Sweet Matchmaking

by Nicole Ellis

  After the pizzas arrived, the four of them sat around the small table in Sarah’s kitchen to eat.

  “You’re going to need a bigger table if you want to have all of us over.” Gretchen glanced at the empty dining room. “I bet Garrett’s mom, Wendy, has something gorgeous that she’s refurbished. I think the dining room definitely needs a vintage piece.”

  “I agree.” Sarah eyed the built-in china cabinet, just visible in the dining room through the open doorway from the kitchen. “I can’t wait until I can hold parties of my own here.”

  Patrick loved the way her face lit up as she spoke, seemingly imagining parties in her new house.

  “So, I don’t know if this is an appropriate time,” Parker said, turning to Patrick. “But have you given any thought to selling your house to my clients? After you let me show them the house, they fell in love with it even more, so they’re willing to wait, but they need to move on if you’re not going to be selling it.”

  Patrick looked at Sarah, took a deep breath, then smiled. She was his future, not some house filled with memories of Nina. “Yes. I’m ready to sell the house. I think if I hurry, I should be able to finish it up over Christmas break.”

  “Fantastic,” Parker said. “They’re going to be ecstatic to hear that.” He turned to Gretchen. “Ha! I got this one.”

  She shook her head and smiled, then patted his hand. “Yes, you got this one. But I’ve still got you beat on sales for the year.”

  “Oh fine,” Parker grumbled and took a huge bite of pizza, cheese dripping down his chin.

  Patrick tried to hide his grin behind his beer bottle. The two newlyweds were cute together, something he hadn’t anticipated ever thinking after Nina left him. Having Sarah in his life had given him a renewed faith in love. Although they’d only been together for a couple of weeks, he couldn’t imagine a life without her.

  “Speaking of real estate sales, we’ve got clients coming into the office this afternoon.” Gretchen stared ruefully at the sweatshirt with holes in it and tattered jeans that she’d worn for helping Sarah move. “We’d better go home and get changed before we meet with them or they’ll think we’re not very professional.”

  Parker checked his watch and grimaced. “Where did the time go?” He stood from the table. “Thanks for the pizza, guys. This was fun and I hope to be invited when you have that big party you’re dreaming of.”

  “You and Gretchen will be first on the list,” Sarah said. “And any thanks should go to the two of you. I couldn’t have done this without your help.” She and Patrick walked Parker and Gretchen to the door.

  After their friends left, Patrick turned to her. “Are you going to start unpacking?” He hoped she’d say no because his legs were killing him from both loading and unloading the moving truck, but if she insisted, he’d be happy to help.

  Sarah scrunched up her face. “I know I should, but I can’t convince myself to start.” A mischievous gleam came into her eyes. “What would you say to playing hooky? We could set up the TV and DVD player and watch a movie. At least I can find the couch.”

  Thank goodness. He laughed. The floor was covered in boxes and even the couch was buried under some smaller items, but she’d labeled the boxes well. It shouldn’t take much time to locate the DVD player. “I’ll find the DVD player and the movies.”

  Later, when they were sitting together on the couch, he studied Sarah’s face as she watched one of the twenty-odd Christmas movies he’d found in a box. Happiness filled her face and he put his arm around her, relishing the feeling of being close to her. He wished every day could be like this one. But how realistic was that? He lived in a town thirty minutes away, which wasn’t an insurmountable distance, but with both of them having full-time teaching jobs and second jobs as well, how likely was it that they could spend more than a day a week with each other?

  He wasn’t going to dwell on that though. They’d cross that bridge when they came to it. For now, he wanted to enjoy being with Sarah in her new house.

  She sighed at a romantic part of the movie and snuggled closer to him. He leaned over and kissed the top of her head. She looked up at him and he bent down to kiss her.

  “I could get used to this,” she whispered before turning back to the movie.

  He kissed her head again, her hair silky against his lips. “Me too.”

  Chapter 19 and Author’s Note

  A week later, a knock sounded on the door of Sarah’s new house. She grabbed her winter coat from the hooks she’d hung by the door, and swung it over her shoulders as she pulled the door open.

