by Jody Holford
A waiter donning a Waterside polo shirt and matching apron approached their table. He spoke to Stella. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“Just a water for now, please,” she said.
Megan took a drink of her cola and realized she was still holding Adam’s list. “Want to split an appetizer? I have to pick up Charlie soon.”
“Sure,” she said, closing the menu and looking up at the waiter. He’d been staring at her, which amused Megan. Her friend was completely nonchalant about the stares that followed in her wake. With her gorgeous, naturally tanned complexion, miles of hair, and exotically dark eyes, she presented quite the image. But Stella was less interested in love than Adam was in romance. Her life was solely about carrying on her father’s legacy and providing affordable care for animals. In a rare moment of over-sharing, after indulging in a very nice red wine at her house, Stella had confided that she’d been left at the altar by her ex, which was another reason for her laser focus on her career. Stella considered happily ever after a mythical beast better left unpoked.
“We’ll take the battered prawn basket, please,” Stella said.
“No problem.”
“And actually, I’ll have a cola, too, please.”
“You got it,” the waiter said, nodding. He took both menus and walked away.
“Maybe I should set Adam up with you,” Megan muttered, unsure why saying the words out loud made her chest uncomfortably tight.
“No, thank you. Even if I did want to settle down with someone, which I absolutely do not, a workaholic with no sense of humor would be last on my list.”
Megan thought about Adam making her laugh last night. She would have whole-heartedly agreed with the assessment of her boss only a day ago, but last night she’d seen a glimpse of…something else.
Still, she couldn’t let the irony of Stella’s comment go. The waiter came by to drop off Stella’s drink and brought Megan a refill. Stella took her time, glancing at Megan, who continued to stare at her friend as she sipped from her straw.
“I’m not a workaholic,” she finally answered.
Megan laughed. “No. Not you.”
“Animals don’t operate on nine to five hours, so how can I?”
“I’m not judging you. Just saying. How am I supposed to find a woman who meets his…needs?”
She picked up the crumpled list and passed it to her friend. Megan didn’t even need it anymore, since she’d memorized Adam’s bullet point notes of what made the perfect woman. She couldn’t believe he even had a list.
—Must love children.
—Willing to make Charlie the top priority.
—Attractive.
—Physically fit, hygienic, lives an active lifestyle.
—Educated.
—Kind but firm.
—Understanding of my work schedule/able to be accommodating with her own.
—Wants to have a child in the near future.
—Happy with a partnership that includes fidelity, financial security, and companionship.
—Between the ages of 28-31.
After she’d read the list a dozen times the night before—in private—she realized that she fit the requirements almost perfectly. Except for the whole pesky wanting a relationship built on love, trust, and a desire to spend the rest of her life with someone. Thank God she didn’t have a crush on her boss and hadn’t been pining away for him all these years. Even with his rather aloof demeanor, she wouldn’t have pictured his ideal woman the way he described her.
“Holy frickety-frak. What the hell kind of list is this?” Stella read it over again, and Megan was grateful she wasn’t the only one taken aback by the sterility and ridiculousness of what she read. Though how different would her own list be? One, three, four, and eight seemed pretty important. Nine would be a for sure if it didn’t sound like a business merger.
Seeing the waiter approach with their appetizer, Megan waved her hand at her friend. “Shh.”
“Here you are, ladies. Can I get you anything else?”
Stella folded the list, biting her lip as she shook her head.
“No, thank you.”
When he walked away, Stella started to laugh. “You work for a weirdo.”
Megan sighed. The thing was she didn’t. Adam was a really good guy. He definitely had some weird ideas on how to go about dating, but he loved his son, and to Megan, that mattered more than anything else. If Adam was going to do this, she wanted to be part of it. Once he’d decided something was a good idea, the man was difficult to sway. Megan wanted the comfort of knowing she had a hand in choosing the next woman to positively impact Charlie’s life. Maybe that would make leaving a bit easier.
“He’s been burned badly,” Megan said, picking up a shrimp and then dropping it with a hiss.
Stella laughed and picked up a fork. “Hot?”
“Adam?”
Her friend’s laughter turned the heads of the few diners in the restaurant. She leaned forward. “I meant the shrimp.”
Her cheeks burned. “Of course. Right.”
She picked up her own fork and stabbed a piece of the breaded seafood then blew on it with laser focus. When she glanced up, Stella was still grinning at her.
“Shut up, Stell.”
“What? I didn’t say anything. Speaking of not saying anything, is there a celebration planned for your graduation that you aren’t telling me about?”
“No. Nothing really. My brother and Garrett took me out, but it got interrupted.”
She took a cautious bite of the shrimp and sighed in pleasure. Living on the coast had definite perks.
“I want to throw a little party for you. Don’t look at me like that. Nothing big. But you deserve to celebrate. I’ll give you the details once I’ve chatted with Parks.”
She waved her fork at Stella before grabbing another shrimp. “Nothing big. Promise.”
Stella crossed her heart and winked.
…
“Why do I even have to go to the last couple of days?” Charlie snapped his seat belt closed and flopped his head against the backseat.
Megan smiled at the seven year old’s display of drama. “How about to be with your friends?”
