Linc laughed, but he soaked in Ethan’s words. Were they being given a second chance? What would he lose if he asked her out on a date? The worst thing would be she’d say no, and she’d said no to him many times since they met up again.
But Meredith had plans to have her own child and he didn’t factor into them. “I don’t think she’s looking for a second chance with me. And I’m not sure I want to go down that road myself.”
“You won’t know what you really want unless you give it a shot. You have nothing to lose. If she doesn’t want to, you become friends so that Izzy and I don’t have to choose sides. But if we did, I’d have to go with Meredith.” Ethan winked.
“Asshole.”
But the idea of pursing Meredith wouldn’t leave his mind. Maybe he should try again. Maybe it was time to let go of his notion that the single life was for him.
*
She should’ve left when she had the chance, before Isabella had invited her and Linc to stay for dinner. She should’ve said “thanks, but no thanks” and picked up Buster and walked out the door. Except here she sat on Iz’s back patio, holding Marnie while Buster was curled up in Linc’s lap like he belonged there as much as the dog belonged on her lap. Ethan and Isabella had ducked inside for some stupid reason. Their attempts at matchmaking were hardly subtle, which led her to believe Linc had told Ethan everything, too.
Had Linc also told Ethan about her plans to get a sperm donor to have a baby?
No, the man was a lot of things, but breaking her confidence like that… He wouldn’t do it to her.
“You’re thinking awfully hard there. What’s going on, Tink?”
“Tink?” Was Linc giving her a nickname now? She was aware that nicknames were a military thing. Heck, she abbreviated Isabella’s name to Iz and her friend called her Mere. In fact, Linc had called her Mere, so where the heck was Tink coming from and what did it mean?
He chuckled and the rough sound floated across the table and wrapped around her like steam from a hot cup of coffee. “I don’t know. You looked like you were away with the fairies, which made me think of Tinkerbell.”
“You don’t seem the Disney type of person.”
Ensuring he still had a good hold on her dog, he lifted a hand and pointed to Marnie.
Meredith looked down at the Cinderella onesie she wore. “Oh. Okay. Well, I suppose Tink is better than Cinderella.” Too much of her life had imitated that particular fairy tale.
Every second she spent with the guy, he continued to surprise her. There was so much more to him than what she’d thought the first night she’d met him. At the time, she’d had no idea he had been in the army. Or that he could be so caring with a puppy. Any guy who was good with animals had to be a good guy, right?
“What were you thinking about?” he asked again.
So, this was her chance to talk about that night in the ER. “Umm, I wanted to ask how you’re doing. You know, about the baby? I mean, I haven’t asked you and I feel awful about it.”
Linc shifted in the chair, and she thought for a minute he wasn’t going to say anything, but then he blew out a breath. “I won’t lie and say I don’t wonder what might have been if things had turned out differently but…” He shrugged. “I’m doing okay. Thanks for asking.”
He reached out and took her hand. While keeping an arm around Marnie’s tummy, she gripped Linc tightly, like she had at the hospital. The moment stretched between them and Meredith looked for a different subject to lighten the mood.
“Does it look like Ethan and Iz are playing matchmaker with us? I’m guessing you told Ethan about us?”
Linc sat a little straighter. Buster looked affronted at having his comfy spot disturbed, but he settled down again. “I did, but if you think I mentioned your other plans to him, you don’t have to worry. That’s your business, not mine, and I’d never break your confidence.”
Damn, he just kept showing this sweet side of him that was getting harder and harder to resist.
“Thank you.”
He nodded and went back to scratching Buster between the ears. The dog was in heaven, and for a few heartbeats, she wished she were sitting on Linc’s lap and he was kissing the sweet spot where her neck and shoulders met. Until the night they’d hooked up, she had no idea how sensitive that part of her body was. Mark had been a good lover, but he’d never been big on kissing anything other than her lips and a couple of other places. Even now, a shiver rippled through her as she imagined Linc following through on her fantasy.
Sheesh, she needed to stop this. It wouldn’t do any good wishing for a future with Linc when she had her own plans to follow through on. Plus, she had no idea what Linc was going to do in his future. Would he go back into the army? Or would he do something else entirely?
“Have you decided what you’re going to do for a job?” she asked. Voicing her thoughts may be better than just thinking them. This was the question she should’ve asked instead of the matchmaking one.
“I met with a recruitment officer with the San Antonio Police Department the other day. It didn’t turn out quite like I expected or hoped.” A trace of bitterness bled into his words, surprising her.
“What happened?”
He sighed and Buster sat up and licked Linc’s face, causing him to smile. The action hit her fair square in the middle of her stomach. He was so handsome when he smiled. His eyes brightened and crinkled at the corner and turned more silver than gray.
“I guess I assumed that because I’ve worked in the military police and the separate K-9 unit for the past fifteen years, that I’d slip right into a position with the police.”
“It didn’t turn out that way?”
“No, it seems I have to do the mandatory police academy training and after all of that, I’m not guaranteed a position within the K-9 unit. I’d have to wait to see if a spot opens up.” He closed his eyes and raised his face to the darkened sky. “Seems everything I hoped for is blowing up in my face. Nothing is going to plan.”
