Strike a Match (No Match for Love Book 1)

by Lindzee Armstrong

  “Nah,” Taylor said. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m going to grab takeout and send in that application to San Diego. Who knows? I might not even get an interview.”

  “You will. If you change your mind, the offer stands.”

  “Thanks, man.”

  Corey made a wide turn into the parking lot of the three-story medical plaza. Taylor climbed out of the truck and straightened one of the suspenders that held up his turnout pants. A police cruiser already sat at the opposite end of the parking lot, and a Korean Barbecue food truck was firing up the grill. Taylor propped open the various doors on the side of the truck so the kids could see where they kept the hose, tools, and other equipment they used when fighting a blaze.

  “Thank you so much for coming,” came a soft voice from behind him—one that made Taylor freeze with his hand on a compartment latch. “The kids are really excited about meeting you. We’ve worked really hard to advertise this safety fair and hope to get a good turnout today.”

  Slowly, Taylor turned around. “Uh, hi, Kate.”

  She took a step back, her eyes widening. Her hair was pulled up high in a ponytail, loose curls tumbling down her back. Taylor itched to touch the silky strands, and he curled his fingers into his palms. Running his hands through her hair would be completely and totally inappropriate. She wore the barest trace of makeup, and her white scrub top with a Tinker Bell print looked better on her than it should. Those green scrub bottoms … well, he’d never realized they could showcase a woman’s curves so well.

  Taylor blinked, focusing on Kate’s wide, green eyes.

  “I didn’t realize the safety fair would be where you work,” he said.

  “And I didn’t realize you would be the firefighter sent. There’s so many stations in L.A.”

  He grinned, hoping to put her at ease. “What are the odds, right? I wasn’t supposed to come, but I took over for another guy at the last moment.”

  “Listen, about last week …”

  He held up a hand, cutting her off abruptly. “You don’t need to say anything. I understand. Really, I do.”

  Her shoulders straightened and she gave a brisk nod. “Well, thank you for coming. Basically we want the kids to ask questions, learn basic fire safety, and feel comfortable around firefighters so that if—heaven forbid—they are caught in a blaze, they won’t hide from help.” Her eyes clouded for a moment, but then she blinked, and it was gone.

  “Are you okay?” Taylor asked quietly.

  “I’m fine.” She opened her mouth as though to say something else, then shrugged. “I’ve got to go check on a few other things, but I’ll be back before the fair starts in a half hour to help out at your station.”

  Taylor watched Kate walk away, his gaze lingering on her slender form as conflicting emotions blossomed inside him. What were the odds that out of all the pediatrician offices and firefighters in L.A., they’d end up here together?

  “Wow,” Corey said from behind Taylor. “If I’d known the nurses were so hot, I wouldn’t have complained so much when the chief told me I’d drawn the short straw.”

  Taylor smacked Corey on the head, and he laughed, ducking. “That’s Kate,” Taylor said.

  “Is that supposed to mean something to me?”

  “The girl from Toujour.”

  Corey’s eyes widened, and he whipped back to stare at her. “No way. The widow?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You didn’t mention she’s at least an eight on the looks scale.”

  Kate was a ten if she was anything. “I feel awful.” Taylor ran a hand through his hair and blew out a breath. “She doesn’t want to see me.”

  “But you want to see her.”

  Taylor folded his arms, watching Kate as she spoke with the police officer across the parking lot. “She intrigues me.”

  “Dude, don’t let your hero complex go into overdrive on this one.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Corey snorted. “The widow who claimed to have no family and has been going it alone for the last year and a half? Come on—that’s exactly the kind of train wreck you run right toward.”

  “I’m not running toward anything.”

  “Good.” Corey clapped him on the back. “Toujour will find you someone perfect. Promise.”

  It was almost twenty minutes before Kate came back. Taylor watched as she spoke with the police officer, the cook at the food truck, the representative from the state advertising various services to help young parents. She seemed to always speak softly—people kept leaning forward to hear her—and the timid smile on her lips tugged at his heart. What had happened to this woman? After the way she’d yelled at him, he didn’t believe she was simply shy.

