The Matchmakers (15 page)

           
`They cut a hole in the
back fence then wired it shut again. This was a professional job,´ Marty Carson
replied. The foreman shook his head and wiped sweat from his brow with the back
of one soot-stained hand. `Who would do this?´ The men shrugged and cursed at
Nick’s question, but no one had an answer. John jammed his phone into his
pocket. `Someone who doesn’t want to see this job get done. We’re already
behind schedule. Once the owners see this«´ `Let’s get it fixed. We’ve got
enough crew here to get started.´ The men seconded Nick’s suggestion. John
nodded to Nick. `I’ve got to take a few more pictures inside and call the
insurance company back. Then we can start ripping out the damaged walls.´ `I
can’t believe nobody saw this stuff burning,´ Marty said. `It had to be a hell
of a fire.´ The group milled around for a while, commenting on the debris and
the work ahead. Nick followed John inside the skeleton of the building to take
stock of the damage. `We’re going to have to hire night security,´ John said as
they walked through the damaged section of what would eventually be a suite of
doctors’ offices. `I’ve never needed that on a job in Bayerville before.´ Nick
had nothing comforting to say. That damned intuition told him that John blamed
himself and that he fully expected this incident to ruin his reputation. He’d
been lenient and trusting because Bayerville was a safe, quiet little town
where everyone knew everyone else. In a larger town, he’d never have been so careless
as to trust a major construction site to nothing more than twelve-gauge chain
link, a couple of heavy duty padlocks and halogen lights. `We’ll find out who
did it. And we’ll get caught up on the work. You’ve got a good crew here, John.

 
We’ll get the work done.´ `Heaven
help them when I get my hands on whoever is responsible.´ John stalked away,
leaving Nick to contemplate the mess. Shortly after Nick left the apartment,
the cantankerous chime of the doorbell startled Callie out of her stupor. She
dragged herself to the door, intending to pop herself into a respectable outfit
on the way, but nothing happened.

           
With her brain still
fuzzed by the truffle hangover, it didn’t surprise her that her powers wouldn’t
work properly. That left her again wearing nothing but Nick’s work shirt when
she opened the front door a crack and peered out into the blinding Sunday
morning sunshine. Miranda Voss stood on the steps, her voluptuous form poured
into a pale yellow business suit and her dark hair styled to perfection. Her
jaw dropped when she saw Callie. `You’re still here? And still half naked, I
see.´ `For the moment.Ćallie squinted in the bright light and tried to
focus on Miranda’s thoughts and feelings. `Where’s Nick?´ `He went out.´ Miranda
leaned close, her eyes dark and sharp as glass. `You’d better not be lying to
me.Ćallie reared back but forced herself not to slam the door closed. `You
can look for yourself. He’s not here. You might have noticed his truck is
gone.´ Miranda huffed through shimmering red lips. `Too bad. I have an
important message for him, but maybe he doesn’t deserve to hear it.´ `I’ll
relay the message.´ Miranda’s harsh laugh reverberated inside Callie’s skull. `This
is for Nick only. Do you think you can remember to tell him I was here? He’s
got my number. If he wants to know what I have to say, he can call me. If not,
that’s his loss.Ćallie tried to muster an attitude equal to Miranda’s, but
she didn’t have the energy. `I’ll tell him.´ `Make sure you do.Ćallie made
no further comment. Miranda turned on her spiked heels and marched down the
stairs, her hips swaying. In her wake, Callie shut the door as slowly and
quietly as possible. She’d gotten no vibe from Miranda other than anger and
jealousy. Whatever news she wanted to share with Nick remained a mystery.