“They can come over and play.”
Megan glanced in the rearview mirror of her aged Jeep and caught the smile in Charlie’s gaze.
“Knock it off, bud. You’re going. Besides, Friday is your show, and your dad is excited to see it.”
Pulling out of the parking lot, she took a left onto the main road back toward the house. Charlie pulled an Archie comic out of his backpack and opened it. Conversation over.
When they got home, Charlie had a snack while Megan started dinner. He sat on one of the bar-style stools that rested under the island.
He spoke around the carrot he was munching on. “You’re really going to leave?”
Even though her heart hitched, she kept dicing the garlic and threw it into the pan on the stove. “Yes. But just because I don’t live here doesn’t mean I won’t see you.”
Megan washed the garlic off her hands, noting that Charlie hadn’t responded. She grabbed the chicken from the fridge and set it by the stove before coming back to the counter. He was avoiding her eyes.
“Bud?” She bent her knees, trying to see him better.
“That’s what Mom said.”
If she’d been standing straight, her knees would have buckled. Megan gripped the countertop and took a breath. “Look at me, Charlie.”
His hair had fallen across his forehead. He was so much like his dad. Megan’s heart twisted with love. She couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to have a child of her own if she loved this one so much. Charlie’s bottom lip trembled, and she rounded the counter to scoop him off his stool. He rarely let her pick him up, but this time he didn’t protest.
“Listen to me. I love you, and nothing will change that. And I’m staying in town. Who knows? I could get lucky and get a long-term job at your school.”
He rested his arms on her shoulders. “Yeah?”
Megan nodded. “Yeah.”
“’Kay.”
His lips stopped trembling, but the worry didn’t leave his eyes. Megan jostled him in her arms, making a small smile tip his lips upward.
“For the record, your mom loves you, too, bud. So does your dad. There’s no shortage of people who do. You know that, right? And you know that no matter where anyone is, it doesn’t change how they feel.”
“I know.”
Hearing the front door open, then close, Megan’s head snapped up as Adam walked in. Charlie squirmed out of her hold, jumping down and running to his dad.
“Dad. You’re back early!”
Adam scooped him up with one arm and put his briefcase down on the table. “I am. My meeting got canceled.”
“Cool,” Charlie said.
Megan met Adam’s gaze over his head and could see from the tight way he smiled that it wasn’t cool at all. But he gave Charlie a hard hug and ruffled his hair.
Megan heard him ask Charlie if he was okay as she walked to the stove and turned on the burner to cook the chicken.
“Yeah. Megan was just saying she loves me and so does everyone else, and it doesn’t matter where anyone lives.”
She met Adam’s gaze again. She couldn’t be certain, but he looked surprised. Why didn’t he believe her when she said how much Charlie mattered? Had Reece hurt him so badly he wasn’t able to believe in anyone else? He nodded and looked back at Charlie.
“Megan’s pretty smart, isn’t she?”
“Yup. Wanna play Minecraft?”
“Let me wash up first, okay? Go get it started.”
Charlie rushed out of the kitchen, and Adam loosened his tie, pulling it away from his neck. The chicken sizzled in the pan. Megan gave it a stir then got rid of the packaging. When she turned back, Adam was leaning against the counter beside the stove.
She looked at him. “Hi.” This was new.
“Hey.” Definitely new.
“Are you okay?”
“Client signed with another firm.”
He never came home and told her about his work. It felt…domestic, naturally and blissfully so—a sensation she’d never known around him. She was momentarily stunned. “I’m sorry.”
“Me too.”
The silence was as thick as the scent of garlic. She stirred again then rooted in the cupboard for the pasta noodles.
“That smells good. Will you stay and eat with us?”
Megan was up on her tiptoes reaching for the bag. She froze and looked over her shoulder. Was he looking at her ass? No. This was reality, not another dimension. Besides, her ass probably didn’t meet his criteria.
His eyes locked on hers, and his cheeks flushed. What the hell? She grabbed the bag and pulled it down from the second shelf.
“Uh, I could. Or I can just finish this and leave it for you guys. You don’t often get home this early. Charlie would probably love the extra time.”
She shut the cupboard door, her fingers feeling tingly. She almost dropped the pasta on the counter. Trying to focus on her task instead of Adam’s proximity and strange mood, she pulled a pot from under the counter.
“I thought that since I was home, we could discuss our plan more. I’d like to get started.”
She set the pot on the counter harder than she intended. Adam arched a brow at the sound that seemed to echo in the kitchen. Megan wasn’t sure where her irritation was coming from. It was his life—if this was the route he wanted to take, it wasn’t her business. Except for the part where it was and she had to help him. But it’s not about him. It’s about Charlie. It’s about being able to start the next phase of your own life while knowing that little boy is going to be okay. Still, her skin felt too tight, and she had to remind herself she’d also be starting the next phase of her life debt free thanks to this arrangement.
“Fine. I looked into a few sites today so we can start a profile for you.”
She filled the pot with water, all too aware that he was in her space. His home, her space. He was never back early like this. Certainly never after asking her to find him a wife. The perfect wife. One who won’t cling to romantic ideals or fairy tales.
