A Match for Meghan (Heartsong Presents)

by Kimberly Rose Johnson

  Why she had focused on him as her next project he had no idea. But it didn’t matter. The woman had too much time on her hands if she was moonlighting as a matchmaker. He shook his head and walked to the kennel room. No animals—unusual, but welcome. He closed the door and strode to the front desk.

  His mug would be the first face Meghan saw, and he’d make it clear she was to find another subject for her hobby. Too bad she wasn’t into knitting or painting. Hey, she enjoyed playing piano... An idea percolated. Maybe, just maybe, the summer theater had an opening that would appeal to Meghan. Something like that would keep her too busy to meddle in his life.

  He glanced at the wall clock, which was shaped like a cat, with a tail as the pendulum. A little early to be calling the local theater director, but he was a good friend, so he’d forgive him.

  Ben made the call. “Morning, Tristan. Did I wake you?”

  “No, I went to bed only a few hours ago as you should well know. Why would calling me at...seven-thirty in the morning be a problem?”

  “Rough night?”

  “You could say that. I lost three musicians.”

  “What happened?”

  “Doesn’t matter.” His voice grew more alert. “What does matter is that I need a cellist, keyboardist and bass player by tonight, and everyone I contacted has turned me down.”

  Ben hesitated. Meghan must be good or she wouldn’t have a regular gig at the Enzian, but was she good enough for Tristan? He wanted to keep her busy so her focus would move away from him, but not so much that her work suffered from lack of sleep due to the demanding director. But Meghan was a big girl, she could certainly handle Tristan. “I may have an answer to one of your problems.”

  “Finally. Throw me a bone. Honestly, I’d take about anyone who can read music.”

  Ben chuckled at his friend’s dry humor. “She plays piano, and her name is Meghan Black. I’ve never heard her play, but she performs at a local hotel.”

  “I’m intrigued. Have her call me.” Tristan yawned loudly. “Guess I should drag myself from this wonderfully comfortable bed, but I’d rather sleep. Don’t be a stranger, Ben. You’re always welcome to stop by rehearsals.”

  “Thanks.”

  “I’ll be waiting to hear from Meghan, and if you hear of a cellist or bass player, send them my way.”

  “Will do, bye.”

  The door to the clinic swung open and Meghan breezed in. Her eyes widened when she spotted him. “Oh good. You’re just the person I need to see. I’ve been giving you a lot of thought and—”

  “Before you say another word, I just got off the phone with the director of The Sound of Music. He lost his keyboardist and is in need of a replacement. I mentioned your name and he said to call.”

  “Seriously? I’ve never considered anything like that.”

  “Well, you won’t get rich, but you’ll meet some great people and hopefully have fun in the process.” He grabbed a sticky pad from the counter and scribbled out Tristan’s number. “Here. Give him a call.” He thrust the paper at her.

  She slowly reached out and took it. “But what about you?”

  She looked genuinely concerned. His heart softened, but he needed to stay focused. “I don’t play keyboard.”

  “No. I meant I was working on finding your soul mate. If I’m tied up with rehearsals, I won’t have time for that.”

  Exactly! This was working out better than he had imagined. Plus, he’d avoided a nasty confrontation. He schooled his features to fight the smile that threatened. “Thank you for the effort, but I think your skills would be best used at the theater. Go on, give him a call. I happen to know he’s awake. Well, he was a few minutes ago.”

  Meghan eyed the paper and nodded. “I’ll think about it.”

  “Don’t wait too long. He’s actively searching and needs to fill the opening as soon as possible.”

  “Right. Okay then. Guess I should get to work.” She tucked the paper into her pocket and moved past him.

  He let out his breath in a whoosh. Grinning, he spun around and marched into his office. Tristan had provided a distraction for Meghan, and he couldn’t be happier. Now she wouldn’t have time to interfere in his personal life. Today was going to be a great day! No more distractions.

  * * *

  Midway through the afternoon, Meghan knocked on Dr. Harding’s door and entered his office. “Do you have a minute? I was hoping for a little advice.”