 
When she turned back toward the
living room, contemplating Miranda’s cryptic words, a brilliant light nearly
blinded her. Callie shielded her burning eyes against the glow of a pair of
faerie wings. After a second or two, the brilliance subsided, leaving a
beautiful blond woman with eyes the color of the night sky standing in the middle
of Nick’s living room. `Meri!Ćallie squealed and rushed forward to embrace
her sister. `You’ve come for me!´ Meriope folded Callie in a tight hug and
wrapped her glittering wings around them both. In the warmth of her sister’s
Fae magick, Callie’s head cleared, and the ache in her limbs subsided. By the
time Meri let her go, she felt almost Fae again. When they parted, Meri’s wings
disappeared, leaving her looking nearly human. She wore a flowered spring dress
and smelled of fresh lilacs. `Oh, Meri! I’m so glad to see you. I can’t wait to
go home, but I promised Nick I’d ´ Meri’s quiet sobbing stopped Callie cold.
Crystal teardrops rolled down her sister’s cheeks. `What’s wrong?´ `I haven’t
come to take you home.´ `But last night«´ Meri took Callie’s hands and led her
to Nick’s couch to sit. `Freya sent me to tell you.´ `Tell me what?´ `She’s
taken away your wings.Ćhapter Nineteen Nick trudged up the stairs to his
apartment at half past six, his back aching from a hard day’s work. The place
was dark when he entered, and for one unpleasant moment, he feared Callie had
reneged on her promise to wait for him. His heart stuttered back to a normal
rhythm when he saw her huddled on the couch shivering, the Mets blanket tucked
around her shoulders. `Hey«´ He crossed the room in two strides, shutting the
door behind him. Relief that she hadn’t left him battled with worry that she
hadn’t yet recovered from her strange hangover. `Still feeling sick?´ He laid a
hand across her forehead, and she looked up at him and nodded, her eyes full of
misery. `I’m sorry I was gone so long.´ He smoothed her hair as he sat beside
her and folded her body into his arms. She clung to him, shaking. He hushed her
and stroked her back, whispering in her ear, `Tell me what’s wrong.´ She took a
shuddering breath before answering, and her voice was thick and raw as if she’d
been crying for a long time. `Only one couple. We only matched one couple last
night.´ `Oh.´ Nick tried to ignore the guilty sense of relief. That meant she
couldn’t leave him yet. `I was so sure«´ `I’m sorry. But we’ve only been at
this for a few weeks. And if you think about it, we’re a third of the way
there.Śhe nodded, and he pulled her close, settling her head on his chest.
She spread her hand over his heart, and he wondered if she could feel it race. `I
know we still have time, but I was so sure.´ `We’ll do it. We make a good team,
and you were right about what you said last night.´ She looked up at him, her
eyes glistening. `What did I say?´ `You told me I hadn’t been very much help,
and you were right. All this so far has been your work. Let’s put our heads
together and come up with a real plan. Who’s couple number one?´ `Catfish and
the scarecrow.´ Nick laughed. `There’s a surprise. But that’s good. It’ll keep
him from trying to put the moves on
you
.
Who should we concentrate on next?Ćallie shrugged and sniffled. `I don’t
know. Diane and Farley obviously didn’t work things out, and John didn’t even
show up last night. Teresa still cares about him, but she likes Andrew also.´ `John
might get jealous, but he’s got much bigger problems. Maybe we should work on
Teresa and Andrew.´ `That would break Hayden’s heart.´ `You said she was only
infatuated with him. She’ll get over it, right?´ `I don’t know. I hope
so.Ćallie sighed, and to Nick’s surprise, settled her head back on his
chest. Her body trembled, and he held her tight to banish the chill. `The first
thing we need to do is get you over this hangover. I’m not as good a cook as
you are, but how about I make some instant chicken soup and grilled cheese
sandwiches? They’re guaranteed to make you stop shivering.Áfter dinner, Nick
insisted Callie curl up in bed. He tucked the blankets around her and placed a
chaste kiss on her forehead. `You’re going to feel better tomorrow, right? I’m
starting to get really worried.´ `I’ll be better tomorrow. I
promise.Ćallie tucked her fists under her chin and closed her eyes. She pretended
to sleep until he turned out the light and left the bedroom, then she rolled
onto her stomach and buried her head in the pillows. She’d tried all evening to
find the courage to tell Nick about Meriope’s visit, but the words wouldn’t form.
He hadn’t noticed that she wore a pair of his sweat pants and an old t-shirt or
that she’d eaten more in one sitting tonight than she had in all the days since
her arrival. To her, the change seemed obvious, but Nick didn’t get it. He
couldn’t tell she was human now, powerless and utterly doomed. She wanted to
tell him her sister had cured the truffle hangover, but then Callie had
discovered hours of crying produced the same horrible results in a human as a
few drops of alcohol did in a Fae. Her head still pounded, her eyes burned and
her heart lay in the pit of her stomach, aching like an open wound. She didn’t
even remember showing Nick her wings. She hadn’t done it on purpose, but to
Freya that didn’t matter. Once again, Callie had failed as a Fae, broken a rule
in her carelessness. As an added punishment, she would now have to complete her
task as a human in order to regain her wings and preserve her ability to love. Impossible.
How could she manage to unite two more couples when her Fae intuition was
crippled by human emotions like fear and overwhelming shame? How could she
succeed now, when she didn’t even possess the courage to tell Nick what had
happened to her? She cried silently into his pillows for what seemed like an
hour before she heard him enter the room again. He sat on the bed and began
rubbing her back, easing the tension in her taut muscles. `It’s all right,
Tink. We’re going to be fine,´ he whispered as he brushed the hair away from
her tear-ravaged face. Once again, he gathered her into his arms and held her.
Together they settled on the bed. Callie curled herself up by Nick’s side, her
head cradled in the crook of his arm. Despite her misery, she felt safe in his
arms, and she almost believed him when he promised her that, together, they
would succeed. She fell asleep believing he might be right. Nick woke to a
dark, rainy Monday, sprawled across the bed and alone. `Callie?´ Her name
escaped his lips in a dry whisper of panic before he remembered she hadn’t left
him. She couldn’t. He’d fallen asleep looking forward to waking with her in his
arms, and the disappointment, along with the weather, left him irritable. He
rolled out of bed and headed into the hallway, where the smell of shower steam
and shampoo mingled with that of fresh coffee. He found her in the kitchen as
expected, barefoot, a pair of his jeans rolled to fat cuffs around her ankles.
Ropes of damp brunette curls hung down her back, darkening the forest green of
his old football jersey. She’d been raiding his closet an awful lot lately. He
should have minded. Instead his irritation fled, and a slow grin spread across
his face. `Something smells good.´ She turned, a brittle smile stretching her
lips. A sadness haunted her beautiful eyes, but when she spoke, her voice was
full of artificial cheer. `I only made toast and coffee. Would you like
cinnamon and butter on yours?Á voice in Nick’s head whispered he’d like a lot
more than that. He crossed the room and slid his hands around her waist, hungry
to feel her against him again. `You look like you’re feeling better.´ This
morning, the familiar aroma of the bargain shampoo he used had replaced her
signature scent of roses, but Nick didn’t mind. The combination of her lithe
form in his arms and the warm scents that permeated the kitchen turned him on.
He drew her body toward him and dipped his head into the curve of her shoulder.
`You look good in my clothes.´ `They’re too big.Śhe squirmed away from
him, leaving him feeling strangely empty. He followed her to the table and sat
across from her, his gaze clinical as she buttered two pieces of toast and
poured juice and coffee for both of them. `Are you sure you’re a hundred
percent better? You look tired.´ `I’m fine. Actually, I have a lot to do today.
Can you take me to Best Mart on your way to work? I need to buy some things.´ `Buy
things? With
money
?´ `Don’t worry. I’ve
been saving my tips.´ `I didn’t mean that. I just«sure. But I have to leave
here in forty-five minutes and Best Mart doesn’t open until ten. You’re not
planning to pop inside and shop before they open, are you?Śhe raised an
eyebrow. `No, I’m not. I didn’t realize how early it was. I’ll call Hayden and
see if she can take me shopping later.´ Nick sipped his coffee, and Callie did
the same. After the barest taste, she made a face and shuddered. `That’s horrible.´
Nick looked into his cup. `I don’t know. I’ve had better, but I’ve had worse,
too.Ćallie dumped milk and sugar into her cup and took another
experimental sip. She cringed. `Ugh. That’s no better.´ `You’re not a coffee
drinker, I guess.´ `Apparently not.Śhe pushed her cup aside and bit into
her toast. `Can you stop in the office today and visit with Teresa? I’ve been
thinking. If she really likes Andrew, we should work on them as a couple.´ `What
about Hayden?´ `She’ll be better off without him. Maybe, when all this is over,
I can ask Freya if I can find a match for Hayden. She deserves someone very
special.´ Nick finished his coffee and set the cup down. `I’ll see what I can
do. I’ve got to take a shower and get moving.´ He bent and kissed her forehead,
though he would have preferred her lips. She smiled at him, but her eyes didn’t
show it.