  “Hey,” she said to Maura.

  “Hey yourself.” Maura peeked around her. “Do we have time for a quick tour of your new house? I haven’t seen it yet, but the outside is really cute.”

  Sarah glanced at her watch. “Sure. We’ve got a few extra minutes.”

  She showed Maura around the house, her chest puffing up as Maura oohed and aahed over the built-in cabinets and the big backyard.

  “You got a good deal on this place,” Maura said as they walked down the front walk to her car. “I love it.”

  “Me too.” A warmth spread through Sarah’s body. Things were really starting to look up for her. A month ago, she hadn’t been sure if the house purchase would go through and the idea of having Patrick in her life had been only a dream. She got into the passenger seat of Maura’s car and rubbed her hands together for warmth. “Brr.”

  Maura laughed. “I know. We live so close that my car was only starting to heat up when I pulled up to your house. But the heater should kick on soon.” She started the engine, and true to her word, the heat came on immediately. She turned to Sarah. “So where is this tea party at? I know you said it was at a farm outside of town, but I’ve never been there before.”

  Sarah nodded. “The Sorensen Farm. Maggie and her husband Jake have turned it into an event center, but they live in an old farmhouse on the property.”

  “Ah.” Maura navigated away from the curb. “So it’s north of town?” She squinted against the bright sunlight streaming through the windshield.

  “No, actually, it’s south of town, right where the highway curves around Bluebonnet Lake.” Sarah glanced out the window as Maura drove toward the main highway. Kids were playing in the park next to Main Street, taking advantage of the nice, sunny weekend weather. Sometimes it seemed like it had only been a couple of years since she’d swung on those same swings on a chilly day, her hands freezing to the metal chains as she pumped her legs to go higher. How had it already been decades?

  She stared at the kids. Would her own kids be doing the same in a few years? She flushed. She and Patrick had only been dating for a few weeks, but somehow the idea of them having kids together felt right.

  When they arrived at the Sorensen Farm, there were several other cars parked in the muddy parking area outside of the farmhouse. Maura parked next to a blue sedan that Sarah recognized from her house-hunting expedition as Gretchen’s car.

  Maura put her hand on the inside door handle but paused before opening it. “Are you sure it’s okay for me to be here?”

  “Of course.” Sarah flashed her a quick smile. Maura wasn’t usually this self-conscious, but this was a large group of people she’d be meeting for the first time.

  Before they went inside, Maura opened the trunk and plucked out a bottle of nonalcoholic mulled cider and a bottle of glogg.

  “You didn’t have to bring anything.” Sarah took the bottles from Maura as she shut the trunk.

  “I know, but it makes me feel better.” She took the bottles back from Sarah and they walked up to the wide front porch. The cheery yellow farmhouse never failed to make Sarah happy. It had been dark when she attended Gretchen’s wedding, but in the light of day, she could tell Maggie and Jake had been busy. A garden had been created next to the house, with neat rows ready for next spring’s planting. The corners of a new swing set in the backyard were visible over the fence line.

  A dog barked
excitedly behind the front door. Maggie opened it with a wide smile, while trying to keep the small white dog from escaping. “Sorry about Sugar. She’s just happy to have so many new friends here today. You’d better come in before she gets out though.”

  They entered the house and Sarah leaned down to stroke the soft fur between the dog’s ears. “She’s beautiful. Did you just get her? I don’t remember seeing her before.”

  Maggie grinned. “We’ve had her for a few months but kept her hidden away during Gretchen and Parker’s wedding because Reilly was here. Besides, she tends to get overly excited around groups of people. Alex is in love with her.” She half whispered, “Jake too, although he grumbles about her.” She turned to Maura. “You must be Maura.”

  “I am.” Maura handed her the bottles. “I thought these would come in handy.”

  Maggie read the label on the mulled cider. “Thank you so much. I’m sure they will. I haven’t had this in a while, but I remember really liking it and I know the others will enjoy the glogg.” She beamed at Maura. “Thank you. I’m so glad you were able to come.” She gestured to some hooks on the wall. “You girls can take your jackets off here. The others are in the family room.”

