Wrong Brother, Right Match (Anyone but You #3)

by Jennifer Shirk

  Maddie raised her hands to her face. “I’m out of my league here. This is a job for Dr. Drew.”

  “Maddie, please. You have to understand. It was an accident. And for the record, he kissed me. But he had no idea who I was.” She paused and her mouth hung open. “Ohmygosh, all this time I’ve been worried about becoming my mother. I already am my mother.”

  “Relax, honey. You haven’t done anything.” She peered at her more closely. “Did anything else happen between you two when you went to visit Justin’s home?”

  “Gosh, no! We would never hurt Justin like that. But even with Matt out of the picture, I’m not sure how I feel about Justin anymore. How did you know Trent was the one?”

  “Well, it was hard to know at first. I thought I was cursed in the relationship department. But I realized by holding onto that belief, I wasn’t allowing myself to take that leap of faith. Nothing is an absolute sure thing.”

  She looked to Sabrina. “How did you know Jack was the one?”

  Sabrina bit her lip. “Technically, not until I got engaged to another man. When that happened, I realized I only had companionship but not a real connection with him. It helped me see that with Jack, I truly had both. Plus, I had a little psychic help.”

  Kennedy hung her head, willing herself not to cry.

  “Look, honey, everyone has their own story and their own wants. I don’t think you should look to Trent or me or Sabrina and Jack for advice. You should look inside yourself and see what you truly want, what will make you the happiest, before you make any decision.”

  She nodded. “I’ll try.”

  “Okay, but I wouldn’t waste time. New Year’s Eve is in five days, you know.”

  “Hey!” Trent called from the other room, “I thought dessert was coming. Do you girls need any help?”

  “No, we’re good,” Maddie called back. She gestured for Kennedy to pick up the plate of cookies. “We’re coming now.”

  Kennedy willed herself back into control and followed Maddie into the living room. She placed the cookies out of Bella’s reach and sat down next to Justin. He automatically wrapped an arm around her and squeezed her shoulder. She waited for it. The little zing of attraction. Nothing. Matt only had to look at her and her knees turned to melted ice cream. Although she couldn’t ever remember experiencing that with Justin. Just comfort and ease. She hadn’t seen Justin all week, so shouldn’t she be feeling something besides annoyance with herself?

  Just when Kennedy already felt at her lowest, she saw Sabrina lean down and plant a loud kiss on Jack’s lips as he cradled the baby in his arms.

  “What was that for?” he asked, smiling at his wife.

  Sabrina shrugged. “Just feeling extra fortunate to be married to you.”

  “Would it help my good fortune if I were to inform you that I changed Owen’s diaper while you were in the kitchen?” he asked, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

  Sabrina cocked her head, pretending to think it over. “Not sure. Was it a number one or a number two?”

  “Two.” Jack fake shuddered.

  “You just earned extra bonus points tonight, buddy.” Sabrina kissed her husband again, and their baby began kicking his legs.

  Chuckling, Maddie handed out plates then sat down next to Trent. “All right, enough you two. Owen looks like he’s getting gassy over his parents frequent PDA. Hey, why don’t we open gifts?” she suggested.

  Kennedy perked up. That actually sounded like a pretty good idea. Something fun. She reached for the bag she’d brought and pulled out a gift for Trent. “Here ya go. For the cousin who has everything.” She then pulled out a bone for Bella, who happily took it from her hand and ran off.

  Trent shook the box with extra care then, apparently deciding there was no bomb, began opening it. When he saw the contents, his face split into a wide grin. Kennedy almost laughed when he held the nine-inch replica of the stadium where he’d played football in college as if it were a newborn. “Aw, Ken, how in the world did you pull this off?”

  Kennedy winked. “Justin and I have our connections.”

  “Thank you.”

  Justin cleared his throat. “I’d actually like to give my present next.”

  Kennedy took a cookie and bit into it. “What are you talking about? That was from both of us, silly.”

  “No, actually. I’d like to give a present to you.”

  She almost choked. “I, uh, didn’t bring a gift for you. I thought we would exchange tomorrow.”