           
`Be good, Tink.Ás he left
the kitchen, Nick thought he heard her mumble, `I don’t have much choice,´ but
he wasn’t sure. Since he was already running late, he didn’t go back to check. Callie’s
collected tip money and first week’s salary from the bar disappeared quickly
during her shopping spree with Hayden. Late in the afternoon, they returned to
Nick’s apartment, soaking wet from carrying shopping bag after shopping bag up
the steps in the rain. Since she’d popped her work uniform out of existence
before the party, she’d had to buy a new one along with several interchangeable
outfits, underwear and a couple pairs of shoes. Hayden had insisted Callie add
a frilly, lace-edged nightgown and a sexy mohair sweater to their cart along
with a small collection of inexpensive cosmetics. Now Callie surveyed the dozen
white plastic bags that littered the living room floor and sighed. She’d never
needed `things´ before. Never had to try on clothes or hunt for a bra that
matched a particular pair of panties. She’d never put on eyeliner or pantyhose,
and she’d flatly refused to consider the need for eyebrow tweezers or a good
exfoliant. Now she owned them all, thanks to Hayden. Oddly, the younger girl
hadn’t questioned Callie’s sudden need for a complete wardrobe and grooming products.
She’d been thrilled to shop all morning, take a break for lunch and then shop
some more. Despite Callie’s underlying unhappiness at being human, she enjoyed
Hayden’s company. By the time they’d settled in the kitchen with hot tea and
cookies between them, she felt as close to normal as she imagined possible. The
doorbell rang just as Callie reached for a cookie. Hayden clapped her hands and
grinned. `Grab the chocolate! I bet that’s Trick-or-Treaters.Ćallie had
almost forgotten it was Halloween. The realization dulled her mood a bit,
considering in the Fae realm this was a day of great mischief and celebration.
Nevertheless, she did as Hayden instructed and answered the door with a bag of
tiny candy bars in her hand. A miniature faerie stood on the steps, a plastic
wand clutched in one hand and a pillowcase in the other. Tucked in the crook of
her small elbow, a tiny pink umbrella shielded her crowned head from the
afternoon drizzle. `Trick or treat!´ Her enthusiastic bellow echoed in the
courtyard. Behind the faerie, a small pirate struggled up the stairs, trying
not to trip over a plastic sword that hung down to his sneakered feet. Callie
pasted on a smile and dropped candy in their open bags. Their weary-looking
mother waved from the bottom of the steps. `Welcome to the neighborhood. I’m
Lena. We live in G1.Śhe pointed down the sidewalk to the apartment two
doors down.