  “Sure, what’s the problem?”

  “When I came in this morning, I learned about an opportunity to play keyboard for The Sound of Music. But I think I’m too busy to add something so time-consuming to my life. It would take hours for me to learn all the music. It’s not like I’d have only one song to learn, and I’m already at a deficit since I’m getting a late start. The idea makes me uneasy.” Normally, she’d never go to her boss for personal advice, but since it was kind of work related, and there wasn’t much time to make a decision, she thought it’d be okay. She couldn’t believe she was seriously considering this opportunity.

  The hopeful look in Dr. Young’s eyes had made her want to call the director, but at the same time, there was so much to consider. Learning the music on short notice would not be easy and she wasn’t sure she’d be up to the challenge considering she had her hands full with matchmaking for Dr. Young. The idea of failing and not playing at a top quality level didn’t sit well, but she wanted to help out Dr. Young’s friend, if for no other reason than that Ben had asked. But was that reason enough?

  Pete pushed back from his desk and swiveled the chair to face her. “If you’re not comfortable and too busy, then don’t do it. May I ask why you’re even considering it?”

  “Dr. Young told me about it.” Plus, she’d dreamed of an opportunity like this as a young girl. However, she had never imagined it could be possible so she had stuffed the idea away years ago. Now was her big chance, but the timing wasn’t right.

  His eyebrows rose practically to his hairline. “Seriously? If that’s your only motivation, don’t do it. You can’t live your life to please others. On the other hand, it could be fun, and it seems like something you’d enjoy.”

  “True.” Her boss definitely knew her, or the side of her she shared with people.

  “If lack of time is a serious issue, I could cut your hours here for a short bit.”

  “You’d do that?”

  “I’ll admit, it wouldn’t be easy, and we’d have to think about how we schedule patients, but we could make it work, if this is something you really want to do. But like I said, if you’re only doing it to please Dr. Young then don’t.”

  “Thanks! Maybe I’ll call the director. See how many songs there are and what the commitment level is.”

  “Good idea. Let me know how it turns out and if you need to adjust your schedule.”

  “Okay. Thanks.” She meandered out to the front desk and sat in front of the computer. Dr. Harding had to be the best boss ever. Granted, he wasn’t perfect. No one was. She had more than her share of character flaws, but somehow her friends loved her anyway. Good thing, too, since she’d all but given up on finding a man to fill that position. She gave a mental shrug. Romantic love wasn’t for her anyway. Her parents couldn’t make it work, and she was exactly like her dad—a little rough around the edges. Well, according to her friends. Besides, her roughness was to be expected—her dad had raised her alone since she had been eight years old.

  A glance at the clock indicated their next patient was a no-show. Since she had a few minutes to spare before the next patient, she pulled the sticky note from her pocket and grabbed the phone. No harm in inquiring.

  The door opened and in rushed their missing patient, a Pomeranian, with her owner.

  Meghan smiled and put down the phone. “Good afternoon, Stephanie.”

&nb
sp; The thirtysomething woman blew long bangs out of her eyes and smiled. “Am I too late? I got a slow start this morning and traffic was horrible...”

  Meghan grabbed the dog’s file and walked around the counter. “No worries, Dr. Harding is still available.” She took the Pomeranian’s leash and walked the sweet dog to the scale. “Her weight is up a tad from last time. An extra walk a day ought to do the trick.” Holding the leash, she led the dog and escorted Stephanie down the hall. The door to exam room two opened, and Dr. Young stepped out.

  Hmm. She happened to know that Stephanie was single, adorable and in the right age bracket. The religious aspect was uncertain, though—throwing caution out the door, she placed a hand on Ben’s arm to stop him. “I’d like you to meet Stephanie and her Pomeranian, Lilly.”

  He reached out his hand and shook Stephanie’s. “It’s nice to meet you. Is Lilly here to see me or Dr. Harding?”

  Stephanie flashed her perfectly aligned white teeth. “Dr. Harding. If he still has the time. I’m very late thanks to an accident on the highway.”