  “I know.” He pulled out a small black box with a red bow from the inside of his suit jacket. “This one can’t wait,” he said with a shy smile.

  The box fit in her palm yet sat in her hand as clumsily and as heavy as a microwave. Mixed feelings surged through her. She looked into his kind hazel eyes, hesitating for a brief moment, then opened it. An engagement ring sat shining and ready to wear.

  “I know it’s not the traditional kind,” Justin rushed to explain. “I didn’t think you’d really care about stuff like that. It’s just when I saw it, I thought the ruby suited you.”

  Kennedy was more of a traditional kind of girl, but the fact that he went out and picked a ring for her with such care and thought warmed her insides. This is right, she thought. Justin was everything she wanted, so why wouldn’t he still be now?

  Realizing she had kept Justin and the rest of the room in suspense for too long, she finally turned to him with a huge grin. “It’s what I always wanted.”

  “Are you sure?” he asked.

  She glanced at Maddie then blinked back tears. Ignoring her friend’s worried stare, she told him, “It’s perfect.”

  But would she ever be able to shake the feeling that while the ring was perfect, the man might not be?

  Chapter Twelve

  “Kennedy, the makeup artist over there thought it’d be a good idea to de-glow you now.”

  Kennedy gave Mia a pointed glare. “Look, I know I’m sweating like a tennis player at Wimbledon, so spare me the decorum.”

  Mia chuckled. “Sorry, boss. I know you’re nervous today, but you’re going to knock ‘em dead at the press conference. Just remember, Celeste wants to run through a few things with you before you go on, okay?”

  Kennedy nodded, trying to take in a few deep breaths. She hadn’t seen Justin since Christmas Day. Didn’t even spend the whole holiday with him, instead feigning sickness—which hadn’t exactly been a lie. Matt’s words had haunted her.

  I know you don’t want to end up like your mom, but people are unpredictable, relationships take work, and life is messy no matter who you are.

  Well, she certainly had made a mess out of her life. How had she let this happen?

  And even if she succumbed to her feelings for Matt, it wasn’t like they could just begin to see each other. That could very well tear Justin and his family apart. There were no clear-cut answers. Maybe it was just her. Maybe she wasn’t trying hard enough in her relationship with Justin because she was too consumed with Matt. She had to make it right between them like it had been—for herself as well as her business.

  “I’m going to attend to the press,” Mia told her. She gave her another reassuring smile. “You’ll feel better once you see Justin’s smiling face in the audience.”

  She nodded. “I know. Thanks.”

  A few of her employees passed by and waved. “Good luck, Kennedy!” one of them called.

  She smiled and waved back. For this rollout to be a success, I’m going to need that luck.

  Celeste, their marketing consultant, came barreling over to her with her trim gray suit and upswept platinum hairdo. “You ready, Kennedy?”

  Kennedy had rehearsed her speech all week until she could recite it in her sleep. Please. Press conferences and speeches she could do standing on her head. It was one of the reasons her employees were so confident in her. Relationships, on the other hand… She obviously needed more help than her own company could supply. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  �
��Great. I’ll talk about Match Made Easy a bit first, and then the software, then I’ll introduce you and you can talk more about it, and the exciting results you’ve gotten with your own engagement.”

  “Right.” Her chest tightened.

  “Okay, see you in ten minutes.”

  As Celeste walked off on her gray four-inch stilts, Kennedy’s cell phone went off. She checked the screen and saw it was Justin.

  “Hey, honey,” she greeted. “We’re in the conference center on the third floor. You’ve still got—”

  “Babe, that’s why I’m calling. I’m running late.”

  She held in a sigh. “Oh, no, Justin, really?”

  “Aw, hon, don’t worry, you don’t need me there. You’re a powerhouse CEO. You’re going to slay the competition today.”

  “I know, but I really wanted you here for moral support.”

  “Babe, know that I’m thinking about you. I’ll be over there as soon as I can, and we can have the rest of the night together celebrating. I’ll make sure our pictures for the photo op look their best, too. I’ve made super secret reservations tonight. Your favorite wine is probably chilling as we speak.”

