ENCORE PERFORMANCE (THE MATCHMAKER TRILOGY)

by Marie, Bernadette

  A commotion filtered through the house, and Thomas followed the sound toward the wonderfully large kitchen. With her back turned to him, Carissa stood at the sink beside her mother. Heat rushed through him.

  They were laughing, joking, and bumping into each other over the sink.

  “If you’d move your big behind . . .” Sophia directed the insult to Carissa.

  “Oh, excuse me, Miss-I-Haven’t-Seen-a-Treadmill-ina-year.” Carissa boosted back and they both laughed.

  He could see that happiness had landed on Sophia. She’d always been a firm and taut person, but the few pounds that had crept onto her let him know she was truly joyous in her role of wife and mother.

  “Who are you?” a small voice asked from the table.

  The laughter died and Thomas turned his head to the table, where Katie sat. A young girl with rosy cheeks, deep blue eyes, and mounds of blonde curls sat next to Katie, looking up at him. He smiled cautiously at her.

  “I’m Thomas, who are you?”

  “I’m Hope. I’m eight.” Her expression clearly said, you should have known that.

  “Thomas!” Sophia squealed as she grabbed for a towel to wipe her hands on and then she raced across the room and wrapped her arms around him.

  He breathed her in.

  She pulled him back at arm’s length to study him and he did the same. Her auburn hair was a bit longer, but her brown eyes were just as welcoming. When she smiled at him he knew he’d found a home. One thing about Sophia, she could always make him feel at home.

  “I can’t believe you’re here. I can’t believe you’re standing right here.” Tears formed in her eyes and she pulled him to her again. He held her tight. Already he was glad he’d come.

  “How come there is some man hugging my wife in the kitchen and you are all standing around watching?” Thomas stiffened at the sound of the man’s voice.

  “Daddy!” Hope ran into the man’s arms and embraced him. Still in his pilot’s uniform, he bent down to hug his daughter. “This is Thomas. He knows Mommy.”

  “Well, maybe you should introduce us.”

  Hope nodded and walked her father by the hand to Thomas, who still held one arm around Sophia.

  “Daddy, this is Thomas.”

  “Thomas, it’s nice to meet you. I’m David Kendal.” He extended his hand and Thomas shook it.

  “It’s an honor to meet you. I feel like I know you very well.”

  “Considering the time frame in which you got your stories, I’d beg for another chance to make a first impression.” He touched his wife’s cheek and she moved forward and kissed him gently.

  “Mr. Kendal, she never had a bad word to say about you.” He looked at Sophia.

  “She should have come home sooner, then.”

  “You know, I’m not going to stand here and relive the fact I made a mistake years ago.” Sophia threw up her hands and shook her head with a smile. “Is there anyone in this kitchen who doesn’t think I’m a wonderful

  granddaughter, mother, friend, and wife? They shook their heads.

  “Okay, then, everything ended well and we can eat.”

  Thomas found himself seated between Hope and Carissa at the dinner table. If he let himself look at Carissa, he was sure he’d end up tripping over his tongue like a lovesick puppy, so he made an effort to take an interest in her younger sister. One look at Hope and he saw similarities to Carissa, though Hope was fair and Carissa’s complexion darker. The resemblance was amazing for an adopted child.

  Katie passed the salad bowl over the top of Hope, who wrinkled her nose. With a nod from Katie, Thomas dropped a small spoonful onto her plate, and Katie smiled. She reminded him a little of his own grandmother.

  “So, Thomas, you’re a pianist?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’ve been playing piano since I was three.”

  “That’s awfully young.”

  “Well, my grandmother insisted and she taught me my very first scales.” The memory was one of the few from his childhood that could bring a smile to his face.

  “Wise woman.”

  David passed a plate of roast to Katie. “So are you sure you’re up to helping these two with their school? They can be awfully demanding.”

