The Bachelor's Perfect Match

by Kathryn Springer

  The only thing that moved was the man’s eyebrows. They sank together over the bridge of his nose in a frown that had probably scared away every guy who’d dared to ask Maddie out on a date.

  It was a good thing Aiden didn’t scare easily.

  Whoa. Where had that thought come from?

  Not that Aiden had a problem asking a girl out. But like his brother Liam had so helpfully pointed out a few months ago, Aiden’s problem was that he never followed up with a second or third date.

  Because of that, he’d gotten a reputation for avoiding commitment when the opposite was true. Because of his childhood, Aiden understood its value more than most guys his age. He never made promises he didn’t intend to keep. Aiden wasn’t a heartbreaker, but until he met a woman he could trust—with the good, the bad and the ugly—he stuck to the shallow end of the dating pool.

  “That’s okay.” He tucked the crutch under his arm. “I have to go, anyway.” Sunni, who’d dropped Aiden off while she ran a few errands in town, was probably wondering where he was.

  He took a step forward, but this time, instead of stopping him, Maddie escorted him past her father and into the narrow hallway outside the conference room.

  “You don’t have to walk me to the door, you know.” Aiden’s lips twisted in a wry smile. “I’ll watch for rugs this time.”

  Maddie tilted her head back to look up at him, and Aiden waited in vain for the dimple to appear.

  Nope. Not happening. Once again, Aiden got the feeling she could see right through him.

  “The library closes at two o’clock tomorrow,” she said. “But I’ll be working a few extra hours, going through donations for the used book sale.”

  Her meaning was clear—if he wanted to continue their conversation. But Aiden didn’t respond.

  Because right now, as anxious as he was to find his sister, Aiden wasn’t sure Maddie Montgomery and her fern green eyes wouldn’t prove more of a hindrance than a help. Because, oh man, he was distracted around her.

  Chapter Four

  Maddie started the countdown as her dad followed her up the staircase to the second floor.

  Five. Four. Three. Two...

  “I don’t like the idea of strangers wandering in off the street when you’re alone in the library at night, sweetheart,” he said.

  Maddie tamped down a smile. When it came to her dad, the saying about old habits being hard to break had proved true. William and Tara Montgomery had loved and protected Maddie for twenty-five years. She’d been out on her own for several years now, but her dad never failed to come up with a reason to stop by and “check on things.” What he was really checking on was her.

  “Aiden isn’t exactly a stranger, Dad,” she reminded him. “You see him every Sunday morning at church.”

  “I see him staring out the window while Pastor Seth gives the message,” her dad grumbled. “He might be sitting in the chair, but it’s obvious his mind is somewhere else.”

  Maddie wasn’t about to admit she’d noticed that, too. Because it would mean admitting that she’d noticed Aiden Kane.

  You and every other unattached female in town, she chided herself.

  “I left the door unlocked in case another student showed up for the study session, and Aiden saw the lights on,” Maddie told him. “He didn’t realize the library was closed for the evening.”

  Her dad reached the door at the top of the stairs before Maddie, and it swung open at the touch of his hand. “You should keep this one locked, too.”

  “No one can access my apartment from the street,” Maddie reminded him.

  When the title of head librarian had transferred to her after Mrs. Whitman’s retirement, Maddie had been given the keys to the studio apartment on the second floor of the building, too.

  The space was small, but Maddie loved every inch of it.

  She’d sewn slipcovers for the sofa and decorated the interior with an eclectic style she liked to call thrift shop chic. A folding screen separated the kitchen from the living room, and African violets bloomed in the window. An old steamer trunk served double duty as a coffee table and storage for the surplus of books when the shelves began to overflow.

  Growing up, the characters in the books Maddie read had become her closest friends, so she hadn’t been able to part with a single one. For Maddie, sharing a favorite book was like sharing a secret. You weren’t just giving people a book. You were offering them a glimpse into your heart.

  I don’t read.