Before she could say anything else, Ethan and Isabella finally emerged from the house, both looking a little more disheveled than when they went in.
Meredith rolled her eyes. “You guys are terrible. You’ve been making out while we’ve been babysitting.”
Isabella didn’t look ashamed at all as she plucked her daughter from Meredith’s arms. “Hey, with a baby, we have to make the most of our opportunities when we can. But thank you for being good godparents and looking after our baby.”
Godparents?
Since when had they decided Linc was going to be Marnie’s godfather? Was there a hint of fear and surprise on his face? Didn’t he want to be Marnie’s godfather? Being godparents would definitely change the dynamics between them.
Did it matter? She was already prepared to spend time with him whenever Ethan and Isabella decided to have get-togethers.
“Well, now that we’ve provided you with time to yourselves, it’s time I left. Come on, Buster, let’s go.” Meredith stood and the dog scrambled off Linc’s lap and trotted over to her.
“I think I’ll be going, too,” Linc announced.
Marnie started to cry. “It’s time I changed her and put her to bed.” Isabella one-arm hugged Meredith. “It’s good to see you, and Linc’s a good guy. Give him a chance,” she whispered in her ear before breaking the embrace. She hugged Linc too, before disappearing inside.
“I’ll walk you two out,” Ethan announced, smiling at the both of them.
A minute later, the door closed behind her and Linc and they stood awkwardly beside her car, Buster acting as a buffer between them.
“Well,” she started, “I guess we never did finish our conversation about your job.”
Why was she prolonging the interaction between them? She should just get in the car and drive away.
“No, we didn’t.”
“I’m sure you’ll find something that suits you.”
“Yeah, I’ve got some options other than the police force.
” Linc moved a step closer to her and she looked up. His eyes blazed with an unspoken question.
Can I kiss you?
Her breath quickened and she recalled their first kiss in the noisy San Diego bar. It was so clichéd, but the world seemed to narrow in on them and they forgot everyone around them. Her blood had zinged to life at that first contact, and she wanted to experience it again.
Tonight.
Buster squirmed in her arms and she placed him on the ground, keeping a firm grip on his lead.
Dammit, why was she fighting her desires?
One touch.
One taste.
One moment when she allowed herself to forget.
She swayed toward him and Linc met her halfway. Their lips touched once, parted, then met again. Linc slipped an arm around her and her free hand clutched at his soft cotton polo shirt.
A sigh rippled through her. His lips were magical and she wanted to be caught up in whatever spell he wanted to weave around her.
Meredith lost herself in the way Linc’s lips caressed and worshipped hers.
She dropped her head back as his mouth explored the side of her jaw, following a slow trail down her neck until he found that spot between her neck and shoulder. A shudder rippled through her and her body begged for his more of his touch.
“Hey, Linc, you for—oh, fuck. Sorry, man.”
Meredith sprang away from Linc as if she’d been struck by lightning. “I should go.” She tugged Buster’s lead as she unlocked her car and opened the back door for the dog. He jumped in and she secured him in his little dog seat.
“Tink?” Linc whispered, but she shook her head.
“Bye,” she barely managed and slid into the driver’s seat and closed the door.
Chapter Eleven
Meredith checked the time and smoothed down her already straight pencil skirt. She was meeting with a principal to start a teaching job after the summer break. With school not starting until August, she’d be out of work for about four to five months. She had saved most of the money she’d earned while in Guatemala and her biggest expense would be the sperm donation fee. But she could make it work.
Of course, applying for a job when she was thinking of getting pregnant wasn’t ideal but there was no guarantee she’d get pregnant the first time, so she might have to try a couple of times for her dream to come true.
Or you could have fun trying with Linc. You certainly wanted it last night.
Now wasn’t the time to think about babies and Linc. It was time to think about nailing the job interview. It definitely would be different not teaching at the same school as Isabella, but now that she had Marnie, she wasn’t going back to work. It wouldn’t surprise Meredith if her best friend were pregnant again in the next year.
How cool would it be to be pregnant at the same time? Their babies would definitely grow up the best of friends like their moms. No way would little Marnie be left out either. They could be the three musketeers, getting up to so much mischief she and Isabella would be pulling their hair out. Now that was an image Meredith could get on board with.
Her phone vibrated in her purse as she stepped into office. Whoever it was would have to wait. She had a principal to impress.
Two hours later, she walked back into the principal’s office. Never before had an interview taken so long, but then again, she’d gotten a tour of the school and their facilities and was able to see some of their teaching processes.
The school was different from what she was used to. They had a more relaxed teaching process than her old school, so the children seemed happy and excited to learn. Many times she’d tried to introduce more interactive ways of learning, but her hands had been tied. This was a private school, so they didn’t have to concentrate on any of the state-required tests. Meredith liked that a lot too.
Here, she’d have the chance to enrich children’s lives, and she hoped she’d get the opportunity.
“Well, Ms. Turner, what do you say?” The principal smiled. “I would love to have you join our staff when the new school year starts, if you’re interested. I also want to know if it’s okay to call on you if we need a sub before then.”