  That coaxed a small smile from her. “You don’t need to chill pinot noir, silly.”

  “Pinot noir? No, I ordered a few bottles of prosecco for us.”

  Prosecco? She didn’t like prosecco. Sparkling wine gave her indigestion. How could Justin not remember that? Then Matt’s words began to ring in her head. You deserve more.

  She’d once thought she couldn’t be luckier to find a man like Justin, someone steady, a companion who shared her love for details and order, not to mention TV shows. Not so long ago, she couldn’t imagine what she had done in a previous life to deserve him. But now, she had to wonder if he truly deserved her, and her heart grew heavy at that thought.

  So that was it. Matt was right.

  She now knew she couldn’t go through with the engagement. Actually, she’d known it for a while, but not until this very minute had she been able to admit the truth.

  “Justin,” she whispered, her voice breaking, “I—I’m sorry. I don’t think this is going to work.”

  “It’ll be fine, Ken. I can switch the prosecco to pinot noir.”

  She closed her eyes and sighed. “No. It’s not the wine. It’s us. We’re not working. I thought we could. By all accounts we should, but— “

  “I know, babe. I know I said I’d be better about my work schedule, but I promise things are going to be different once I get my promotion. So you do your thing, and I will hands down be there for you tonight. Just be patient with me for a little longer. We’ll talk about it when I see you, okay?”

  “No, Justin, you’re not listening—”

  “What?” he asked, but he wasn’t talking to her. He was talking to someone he was in the room with. The irony was unfortunately not lost on her. “Sorry, Kennedy. I need to go. I have a client on the other line. But I’ll see you tonight.”

  “No—” Words failed her. Not that it mattered anyway. He had already hung up.

  Hands shaking, she headed for the bathroom—an area she hoped she could quietly compose herself in. She steadied herself against the sink and tried to even her breathing. She had thought Justin, of all people, understood what an important day this was to her, to her business. After all, they were like-minded when it came to their careers. She supposed there were no more excuses to be made. Nothing left to talk about. He had made promises and failed to keep them. As Matt had told her, they did not act like two people head over heels in love with each other.

  Today more than ever, she wished her mom were still living. She may not have had much of a family life, but her mother was her family. Trent had been wonderful, but for so long, it had just been the two of them. And without her—and especially now without Justin—Kennedy felt very much alone. As much as it pained her to admit defeat in her relationship with Justin, she did deserve more. And maybe that’s what her mom in all her dismal marriage attempts was really searching for. Something more.

  She stood there in the eerie silence of the women’s room, trapped in the lie she’d been telling herself for months, and looked at herself in the mirror. She winced when she saw how pale she was. Some powerhouse CEO.

  I can do this. I know the software is a success—even without being engaged to Justin.

  She glanced down at her hand, staring at the ring that Justin had thoughtfully picked out for her. Would everything be fine if she and Justin just sat down and talked, worked out some of the bugs of their relationship? Justin seemed to think so, but too much had happened. Things weren’t as perfect as they’d been. Not since before she’d visited his family. Not since well before she’d met Matt.

  Glancing at the time, she spun around and headed out the door. And ran smack dab into Matt.

  A jolt of pure joy coursed through her.

  “Matt!” she said, sliding her glasses back up her nose. Oh, he was a sight for sore eyes. He wasn’t wearing his standard flannel shirt today, but a sports jacket and jeans, with a thin cranberry sweater that molded to his chest muscles. It had only been a few days since she’d seen him last but he looked…so much more handsome than she remembered.

  Matt stared at her, unblinking. He still had his hands on her shoulders, steadying her as if he was afraid she was about to collapse.

  “Wh-what are you doing here?” she asked.

  “I felt bad about how we left things. Listen, I don’t agree with everything that you’re doing but I had some time to think about you and Justin, and I had no right to say the things I did. You were right. It’s none of my business. You’re the matchmaker. Anyway, I know today is an important day for you. I figured you’d want family—or at least soon-to-be family here.”

