Matching Mr. Right (Rocky Mountain Matchmaker Series Book 1)

by Baumann, Tamra

  “Can we talk, please?”

  She could only nod because her throat was so clogged with emotion.

  Part of her wanted to run, afraid he’d hurt her again, but the dark shadows under his eyes stopped her eager feet. He probably hadn’t slept a full night either and looked as miserable as she felt.

  He glanced around. “Too loud in here. Let’s go outside.”

  She cleared her throat. “Give me a second.”

  He shifted his weight impatiently from foot to foot while she called out and waved goodbye to everyone. She’d have liked to give them all one last hug, but she’d lose it if she did.

  She’d just gathered her things when he wrapped his rubber monkey hand around her arm and motored her toward the front door. That was a bad habit of his, dragging her around like that. But like the “dammit, Shelby,” it had sort of grown on her.

  Once outside, the silence was golden. She glanced up at him. As angry and hurt as she was, Nick dragging her around while dressed in three-quarters of a monkey suit threatened to make her smile. That was something she’d never imagined seeing.

  He said, “I’m really sorry, Shelby. I should’ve come clean a lot sooner. And I meant what I’d said about us not being a one-night stand. I’ve cared for you from the start.”

  “You don’t spy on people you care about. And you especially don’t sleep with them while spying. You hurt me, Nick.”

  “I didn’t mean to. At first I didn’t know how to tell you, then I considered not telling you because I’d decided not to give the data to my sister. But then I realized you needed to know, so I’d planned to take you to dinner and explain things.” Still hauling her toward the huge parking lot he asked, “Where are you parked?”

  “Over there.” She beeped her key fob. Her flashing headlights gave him his answer. She might as well get the whole story out of him. “So, why were you spying on me and what did you hope to learn?”

  He stopped walking and shifted the monkey head to his other arm. “Lori’s matchmaking business has been handed down from generation to generation in my family. The day my grandmother died, she begged me to make sure the business was still there for when Emily grew up—if she wanted it.” His hairy monkey-suit arm slipped around her shoulder as he guided her toward her car again. “You use computers, databases, social media and Lori uses index cards just like my grandmother did. Lori needed to keep up, or the business would disappear. I wanted to see how you did it so I could teach her.”

  She’d spent many hours designing her systems, and they worked well. “But Lori’s way has merit too, even if it doesn’t earn as much money. Hiring a part-time kid with computer skills would have been a simpler way to fix it rather than spying on me.”

  He stopped dead in his tracks and frowned. The befuddlement on his face was sorta cute. He finally said, “That’s exactly what she needs to solve her problems and keep the business alive, maybe if you and Lori combined your . . .” He frowned and cut himself off. “Sorry.” He moved his hand to her lower back and gently guided her to her car again. “Lori’s deal, not mine. I need to stay out of it.”

  His remorse seemed genuine.

  He’d spied to keep a promise to his grandmother. But he hadn’t gone through with it. He hadn’t been involved with Beth. He came through for Emily and Lori in the end, but was he honestly ready for a real relationship? The compromises, the sacrifices. A family?

  Did she really want to take that big a risk with her heart?

  But then, Nick had donned a monkey suit. That had to count for something.

  When they got to her car, and she’d tossed her things onto the passenger seat, she turned to him. “Let’s say I decide to forgive you, which I haven’t yet. What do you want from me, Nick?”

  He plopped the monkey head on top of her car. “A fresh start, Shelby. Please? Clean slate and a date. I’ll be waiting for you at that Italian place we went to before. See you at seven.”

  Before she could reply, he turned to go, the arrogant monkey. Always so sure of himself. And he’d forgotten his head.

  He must’ve realized it, because he turned around and marched toward her again. He stopped in front of her and slipped his rubber hands along the sides of her face and lifted it up. Then he laid his soft lips on hers and kissed her so sweetly her heart sighed.

  When his lips slowly left hers, she blinked open her eyes and stared into his darkened ones as he whispered, “I want you, Shelby. Forever.” Then he grabbed his head and strode back toward the party.

  Who does that? Drops a “Forever” bomb and just walks away?

  Nick Caldwell, that’s who.

  She opened her car door and slipped behind the wheel.

  Maybe she didn’t feel like Italian. Had he thought about that? No! He just did his stupid Neanderthal thing and expected her to fall right in line, as usual. How apropos he’d been wearing a monkey suit while doing it. The big ape.

  But the thought of that lasagna made her mouth water. If she went, he’d have to spring for a good bottle of wine. And dessert too, dammit.

  Still shaking her head, she started her car and put it in gear.

  Nick was the most impossible man she’d ever met. So what would she do with him? Forever.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  “Chester loves Julie ten times more than bananas. But did she love him back?”

  Chester Gets His Favorite Thing

  Nick waited at a table in the rear of the warm restaurant, his back to the wall, watching and praying Shelby wouldn’t stand him up. It was seven o’clock. One of Shelby’s rules of dating was never be late. But he didn’t care, as long as she showed.

  At five minutes after seven the doors swung open and a group of six big men crowded in along with a gust of cool air from outside. They mingled up front while waiting to be seated. He craned his neck, searching and hoping she slipped in behind them. But no sign of her.

