Marni

by Aileen Fish

  “Dance?” Matt asked, holding out his hand.

  She really was tired, but with the low lights and quiet atmosphere it seemed a waste not to enjoy a dance. “Let’s.” She took his hand.

  Unsure what she’d been expecting, Marni was surprised at the grace with which Matt swept her into his arms. Not a simple pull her close enough to slow dance, but a slight swing to his arm that drew her around like a ballroom dancer. She laughed.

  “What?”

  “Nothing, Matt. You just surprise me sometimes.”

  “Careful, you might find yourself falling for that Frost charm, and then where would you be?”

  Would that be such a bad thing? He was stable, didn’t appear to drink a lot, and she knew by his choice of friends that he was a good man in general.

  But he didn’t want kids. “At least she didn’t want kids.” That was a deal breaker. Spending the rest of her life with someone was only part of the picture. She wanted kids—three, at least. She’d always known that if she couldn’t have her own, she’d adopt. Even if she never married, she’d considered fostering a girl or two.

  Matt didn’t want any of that.

  Without realizing what she was doing, Marni allowed her head to rest against his shoulder. He wasn’t overly tall, really just the perfect height to dance with. His hold was firm but sanguine. No uncertainty or apprehension. His ease made him easy to be around.

  “Penny for your thoughts. Or should that be a dollar this days?”

  Yikes, she couldn’t tell him what she’d been thinking. “I was enjoying.”

  “Yeah, most women love to be seen with me. Makes the other guys think she’s really hot.”

  Marni leaned back to meet his gaze. “What grade are we in?”

  He shrugged. “It’s true you know.”

  “Well then, I thank you for raising my appeal. Maybe this week won’t be a waste after all.”

  She regretted the words as soon as she spoke them. She meant them in the same vein he’d been talking, but his eyes shuttered and she felt his body slump ever so slightly. “That’s not what I meant, really.”

  He didn’t respond, and she didn’t push it. When the song ended they agreed to call it a night. Marni wished it didn’t feel like the last time she’d ever see Matt. Surely he wouldn’t give up their friendship over one stupid joke.

  She liked being his friend.

  Chapter Six

  Shortly after lunch the following morning, Marni stood beside Matt on the beach wearing a snug-fitting swim mask with a snorkel stuck to its side.

  Matt put his mouthpiece in his mouth and loudly sucked in air. “You ready? Let’s go.”

  She tried to quell a panic attack. Swimming was fine, but relying on that little tube for air frightened her.

  “What’s wrong? I promise we won’t swim out far enough to see sharks.” He held out his hand.

  She took it and stepped forward, but didn’t put her snorkel in place.

  He pointed to her mask. “That thing works better in your mouth.”

  Forcing a weak grin, she bit down on the mouthpiece and drew in a breath. Her chest tightened, and she swore silently. She was being childish.”

  “Can I help?” Matt asked. “We can stay along the shore if you prefer.”

  She nodded, taking the snorkel from her mouth. “You can go out if you want, I’ll just wait here and you can tell me about it.”

  He studied her for a bit. “You should have said something.”

  “I did. Sharks come a lot closer to shore than the reef.”

  “You really are afraid of them? Have you ever swum past where the waves break?”

  “Why bother? The water’s just the same.”

  Looking out at the ocean, he didn’t speak.

  “Seriously. Go ahead. I’m fine here.”

  Matt took her hand. “We were further out than this the other day. Come on just a little bit.”

  She stepped forward. “Really, Matt, it’s not worth the time. I’m having fun.”

  “Having fun arguing with me, huh?” He drew her out a few more steps. The water was only up to her waist, with small waves breaking over them and threatening to knock her over.

  She took his example and bobbed over the next wave. Matt dropped his shoulders below the water. “You can pretend to be deeper than you are. Try it.”

  “I went underwater last time. I’m not afraid to wade here.”

  “So underwater without a snorkel is fine, but swimming on the surface with one is scary?”

  Marni searched for a way to put her fears into words. “The end of the snorkel is open. When I dive down to look at the coral, what if a fish gets in there? Or some seaweed? And I can’t breathe?”

  He smiled but didn’t laugh. “I can honestly say I’ve never heard of that happening.”

  “That doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.”

  Adjusting his snorkel, Matt said, “We’ve got these things on, it’s a shame not to use them.” He rolled over and lowered the mask into the water.

  Surely Marni could do that much without bringing on a panic attack. For her first attempt, she kept the mouthpiece out and just looked around underwater. Swirling sand made the water cloudy, so she stepped forward, then again. The water only reached her underarms, so she wasn’t panicking. Yet.

  Matt stood and took out his snorkel. “What do you think?”

  “There isn’t much to see here.”

  “True. You have to go further to find fish.”

  “That’s the problem. I want to see the fish, but not get close. I need a glass-bottom boat.”

  “No, you don’t. You said you can swim, so going out a little deeper isn’t dangerous. Stop if you get scared.”

  She grinned. “Too late.”

  He frowned. “Do you want to go back to the towels?”