Joy lit up inside of her. She could totally see herself walking the hallways of the school. “I’d love that. Thank you.”
“Excellent, we’ll be in touch.” She held out her hand and Meredith took it, giving it a quick shake.
She practically floated outside. At least one part of her life was back on track. Once again, her phone vibrated as she was getting into her car—she had three text messages from Isabella and two missed calls.
Meredith hadn’t mentioned to her friend about going for an interview. She hadn’t known about the job herself until this morning when she received an email from the employment agency she’d signed with.
She couldn’t wait to tell Iz all about it. She dialed her number.
“Have you been avoiding my calls? Why has it taken you so long to call me back?”
Meredith was in too good of a mood to be turned off by Isabella’s abruptness. “Well hello to you too, and I didn’t call you back because I was at a job interview.”
“Oh. Okay, sorry. I was just worried.”
Meredith laughed. She had a fair idea what had gotten her friend all worked up. “Well, that’s sweet, but I’m fine. I’m a big girl and I can look after myself.”
Isabella’s sighed floated down the line. “Okay, I know you can, but you kissed Linc last night and it wasn’t in a just friendly way, from what Ethan told me. He said if you weren’t standing out in the middle of the street you would’ve been ripping each other’s clothes off.”
Well, there was no point in denying it or saying that Ethan had gotten the wrong end of the stick. He was totally right. Even now, some twelve hours later, her body heated as she relived the kiss, and if she closed her eyes, she could almost imagine Linc’s lips on her neck. “Yes, we kissed. But, honestly, getting into a relationship at the moment is not right for me.”
“Because you want to have a baby?”
“Well, that and the fact that I’m going to be starting a new job when the new school year starts.”
“What?” Isabella screeched and Meredith held the phone away from her ear. “When did this happen?”
Meredith sighed. “I guess you weren’t really listening when I said I was at an interview when you called.”
“Oh, right, yeah, I did hear that, but—”
“But all you were interested in was me kissing Linc.”
“I’m a horrid friend, aren’t I?” Isabella wailed. “I’m sorry, Mere. I need to stop pushing you and Linc together. But if you want me to stop wishing you two would get together, you need to stop kissing him.”
“I know. Trust me, I know I need to stop kissing him,” she muttered. “It’s not going to happen again.”
“But would it be the worst thing to happen?” Isabella asked quietly. “He’s a good guy. And, like you once told me, it’s not like you have to marry him. Besides, if things had been different, you would’ve been having a child with him.”
How the roles had changed between her and Isabella. Once upon a time, she’d been the one encouraging Isabella to give Ethan a chance, and now Isabella was doing the same with her. As much as she wanted to deny it, her best friend had a point. If circumstances had been in her favor, she and Linc would forever be connected through a child.
“Maybe, but don’t forget, I thought his name was Luke and never expected to see him again, so I would’ve been going down the single mother route, which I still want to do.”
“Even with a new job? I’m not sure they’re going to like taking on a new teacher and then finding out you’re pregnant.”
Isabella had a point, and one Meredith had given thought to as well, but she had a plan, and with going the donation route, in all likelihood, she could make it work. “Not if I can have the baby over summer break. By the time I go back to school school, the baby will be old enough to go to daycare.
That’s the beauty of artificial insemination. I can make it work on my schedule.”
“Good luck with that,” Isabella scoffed. “Even with careful planning, the chances of things working out the way you want are slim.”
“Maybe, but it’s what I’m going to try to do. I can spend the whole summer with the baby and return to work when I’m ready and have found a good daycare option.”
“Is that what you really want, Mere? I know a lot of people do it, and I don’t have any issues with that. I admire women who juggle it all, and I have no doubt you can do it too. If Ethan’s and my financial situation were different, I’d be working as well. I know I’m lucky I can stay home with Marnie. It’s just that, years ago in college, we eating ice cream one night and you told me what it had been like growing up without your parents and how your aunt never had time for you. You said that once you decided to have a family, you would parent differently than what you’d experienced.”
The excitement that had been brimming inside of her dimmed as reality crashed in on her. Isabella was right. She had decided she would treat her child differently than the way she had been raised. The main difference, though, was she would give this child all the love she possessed within her. Her sole focus would be her child, unlike her parents who fought so much they forgot she existed and her aunt who concentrated only on her own kids and not her niece.
No, even if her child were in daycare, the second she collected her child, Meredith’s attention would be on him or her. Her baby would know what it was like to be loved and wanted.
“I hear you, Iz, I really do, but putting my child in daycare while I work wouldn’t mean he or she will be starved of love. You watch. I can do it all.”
A small pause left silence over the phone. “I believe you.” She could hear the smile in Iz’s voice. “Now tell me about your job.”
*
Linc looked at the text message from Ethan for the thirtieth time in the last ten minutes. His friend had taken it upon himself to text Meredith’s number to him. Considering everything they’d gone through with the miscarriage, Buster’s adoption, and their burning kiss the previous evening, he hadn’t asked for her number and she hadn’t asked for his. But he did know where she lived and had visited her unannounced, so calling her shouldn’t be an issue.
The Matchmaker’s Match Page 10
