The Matchmakers (21 page)

 
         
Nick’s
heart clenched when he found Callie asleep on the couch in the morning. He
thought she’d be gone, and he’d feared all night he might not even notice her
absence in the morning. He wanted to scoop her up and kiss her until she
changed her mind about wanting to leave him. He wondered if maybe they hadn’t
yet succeeded, and guiltily, he wished it, just so she would remain for a few
more days. In truth, he’d begun to hope they would fail. Living without love
seemed much less painful than this. At least then, even if he remembered her,
he wouldn’t miss her so much when she was gone. He’d be able to live without
her, to live without anyone. Right now, that didn’t seem like such a bad deal. He
slipped out the front door, careful not to rouse her and said a silent goodbye
as he hurried down the front steps. He told himself it wouldn’t matter if she
were gone when he returned. He wondered if anything would matter to him then.

 
Callie wandered through the empty
apartment, her nerves on edge. Each sound startled her into thinking Meri had
come for her, and disappointment battled with relief each moment her sister
didn’t appear. She didn’t want to stay in the human world any longer, and yet
she couldn’t bear to leave. Finally, unable to stand the waiting any longer,
she called to her sister. `Meri! Can you hear me? I need to know what to do.´ No
one answered. Sitting on the bed, her arms wrapped around Nick’s pillow, Callie
sighed. The truth was clear. If she and Nick had completed their task, Meri or
Freya would have come for her. They hadn’t yet succeeded, but there was still
time. She could sit here and fret over it or get back to work and make things
happen. She thought of the couples they’d already brought together. Catfish and
Ria seemed a perfect match, but the others« Diane and Farley looked happy. They
certainly seemed to have a sound future, but without her Fae intuition, Callie
couldn’t be certain. Doubt plagued her. Hayden and Andrew still didn’t make
sense to her. For now, it might be best, she decided, to leave well enough
alone in their case. The relationship would take its natural course for good or
bad, but they needed no more help from Callie and Nick. Teresa and John also
didn’t require any further interference. After all, Callie’s job was never to
meddle, only to guide. She’d forgotten that for a while with Felicia and Jack,
and she’d learned the hard way that too much Fae magick could make things
worse. If that were true, certainly plain old human nosiness would do no
better. So where to begin? She needed new blood to work with, preferably couples
who had never met before so there would be no confusion as to who brought them
together. Resolute and determined not to let her own personal heartache stand
in her way, Callie dressed in her work uniform, grabbed her coat and headed for
the door. She’d spend every remaining moment until the night of the Oak Moon
putting couples together any way she could, with or without Nick’s help. She refused
to consider the prospect of failure. Fortunately Andrew’s presence at the bar
brought in a bevy of hopeful women almost every night. Now that he seemed
interested in Hayden, his admirers had begun to look for other prospects, and
Callie took full advantage of the abundance of available ladies. That night she
played matchmaker like a pro, and her efforts sent at least two new couples out
the door together arm in arm. At last call she sidled up to Frank Griff, who’d
just lost his third game of pool to Bud in the back room. `You look like you
could use some company,śhe said. Frank’s dark head bobbed, then he glanced
nervously around as if he weren’t sure why Callie was talking to him. In the
past, Nick had managed to run interference between them out of a strange,
misplaced sense of jealousy. Callie ignored Frank’s questioning gaze and
pointed discreetly to a tall brunette at a corner table. `There’s a lady over
there who could use another Cosmopolitan. Why don’t you buy her one?´ Frank
followed Callie’s subtle directive and, after a moment’s scrutiny, a bashful
grin broke across his face. `She’s out of my league. Come on, she looks like a
supermodel.´ `I bet she’d like to hear that. I’ll bring the drink over and see
what she says.Ćallie winked, and Frank finally nodded, a blush darkening
his already ruddy cheeks as he downed the last swallow of his beer for courage.
`What the hell.Ándrew fixed the drink and Callie delivered it, wishing on her
stroll to the brunette’s table that she had an ounce of Fae magick to help her
plan along. Frank could have used a flattering haircut and a better fitting
shirt, something a quick Fae glamour would have taken care of nicely. Overall,
though, he was a decent guy whose divorce a year ago had left him shy around
women and despairing of ever finding a life mate. Callie had learned all that
from Hayden, and felt no remorse at using the information to her advantage
tonight. Her heart soared when the brunette raised her glass to Frank and
smiled. He winked at Callie as he strutted by, and she tried not to giggle.
Anything was worth a shot. If nothing else, she’d given Frank a confidence
boost that might help him eventually find true love, even if it wasn’t with the
Cosmo lady tonight. Nick’s heart hammered against his ribs when he saw Callie
crossing the nearly empty room to deliver a tall drink to a buxom brunette. He
did a double take when the woman smiled at Frank Griff, who hurried across the
room to join her. Callie turned around, and Nick hung back by the door, content
to watch her for a moment. When he’d returned from his morning excursion to
find her gone, he’d dealt with it the way he always handled personal
disappointments. He’d put her out of his mind, never considering that she might
have merely gone to work. He’d come to Farley’s to drown his sorrows, but they
drained away as he watched her. Why hadn’t she saved him an afternoon of
heartache and left a note? One of these days, she really would be gone, and he’d
like to be able to tell the difference. He stepped up to the bar just as she
did, and her startled glance told him she hadn’t expected to see him any more
than he’d expected to see her. `Nick ?´ `Still here, I see.´ He hadn’t wanted
the words to come out that way, with a tinge of jaded sarcasm. He hated himself
for the disappointed look in her eyes. `I’m glad I mean, I thought you’d gone.´
`Not yet. I think I still have work to do.´ `We both do.Śhe brightened,
and his heart seemed to lift. `You’re still going to help me?´ `Yes. I know how
much you want to go home, and I don’t want to let you down. I’ll do whatever I have
to, except, you know date a guy, or something like that.´ Callie hugged him,
and his heart thudded. It had been getting quite a workout lately, and he was
beginning to wonder if all this emotion was really healthy. His heart had done
little but its biological job for so long; what if he strained something? He
held her for a moment, taking in the sweet scent of strawberry in her hair. He
could get through this.