  Thank goodness Matt still had his hands on her because her knees did a little wobble.

  “You came all the way out here for me?” Her lips began to tremble.

  He reached up and took her face in his hands. “Hey, no tears. Please,” he said gently. “If I had known I was going to smear your makeup, I would have stayed home.”

  She chuckled. “I’m glad you didn’t. I’m sorry for how we left things, too. I was awful to you.”

  Matt dropped his hands, took hold of hers, and squeezed. When he did, his brows furrowed, and he raised her left hand to inspect it. “Well, well, looks like my brother pulled through after all. You were right again.”

  “Oh. Yes.” Her cheeks heated, and she withdrew her hand from his. “He surprised me with an engagement ring on Christmas Eve.”

  He stared at it as a muscle worked along his jaw. “It suits you. The ruby. Your red hair. Looks like everything is snapping into place for you.” He raised his gaze to hers. “Just like you wanted.”

  “Yeah…” She bit her lip. Not exactly how I wanted. I may have picked the wrong brother.

  Mia came running over to her then, grabbing her arm. “Kennedy! Celeste is going to introduce you any minute now.”

  Kennedy blinked. “Oh, right.” The press conference. Where she was supposed to tell the world how happy she was with her match—with her soon-to-be wedding. But instead, her instincts urged her to grab onto Matt’s shirt and not let go.

  He stepped back. “Your job strikes again.” And just like that it became all about her choosing her job over him again.

  “Matt, I have to do this.”

  “I’m sure you do.”

  Mia tugged. “Come on.”

  Kennedy glanced back at Matt one last time. His gaze seared into hers. “You better go do your thing,” he said tightly. “They’re counting on you.”

  Right. All feelings aside, she had people counting on her to sell their product. It was her job. Why couldn’t Matt understand that? She sighed then let Mia whisk her off to the conference room.

  The room was filled. There was a cameraman in the corner and several reporters as well as many of her staff in the audience. She recognized a few clients and some of the test
group couples. As she passed Trent, he mouthed, You got this. If he meant she had the stomach flu, she wouldn’t have disagreed. Balls of nausea were swirling in her gut like tumbleweeds. But she pasted on a confident smile once she approached the podium.

  Celeste grinned back and sent her a subtle right-on-time nod. “Match Made Easy holds a firm belief that love is the very best part of life, and therefore you owe it to yourself to find the very best matchmaker. Its unique style of personalized service is second-to-none. And by unique, I mean that Match Made Easy holds the patent to a brand-new software program specifically designed to help people successfully navigate the modern dating world. With more on her program and how it will forever change the status of future relationships, I am very honored now to introduce to you the mastermind behind this wonderful company, Kennedy Pepperdine.”

  Applause broke out around her as she humbly took center stage. She shook Celeste’s hand then turned to face the audience. She gazed up, and that’s when she zeroed in on Matt standing way in the back of the room. Something clicked in her mind then. Matt had shown up to support her rollout, even though he was not a fan of her software or her marketing ploy. Matt was always there for those he cared about: his mom, his sister, even Justin. And he seemed to truly care about her—and had not only told her with words, but went out of his way to show her as well. She never got a fraction of that with Justin.

  I think you deserve more.

  Yeah. She did. But since she couldn’t have Matt, she did deserve something else. Self-respect. She had already been honest with Justin, but now she needed to be honest with herself and the people willing to use and/or invest in her company.

  Suddenly looking concerned, Matt gave her a thumbs-up sign to encourage her to start speaking.

  That was all she needed to see.

  She cleared her throat. “Thank you all for coming out today. You know, Match Made Easy is an extraordinary company because we really love what we do. We love bringing the right people together and having it last. That was the main reason I worked for so long to get this matchmaking software to exactly where I wanted it to be. Relationships are to be treasured, and I didn’t want there to be mistakes. But I wanted our clients to have it easy and simple, and well…perfect. So of course, I had to try it out on myself first.” There were a few laughs in the audience. “And I did find the perfect match for myself.”