by Lola Kidd
It was a silly dream, of course. She probably wasn’t even interested in shifters. Even if she had been, she wouldn’t want anything to do with a man almost ten years her senior. When he’d signed up with Olivia, he was hoping it would be a quick matching and then he’d know for sure that Rachel wasn’t the one for him. Now that it was taking so long, he was having second thoughts.
Clint poured himself a drink as he pondered his next move. What if Rachel really was his mate? Maybe he should bite the bullet and ask her out. Worst case scenario, she’d say no and his pride would be hurt. No big deal. He’d get over it and wait until Olivia found someone for him. It would be an easier wait at that point, since he’d know for sure.
After two drinks, his plan was sounding better and better. He changed out of his work shirt and took a stroll to Rachel’s home.
***
It had been an easy afternoon and evening for Rachel. She’d finally gotten around to weeding her little garden out back. It wasn’t anything fancy, but she liked having fresh herbs for her sauces when she canned for the winter. Tomatoes weren’t the easiest to grow in her area but she enjoyed the taste of fresh sauce. It wasn’t too hard to can and she’d have sauce all year. It was relaxing to be out in the sun after spending her day waiting on tables.
After she made herself a nice chicken cordon bleu for dinner, she sat outside and talked with her neighbor. Miss Perkins was a sweet old lady who’d lived next to Rachel her whole life. She’d inherited the house after her parents had inexplicably moved to Colorado. They claimed to love the cooler weather. As far as Rachel could tell, the weather was exactly the same all the way up there. At least in Sunset Falls, she didn’t have to worry about getting two feet of snow dumped on her.
When she went inside after talking to Miss Perkins, she was surprised to see Clint on her front porch. He seemed to be talking to himself and Rachel was worried. Maybe he’d been in an accident and needed help. That had happened once when she was a little girl. A man had crashed his car into the telephone pole down the street and wandered around for ten minutes before finding help.
She opened the door. “Clint? Are you okay?”
He blushed deep red and nodded. “I’m fine. Didn’t think you were home. I rang the bell a few times.”
Rachel stepped outside and touched the bell. There was no sound inside the house. “Well, I’ll be damned. It must have broken. Good thing it was you and not the pizza guy.”
Clint poked around with the ringer and took it off the house. “This side looks okay. You might have a wire short. I can take a look at it if you want.”
“Really? That’d be great.” Rachel let him inside and Clint got right to work. It didn’t take him long to find the problem.
“Your ringer is rusted. I can put in a new one tomorrow after work.”
“Oh, please, you don’t have to do all that. I don’t want to be a bother and make you feel like you have to work for free.”
“It’s no problem at all, Rachel. It’ll take me less than a half hour to fix this up.”
“I’ll pay you for your time,” she insisted. Clint was being entirely too nice. She knew that he worked hard at the hardware store all day. He didn’t have to come and work for free when she could afford to pay. “Save your charity for people who really need it. What were you coming over for tonight?”
Clint cleared his throat. “The thing is…maybe you can pay me with dinner tomorrow. That seems like a fair trade to me. I’ll come by and fix your bell and you can fix me a meal.”
“That sounds like a fair trade to me.” Rachel smiled. “I’m sure a growing man like you could use a home-cooked meal. I see you in the diner much too often.”
“Hey, are you telling a paying customer to stay away from your establishment? I don’t think your bosses would take too kindly to that advice.”
Rachel laughed. “I’m saying that eating out two times a day six days a week can’t be great for you. I’ll fix you up two plates tomorrow. You can eat one and keep one in the fridge.”
Clint looked her in the eye. “I was actually thinking you could make food for both of us and we could eat together here.”
Rachel didn’t say anything right away. It sounded like Clint was asking her out on some kind of date. She couldn’t tell if he was joking, like always, or if he was serious. Either way, it wasn’t a good thing. Clint was a very good-looking guy and would be a catch for any other woman, but not Rachel.
“I was asking…” Clint started.
Rachel cut him off. “I know what you’re saying. I don’t think that’s a good idea, Clint. You’re a very nice man, but…”
Clint put up his hand and nodded. “I get it. No need to spell it out. That’s fine. Just figured I might as well ask. Better to know than to always wonder what could be, you know?”
Rachel swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded.
“I’ll still come and fix the doorbell for you tomorrow, unless you don’t want me too.”
She bit her lip. She could probably fix it herself if she put her mind to it. She didn’t know if saying no would hurt Clint worse than having to come to her house tomorrow and see her. It didn’t matter too much, she figured. She’d have to see him every time he came into the diner now. “Please come and fix it if you want to. It wouldn’t be awkward for me.”
He nodded. “I’ll be here around six. I’ll call before I come over.”
She saw him to the door and sadly let him leave. She had misjudged Clint this whole time. He hadn’t been teasing her and messing around. He had a crush on her. How could she have been so blind?
Once she had collected herself, Rachel booted up her laptop and started on her Lovely and Kind Brides application. She didn’t want to be alone forever, but it was too hard to find someone herself. She didn’t want to burden anyone she knew with her problems while they dated only to have it all end in heartbreak.