  Pressing her lips together, she shook her head. “I want to be able to do this.”

  “Okay. Let’s just float here for a minute so you get used to it.”

  Marni could see rocks in the distance but no fish. She practiced breathing and her heart rate slowed just a little. She kicked one foot to glide forward. Matt followed.

  The longer she floated, the more relaxed she became. Voices on the beach grew distant, as did the birds’ cries.

  Then she saw fish. Maybe twenty feet away, a school of colorful fish darted this way and that, oblivious to their audience. Marni felt no different than before noticing them—and she’d been calm then. She nudged Matt and pointed.

  He gave her a thumbs-up.

  She smiled. For the first time she actually paid attention to the depth of the water where they swam, and was surprised to see they’d drifted out some ways from shore. Not as far as originally planned, but a lot farther than she’d anticipated when she first stepped into the ocean.

  Still no panic.

  Joy filled her. She’d beaten her fears. Searching for Matt, she saw him watching her with an unrecognizable expression. Did he know the gift he’d just given her? She’d tell him. Later, after exploring the fish a bit more. She wasn’t going to let the adventure end so soon.

  Chapter Seven

  When their week in paradise ended, Matt and Marni went their separate ways with no promises. They’d exchanged phone numbers at the start of the week to make planning easier, but nothing was spoken about keeping in touch.

  Sitting in his cabin a month later, Matt regretted leaving it that way. He thumbed through the photos on his phone, smiling at the ones of Marni, laughing at a few selfies they’d taken. Then he reached the one taken by the guide on their horseback tour of the forest. He smiled. The look on her face when she sat on a horse for the first time was worth the few hours of same-old for him.

  In this particular photo, he had his arms around Marni and they grinned at the camera. He was no expert in body language, but she was leaning into him, not fighting the noose of his arms around her. That had to be a good thing, right? She felt some of what he had, surely.

  He'
d felt more than friendship. No spark, nothing that screamed I have to see you now! Just a quiet knowing he’d enjoyed being with her, more so than if he’d been with a stranger, he just knew.

  Chase hadn’t asked about the vacation, for which Matt was grateful. Hope hadn’t either, so his friend must have kept his promise not to tell her.

  Matt was glad to not have to explain how let-down he felt when he got home. It wasn’t loneliness, he was used to being alone. It was an empty spot where Marni needed to be in the conversation. Her loud laugh when he said something she wasn’t expecting. That snort that sneaked out when he bragged about his tide pool exploring prowess.

  This wasn’t the way the trip was supposed to end. Well, it was originally, before he and Marni discovered they’d been matched, but they’d agreed to no expectations of anything more than friendship.

  And he’d blown it. Somehow his heart had become involved.

  Although they hadn’t agreed to keep in touch, they never spoke against it. He’d never found the right time to text anything more than, How ya doin’?

  So it wouldn’t be too odd if he did so now.

  He typed into his phone. How ya doin’?

  Classic. That’ll send the girl running into his arms. He watched for the notification to change from delivered to read. She had to respond so he could say something more erudite. Typing anything more without a response looked desperate, and that was the last thing he was.

  He wasn’t at all desperate to hear her voice. Tell him how her day was going. Just text back.

  Realizing how needy holding onto his phone looked, he tossed it aside and turned on the TV. Halfway through the second pass of the scrolling guide, his phone buzzed.

  Hey, what’s up?

  It wasn’t the declaration part of him longed for, but it was a start. Nothing much. He deleted that before sending. He needed to impress her. Or make her laugh.

  Or just say something. I was just looking at pictures from St. Croix. I have a few great ones of you.

  Is that great as in I look good, or great for laughs at a party? Do I want to see them?

  He chuckled. Which should he send her first? He decided on one from their first day while they sat under the papaya tree.

  That is a good one. Check out this one.

  A photo of him appeared on his phone looking pensively into the sunset.

  Where was that taken?

  It was right after the horseback riding, before we took the shuttle back.

  What had been on his mind? They’d had fun in spite of the fact Marni felt chafed afterward because she’d worn short shorts. Too bad he hadn’t taken any of her that day.

  I had fun. Not just that time. The whole week.

  Yeah, it was, wasn’t it? In a way, I’m glad we were matched.

  Ouch. I didn’t ruin the trip for you? He added a smiley face emoji to soften the whine.

  That’s not what I said. I told you while we were there, I’d rather be with a friend than a loser.

  Aaannd he’s punted into the friend zone.

  Nothing she could say would make it clearer she didn’t feel the same way he did. He set the phone aside and took a drink of his soda. He needed to keep texting another minute or two to be polite but had no desire to flirt any more.

  Did Chase tell you I’m going out in two weeks?

  Chase was supposed to tell him she had a date? There must be something he was missing. Where to?

  White Oak. The ranch. I have a few weeks left until school starts again so Hope suggested I come hang out.

  His heart jolted, then he talked himself out of his excitement. She was coming to see Hope, not him. That’s cool. We’ll have to go out for a drink or something.

  There was a long stretch between when the notification said she’d read his text and when the bubble appeared showing she was typing. Did she not want to see him at all?