  Maddie was still having a hard time processing what Aiden had said. Not only the words themselves, but the matter-of-fact tone in which they’d been delivered. The way someone might say, “I don’t eat kale.”

  “Maddie?”

  Oops. “Sorry, Dad. What did you say?”

  “I just want you to be careful, that’s all.”

  “I am careful. And I’ll lock the door from now on,” Maddie promised.

  “I wasn’t talking about the door.” Her dad hesitated. “I was talking about Aiden Kane. From what I’ve heard, he can be impulsive and a little reckless. Not the type of man who’s looking to settle down.”

  “Settle—” Maddie almost choked on the word. “Aiden isn’t interested in going out with me, Dad.”

  Even if she couldn’t deny that for a moment—a teeny tiny moment—her heart had performed that crazy tap dance again when he’d said, “I came to see you.”

  A response as ridiculous as Aiden asking her out on a date. They had nothing in common. Whenever New Life Fellowship sponsored a hiking trip or a weekend of downhill skiing, Aiden would be listed as the contact person in the church newsletter. Maddie knew that information before anyone else in the congregation because she was the one who typed the monthly newsletter.

  She also knew the first four or five names on the sign-up sheet would inevitably be grown-up versions of the athletic, outdoorsy type of girls Aiden had dated in high school.

  Maddie hadn’t dated in high school. Guys never asked her to go out for a movie and burger. They’d asked her for her help with English homework instead.

  “I think that sigh—” her dad pressed a kiss against the top of Maddie’s head “—is my cue to leave.”

  “Sorry, Dad. I’ve got a lot on my mind tonight, I guess.”

  He gave her a look. “That wouldn’t be because you have too much on your plate, now, would it?”

  “I like being busy.” Maddie linked arms with him as they walked to the door. “But if you want me to cut something out of my schedule, I don’t have to make dessert for Saturday night,” she teased.

  “Never mind.” Her dad’s eyes went wide with mock horror. “I take it back!”

  The weekly dinners had become a tradition, Maddie’s way of showing her parents she hadn’t abandoned them, she’d simply moved into her own place like a lot of other people her age. They always spent the evening catching up on each other’s lives, and then her dad would break out Scrabble or the cribbage board.

  Yet another reason Maddie wasn’t Aiden Kane’s type.

  “I thought you’d say that.” Maddie hugged her dad goodbye and closed the door before another sigh slipped out.

  Contrary to what her dad feared, Aiden didn’t want to date her. He needed her help finding his sister.

  Maddie flopped into a chair and curled her feet underneath her, questions multiplying like the maple leaves underneath the tree outside the window.

  Did Aiden regret telling her? Did his abrupt departure mean he was going to give up the search before he’d even begun?

  Maddie wouldn’t. She would have gladly given up half her bedroom—and space on her bookshelves—for a sister or brother. But her parents had found love later in life, and Maddie’s traumatic birth and the two heart surgeries that followed had dictated she remain an only child. It had also significantly reduced the chances of
her ever having a child of her own.

  She knew that God had richly blessed her in other ways—a job she loved, a purpose and a passion—so the pain of knowing she’d never be a mother had eventually subsided. But there were times—like right now—when Maddie felt the ache all over again, a weight pressing down on the sensitive scar tissue of an old wound.

  She’d never told anyone her secret. It was her burden to carry. And the truth was, there’d never been a need. The boys who hadn’t noticed her in school had grown into men who’d fallen in love and married her pretty, more outgoing classmates. Maddie had been the quiet girl in the library.

  Her lips tipped in a smile.

  She was still the quiet girl in the library. And although Maddie liked and accepted that girl a lot more than she had in high school, it stirred up all kinds of dreams she had no business dreaming. Especially about Aiden Kane.

  Maybe there was a woman out there who would eventually change his mind about settling down.

  But Maddie knew it wouldn’t be her.

  * * *

  Lights illuminated the row of windows on the second floor as Aiden let himself out of the library. A gray Subaru idled at the curb, and before Aiden could take another step, Sunni had hopped out from the driver’s seat and jogged around the front of the vehicle to open his door.