  Meghan watched the exchange with interest. There seemed to be a spark—he didn’t scowl or flee in the opposite direction. That counted, right? But she didn’t have time to let nature take its course or her boss would get way behind schedule. On the other hand... “Perhaps you’d like to take Lilly today?” Meghan handed him the dog’s file. “She needs an exam and her rabies shot. If you’re free, I’m sure Dr. Harding wouldn’t mind.” This was a potential love match. Her boss would never want to stand in the way of love.

  Dr. Young grinned. “Sure. I’m free. Let’s go into room three. Meghan, will you let Emma know, please?”

  “Yes.” Meghan’s heart pitter-pattered as she flew through the clinic looking for his assistant. “Emma, there you are. Dr. Young asked me to let you know he’s in exam room three.” She explained what kind of immunization to draw up.

  Emma eyed her. “What’s going on? You’re giddy.”

  “I think he likes her.”

  “Who?”

  Meghan quickly told her about Stephanie.

  Emma bit her bottom lip. “Oh, Meghan. When are you going to stop? I’m sorry I ever made that dare.”

  “Why? He’s interested. I could tell. And she certainly didn’t mind seeing him instead of Dr. Harding. I didn’t force them together. Relax.”

  His assistant furrowed her brow. “I doubt Dr. Harding will appreciate losing a patient. You better watch it, girl, or you’re going to matchmake yourself right out of a job.” The phone rang and she answered it.

  Meghan frowned. Why did people keep suggesting she might get fired? She wrung her hands. Maybe her boss wouldn’t notice he was short a patient.

  The remainder of Meghan’s day flew by with one appointment after the other. By six o’clock, she was ready to collapse. Dr. Young strolled out of his office. She smiled. “How’d you like Stephanie?”

  “Who?”

  “The Pomeranian’s mom.”

  “Oh. She was nice.”

  “Did you ask her out?”

  He crossed his arms over his chest. “No. Did you call Tristan?”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “It’s been a busy day, and I’m not sure I have time to commit.”

  Lines appeared on his forehead. “But I thought you were a good fit for the job.”

  “Thanks, but you haven’t ever heard me play.”

  “When will you be at the Enzian again?”

  “Friday night.”

  “Fine. I’ll be there.”

  “For real?” her voice squeaked. She cleared her throat. “I mean. That’s nice of you, but not necessary.”

  “No. I want to hear you play. You’re right. I shouldn’t have recommended you without having heard you first. But I’m afraid if you wait, you’ll miss out on the musical.”

  He looked distraught over her loss. Her heart melted and she wanted to tell him she’d call the director right now, but held back. Dr. Harding was right. She couldn’t do this simply to please someone else. “You are very sweet for thinking of me. See you in the morning.”

  She grabbed her belongings and breezed out the door. Cassie would be waiting for her at their favorite diner. She slid behind the wheel of her Jeep and put it in gear. She couldn’t get her conversation with Dr. Young out of her mind. Was she really seriously considering doing something simply because he had encouraged her? She wasn’t the kind of person who did things to please a man, or anyone, for that matter. What was wrong with her?

  Meghan bit her bottom lip. Of course, if the right man ever came along, she might need to rethink things. But then again, Mr. Right probably didn’t exist, because every guy she’d ever dated had been a one date wonder or a dud. Odd, since she’d really liked some of them. Maybe she was the problem. She’d always been told she talked too much and was too opinionated. But if the guy was the right one, it shouldn’t bother him. It hurt, though. Honestly, she tried to keep most of her opinions to herself, but her dad had always spoken his mind unfiltered, and she’d picked up that trait. Perhaps it was not the best part of his character to emulate. She wanted to change, but didn’t know how.

  The diner sat just off the highway. She pulled in and parked beside Cassie’s car. Her friend sat inside texting. Meghan got out and lightly tapped the driver’s side window.

  Cassie yelped, jumping in her seat.

  Meghan grinned and mouthed sorry. Her friend needed to pay more attention to her surroundings. Sure, they lived in a safe town, but still...