           
He could help her complete
her task so she could go home to her own world where she’d be happy. And he’d
do it because he loved her.
He loved her.
That had to be why his stomach tightened and his palms began to sweat every
time he saw her. It wasn’t because he was afraid she really would produce a herd
of centaurs and parade them through the bar, or because her inane female Fae
logic confounded him, but because he loved her, even if he couldn’t say the
words. `Come on, Tink. It’s closing time. I’ll take you home.Ón Sunday morning,
Nick and Callie sat at breakfast making lists and matching singles. The mall construction
project was teeming with unmarried men that Nick promised to invite to Farley’s
on the same night Hayden brought in her Saturday morning yoga classmates. The
following Wednesday, they had dinner with John and Teresa at D’Angelo’s. The
secretary had nearly recovered from her accident, except for a slight limp. By
the end of the evening, even Nick was convinced they were a perfect match. `That’s
definitely three couples,´ he told Callie when they arrived home. `Catfish and
Ria are a given, John and Teresa, Diane and Farley. So what’s the hold
up?Ćallie shrugged as she hung up her new pale pink ski jacket. `Tell me
what you felt tonight.´ Nick contemplated the pleasant evening they’d just
spent with the other couple. `Contentment. They’re really happy to finally be
together, but«Ćallie gave him a questioning look as she settled on the
couch and put her feet up. Nick tried to ignore how right she looked stretched
on the sofa, wiggling her toes as she kicked off her shoes. `John is allergic
to cats. I don’t know why that comes to mind. I don’t even know how I know it,
but I got the feeling it was bothering him tonight.Ćallie sat up. `That
could be a problem. Fang is Teresa’s whole family.´ `Fang?Ćallie nodded. `Teresa
calls him Marshall. Her cat.´ `You mean all those stories she was telling
tonight about Marshall were about a
cat
?´
`Uh«yeah. What did you think?´ `I thought she was talking about a person a
brother or something. Didn’t she
quote
him
once?´ Nick’s assurance in the John/Teresa relationship began to fade. Could a
stoic, hard-working construction boss find happiness with whacko cat girl? He
lowered himself to the couch, settled Callie’s bare feet in his lap.

 
`Didn’t the sandbox story clue you
in?śhe asked. `A younger brother? Kids play in sandboxes, don’t they? I
didn’t realize she meant a litter box.´ `You got that John is allergic to cats
but not that Teresa has a cat?´ `I’m new at this, okay? Besides I wasn’t really
concentrating on Teresa.´ Not with Callie sitting next to him, her knee
touching his beneath the table. He’d barely kept his mind on dinner. `I keep
forgetting you’re not a Fae.Śhe sighed. `Your intuition isn’t focused.´ `My
intuition. How come I still have intuition when you don’t? I thought I got it
from you.Ćallie wrinkled her nose at him. `I don’t know. Maybe it lingers.
Or maybe we’re getting a little help on the side. We should probably take
advantage of it as long as it lasts.Śhe glanced at the ceiling as if searching
for the source of their good fortune. After a moment of silence, Nick
continued. `So do you think the cat allergy is a deal breaker?´ `It might be.
Teresa will never give up Marshall.´ `There’s always allergy medicine. And cats
don’t live forever.Ćallie groaned. `Well, they don’t.´ `I don’t know what
we can do. I suppose true love doesn’t mean they have to live together, though.
I once united a couple who wrote letters to each other for fourteen years.
Neither one could afford to travel around the world to meet the other in
person. They both died never having met face to face, but their love was still
true.´ `So John and Teresa can write letters, and we’re still
covered?Ćallie made a face. `You’re hopeless, Nick. Most people cry like
babies when I tell that story.´ `What’s sad about it? Fourteen years of postage
could have bought them each a plane ticket halfway, right?Śhe pounded a
playful punch on his bicep. `Planes didn’t exist then. Never mind. Let’s put
John and Teresa aside right now and work on a back-up couple. How about Jim
from the construction crew and the girl I introduced him to last night at
Farley’s?´ `Megan?´ `That’s her. Did he say anything about her at work today?´ `She
gave him her number.Ćallie stretched again, and Nick continued to ignore
his increasingly carnal thoughts. Jim and Megan didn’t interest him, but the
smooth band of skin peeking out from under the hem of Callie’s shirt did.

 
`Why don’t we see if they want to
double date?śhe asked. He sighed. `Sure. I’ll ask him tomorrow.Ón opening
day of Farley’s Bar and Grill, the place was packed to the rafters. Bayerville’s
workforce apparently needed a new place to have lunch, and they filed in from
all over town, starting at eleven-thirty AM. Callie and Hayden ran themselves
ragged, and Andrew whistled while he worked, supremely content to be doing what
he loved. To conserve space and further her cause, Callie suggested Farley give
a ten percent discount to singles who shared tables. By the following week, at
least one couple who had come in separately on opening day was meeting
regularly for lunch at a quiet table in the back. Diane and Farley seemed
pleased with their new personal and professional arrangement, and Hayden had
given back Matt’s engagement ring in favor of an inexpensive friendship ring
from Andrew. Callie still couldn’t quite figure the younger couple out, but
there was no time left to worry about it. They’d finally reached the night of
the Oak Moon.

Chapter Twenty-six

 
         