“Pfft,” Megan scoffed, shaking her head.
“Pardon?”
Looking over her shoulder again, she shrugged. “I didn’t say anything.”
He didn’t look like he believed her, but he let it go. “Reece wants Charlie for a couple of weeks later this month.”
Turning the water off and setting the pot in the sink, she waited for him to continue, hating the sorrow in his voice. As often as he had to travel, he hated to be away from his son.
The unhappiness in his eyes reminded her of when Charlie got hurt, how his smile would disappear and tears filled his eyes. Not that she thought Adam would cry, but he certainly looked more vulnerable than she was used to seeing him. Why did their hurt make her feel like it was her own?
“I’m sorry. I know you’d rather he wasn’t gone for weeks at a time.”
When he just nodded and looked away, she finished filling the pot and set it on the stove. To give herself an extra moment, she dried her hands on the dishtowel.
When she hung it back up, she walked over to where he’d taken a seat on a bar stool and picked up one of Charlie’s uneaten carrots.
“Maybe this is a good thing. It’ll give you time to get sorted and make the transition of my leaving easier.”
“She has a break from filming and wants to take him to Disneyland.”
Other than the night before, this was the most Adam had talked to her about something other than her job. It felt oddly intimate. Do not go there. You want a man who isn’t scared to love someone again. Focus on Charlie.
“Charlie will love that.”
“She asked if I’d join them.”
Megan’s throat went dry, and her heart skipped a whole beat. “Do you want to?”
He looked up then, smiled wryly at her, which sent a strange sensation through her. One she hadn’t ever felt. Like her insides were being lit up with live wires.
“No. Not even a little bit.”
Their eyes locked on each other for an uncomfortably long few seconds, making the sensation hover around her. Like he’d just realized where he was, Adam shook his head slightly. “I’m going to go play Minecraft with Charlie. We’ll eat, and once he’s in bed, we’ll set up the profiles. The sooner the better.”
“Okay,” she agreed as he left the room. She wasn’t even sure if he heard her.
…
“I’m not posing for a picture,” Adam said, putting his hand up in front of her phone so she couldn’t snap one.
Her lips twitched. She shouldn’t find this so amusing, but who knew he was camera shy? “Stop being a baby.”
He glared at her, and she snapped a shot of him like that for the sheer pleasure of pushing his buttons. Buttons she didn’t realize he had. Ones she didn’t know she’d enjoy finding.
“I’m not being a baby. This is ridiculous.”
She put her phone by her side and stopped laughing. “You have to. You wouldn’t choose someone who you couldn’t see.”
When she put the phone up again, he blocked the view of his face. She tried to push his hand out of the way, but he just put the other one up. His hand gripped hers so she couldn’t move his, and a smirk tilted the corners of his lips. Megan was all too aware of the way his hand felt on hers—warm, exciting. Stop it. This isn’t foreplay. You’re finding him a freaking wife, a mom for Charlie.
She dropped her hand, and he stared at her, putting his hands on the arms of the chair. “I’ll find an old one.”
“Nope. It has to be current.”
Adam frowned, narrowing his eyes. “Is that a rule?”
She laughed. “More like a courtesy. You don’t want to misrepresent the goods.”
His short laugh sent a pleasant shiver over her skin. He’d showered after Charl
ie went to bed, and though she’d never tell him, it was the perfect time to get a shot of him. His hair was still curling a bit around his ears, and he was freshly shaven. He wore a casual black T-shirt and a pair of lounge pants. She’d nearly swallowed her tongue at the sight of him walking into his office where she was on the computer. They weren’t exactly pajama pals, and it seemed unfair that he should look so good in his.
With a resigned sigh, he sat up straighter. “Fine. But make it quick.”
“Yes, Mr. Klein.” She sing-songed the words.
Adam tilted his head and grinned at her. “Cute.”
Had he just called her cute? No. He said something you said was cute. What is wrong with you? Take his picture and get this done so you can go back to your place and text Stella.
She snapped a photo, then another. And because he was still just smiling at her, she took one more.
“Are you posting three?”
“You counted?”
“I’m pretty good with numbers.”
He’d clearly missed the first one. Megan laughed. In five years, he’d hidden his dry wit well. “I’m putting funny on your profile.”
“Do that. I’ll put one less zero on your check.”
She pointed at him. “See? Funny.”
Taking a seat, she clicked on the highest-rated site she’d bookmarked, Find Forever.
Adam had pulled a chair from the kitchen table into his office. “You’re sure this is a reputable site?”
“Yes. I researched this morning. I’ll let you fill in the personal information, height, age, that sort of thing, but I can help you with the opening questionnaire, if you’d like.”
He edged closer, and Megan had to force herself not to think about how his minty fresh breath might taste. Shutting down that thought, she wondered again if she should put a little more effort into her own dating life and finding someone who wanted the kind of forever that she did.
“What kind of questionnaire? What do they want to know?”
The urge to mess with him made her grin. Like he could read her mind, he glared mockingly at her. “How did I not know you had an evil side?”
She shrugged and typed in the registration information. “Same way I didn’t know you were funny, I guess. We don’t talk much.”