  Kate came back just as the first parents and their children arrived. “Sorry,” she said.

  “Hey, no problem.” Taylor pulled a stack of pamphlets out of a box and handed half of them to Kate. “We’re doing just fine over here.”

  “Okay.” Kate smiled, her cheeks pink. She turned away from Taylor, focusing on the small child running toward her. The little boy plowed into her, making her stumble. Taylor put a hand on her back to steady her and Kate laughed, giving the boy a hug. “Hi, Eli.”

  “I can’t believe it’s finally here,” he said. “I’ve been waiting forever.” His eyes flicked toward Taylor, and Eli lowered his voice. “Is that a real fire fighter?”

  “Yes he is. Eli, this is Firefighter Coleman.”

  Taylor crouched down, giving the little kid a high-five. He couldn’t be more than six years old, and his eyes sparkled with delight. “Hi, Eli.”

  “I want to be a firefighter just like you when I grow up.”

  “That’s a worthy career choice,” Taylor said.

  “Have you ever rescued someone from a burning building?”

  Taylor glanced at Kate, who’s lips were now pursed in a tight line. “Yes,” Taylor said, rising to his feet. “How about I show you around the fire truck, Eli?”

  For the next two hours, Taylor and Corey were flooded with eager kids, and Taylor started to go hoarse from all the talking. The crowd had finally died down when Kate appeared. She held a sandwich out to Taylor.

  “Compliments of the doctors.”

  “Thanks.” Taylor unwrapped the sub and took a big bite. “I’m starving.”

  Kate handed a sandwich to Corey as well, then took a smaller, more dainty bite of her own sandwich. “I tried out that trail you recommended. You were right—it was well worth the hike.”

  “I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Taylor said. Kate was being friendly and kind—did that mean she was rethinking her refusal for a second date?

  “Kate!”

  Taylor looked up to see a middle-aged woman in Disney princess scrubs striding across the parking lot.

  “You need to get going, honey. You don’t want to show up to your date in scrubs.”

  Taylor felt his stomach lurch. Kate flicked her gaze to him, then looked down at the ground. “I’d better go. It was nice to see you again, Taylor.”

  “You too,” he muttered.

  He watched her walk away, struggling to keep down the jealousy. Kate had certainly wasted no time in moving on to her next match. That was good. He wanted her to be happy. Besides, he was going to San Diego. A second date would’ve been pointless since he’d be moving soon. He’d email the application as soon as he grabbed Vinny’s and got home.

  Kate would be nothing but a distant memory in a week.

  Kate looked up at the building, an upscale Italian restaurant named Vinny’s with a Tuscany design. She’d only spent ten minutes in her car instead of twenty. That was quantifiable progress, and she’d take it.

  It had taken all her courage to accept another date after the somewhat traumatic one with Taylor. But she’d agreed to go out with Randy, an accountant in his early forties with a five-year-old daughter. The age difference—and the child—made her nervous, but Brooke had convinced her to give Randy a shot. />
  Kate smoothed down her skirt, straightened her purse strap on her shoulder, then headed across the parking lot. The scent of garlic and cheese instantly soothed her nerves, and she took a deep breath. Whatever else tonight brought, at least she’d get a delicious Italian meal out of the deal.

  “Hi,” Kate told the hostess. “I’m meeting someone here. Randy?”

  “Oh yes,” the hostess said, tugging at the black vest hugging her chest. “Right this way, please. He asked to be seated immediately so he’s already at a table.”

  Kate clutched her purse strap and followed the waitress to a quiet corner of the restaurant. A man with thinning hair and a hint of gray around the temples quickly rose, giving her a tentative smile.

  “Kate?” he asked, extending a hand.

  “Hi,” she said, giving it a brief shake then sitting down. “It’s nice to meet you, Randy.”

  “You as well.”

  Kate gave him an uncomfortable smile, then slowly picked up her menu. “Have you ever eaten here before?”

  “No, but I’ve always wanted to. I knew Toujour could get us reservations for a Friday night.”

  Kate opened the menu, her mouth going slack. Their meal would cost him as much as she spent on a week of groceries.

