkey set Em down, he handed her the present at his feet. She picked it up and added it to all the others on her table. “Mommy, Chester is going to play games with us now.”

“Okay, have fun.” Lori waved at Emily as she slid next to Shelby on the aluminum bench. All the kids gathered around the monkey, who picked each of them up and gave them a big twirl. “Nick must’ve really been feeling guilty about missing the party. That monkey had to cost a bunch extra.”

Shelby shrugged. “Yeah, but he needs to learn he can’t throw money at a situation and make it better. He should’ve made the effort to be here.”

Lori’s mom and dad joined them. Linda said, “I totally agree. This is a fun party, Lori.”

When the monkey picked Emily up and carried her over to the skeeball machines, Shelby turned to Lori. “So, Jo mentioned something about you selling your client list?”

Lori nodded. “I loved being a matchmaker, but life got in the way. I needed to make more than my business was pulling in to be sure Em can go to college one day. But I’ll really miss the people. And proving my gut feelings were right when they end up together. You know the feeling, right?”

Shelby shook her head. “I don’t have the gut thing, my matches are based on algorithms. But I know what you mean about the excitement of matching the right people. It’s an awesome feeling to be a part of that.”

“I had a good feeling about you and Nick.” She held a hand out in her parents’ direction. “We’re all sorry things didn’t work out.”

“Yeah.” Shelby sighed. “Me too.”

Nick had the nicest family. It always made her heart ache a little when she spent time with them. Since losing hers, she’d always longed to be a part of a family again. But that wasn’t happening anytime soon.

Suddenly the monkey and Emily appeared in front of Lori. A muffled voice from inside said, “This is for you, Emily’s mom.”

“A present for me?” She reached out and peeked inside the big gift bag the monkey held out. Lori pulled out a stack of papers, frowning as she studied the note attached.

“What have you got there, Lori?” Nick’s dad asked.

“It’s my client list.” Lori’s head whipped up and she blinked at the monkey. “How could . . .”

The monkey lifted his hands and removed the headpiece.

Emily screamed, “Uncle Nick is Chester! I thought you had to work?”

Nick’s family all smiled as Nick picked Em up and gave her a hug. “I couldn’t miss your party, Em. I let someone else handle my work.”

Then he turned to Lori. “You need to do what you love, Lori. It makes you happy. I’m sorry I tried to fix things behind your back. Won’t happen again. We’ll find a way for you to go to school and keep this too. Okay?”

Lori blinked back her tears as she pulled the bundle of papers to her chest. “Thank you, Nick.”

The raw emotion on Lori’s face thawed Shelby’s frozen heart a few degrees.

Nick had actually come through and chosen his sister and Emily over work. Good for him. Maybe he
had
changed a little.

When Nick’s eyes met hers, his smile slowly faded. The unhappiness written all over his face tugged at her soul.

Lori quickly pulled herself together and reached out for Emily. “Let’s go get some more cake everyone, so Nick can speak to Shelby.”

Emily frowned. “But he wants cake too.” She turned to him. “Right, Uncle Nick?”

He handed Em over and forced a smile. “I’ll be there in a minute. Save me some okay?”

Lori and her family quickly disappeared and then it was just the two of them, staring at each other, surrounded by screaming kids.

Butterflies took flight in her gut as she rose from the aluminum bench. “Hi.”

“Can we talk, please?”

She could only nod because her throat was so clogged with emotion.

Part of her wanted to run, afraid he’d hurt her again, but the dark shadows under his eyes stopped her eager feet. He probably hadn’t slept a full night either and looked as miserable as she felt.

He glanced around. “Too loud in here. Let’s go outside.”

She cleared her throat. “Give me a second.”

He shifted his weight impatiently from foot to foot while she called out and waved goodbye to everyone. She’d have liked to give them all one last hug, but she’d lose it if she did.

She’d just gathered her things when he wrapped his rubber monkey hand around her arm and motored her toward the front door. That was a bad habit of his, dragging her around like that. But like the “dammit, Shelby,” it had sort of grown on her.

Once outside, the silence was golden. She glanced up at him. As angry and hurt as she was, Nick dragging her around while dressed in three-quarters of a monkey suit threatened to make her smile. That was something she’d never imagined seeing.

He said, “I’m really sorry, Shelby. I should’ve come clean a lot sooner. And I meant what I’d said about us not being a one-night stand. I’ve cared for you from the start.”

“You don’t spy on people you care about. And you especially don’t sleep with them while spying. You hurt me, Nick.”

“I didn’t mean to. At first I didn’t know how to tell you, then I considered not telling you because I’d decided not to give the data to my sister. But then I realized you needed to know, so I’d planned to take you to dinner and explain things.” Still hauling her toward the huge parking lot he asked, “Where are you parked?”

“Over there.” She beeped her key fob. Her flashing headlights gave him his answer. She might as well get the whole story out of him. “So, why were you spying on me and what did you hope to learn?”

He stopped walking and shifted the monkey head to his other arm. “Lori’s matchmaking business has been handed down from generation to generation in my family. The day my grandmother died, she begged me to make sure the business was still there for when Emily grew up—if she wanted it.” His hairy monkey-suit arm slipped around her shoulder as he guided her toward her car again. “You use computers, databases, social media and Lori uses index cards just like my grandmother did. Lori needed to keep up, or the business would disappear. I wanted to see how you did it so I could teach her.”