  Needing a chauffeur was another humbling side effect of Aiden’s injuries. It ranked right up there with knowing he’d lose to his mom in a footrace.

  “I hope I’m not late. I ran into Rebecca at the grocery store and we chatted for a few minutes.”

  Aiden didn’t have to ask what—or rather whom—the topic of conversation had been. Rebecca Tamblin was Pastor Seth’s wife and the head of New Life Fellowship’s prayer chain. Aiden’s name had been at the top of the list for almost two weeks.

  “Not a problem.” Aiden squeezed out a smile as he folded himself into the passenger seat.

  Sunni waited until he buckled up before she steered the car back onto the street.

  “Are you too tired to take a little detour on the way home? Dr. Voss called me a few minutes ago and asked if we have room at the shelter for another dog.”

  Aiden had passed tired a few hours ago and was skidding toward exhausted, but he nodded. “Go for it.”

  His mom took her responsibilities as the recently appointed chairman of the animal shelter as seriously as she did the family business.

  “I was hoping you’d say that!” Sunni flashed a smile and turned left off Riverside, Castle Falls’ main street. “Did you find what you were looking for at the library?”

  An image of Maddie Montgomery’s face danced in Aiden’s mind, and he batted it away.

  “No.” Aiden wasn’t ready to confide in his mom yet. If the search for his sister ended in a crash and burn, he wanted to spare his family a ringside seat. Not only that, given Sunni’s growing reputation as a matchmaker, Aiden ran the risk she might read something more into his decision to ask a certain librarian for help.

  “Wasn’t Maddie there?”

  “You know her?” As soon as the words slipped out, Aiden realized how ridiculous they sounded. Unlike Aiden, Sunni had lived in Castle Falls most of her life. She probably knew Maddie’s favorite color and her birthday.

  “I know you didn’t graduate together, but she’s at church every Sunday.” Sunni slid a sideways glance in Aiden’s direction. “I’m surprised your paths haven’t crossed.”

  Aiden wasn’t. Not after he’d seen Maddie flinch when he said he didn’t read. What he should have said was that he didn’t read well. Reading usually involved sitting still, and sitting still had never come easily to Aiden, either.

  He’d rather stick to the things he was good at.

  “How is the plan for the new addition coming along?” Aiden steered the conversation to safer ground.

  “Wonderful. Between the silent auction last June and a generous donation from the bank a few weeks ago, we should be able to break ground in May.

  “The committee decided that since the last meet and greet for the shelter went over so well, we’re going to host another one during the Fall Festival.” Sunni chuckled. “Of course, Cassie and Chloe voted that we set up the tent in the backyard.”

  The gathering point for River Quest. Aiden was glad the darkness cloaked his expression. He gritted his teeth behind a smile. “Good idea.”

  Everyone was full of good ideas these days. Orders for Liam’s new line of vintage canoes had picked up after Lily, the family marketing whiz, had posted a photograph of one on the home page of the website. Anna had taken charge of the Trading Post, and the twins helped on the weekends, straightening shelves and greeting customers.

  Everyone, it seemed, had something valuable to offer. Everyone except Aiden.

  Although he should have been used to that by now.

  Lights glowed in the windows of the veterinary clinic, but Sunni cruised past the front entrance and drove around to the back of the building.

  The door swung open before Aiden had a chance to knock, and Dr. Voss motioned them inside.

  “Sunni. Aiden. Come in, come in.” The veterinarian’s eyes were bloodshot, and the tufts of reddish-brown hair that sprouted from his head now lay as flat as stalks of wheat after a killing frost. “It’s been a long day. Two emergency surgeries, which is the reason I called you. I’m afraid there’s no more room at the inn.”

  “That’s why we’re here.” Sunni gave the man’s arm a comforting squeeze. “I’m glad the shelter could help.”

  “Follow me.” The tails of the veterinarian’s wrinkled lab coat flapped against his legs as he led them down the hallway.