  “I can’t tell you how excited I was to get Sophia’s call. What’s happening with music programs in schools is pitiful. It doesn’t make sense to take the arts away. When you start doing that . . .” All eyes were on him and he realized he was about to go on a rant. “Well, I think it’s foolish, and bringing music to others is what I do best.”

  He felt Carissa’s eyes on him and he turned to catch her stare. Her cheeks flushed immediately and then she turned away. He sucked in a breath and lifted his water glass to his lips to try to cool off his racing mind.

  Carissa dipped her head down toward her plate and buttered her roll. He believed in the cause. Yes, that was what she’d wanted. She wasn’t sure he’d have understood the mission. After all he was a down-and-out performer and she was a teacher.

  And she’d been so conflicted with her mother’s idea of bringing Thomas into their school. And now that he was here all she could think about was him, not as a musician or teacher, but as a man. A man whose passion for sharing the gift of music she found more than attractive.

  She took a bite of her roast. Did Thomas feel the heat between them or was that just her?

  His hypnotic blue eyes and that disheveled sandy hair that he kept running his fingers through had her heart fluttering. Heat prickled her skin, and that mortified her. She’d felt like this before, just not over someone she’d barely met. And she’d been burned before. This time she wasn’t going to jump straight into bed with a guy just because he was hot.

  “Don’t you think so, Carissa?” her father asked and she darted her head up.

  “I’m sorry, what?”

  “Don’t you think that school will be operational by the time the schools return from their winter break?” he repeated.

  “Oh, yes.” She blew out a small breath. “We took possession of the building two days ago. There is a lot of work to be done and that should take us through December.” Thomas’s eyes were on her and she took the courage to look at him and finish, calm and professional— the way their relationship would be. “We’ll start enrollment in the first part of December. We’ve talked to the local schools about passing out our information and doing some assemblies for the students. I think we should be able to reach a lot of kids.”

  “You’ve already done a lot work to ensure your success.” He shifted his eyes to her mother. “Sophia, I’m so impressed.”

  “Well, I’m just the silent partner. This was really all Carissa’s doing. This is her dream.” Carissa smiled as her mother laid a gentle hand on hers.

  She leveled her eyes with Thomas’s as he turned back to her. That intoxicating blue peered into her soul and she felt her heart hitch. Against her will, the corners of her mouth turned up into a smile. He grinned at her, melting her resolve.

  “Thank you for considering me for your staff, then. It is going to be an honor to work with you.”

  That was it. Her heart was gone.

  All she had to do was keep Thomas from finding out.

  CHAPTER TWO Carissa gathered dishes while Thomas sat on the back porch with David after dinner. Katie excused herself to bed for the night and Hope wandered between helping Carissa clean up and diverting her father’s attention.

  Sophia set the dishes by the sink.

  “So what do you think of Thomas?”

  “He seems nice enough and if you say he’s talented,

  then he should be a wonderful asset to our school.” Carissa flipped her hair over her shoulder and turned on the water to fill the sink. She didn’t want to tell her mother what she was really thinking of Thomas.

  “I think we should all sit down on Sunday during dinner and start addressing some issues about curriculum and what we want to accomplish.”

  Carissa snapped her head up and shif
ted her glance toward Sophia. She was loosely throwing around the words our and we when it came to the school, but it was in fact her school and she had a clear plan on what she wanted to accomplish.

  Sophia touched her hand and Carissa knew her thoughts had been transparent.

  “I know you and I have ideas, but we should consider what he has to say. He did come all the way back to the States for this.” And that was only one of her problems with Thomas Samuel. First it was his failed career and his eagerness to leave Rome for Kansas City. Then her body’s reaction to him had her practical thoughts dissolving. Now Sophia thought he should have say in her school when she thought he was just there to teach.

  Carissa kept her misgivings to herself and nodded as she looked out the window to the back porch. The October sky had already turned dark, but the porch light illuminated the men like a spotlight.

  She watched the interaction between the men and her sister. Hope had landed on Thomas’s knee and was showing him something. She couldn’t make it out, but he was giving her the attention she was demanding.