  “It smells delicious,” Kate said. “I’ve always loved Italian food.”

  “Me too. My grandma emigrated from Italy when she was a teenager. I’m planning on taking my daughter there next summer on vacation. Have you ever been to Italy?”

  “No.” Kate had never been outside of California. Heck—she’d never even made it to the northern part of the state. Her parents had been too drunk or high to worry about vacations, and her grandparents had lived on a minuscule fixed income. But she’d love to travel someday. In the beginning, she’d thought maybe she and Beau would be able to save up and travel at least a little bit, just a weekend getaway or something, but there’d never been money to spare. He’d been unable to move around much anyway.

  Taylor seemed like the type of guy who’d be up for any adventure. He’d probably traveled lots. Kate could almost imagine climbing to the top of a Hawaiian volcano with him, his easy smile make the ache in her muscles disappear.

  “You’d love Italy,” Randy said. “Everyone does. Greatest country in the world.”

  Kate blinked, quickly forcing thoughts of Taylor out of her mind and focusing on Randy. He deserved an attentive date.

  “My daughter’s really excited to visit,” Randy continued. “It’ll be just the two of us. We don’t have family over there anymore—just distant cousins I’ve had next to no contact with—but it’ll be great to visit the town where Nonna grew up.”

  Kate took a sip of her water, glancing at the menu. The chicken Alfredo and Tuscany lasagna were the least expensive items, within a dollar of each other. Should she go with the cheaper chicken Alfredo, or the slightly more expensive lasagna? She was more in the mood for something like the white wine truffle pasta, but the Alfredo was probably delicious, too. “Your daughter is five, right?”

  “Just celebrated her birthday last month. Claire stays with me on the weekends, but her mother lives nearby and is good about letting me see Claire whenever I want. Our divorce was a mutual decision and we’re pretty good friends now. We still take a family vacation together every summer.”

  “That’s great,” Kate said. Best friends with his ex? No thanks. She didn’t want to get in the middle of that relationship. That was the nice thing about Taylor—there was no ex, no children to muddy the waters. But it was unfair to want someone without a past when she had so much of one herself. Taylor had flat-out said the widow thing freaked him out. She’d bet it freaked out a lot of other guys, too.

  Stop thinking about him, she told herself. Sure, it had been pleasant spending time with him today. He was an excellent conversationalist, and watching him interact with the children had been heartwarming. But she couldn’t reopen that door. It was too weird.

  “What about you?” Randy asked.

  “What about me?”

  “Do you have any children?”

  “Oh. No.”

  Randy nodded. “I just have Claire. Her mom and I divorced shortly after she was born, so I’ve never been as involved as I would’ve liked to be. Have you only been married the once?”

  “Yes.” Kate took another quick sip of her water. “My husband passed away eighteen months ago.”

  “My matchmaker mentioned that. I’m so sorry.”

  Kate forced a smile. “It’s been challenging, but I’m ready to move forward with my life.”

  The waitress appeared then, a notepad and pen in her hand. “Hi, I’m Rosa,” she said. “Do we want to start off with some drinks tonight?”

  “We’ll take a bottle of red wine for the table,” Randy said.

  Kate’s stomach curled. Beau’s substance abuse had turned her off alcohol forever. “Just a water for me.”

  Randy raised an eyebrow. “Red wine goes with everything. I’ll make sure they bring us a good year.”

  Hadn’t Randy read her profile, where she’d clearly stated she didn’t drink? She could feel his annoyance rising, feel him pushing her to bend to his will. But she wouldn’t relent on this. “No, thank you.”

  The waitress nodded. “Are you ready to order now, or should I give you a minute?”

  “I’m ready,” Kate said quickly. Maybe if she kept Rosa talking long enough, Randy would forget they’d ever been on the subject of alcohol, which inevitably led to the subject of Beau.

  Randy looked surprised, but nodded. “Would you like me to order for you?”

  Kate looked down at the menu. “I’m allergic to peanuts so I’d better order for myself.”

  “Okay,” Randy said, his tone a little abrupt.