LK Brides could find her a mate who knew exactly what they were getting up front. Everyone would be happy and it would be her best bet at a happy ending. Smiling, Rachel filled out the questionnaire, then went to bed dreaming of finding her mate.
Three
It was hard going for Clint. He’d fixed Rachel’s doorbell in less than ten minutes the week before and had left after a stilted but friendly chat. Ever since then, Clint had been feeling really down. He’d known there was a good chance she’d say no, but to actually hear it was a whole different story. He was crushed. There were still no matches for him at LK, either. Olivia had emailed him to say there was someone promising three days earlier but she hadn’t called yet with any news.
He’d gotten word from Maria over the weekend that the volunteers were all lined up. He’d met with them all the night before and had a plan of attack laid out. He was going to begin with Rachel’s neighbor Miss Perkins. Her fence needed a new coat of paint and it was missing slats in some places. Clint had three high school boys and two adults who’d be helping him do the project after school. Most of the work would take place on the weekends, but he thought it would be good to do a trial run before he got a bigger group together.
He knew he’d have to see Rachel again, but it didn’t matter. He was going to have to see her every time he went into the diner. Too bad he wasn’t a better cook.
He checked his emails before leaving for Miss Perkins’ house and saw that Olivia had emailed him back. She hadn’t been able to get hold of his match but had finally managed to make an appointment to speak with her that night. Olivia was very hopeful that she’d have an introduction to set up the next morning.
The news put a pep in Clint’s step as he was taking materials out of his truck. He’d been shot down by Rachel but at least he was finally getting a match. His stag protested at the glee. His animal was very attached to Rachel. Clint pushed the discomfort down. LK had a great track record. Whoever they found for him would be an even better match than Rachel. He was attracted to Rachel, very attracted, but that wasn’t a great basis for a marriage. Wh
omever LK found would be based on the science of compatibility. The agency would do a better job than his pheromones.
“Good evening, Clint.” Miss Perkins came off her porch and gave Clint a hug. “Thanks for helping me out. I really appreciate this. When Rachel told me she’d signed me up for the program, I was so surprised something like this existed in Sunset.”
“Thank you for being the first person we help. You’re going to be a guinea pig for the project.”
“Lucky me! If you need anything, I’ll be right inside.”
“Thanks.”
Clint unloaded his supplies and waited on the porch until the volunteers showed up. Matt and Mark Lunar were his first two helpers and they’d brought some of the boys from their pack.
“Evening, Clint.” Matt motioned to the boys. “Thanks for letting the boys be part of your project. I think this is going to be really good for them.”
The teens looked uncomfortable and pensive. Clint had a feeling it wasn’t their idea to be volunteering at all, but that was alright. He’d heard what was going on with the teen boys in the pack and he knew they needed better after-school activities. He was honored that the pack alphas thought he could provide that structure.
Mark introduced the boys. “This is Hank, Bobby, Dennis, and Garth. You guys know Mr. Preacher from the hardware store.”
The boys all said hello. Clint knew all of them; he’d gone to school with most of their parents and pack mates. “Nice to have you guys helping today. I hope this is the first project of many you get to be a part of. I know Matt and Mark can swing a hammer, but do any of you have experience fixing things?”
One raised his hand halfheartedly. “I took metal shop in junior high.”
“That’s good!” Clint said. He showed them the fence posts that were missing. “First we’re going to put up new posts in these areas. Then we’re all going to take a different part of the fence to paint. Miss Perkins should have a nice-looking fence before the sun goes down. Help me move the posts where they need to be nailed in.”
The boys quickly went to line up the posts in the empty spots. Clint took Hank and Dennis to help him and let Matt and Mark pair up with the two other boys. There were six spots around the front that needed fixing and two in the back. Mark and Bobby went to repair the spots around back while Clint and Matt split the front.
“Alright, all we need to do is nail in the planks. But they have to be level and spaced out evenly,” Clint told the boys.
“How do we know where to put them?” Hank asked.
“We measure and mark where we need to put them.” Clint took out his tape measure and showed the boys how to use it. After measuring out the first plank, he let them take turns measuring the rest for their portion of the fence.
Once it was all measured out, Clint showed them how to put a plank on the fence. He handed the hammer to Dennis. “You try now.”
Dennis got the post on in two tries and he only dropped the nails once. Hank went next. He took longer to get the post on, but he did well enough.
“Okay, now you two are going to finish up while I supervise,” Clint said. He got another hammer from his toolbox so both boys could work at the same time.
“I see what you did there,” Hank said. “You’re going to sit back and make us do all the work. Very clever, Mr. Preacher.”
Clint laughed. “You’re on to me. Darn. Now get to work.”
***
Rachel watched from her window as Clint worked with the volunteers next door. Things had been frosty between them, but she hadn’t had a lot of time to worry about it. Things were hectic at work. She’d actually gotten an email from Olivia Grey about getting matched but hadn’t been able to talk with her. The new girl had quit over the weekend, and no one was more surprised than Rachel. She’d thought the girl was really catching on and doing great.