  It wasn’t the first time Aiden had been to the clinic—he’d transported at least a dozen critters there for vaccinations since the shelter’s official grand opening—so he expected Dr. Voss to usher them into the spacious room that housed the kennels. The veterinarian walked past the door and took a sharp turn down another, shorter hallway instead.

  “Is the dog in quarantine or something?” Aiden whispered to his mom even though he knew it didn’t matter. Sunni had a soft spot for hard-luck cases.

  If Aiden was ever in danger of forgetting that, all he had to do was look in the mirror.

  “Not in quarantine.” Dr. Voss was the one who answered the question. “He’s kind of a loner...being around the other dogs seems to agitate him. Our facility isn’t set up for long-term convalescence, so that’s why I called your mother.”

  “Why isn’t it going home?” Aiden asked.

  “He doesn’t have one at the moment,” Sunni said.

  Dr. Voss’s steps slowed, and he matched his pace to Aiden’s. “A hiker found the dog caught in a trap by the river and called the sheriff’s department. When Deputy Bristow brought it in, the animal was dehydrated and hypothermic. Its leg wasn’t broken, but infection from the wound had spread, so we had to get that under control. What he needs now is rest and a little TLC.”

  Aiden figured the “TLC” part was where his mom came in.

  “What about its owner? Don’t you think someone is looking for him?”

  A look passed between Dr. Voss and his mom, a hint they’d had this conversation before.

  “I highly doubt it,” the vet finally said. “The X-rays I took show...older...injuries. The deputy found evidence the owner was hunting out of season, so if he does step up to claim the dog, he’d be facing questions he won’t want to answer.”

  So rather than get into trouble, the owner had simply abandoned the animal.

  Dr. Voss stopped in front of a door and slipped his hand inside to flip the light on. A row of large wire crates—all empty except the one filled with rags—lined the wall.

  “Where—” Aiden’s throat convulsed, sealing off the rest of the sentence, when the bundle of rags moved. Took on the shape of a dog.

&nb
sp; His mom’s gasp of dismay broke the silence, and the veterinarian’s lips flattened in agreement.

  “Believe it or not, he actually looks better than he did when the deputy brought him in. Sunni, I’ll need you to sign a few papers, and then we’ll go over the list of medications,” Dr. Voss said. “He’s on a strong antibiotic and will need a dose of the pain medication every four to six hours for the next few days.”

  “Every four to six hours?” Aiden hiked a brow at his mom. “You’re going to have to run back and forth to the shelter to give the dog a pill?”

  “Of course not, sweetheart.” Sunni gave him a bright smile. “He’ll be at the house for a few days.”

  At the house.

  Aiden should have known.

  “You can take a seat in the waiting room, Aiden,” Dr. Voss said. “It won’t take very long.”

  After they left, Aiden approached the crate cautiously and bent down. A pair of bottomless, espresso-brown eyes stared back at him.

  The dog was a mix of some sort. Coonhound and Labrador retriever, maybe, with a pointed nose, floppy ears and a tail hinged in the middle like a broken windshield wiper. It was also thin to the point of emaciation, with uneven patches of gray and brown bristles instead of fur. Even at the peak of health it wouldn’t be the adorable, cuddly kind of pup most people wanted to adopt.

  “You know what Sunni is up to, right?” Aiden whispered. “We’re both invalids, and she’s hoping we bond during our convalescence.”

  The dog bared its teeth and growled.

  Aiden nodded. “I totally agree.”

  Chapter Five

  Mondays.

  Maddie decided there were times they deserved their reputation.

  She clicked the mouse and brought up slide number twelve, even though she was fairly certain she’d lost the teenagers at number four.

  Tyler’s eyes were glued to his cell phone, Skye was drawing on the cover of her notebook and Justin appeared to be napping.

  But at least they were here. Maddie had expected to spend Monday evening catching up on her emails, but the teens had drifted into the conference room one at a time and claimed their seats at the table.