  Cassie swung the door open and stepped out. “You’re late.”

  “I know, sorry. You could’ve ordered.”

  Cassie shrugged and closed the door with her hip. “The condo was lonely without you last night. How’d it go with your cousins?”

  “Okay.” She followed her roomie to the old-fashioned diner takeout window and breathed in deeply the scent of burgers and fries. Her stomach growled. She slapped her hand across her middle and placed her order. A few minutes later, she and Cassie sat at a picnic table with their dinner.

  Meghan spread a napkin on the table then set her food on top. She didn’t mind eating outdoors, but the germaphobe in her demanded a napkin for her stuff. “So, I have an interesting opportunity.”

  “Do tell.” Cassie spread ketchup on her burger.

  “The Sound of Music is in need of a keyboard player.”

  “But you play piano.”

  “Close enough. Do you think I should call the director?”

  Cassie frowned. “Didn’t you mention that you’d wanted to play on Broadway when you were a teenager?”

  Meaghan’s lips parted. “You have a good memory.” They’d been friends since high school, but her musical dreams weren’t something she talked about anymore. “I probably only mentioned that, what, once?”

  “Maybe.” Cassie tossed a fry into her mouth. “It stuck with me because I’d wanted to perform there also.”

  “I kind of figured that. But you don’t play any instruments.”

  “There’s more to Broadway than the orchestra pit.” Her friend shook her head. “I’ve always dreamed of acting.”

  “Why didn’t you try out for anything in high school? Or for the theater here?”

  “Too scared.”

  “That settles it then. We’ll do it together.”

  Cassie’s face paled. “I don’t think so. You said yourself I don’t play any instruments, and I’m sure the acting parts are filled.”

  Meghan clucked her tongue. “You’re probably right.” This whole theater idea was too disconcerting. And sudden. She couldn’t drop everything. Besides, apart from being hopelessly single, she liked her life the way it was, and she wasn’t a quitter—she’d promised to find Ben his soul mate and tha
t was exactly what she’d do.

  Cassie cleared her throat and stared into her soda cup. “I hate to ruin our dinner, but I have some bad news.”

  Meghan’s heart lurched. “What is it?”

  “Trey and I broke up.”

  She stopped chewing and put down her burger. “Are you okay? What happened?”

  “I’m fine. I think it’s been coming for a while. We’ve drifted apart. And I don’t love him.”

  “So you broke up with him?”

  She glanced past Meghan and hesitated. “It was a mutual breakup.”

  She knew her roomie well enough to know Cassie wasn’t sharing the whole story, but she also knew better than to push. “Are you still friends?”

  “Uh, no. I think staying friends with your ex is a silly idea.”

  Meghan gave her friend’s hand a squeeze. “I’m proud of you for not settling. And don’t you worry about anything. Your dream man is out there.” He had to be...because one of them deserved true love.

  Cassie squared her shoulders and flipped her blond hair. “Of course he is.”

  Meghan’s eyes widened. “I have the perfect idea. I’ve been considering becoming an official matchmaker. You can be my first client. I won’t charge you, of course.”

  Cassie squirmed in her seat. “I don’t know, Meghan. Didn’t you say you were too busy trying to find your vet friend his soul mate to join the theater group?”

  Meghan waved a hand. “This is different. Of course I have time to help a friend find true love.”

  “But I just broke up. I’m not ready.”

  “By your own admission, you didn’t love him. I don’t understand the problem.”

  “I’d like to enjoy being single for a while.”

  “Then you should.” Meghan tapped a finger on her chin. “I have the perfect idea. Since you don’t want to be one of my clients, how about joining one of those online dating services? I hear they have great results.”

  Cassie wrinkled her nose. “I don’t think so.”

  “Aww, come on. What do you have to lose?”

  “My pride for starters. I appreciate the concern, and I know you mean well, but you weren’t listening. I want to be man-free.” She nodded. “For at least a month. When I’m ready, we’ll discuss me becoming a client. In the meantime, let’s talk about anything but men.”