  Sarah nodded, and they removed their jackets while Maggie disappeared in the direction of the kitchen with the drinks. Charlotte’s laughter echoed down the hallway as they moved toward the family room.

  “It sounds like they’re having fun,” Maura said, with a touch of hesitation in her voice.

  “I’m sure we’ll all have fun,” Sarah said firmly. In a softer tone, she said, “Seriously, don’t worry. My friends are great and will be happy to meet you.”

  When they turned the corner at the end of the hall, the space opened up to reveal two large couches surrounding a massive rough-hewn wood coffee table. A noble fir, decked out in brightly colored lights and a hodgepodge of fancy glass and children’s decorations, dominated the room.

  “Wow,” Maura whispered. “That’s one of the biggest indoor Christmas trees I’ve ever seen.”

  Sarah nodded. “Me too.”

  The other guests noticed them, and Charlotte jumped up to give Sarah a hug. “Hey. It’s good to see you. Every time I see you nowadays, you’re busy at the store and I don’t want to bother you.”

  “I know. It’s been crazy there.” Sarah hugged her back.

  “Crazy good business, you mean.” Dahlia stood, her long gray sweater falling open to reveal a small baby bump. “This is the best holiday season we’ve had since I took over the bookstore.” She eyed Maura with a question in her eyes.

  Sarah realized she hadn’t yet introduced her friend. “This is my friend Maura. She’s a counselor at my school.”

  “Ah.” Dahlia held out her hand. “Well, it’s nice to meet you.”

  Angel, Gretchen, and Charlotte stood too to shake hands with Maura.

  After the barrage of introductions, Maura laughed. “I hope I can remember everyone’s names, but bear with me.”

  “Is everyone ready for some Christmas drinks?” Maggie asked from the hallway. “I’ve got coffee, tea, fruit punch, and Maura brought some glogg and cider too. There’s something for everyone.”

  “Finally.” Charlotte sighed dramatically. “I thought you’d never offer.”

  Maggie rolled her eyes. “You’ve been here all of ten minutes. You’ll survive.”

  They followed her into the kitchen and then returned to the family room with their drinks.

  “Where are Jake and Alex?” Sarah asked as she sipped her coffee.

  “They went to a movie in Haven Shores.” Maggie clutched her mug of chamomile tea. “Some superhero movie just came out that they were both dying to see.” She rubbed her belly. “I’m glad they’re getting along so well, but I’m secretly hoping this little one is a girl and will want to do things with me that I enjoy.”

  “I’m sure that whether the baby is a boy or girl, they’ll want to do things with you.” Gretchen smiled. “And hopefully with Aunt Gretchen too. I’ve got to live vicariously through you for a while because Parker and I aren’t having kids for a few more years.” She glanced at her tea dubiously. “In fact, maybe I shouldn’t even be drinking the water – I think there must be something in it if you all are turning up pregnant.”

  Maggie laughed. “This baby was very planned. We didn’t want to wait any longer because Alex is getting older.” She turned to the others. “I’ve got a few games we could play if you’d like. Bunco is always fun.”

  “Sure,” Charlotte said. “I love playing Bunco because you don’t have to think too much and can focus on chatting and munching on goodies instead.” She held up a plate full of cookies.

  Sarah looked around the room. Now seemed as good of a time as any to ask if her friends would be willing to help with toys for the Jensen family. She cleared her throat. “Actually, before we start, I wanted to talk to you all about something.” She explained the family’s situation and pulled a list out of her pocket. “If we all choose one of the kids or the parents, they’d each get a couple of gifts apiece.”

  “I think that sounds like a great idea,” Gretchen said.

  Dahlia grabbed the list from Sarah and scanned it. “I can put together a package of books for the mom and dad. I bet they’d like that.”

  They divvied up the list and after fighting over who got to buy presents for the kids, they each took two names. Watching her friends argue amongst themselves to buy gifts for people they didn’t even know made tears pool in Sarah’s eyes. This was why she’d returned to Candle Beach – the community was always there when one of their own was in need. The Jensen kids would get a merry Christmas after all.