  Sophia handed her a plate.

  “Are you sure you’re comfortable with him staying here? If you’re not we can find somewhere for him to stay.”

  “Mom, we’ll be fine. If you trust him I have no reason not to.”

  “I do.”

  “I know that. If you didn’t you wouldn’t have asked him to be part of the school or stay here with us.”

  “I think it’ll be good to have him here. It’s one more set of eyes on Katie.” Carissa turned to take the plate from her mother, but Sophia gripped it tightly as though she were afraid to let it go. “I’m worried about her.” She shifted her eyes to Carissa.

  “I take care of her.”

  “I know you do. But she’s getting frail and after we lost Millie I really worried about you.”

  Carissa began an assault on the dish in her hand, scrubbing it hard enough she could have easily scrubbed a hole through it. “I’ll be okay. I know Katie isn’t going to be around forever, I just wasn’t ready for Millie to go. So if you’re worried that I’m too attached, I’ll cope. But she’s not going anywhere soon.” Carissa shifted her moist eyes to her mother.

  “If you’re all comfortable that will be good. We can’t pay him much. The least we can do is give him a place to live.”

  Carissa nodded. A place for him to live, where he was only a few feet from where she’d be dreaming about him all night. She steeled herself against letting that thought go any further.

  Sophia grinned at her. “And you know, he’s single.”

  Carissa walked her parents to the door. Her father turned to kiss her good-bye and gave her arm a gentle squeeze.

  “Call if you need anything.”

  “I’ll be fine. But I promise.”

  “He’s paranoid,” her mother said as she kissed her. Hope ran past them and down the front steps to the car. “Don’t forget. You promised me a juice too.” “How could I forget?” Carissa laughed as she waved

  from the porch. Sadness washed over her as they drove away. As always she hated to see people she loved go, even for the night. She turned to go back inside and ran right into Thomas, who was standing behind her. His arms came up. He grabbed her with his hands on her hips, holding her until she regained her balance, then sliding his palms up a few inches till his fingers brushed her ribs.

  “I didn’t know you were standing there.” Her voice shook as her hands lingered on his shoulders and his on her waist. The lean musculature, separated from her skin by a thin layer of fabric, drew a soft gasp from her.

  “Obviously.” He smiled and her knees went weak. She’d hold on to him a moment until she felt more sturdy, but not a second longer.

  “I guess I’ll call it a night.” Her eyes locked into his. The porch light shimmered in them, making the warm flecks of gold sparkle within his blue irises. “I want to get to the school tomorrow and start cleaning it out before contractors start working. The last tenants left behind a lot of trash. I need to get a jump on it because I have students on Saturday morning.”

  Thomas nodded, his hands still sending tingles across her skin. “Saturday morning? I’ll need coffee before that first piercing note, but I could help you get started on the cleaning if you’d like my help.”

  She smiled and took the necessary step back so he’d release her, though distance between them wasn’t what she wanted at all.

  “That would be wonderful. Would you mind if we start out about eight thirty?”

  “I’ll be ready with my cleaning clothes on.”

  “Great. I’ll repay you Saturday morning with coffee before that first squeaky note. I know a little diner.” Her voice was airy, husky, and she realized a bit too seductive for someone she’d just met, but she kept talking, not wanting to leave his presence yet.

  “Can’t pass that up.” He raked his fingers through his hair and her eyes followed his long fingers from his hair until he tucked them into his pockets. “What time do I need to be up for that?”

  “That depends. Do you run?”

  “Run?”

  She nodded with a smile. “Yes, do you run?”

  “I should have understood the question better. After all, you are Sophia’s daughter.” She smiled as he shook his head and his perfect lips curled into a smirk. “Does she still run all over the damn place?”

  “Not so much anymore. She hurt her knee a few years ago. But Saturday mornings I take a nice run before that first squeaky note.” It was that first squeaky note, she thought, that made everything she’d ever dreamed of worth the effort. Her school would be full of squeaky notes and they would progress into beautiful music someday. She settled at glance at the man who shared her passion for music. Would they too work through their squeaky notes and make beautiful music together?