She and Mark had talked the girl into coming back and things were finally getting back to normal. It had worked out for the best, really. It had given Rachel something to distract her while she was feeling guilty about turning down Clint. As soon as that problem went away, she could focus on getting matched. It was very exciting. She had thought it would take her much longer to find the right someone with the company. It had only taken a few hours to hear back.
The phone rang while she was watching Clint’s crew start painting Miss Perkins’ fence. It was going to look great when it was finished. It was such a great thing Clint was doing for the town.
“Hello?”
“Rachel?”
“Yes, this is she.”
“Wonderful! This is Olivia Grey with Lovely and Kind Brides.”
“I know who you are. We met at Gwen and Dom’s wedding.” Rachel had also seen the beautiful blonde at the countless other weddings she’d arranged in town.
“Oh, so nice of you to remember me. We only met for a moment, so I wasn’t sure if you would.”
“I very much do. If I read your email correctly, you have a match for me?”
“I do!” Olivia sounded very sure of herself and proud. “This one is a very pleasant surprise and I wanted to speak to you instead of writing. I saw you talking to this man at Dom and Gwen’s wedding and it seemed like you were getting along smashingly.”
Rachel sat down as she started to feel light-headed. She knew what Olivia was going to say, but couldn’t believe it. “Oh?”
“Yes, his name is Clint Preacher.”
She tightened her grip on her phone. She had to lick her lips; her mouth was suddenly dry. “That has to be a mistake. He and I aren’t compatible. I don’t want kids.”
“You don’t?” Olivia sounded confused. “I’m looking at your file right now. It says you do want children.”
“I do, but… I mean… I want… Clint and I can’t be matched.”
“I know it can be difficult to see someone you’ve known for so long as a life partner,” Olivia said patiently. “Maybe you should try going out on a few dates with him. He’s a very good man and I think you may find that you two have some real chemistry.”
“I don’t think so. I’ve known him for almost my entire life. I think I’d know if we were compatible.”
“I saw you two at the wedding. You have something. It’s very obvious. I think you’re too close to the situation, Rachel. Try one date. Just one, and if it’s awful you can tell me to go find you a new match.”
“I’ll think about it. I’ve got to go now.”
Rachel hung up and started into space for a while. Then she stood up and went to the window once more after the sun had set. Clint was cleaning up his supplies and talking with Miss Perkins. All the rest of the volunteers had already left. Rachel’s heart hammered in her chest as she watched Clint.
She picked up her phone once more and called Gwen.
“Hey, how’s it going?”
“Hey, Gwen.” Rachel took a pause to steady herself. Tears were forming in her eyes and she didn’t want to upset the very pregnant Gwen.
“You okay, Rachel? You don’t sound like yourself.”
“I’m not feeling myself,” she confided in her friend. “I got my match from LK Brides.”
“No! Who is it? Tell me everything about this guy. I could use a little excitement. Rachel, not working is so boring! Let me live vicariously. Spare no details.”
“Sorry to disappoint, but you know the guy. It’s Clint.”
“Clint. Like, Clint Preacher? Yeah, I could see that. Oh, Rachel, this is even more exciting! You and Clint. Oh, this is going to be so great. Wait until I tell the girls we’re going to have another familiar face in our little brides group.”
“You think I should do it?”
“Why would you not? It’s Clint. He’s a nice guy. I know you don’t date much, but let me tell you, you aren’t going to get much better than Clint.”
“Okay. I’ll keep you filled in on everything. Thanks for the chat.”
Rachel bit her lip. She wanted to tell Gwen her real problem, but it was too emba
rrassing. She’d known about her condition for some time and wanted to talk with her friends about it, but every time she’d tried, the timing didn’t seem right. With so many people in town getting married and pregnant, it never seemed like the right time anymore. It would only bring everyone down if she told them she couldn’t have children.
Her doctor had told her a couple of years ago that due to some medical problems, it would be very difficult for her to conceive a child of her own. She didn’t know how she was going to tell Clint but it had to be soon. She would go on one date with him, and then she’d tell him. When he knew the truth, he wouldn’t want to be with her anymore and the whole thing would be done. It would hurt her, but at least he wouldn’t be pining after her anymore.
She wasn’t even sure she liked Clint as more than a friend, but she was willing to try if LK thought the two of them had a shot. It wasn’t going to kill her to take a chance on the stag. She only hoped that he would be discreet with her secret.
Four
“What about this one?” Rachel came out of the master bathroom to show Gwen her outfit.
The tigress shook her head and made a face. “Your uniform is sexier than that.”
“I don’t want to be sexy. I want to look nice,” Rachel insisted.
Gwen laughed. “You can look both. Now, get out the door. I gotta go.”
Rachel peeked inside the walk-in closet Gwen shared with Dom. They were talking about turning one of the rooms into a closet and she could see why—the small closet was packed to the max. There were clothes and shoes everywhere. Dom didn’t seem like a clothes horse, but his suits hung in neat rows across half the closet. There were so many navy, black and grey blazers, too. And the shoes! His sneaker collection rivaled Gwen’s pumps.