  “Did she get them all?” Sarah peeked out from the other side of her car at the Jensen house. After they rang the doorbell, she and Patrick had scurried off of the porch to hide before anyone saw who had dropped off the mound of gifts on Christmas Eve. As they’d positioned themselves behind the car, Mrs. Jensen came out to see who was there. They’d watched as she picked up a gift, read the tag, then put a hand over her eyes to survey the neighborhood. Apparently not seeing them, she’d picked up an armful of gifts and carried them inside.

  Patrick popped his head up over the trunk to look. “I think she got them all.” He brushed some dirt off his knees.

  “I hope Tommy likes the remote-controlled truck.” She’d selected her student from the gift list. She shivered in the cold and blew on her hands to warm them. The temperature had dropped after dinnertime and it was now hovering around freezing. It wouldn’t surprise her if it started snowing soon.

  He put his arm around her. “I’m sure he’ll love it. And the rest of the family will love everything your friends got them. I still can’t believe you pulled this off with so little notice.” He helped her up from her crouched position.

  She shrugged. “My friends like to help.” She slugged him lightly on the shoulder. “I saw you grabbed one of the names too.”

  His face flushed. “Pops and I had so much fun playing t-ball when I was a kid. I thought Tommy’s little brother might enjoy it too.”

  They got into the car and took one last look at the house. Through the open curtains in the living room window, Sarah saw the family opening the Christmas gifts she and Patrick had brought for them. A warmth spread through her when she saw the excited expression on Tommy’s face as he pulled the truck out of the shiny blue wrapping paper she’d used.

  “I told you.” Patrick reached over and squeezed her hand, then maneuvered the car away from the curb and drove back to her new house.

  When they arrived, he walked over to the other side of the car and opened the passenger door, offering her his hand as she stepped out. They walked up the concrete walkway hand-in-hand. She paused in front of the living room window to admire her collection of ceramic houses. They fit perfectly in the space, although there would be room next year for the ones she’d lent Dahlia for the bookstore and any new ones she acquired.

  When she o
pened the door, the aroma of freshly baked cookies hit them, even though they’d been removed from the oven a few hours earlier. They hung their coats by the front door and entered the living room.

  “I’ll grab us a plate of cookies and some coffee, okay?” she asked over her shoulder as she walked toward the kitchen. The counter was lined with white linen dish towels, covered with cheerfully decorated cookies. Most of them she’d take with her when she and Patrick attended her family’s Christmas celebration the next day, but she’d made enough for home too.

  “Sounds good.”

  When she came back into the room holding a cheerful, ornament-shaped red platter filled with several kinds of Christmas cookies, she found him staring at the fireplace mantel. He ran his hand over the solid wood.

  “This is beautiful craftsmanship.”

  She nodded. “Every day, I find more to love about this house.”

  He looked at her thoughtfully. “You know, I was thinking.”

  She set the tray down on the coffee table in front of the fireplace. “Yeah?”

  “How would you feel if I moved up to Candle Beach?” His gaze met hers. “I’m going to be selling my house to Parker’s clients, and he’s also asked me to partner with him on a home renovation business. I’d planned to buy another place in Haven Shores, but then I went house-hunting with you. I hadn’t realized how many beautiful old homes Candle Beach has. I’m sure I could find a project up here. That way you wouldn’t have to drive so far to visit me.”

  She felt his eyes on her face. How did she feel about that? She smiled at him. “That would be wonderful.” She walked over to him and reached her hand up to his neck, pulling his head down to kiss him lightly on the lips. He grinned and surprised her by reaching for her waist and stepping sideways to the beat of Bing Crosby singing about a white Christmas. She allowed herself to lean into him and sway with him as he led her around the room in a slow, small circle.

  As they moved, the colorful Christmas lights twinkled on the tree and in the window frame, casting a cheery glow throughout the room. He moved a hand off her waist to brush her hair away from her face and their eyes locked. He leaned down to kiss her, and the room seemed to melt away for a moment, as if they were standing in their own snow globe, cut off from the rest of the world. She tightened her grip around his neck and closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation.