“No,” she choked out. She didn’t really know why she was so angry at not being able to find a match for this guy. If he was really that picky, perhaps there wasn’t anyone out there good enough for his high standards. She sighed and picked up the next dish, contemplating what her next course of action would be should he reject her counter offer. “I really need to do this one on my own. He is one of our most affluent clients, due to his connections around the world. He travels frequently, makes friends with almost everyone he meets and has enough money to buy his own country.”
“Anyone I would know?” her mother asked curiously.
“Mom! You know I can’t tell you that.”
Her mom chuckled and took the next dish from her. “You know you can’t blame me for trying. Your life is full of so much excitement. I don’t know how you stand it.”
“Yeah sure, excitement. That’s a good word for it.” She rolled her eyes.
Her mother elbowed her lightly and Aurelia looked over to see her smiling. “So how’s the hunt coming for your most important client?”
She stopped to think about it. Who was her most important client? She could name a few celebrities that were pretty well known, a few politicians. She even worked for a couple foreign dignitaries. All of them were pretty important people, but she wasn’t sure which one she would deem the most significant.
Her mother sighed aloud and then looked at her daughter with what appeared to be exasperation. “You. You are your most important client.” She acted like that should have been the first thing Aurelia thought of. “How’s the search coming for your perfect match? Shouldn’t be too hard.”
Aurelia laughed aloud. “That’s not how it works, Mom. I’m a girl from a tiny town that matches people up. I can’t just go find me some famous man and hope that he will want me for who I am. Most of them only notice the word ‘billionaire’ in that stupid article that got published. After that they don’t care to get to know me. To be honest I don’t think I would be able to trust anyone. I’m fine with how everything is.”
Her mother didn’t say another word. She was sweet, and rarely pushed her opinions off on her daughter. Aurelia could tell she just worried. Touched by her mother’s concern, she tried to put her mind at ease. “You know, I did go on a date a few weeks ago. But really, I’ll be okay. I have more than enough money for myself and I’m not wanting for anything.”
Her mother nodded. “I don’t worry about that, dear. I know how strong you are. I just want to see you happy, and I’ve found so much joy with your father. Family is the most important part of this life we are given. Without it, we have nothing.”
Aurelia nodded at her mother’s wisdom. She knew what was most important, but she was also okay with being alone. She found peace in solitude.
“Let’s go for a night hike.” Aurelia’s mom bubbled with excitement as she grabbed shoes and jackets from the closet near the door and threw them at her daughter.
“Mom, it’s cold outside. Plus it’s late. There’s hardly any light.” Aurelia thought she had perfectly valid reasons for not wanting to traverse the mountainous terrain at night, but her mother didn’t seem to care.
Everyone else was just as excited as her mother, it seemed. “Come on, Aurie. It will be fun.” Lander flashed a million dollar smile at her, and she felt her resolve crumble.
She threw on an oversized jacket, donned a scarf and hat along with her boots, and followed everyone out the door into the crisp air. It was cold enough to see her breath, but not so cold that it hurt to breathe.
“Let’s just follow the little trail that loops around. It’s only two miles or so and it’s quite safe. Just stay in pairs. Lander, can you stay with Aurelia?” Brenda Perry was good at taking charge and nobody else seemed to mind when she did.
Lander slowed his pace until he walked next to Aurelia and called up to his mother, “Yes, but if we get lost, it’s your fault.”
Aurelia’s parents led the way with their hands clasped together, followed closely by Lander’s parents. Aurelia hung back, trying to give them all their space. She was keenly aware of Lander’s presence by her side. Even though he wasn’t touching her, he walked so close that she could sense the heat from his body. She felt her skin prickle when she thought about what it would feel like if he did touch her. Shaking her head to free her mind of such thoughts, she walked on in silence, following the narrow trail.
The full moon was out and lit a silvery path before them. She could hear small creatures scurrying in the woods, their feet skittering along the dry, dead leaves as they ran away from the sound of humans walking through their forest. She loved the smell of pine needles and dirt. It reminded her of when she was a child and she and Lander would play together. They had been inseparable all the way from their elementary school days and up through high school.
Lander seemed to read her mind. “Do you remember when we would play out here together? You were always the princess, and I liked to play the cowboy. I’d protect you from the bandits and then you would crown me prince of the castle.”
She sneaked a peak over at him and saw his eyes glowing with happiness at the memory. A warm feeling spread through her as she remembered. “You liked to make mud pies too. I remember that because you were so proud of them. One day I told you I thought they were disgusting, and I didn’t want to play and you threw a mud pie at me.”
Lander chuckled and ran his hands through his thick locks. “I distinctly remember you throwing the first mud pie. I only retaliated in self defense.”
Aurelia made a shocked sound and then wrapped her arms around her chest in mock annoyance. “There is no way a princess would throw a mud pie at her loyal cowboy.” She said this, but a niggling memory in the back of her mind made her think he must be right.
Lander laughed out loud. “Sure. Just keep telling yourself that, Aurie. Whatever makes you feel better.”
They were quiet for a while before Aurelia spoke again. “So you have work, but what else? What do you do for fun in the city? Are you dating anyone?” She couldn’t believe she asked him that. It had just sort of slipped out.
He frowned, and she thought perhaps she had stepped over some line that she hadn’t known was there. “No, not seeing anyone.” He stopped walking for a minute, as if he needed to say something, but seemed to think better of it, and continued.
“I’m surprised.” She commented offhandedly.
“Why?”
It seemed odd when he asked her why. She didn’t think she would have to explain. She started to speak in the business voice she used when working with her clients. “Well, you seem to be well educated. You have a good, well-paying job, from what you have told me. You are attractive and don’t seem like you have your head in the clouds. Overall, it seems like you would be very easy to match up.”
Lander stopped again, this time grabbing hold of Aurelia’s coat and pulling her to a stop as well. He had a look of cold distance on his face that Aurelia had never seen on him, but had observed on other people. “I’ll tell you about something I’ve only told two people. I was absolutely head over heels in love with someone. She broke my heart. Cheated on me and left. Told me I wasn’t good enough. I don’t know if I could do that all over again. Part of me feels like I’m not good enough for anyone. It really messes with you when the person you think you love tells you that they don’t love you back.”
Aurelia was quiet as she processed the information. In her line of work, it was something that always had to be accounted for—heartbreak. “I’m so sorry,” she said quietly. She felt her heart ache for him. To be betrayed by a lover must be sheer agony.
Lander’s eyes were hidden by shadows, but she could tell by the way that he stood with his shoulders hunched forward and head bowed that he felt vulnerable.
“Nobody should have to go through that,” she soothed. She put her hand on his arm. She felt a thrill soar through her when she touched him.
He cleared his throat and rose to his full height, the
moment passing. “No. They really shouldn’t. But perhaps it was for the best. Now I know what most women are looking for, and it makes my life a bit easier to deal with.”
She didn’t think she wanted to hear the answer to this, but she asked anyway. “What do you think women are looking for?”
“Money, of course.” Lander started to walk again, following the trail after his parents.
Aurelia thought about it while she walked. Maybe Lander was right. Money was a big reason why she didn’t date much. Most men just wanted to date her because she was well off. But Lander wasn’t that wealthy. Advertising couldn’t pay that much. But perhaps it didn’t matter. Or maybe his girlfriend had left him for someone else with a lot of money. Either way, she didn’t want to continue what was obviously a sore subject.
“They didn’t go that way!” Aurelia hollered at him impatiently.
“Hold your horses,” Lander said offhandedly, trying to calm her. “It’s only a two-mile walk, there’s no way they are that far ahead of us. We’ll be fine.”
He saw Aurelia shiver and started to shrug his coat off. “Here, wear mine. I’m not that cold and you look like you’re freezing.”
She tried to protest, but he put the coat around her anyway. “Thank you.” Pulling the coat tight around her, she sighed. “Well, I guess we just keep walking and hope it circles, right?”
“We could do that, or we could just backtrack and head back to the house.”
Aurelia tripped on an exposed tree root. Lander reached out his arm to steady her and caught her around the waist. He liked how warm she was. For a minute, he was tempted to pull her in close to him. He could imagine how her body would feel pressed up against his. Now was not the time to think like that. She was his best friend growing up, so she probably just saw him as a slightly annoying older brother.
She stepped away from him and kept walking. “If we do that, our parents are bound to figure out we got lost and we won’t hear the end of it. You know how bad they are about that kind of thing.”
“Oh, they’re going to tease us anyway. Might as well try and find our way back.”
Aurelia nodded and turned around with him. The path was lit by the moonlight and wide enough they could walk side by side. She spoke in a small voice, “How’s the last decade been for you? Besides the heartbreak I mean.”
Lander laughed aloud. “It’s been great, you?”
She laughed too. “Can’t complain. I’ve been blessed with a good job. I have thought about you every now and then, you know. I just never picked up the phone.”
Both of them fell into silence. Lander couldn’t figure out why he had let their relationship go so easily. Being best friends had to count for something, but as soon as he left home, he had moved on and never looked back. Looking back now was painful. “I thought about you too, but I just never made it a priority. When I left here, I didn’t want to get stuck in a small town, so I ran to the biggest city I could and tried to never look back. It’s been interesting. Tough, but overall good. I went to college, you know. Met my business partner, Craig. He and I started our business together. The first few years were tight, but it’s going well now. Work is my life, basically. I don’t do a whole lot outside of my job. That’s kind of why Craig made me take some time off of work. He can manage everything while I’m gone. I didn’t want to go, but he wanted me to focus on myself instead of my job, for a while.”
“He sounds like a great friend,” she commented.
An owl hooted somewhere nearby and the crunch of leaves underfoot sounded deafening in the quiet night. “He is. He’s always watching out for me. I would trust him with my life. He didn’t like my ex from the get go. Told me he thought she would break my heart. Of course I didn’t listen. She was beautiful and she seemed so sweet. I didn’t know she liked excitement and apparently I wasn’t enough for her.”
He tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice, but it was difficult. He still felt angry at her for lying to him. Usually, talking about the break up was something he avoided. He hadn’t disclosed everything to his mother and only told Craig the details. “She was with me when we started the business. Money was tight back then and she didn’t like not being able to go out whenever we wanted to. I told her things wouldn’t always be like that, but she didn’t care. She met one of the athletes that I was working with and had an affair. She told me I wasn’t exciting enough for her.” He didn’t tell Aurelia all the reasons his ex had listed off as to why she had cheated.
Aurelia put her hand on Lander’s back in a comforting gesture while they walked. He felt his skin tingle under his shirt where she touched him. “I’m so sorry you went through that. You must have been devastated.”
Lander shrugged, trying to downplay the emotions he felt. “It’s been five years now. I shouldn’t be angry anymore.”
“I can only imagine it’s difficult to let that go, even after all this time.” She was always good at understanding people. It had been a gift since before high school. He had been drawn to her like a moth to flame. For some reason she had liked him just as much as he liked her. Their friendship had been solid.
“What about you?” His mother had mentioned her a time or two, but nothing specific. His mom was never one to gossip.
“Well, I told you a bit before. I just couldn’t figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I was at a restaurant waiting on a friend and there was this attractive man there sitting alone at the bar.” She paused and played with the button on her sleeve while she walked. “You know how I usually avoid talking to anyone?”
Lander nodded. He remembered the walk she took from one class to the next to avoid the most excessively social people in their class and how she liked to read at lunch so she could be alone.
“For some reason this guy just kept talking to me.”
Lander laughed aloud. “I wonder why?” he teased.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked in an innocent tone.
Lander couldn’t believe she was that naive to her own good looks. “Because you’re hot.”
She squeaked. It was adorable. She sped up her pace. “Anyway,” she said, ignoring his comment, “I started to chat with him and realized that he was the perfect fit for the friend that I was meeting up with. She was an hour late, so when she finally arrived I introduced them and left so they could eat dinner together. They ended up dating and eventually got married.”
“That’s cool.” Lander smiled. Of course Aurelia had found a way to help people find love. She was one of the most caring people he had ever met in his life.
“Long story short, he was someone important that I hadn’t recognized and he asked me to help him find a match for a friend of his. One client led to another, and eventually I started my own business.”
“So you’re a matchmaker,” Lander said quietly.
She didn’t reply for a minute. “Yes.”
Her body had suddenly gone stiff and her back straight as a board, so he didn’t ask her any more questions. He wondered what that was about, though.
Lander felt the temperature drop a few degrees. It was starting to get really cold, and even though Aurelia had his coat on, she was shivering. This was ridiculous. They couldn’t have gone that far from the house.
Aurelia looked over at him and made a small frown with her mouth that was accentuated by the shadows of the moonlight. “Oh, you must be really cold,” she said. She tried to take the coat off, but Lander put his hand on her back to stop her.
“You look far colder than I feel. I’ll be fine.”
“Don’t play all macho with me, Lander Perry. I can tell you are cold. Now let me give you the coat.”
“How ‘bout we share the coat and let our body heat keep both of us warm?” Suddenly very happy at the prospect of her warm body next to his, he had a feeling that it had very little to do with the fact that he was cold and more to do with the fact that she was a beautiful woman.
She nodded and fumbled with half of the coat
, handing it over to Lander. They had done this before as teenagers, but Lander hadn’t ever been interested in her quite the same way as he felt right now. He put his arm in the free sleeve of the coat and wrapped his other arm securely around Aurelia’s waist. The curve of her hip pressed against his hand and he felt a small thrill ripple through him. She felt so tiny next to him. Her head bumped gently against his chest as they navigated the narrow trail together.
She giggled suddenly. “Do you remember doing this when we were kids? You liked to share your coat with me. It was so sweet, because I was always cold.”
“I was just thinking about that. Do you remember that one night we got distracted looking for that comet, and then stayed up all night, talking?” He recalled it as if it were yesterday.
“You know, that comet’s supposed to be making its way back here this week. We should try and find it again. We never did get to see it, you know.” She laughed again at the memory and Lander smiled. Her laugh had stayed the same over the years. It was sweet to hear it again.
“What night?” he asked.
“Wednesday.”
“It’s a date.” Lander said the words without thinking, and before he could even process what he had said, she stiffened again. “It’ll be fun. Like old times,” he amended.
That seemed to help her relax again. She leaned into him, shivering in the cold. She smelled like lavender and vanilla. Heavenly.
Chapter 3
Aurelia hurried around her old room. Trying to get into her closet, she bumped into her nightstand so hard that she was pretty sure she would have a rather nice bruise on her hip. The closet was full of clothes from high school that were too big for her now. That felt good. She had worked hard to make sure she ate healthy and exercised. It had been a slow process, but before her was the proof that it worked.
Love, Snow and Mistletoe: Four Sweet Christmas Romance Novellas Page 19