  Um, yeah, something.

  That didn’t help. He couldn’t think of anything more to say.

  She had no such problem. Okay, I’m going to drag that elephant into the center of the room so we can quit ignoring it. It’ll be way to awkward if I come out there with one intention and you have another.

  Intention? he asked.

  Yeah, expectation. What do you expect when I get there?

  Now was the time for honesty. At least he’d know if he needed to avoid Chase’s house during her visit. I hope we can spend some time together.

  Like going for a drink?

  Whatever. Whatever you want, I’m good with. That left it open for her to be real with what she felt.

  Dinner?

  Yeah, sure.

  Dancing? she asked. This was looking better.

  Sure thing, babe.

  How about horseback riding?

  Matt laughed out loud. He could stand to spend a few hours in the saddle on his day off, if it made her happy. Only if you go snorkeling.

  Is there a lake nearby? Can you even see anything in it?

  He continued to chuckle as he typed. Well, I wouldn’t want to push you into something you’re not comfortable with. We can start with me holding the garden hose over your head.

  She replied with two lines of smiley faces.

  She liked him.

  He sighed, mentally kicking himself for not reaching out sooner. So, it’s a date?

  I hope so.

  Awesome. Text me your flight info and I’ll pick you up at the airport.

  I’d like that, she replied.

  They continued to text for a while longer, the awkward unknown finally shoved aside. They would meet as friends again, this time, but with an understanding that there was something more between them. Maybe not a spark, but sparks burn out.

  He and Marni had something to build on, and he looked forward to seeing where it took them. They were a long way from deciding who moved where—heck, they hadn’t even kissed—but they had all the time in the world to work that stuff out.

  Glancing again at Marni’s final text, Matt grinned and nodded.

  Can’t wait!

  ****

  I hope you enjoyed Marni and Matt’s story. You can catch more of them in my Small-Town Sweethearts series.

  Now, keep reading for an excerpt of the next book in the Perfect Match series, Molly by Julie Jarnigan.

  Molly

  Perfect Match Series

  by

  Julie Jarnagin

  Prologue

  Molly’s Perfect Match Profile…

  The Pink Pen, 27

  “If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time.” –Zig Ziglar

  I’m a hard-working, independent young professional who’s looking for a man who shares my ambition and whose busy lifestyle matches my own. My career doesn’t leave much time for hobbies, but someday, I’d love to travel more and see the world. If you’re seeking some company on the ladder to the top, maybe we’re right for each other.

  Chapter One

  As long as Molly stuck to the plan, everything would be fine. She slipped off her gold sandals and carried them across the warm sand toward the building with the hand-painted Surf Hut sign above the door.

  Waves crashed against the shore. She’d love to stretch out on a beach towel with a book in hand. Instead, she was about to take surf lessons with a man she’d never met. A man she would need to create some kind of connection with in the next seven days. If not, her article about the Perfect Match dating site wouldn’t be enough to impress the editor of Gloss and Glitter. And if it didn’t impress her boss at the magazine, her chances of being promoted to relationship editor would disappear.

  She hadn’t worked her tail off for the past four years to let go of her dream now—even if that dream did require her to do this silly review of a new matchmaking travel agency. What would they think of next? Speed dating while swimming with sharks? Matching couples based on their pets’ profiles? It was getting ridiculous.

  But if it got her promoted from writing her advice column to managing the entire rela
tionship section, this trip would be worth it. Not to mention that she had a reputation to redeem. What kind of relationship advice columnist had such a disaster of a love life? Everyone knew Cody had dumped her. She still shuddered when she thought of all those sympathetic smiles and pats on the back. Humiliating.

  She approached the Surf Hut. A tanned man in neon yellow board shorts was standing with his back to her. His shaggy hair looked as if it had once been brown but the tips were now bleached out by days in the bright island sun. His shoulder and arm muscles flexed as he moved something back and forth across a white surfboard.

  Heat rushed through her. A day spent learning to surf from a hot instructor. This might be a little distracting for a first date. She would need to keep her focus on the man the Perfect Match dating site had chosen for her. Their algorithms for matching were supposed to be amazing, but did anyone really believe they could meet the love of their life by answering a few questions on a questionnaire? She certainly didn’t. Life had taught her that nothing came that easily. She’d always believed it was more important to find someone who had similar goals in life. Someone driven and successful, someone who shared her ambition, someone who would understand how important her career was to her. Of course, that theory hadn’t worked out so well with her last boyfriend.

  Nevertheless, she had no illusions that she’d meet her perfect match today. This wasn’t about that. This was about taking her career to the next level and salvaging her reputation.

  Molly walked around to the other side of the surfboard that held the man’s focus. She almost hated to disturb him. The dating site had set up the itinerary for the week, but they hadn’t told her anything other than her plans for the morning. She’d thought the hotel was supposed to provide her with a copy of her date’s profile, but so far, she’d simply received a note that read: Meet your date at the Surf Hut at 3:00 pm. She pushed her sunglasses on top of her head. “Hello.”