Callie
woke the next morning, certain she could feel her wings fluttering. Today they
would know. Their fates would be sealed. Too nervous to sleep past dawn, she
rose in the gray winter light and headed for the kitchen. Nick stood at the
counter, fully dressed already, his coffee mug in one hand. `Are you going to
work early today?Ćallie asked. She wished Nick didn’t look so handsome in
his black shirt and stone-washed jeans. She wanted to walk into his embrace and
take in the comforting scent of warm coffee and fresh aftershave, but she held
herself back. If she indulged herself, it would only be harder to say goodbye. He
shook his head. `I took the day off. I’ve got some plans, and I’d like you to
come with me today.´ `But I« Farley ´ `I kind of mentioned it to Farley last
night, not to expect you today. Will you come with me? It’s important. And our
first stop is breakfast at the inn just outside town.Ćallie’s heart
filled. Her last day with Nick of course it should be special. They’d done all
the matchmaking they could, and maybe they deserved to celebrate. `Okay. I’ll
get dressed.´ Callie returned to the kitchen a few minutes later, wearing a
frothy sweater and tight jeans. `Is this outfit all right?śhe asked,
twirling around for his inspection. Nick’s appreciative stare made her blush. `It’s
perfect. Let’s go.Ćallie feasted on blueberry pancakes and fresh
strawberries and cream while Nick tackled Belgian waffles, dotting each square
hole with a drop of dark maple syrup. `I could have made breakfast for us, you
know,Ćallie said between bites. As delicious as everything was, she found
herself wishing they were alone. `Today is your day off. I want you to enjoy
yourself.Śhe sighed as she finished her breakfast, wishing she could truly
enjoy her final day in Nick’s world. She’d never expected to miss the human
realm so much, even before she left it. Their breakfast settled during the
twenty-minute ride into the surrounding snow-covered hillsides. Callie felt a
shiver of excitement when Nick pulled off the road by a narrow trail through
the snowy woods. `Remember when I showed you this place?´ he asked as he
rounded the back end of the truck. When he reappeared, he held two pairs of ice
skates, dangling by their long laces. `Isn’t there a pond up there?Ćallie
pointed through the trees. She remembered the gorgeous autumn vista he’d shown
her from the rest stop. It seemed so long ago. She couldn’t believe only two
months had passed since she’d arrived. Time moved much faster in the Fae realm
and for once, Callie didn’t wish her days away. If this moment lasted a
lifetime, it would still be too short. Nick took her hand and led her up the
trail between dense evergreens. The only sound was that of the week-old
snowfall crunching under their matching work boots. Halfway to the tiny, frozen
pond, Nick stopped. `Listen,´ he said, tilting his head upward. A few flurries
drifted down from the gray sky. `It’s so quiet,Ćallie whispered into the
wind. `Beautiful, isn’t it? She had to admit it was. The trees glistened with a
thin sheen of ice, their branches bowed with snow. The pond, just visible
through the naked boles ahead, looked silvery in the diffused light reflecting
off the surrounding snow banks. `Have you ever ice skated before?´ Nick asked. Callie
laughed. `I was around when they invented ice skating.Śhe gave the thin
steel blades a skeptical glance. How would she keep her balance without wings? `So
I’ll take that as a no.´ He smirked as he led her to a flat rock that served as
a natural bench. She rested her hands on his broad shoulders while he removed
her boots and fastened the stiff skates, lacing them tightly around her ankles.
With his own skates in place, he pulled her up and led her onto the perfect
sheet of ice. `In a couple of weeks, when school is out for winter break, we
won’t be able to get near this place. Today is probably one of the few perfect
days left before the kids take over.´ Callie teetered on the metal blades and
Nick reached out to steady her. Their breath met in a cloud between them, and
they laughed together as he guided her in lazy figure eights. `I think I’m
starting to catch on,śhe said, gliding away from him across the pond. He
followed, ready to catch her when she lost her precarious balance. They crashed
together, and without warning, he planted a kiss on her nose, their skates
leaving white curlicues in the ice. `Let me know when you get tired. I’ve got
one more stop on today’s tour,´ he said after they’d been around the pond half
a dozen times. `Tour?Ćallie glided to an unsteady stop and held herself
very still so she wouldn’t drift away from Nick as they talked. `What’s today
really about?´ He held her gaze for a moment. `I want to show you the things I
love. All of them. Just so you know. In case I need you to remind me
someday.Ćallie’s breath caught. `Do you think we failed?´ Would Freya be
so cruel as to drag her punishment out to the very end if they’d already
managed to unite three couples? The only explanation for her still being here
was that they hadn’t yet completed their task. Nick shook his head. `No. I don’t
think we failed.Úncertainty clouded his eyes, which seemed gray today,
reflecting the color of the sky. `But I couldn’t let you go without showing
you.´ `Thank you. It means a lot to me.´ `It’s not over yet. Come on, there’s
more.Ćallie glided across the pond with Nick in tow, and together they
shed their skates and headed back to the truck. The snow had begun to fall in
earnest now, just as silently as the scattered flurries from earlier. Callie
marveled at the beauty of it, despite the cold seeping through her coat. She’d
miss this, she admitted to herself when Nick started up the engine and pulled
back onto the main road. She’d miss Nick even more. Freya had devised a perfect
punishment, one Callie would never forget, no matter what the outcome. She
would ache for Nick forever after this day. The morning drifted away to
afternoon, during which they stopped for chili dogs at a noisy truck stop. `You
love this?Ćallie asked when Nick placed a cold soft drink and a steaming,
overstuffed hot dog bun on the scarred wooden table between them. `I love chili
dogs. I love ice cream, too, though it’s probably not a wise idea to mix the
two.Ćallie took an experimental bite of her lunch. Perhaps love was too
strong a word, but Nick looked happy, and Callie wondered if maybe her own Fae
intuition was returning. She sensed he wanted her to be happy too and to enjoy
herself the way he was.