  Kate didn’t want to owe Randy anything, so she’d order the cheapest item on the menu. She pointed to the chicken Alfredo. “If I order this entree, will I be okay?” Sometimes they used peanut oil to fry the chicken.

  “I believe that dish is nut-free, but let me double check with my manager.” The waitress snagged a man in slacks and a button-down shirt as he walked past. “Thad, we’ve got a question for you.”

  The middle-aged man with a receding hairline smiled. “Of course. What can I help you with?”

  The waitress pointed to the chicken Alfredo. “She’s allergic to peanuts. Is this dish nut free?”

  The manager nodded almost immediately. “Yes, that dish is safe.” He took the menu from the waitress’s hand and showed a different dish to Kate. In small script underneath the item it said may contain nuts and milk. “All our dishes with allergy concerns are labeled in the menu.”

  “Thank you,” Kate said, feeling embarrassed. She should’ve noticed that herself—would’ve if the date hadn’t flustered her.

  “Of course. It’s always best to double check.” He turned to the waitress. “Make a note on the order, just to be extra sure.”

  The waitress nodded, and the manager left.

  “Is that what you’d like, ma’am? The chicken Alfredo?”

  “Yes,” Kate said, handing the waitress her menu.

  The waitress nodded, jotting down the order. “And what about you, sir?”

  “I’ll have the white wine truffle pasta.”

  Darn. Kate should’ve ordered that instead of worrying so much about the money. She could’ve at least gone for the lasagna. Randy had picked the restaurant—he obviously had enough money to cover the price.

  They talked about Randy’s daughter and what had brought them each to Toujour while waiting for their meals. Kate tried to keep her focus on the conversation, but her mind kept drifting to the way Taylor had looked in his fire suit mere hours earlier. She’d never realized how attractive suspenders could be. Had he already accepted another Toujour date? No doubt someone as attractive and kind as Taylor wouldn’t stay on the market long.

  “Here you go.” Rosa set a steaming hot plate of food in front of each of them.
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br />   “Thank you,” Kate murmured, inhaling deeply. Divine, even if it hadn’t been her first choice.

  Kate picked up her fork and dove in, barely withholding a moan of pleasure. She hadn’t eaten this well in months. She never wasted money on takeout, and cooking for one was depressing. She resorted to a lot of TV dinners.

  “Delicious,” Randy said. “How’s your food?”

  “Excellent,” Kate said. The front door swung open, sending a blast of warm air over the table. Kate looked up, then quickly did a double-take. Taylor spoke to the hostess, then took a seat on a bench. He looked up, as though sensing her gaze, and his eyes widened in surprise. He lifted a hand in a little wave.

  Kate quickly looked down, taking another bite of her food. That cleft in his chin would be her undoing. If he was here on a date as well, she would die of awkwardness. Shouldn’t Toujour pay attention to that sort of thing?

  “I’ve always loved truffles,” Randy said. “My ex is an excellent cook, and sometimes she invites me over for dinner when I take Claire home on Sundays.”

  Kate peeked another glance at Taylor. He still sat alone on the bench. She coughed, quickly looking away before he sensed her gaze. Another cough ripped through her. She hadn’t expected the Alfredo to be spicy, but her tongue and mouth burned. She took another bite, then coughed again.

  “Do you cook?” Randy asked.

  “I can, but I don’t especially enjoy it.” Kate coughed again, putting a hand to her suddenly tight chest. Her vision grew fuzzy, and a sinking realization came over her.

  Anaphylactic shock. There were peanuts in the dish.

  Kate coughed again, her chest burning with the effort. She put a hand to her head, dizziness overwhelming her.

  “Kate?” Randy’s voice sounded far away and concerned.

  “Can’t … breathe …” Kate wheezed. She fumbled for her purse, knocking it underneath the table where the contents spilled everywhere. She coughed again, black spots dotting her vision as panic tore through her.

  “You’re really pale,” Randy said. “What do I do?”

  Kate tried to tell him to get her epi-pen, but couldn’t get the words through her swollen lips. She slumped sideways in the booth, her head knocking against the wall as she attempted to lie down. Why hadn’t Randy called 911?