She’d spent many hours designing her systems, and they worked well. “But Lori’s way has merit too, even if it doesn’t earn as much money. Hiring a part-time kid with computer skills would have been a simpler way to fix it rather than spying on me.”

He stopped dead in his tracks and frowned. The befuddlement on his face was sorta cute. He finally said, “That’s exactly what she needs to solve her problems and keep the business alive, maybe if you and Lori combined your . . .” He frowned and cut himself off. “Sorry.” He moved his hand to her lower back and gently guided her to her car again. “Lori’s deal, not mine. I need to stay out of it.”

His remorse
seemed
genuine.

He’d spied to keep a promise to his grandmother. But he hadn’t gone through with it. He hadn’t been involved with Beth. He came through for Emily and Lori in the end, but was he honestly ready for a real relationship? The compromises, the sacrifices. A family?

Did she really want to take that big a risk with her heart?

But then, Nick had donned a monkey suit. That had to count for
something
.

When they got to her car, and she’d tossed her things onto the passenger seat, she turned to him. “Let’s say I decide to forgive you, which I haven’t yet. What do you want from me, Nick?”

He plopped the monkey head on top of her car. “A fresh start, Shelby. Please? Clean slate and a date. I’ll be waiting for you at that Italian place we went to before. See you at seven.”

Before she could reply, he turned to go, the arrogant monkey. Always so sure of himself. And he’d forgotten his head.

He must’ve realized it, because he turned around and marched toward her again. He stopped in front of her and slipped his rubber hands along the sides of her face and lifted it up. Then he laid his soft lips on hers and kissed her so sweetly her heart sighed.

When his lips slowly left hers, she blinked open her eyes and stared into his darkened ones as he whispered, “I want
you
, Shelby. Forever.” Then he grabbed his head and strode back toward the party.

Who does that? Drops a “Forever” bomb and just walks away?

Nick Caldwell, that’s who.

She opened her car door and slipped behind the wheel.

Maybe she didn’t feel like Italian. Had he thought about that? No! He just did his stupid Neanderthal thing and expected her to fall right in line, as usual. How apropos he’d been wearing a monkey suit while doing it. The big ape.

But the thought of that lasagna made her mouth water. If she went, he’d have to spring for a good bottle of wine. And dessert too, dammit.

Still shaking her head, she started her car and put it in gear.

Nick was the most impossible man she’d ever met. So what would she do with him? Forever.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

“Chester loves Julie ten times more than bananas. But did she love him back?”

Chester Gets His Favorite Thing

Nick waited at a table in the rear of the warm restaurant, his back to the wall, watching and praying Shelby wouldn’t stand him up. It was seven o’clock. One of Shelby’s rules of dating was never be late. But he didn’t care, as long as she showed.

At five minutes after seven the doors swung open and a group of six big men crowded in along with a gust of cool air from outside. They mingled up front while waiting to be seated. He craned his neck, searching and hoping she slipped in behind them. But no sign of her.

Shelby being late wasn’t good. He should’ve told her he loved her again. Why had he forgotten that part? And all the other stuff he’d planned to say?

He could text her to be sure she was coming, but then she’d be mad at him for using his phone instead of pretending to wait for that magical-moment thing she said was supposed to happen when they first see each other. He couldn’t afford to make her any angrier.

Five minutes later, another rush of cold air swirled in, but the people gathered up front still stood in the way. He couldn’t see who had entered.

Shelby suddenly appeared, slipping between two of the waiting men, and then swiveled her head, searching for him.

She’d come.

He swiped his napkin from his lap and stood so she could see him. When their eyes met she smiled. He felt the impact like a hot laser pulse to his gut. So it was real after all? Did she feel it too?

Shelby weaved through the tables, making her way toward him as she unbuttoned her coat. She had on the same outfit she’d worn the first time they’d met. That had to be a good sign, right? Like a do-over?

He’d be sure to mention it. Showing he paid attention. Or was it a bad thing to point out an outfit a woman wore twice? Dammit. Maybe he should just keep his yap shut about it and pretend they’d never met? He’d asked her for a clean slate, after all.

He pulled out her chair. “Hi, I’m Nick. Shelby described you perfectly. I’d know you anywhere, Summer.”

She lay her tiny purse on the empty seat beside her. “Nice opening. You get a point for that.”

Relief washed through him. Maybe she
was
going to give him another chance.

He took her coat and lay it by her purse, then helped her get settled. Wiping his sweaty palms on his slacks, he took his place across from her. “Thanks for coming. I was afraid you’d changed your mind.”

“Changed my mind? That would imply you actually gave me a choice. Which you didn’t. You just
told
me to be here. So, I was sitting in the car debating. Then I got hungry. I hear the lasagna is good here.”

“Sorry. I was afraid you’d say no if I gave you a choice.” Panic took root in his gut again. Maybe she wasn’t taking him back? He’d better step up his game. Shelby’s dating handbook said to ask probing questions and show interest in the answer. “So, what do you do for a living, Summer?”

As Shelby stared into his eyes, as if deciding if she wanted to play along with the clean-slate game, his heart nearly stopped beating.