  “Okay then. A run and the promise of good food, good coffee, and good company Saturday in return for a Friday full of cleaning.” His acceptance of her offer snapped her back from her impromptu daydream. “I have a pair of running shoes that haven’t been used for running in a long time.”

  “It’s a date then.”

  “It’s a date.” He backed to the door and held open the screen for her as she sauntered through.

  Thomas paced the floor in his room. He hadn’t returned to the States to find a woman, but one had landed, literally, right on his doorstep, or at least he on hers. And she was his friend’s daughter. He hissed out a breath. It was going to take control he’d never had before to keep his hands off Carissa Kendal.

  He sat on the edge of the bed, interlaced his hands together, and tapped them against his head. No matter what he did the image of her wouldn’t fade and the desire for her only grew. It wasn’t going to be any use to fight it. He’d met her less than twelve hours earlier and never in his life had he felt what he was feeling at that moment. When Carissa looked at him, his skin was set into flames, his stomach did flips, and he knew his heart rate had never been so fast. He’d have kissed her right on that front porch, if he were someone else.

  Thomas rubbed his hands on his pants. He wasn’t someone else. He had to think about his music and his mission. He wasn’t here to seduce the daughter of his dear friend. No, he was here to share music with others. That he knew he could do. The question was could he do it with Carissa next to him making him realize that he longed for those things he’d refused himself. A career. A family. A woman to love.

  Carissa pulled out of the driveway Friday morning feeling physically drained. Her night had been restless because she was too aware of the man in the room down the hall. And there was no doubt when she’d handed him his cup of coffee in the kitchen that morning that he’d lost some sleep too. He’d all but jumped and dropped the mug when she’d touched his hand with hers. How could a man as handsome as Thomas Samuel be so skittish around women?

  His too-long blond hair kept falling over his eyes, and he’d brush it over the rim of his sunglasses.

  “Why ex
actly are you cleaning the building before construction? Doesn’t construction make a mess?”

  She laughed. “Yes, but the previous owners left a bigger one. You’ll see when we get there. We can’t do construction until the junk is gone.”

  He nodded and shifted in his seat.

  “So when do contractors start?”

  “Tomorrow afternoon.”

  “So this has to be finished today.”

  “At least the bulk of it. We’ve done some. The electrician is the only one coming in tomorrow. Then when the plumbing is done Dad can start on framing the walls.”

  “Your dad is building the walls?” His voice carried an element of surprise and she couldn’t help but smile. Just one look at Thomas Samuel and one would assume he wasn’t the handyman type of guy. Of course when she’d seen him come into the kitchen that morning she knew he wasn’t the kind of man to do manual labor. He’d worn a pressed white T-shirt tucked into his dark, pristine jeans.

  “My dad’s no carpenter. The fine trim work will have to be contracted, but he can build a wall,” she said with love and admiration for her father.

  “When your mother called and asked me to come help, I was under the impression that she was opening the school. I didn’t realize she was just helping you.” He shook his head and let out a slight grunt of a laugh.

  Carissa tightened her grip on the steering wheel. Would he have come if he’d known, she wondered.

  Her jaw tightened. She’d thought Sophia was going to be a bit more of a partner in the school too, but instead she’d called someone else in. Carissa wasn’t yet sure if she should be hurt or grateful. She slid a glance toward Thomas. For the moment she’d give him the benefit and be grateful.

  “She’ll always be my partner. Everyone needs someone to turn to.”

  “What will she do at the school?”

  She gave it a moment’s thought and shifted in her seat. “She’ll be everywhere for a while. She has a lot of contacts in the community and we’re hoping to draw off that for enrollment. As for being active in the school, I don’t think she’ll be able to help herself and she’ll be teaching more than she thinks she will. One of the things I want to offer is music class for homeschooled students. She’d be able to teach in the daytime when Hope is in school.”