  Shelby being late wasn’t good. He should’ve told her he loved her again. Why had he forgotten that part? And all the other stuff he’d planned to say?

  He could text her to be sure she was coming, but then she’d be mad at him for using his phone instead of pretending to wait for that magical-moment thing she said was supposed to happen when they first see each other. He couldn’t afford to make her any angrier.

  Five minutes later, another rush of cold air swirled in, but the people gathered up front still stood in the way. He couldn’t see who had entered.

  Shelby suddenly appeared, slipping between two of the waiting men, and then swiveled her head, searching for him.

  She’d come.

  He swiped his napkin from his lap and stood so she could see him. When their eyes met she smiled. He felt the impact like a hot laser pulse to his gut. So it was real after all? Did she feel it too?

  Shelby weaved through the tables, making her way toward him as she unbuttoned her coat. She had on the same outfit she’d worn the first time they’d met. That had to be a good sign, right? Like a do-over?

  He’d be sure to mention it. Showing he paid attention. Or was it a bad thing to point out an outfit a woman wore twice? Dammit. Maybe he should just keep his yap shut about it and pretend they’d never met? He’d asked her for a clean slate, after all.

  He pulled out her chair. “Hi, I’m Nick. Shelby described you perfectly. I’d know you anywhere, Summer.”

  She lay her tiny purse on the empty seat beside her. “Nice opening. You get a point for that.”

  Relief washed through him. Maybe she was going to give him another chance.

  He took her coat and lay it by her purse, then helped her get settled. Wiping his sweaty palms on his slacks, he took his place across from her. “Thanks for coming. I was afraid you’d changed your mind.”

  “Changed my mind? That would imply you actually gave me a choice. Which you didn’t. You just told me to be here. So, I was sitting in the car debating. Then I got hungry. I hear the lasagna is good here.”

  “Sorry. I was afraid
you’d say no if I gave you a choice.” Panic took root in his gut again. Maybe she wasn’t taking him back? He’d better step up his game. Shelby’s dating handbook said to ask probing questions and show interest in the answer. “So, what do you do for a living, Summer?”

  As Shelby stared into his eyes, as if deciding if she wanted to play along with the clean-slate game, his heart nearly stopped beating.

  Then that mischievous grin he loved so much formed. “Well, I recently made a big life change. Like our pal Lisa, I felt stifled in my job as a writer, so I decided to compete with her and started an online shop. We sell spooky crystals and have a large selection of voodoo dolls. Along with all the ingredients you’d need for any spell you’d like to conjure.”

  “Is that so?” He laughed and leaned closer. “Know any good love spells?”

  “I might be willing to brew one up . . . for you.” Shelby closed the distance between them and gave him a soft kiss. “But if you screw up again, watch out. I have a voodoo doll with your name on it, pal. I’d keep the monkey suit too, if I were you.”

  ***

  A few months later . . .

  Shelby leaned closer to the bathroom mirror as she swiped on mascara. Nick’s voice from downstairs bellowed, “Dammit, Shelby. We’re late!”

  She yelled back, “Haven’t you learned by now that screaming at me doesn’t make me go any faster?” She got back to business and applied liner. She was behind because she’d torn the bathroom apart looking for her birth control pills. She couldn’t imagine how she’d misplaced them. They always sat in the same place on her side of Nick’s enormous granite counter top in their bathroom.

  The next thing she knew, she was upside down and over Nick’s big shoulder. “Time’s up. You can finish in the car.”

  “Nice. Now my hair is messed up.” After he pressed her makeup bag into her hand, she sent the pointy tip of her shoe into his gut and got a respectable grunt out of him. “Have you seen my pills? I can’t find them.”

  “Worry about the pills later, we don’t want to be late for the party.”

  “Then stop by the wrong side of the bed and lean down so I can grab my cell off my nightstand, Mr. Impatient.” Since they both were used to sleeping on the right side of the bed, she’d agreed to flip a coin for it. And she’d lost.

  After he complied, they headed down the stairs and she poked him in the ribs. “You’re going to care about those pills later tonight, buddy. No pills, no nooky.”

  He pushed open the door from the house to the garage. “You’re just still mad I got my way with the best side of the bed.” He plopped her down beside the Porsche, kissed her deeply, then opened her door.

  Still a little dizzy from his fantastic kiss, she said, “Yeah, that too.”

  She shook her head and slipped inside. As he backed out of the garage, she flipped down the mirror. After applying gloss, she smacked her lips, finger combed her hair, and then slapped the mirror closed.

  Truth was, she was getting used to the wrong side of the bed, so it hadn’t been such a bad compromise. Not that she’d share that little detail with him.

  She needed to put her latest plan into action. They’d been dating for eight months, she’d been living with him for the last five, and that was long enough.

  She’d tried leaving pictures of her favorite rings from Tiffany’s on the coffee table and in his study, and dropping hints about how it’d be perfect to have a destination wedding in Italy in August or September when the weather would be the best. It being July, Mr. Thick Headed apparently hadn’t caught on.

  “So, Jo said something interesting today. She suggested since I wasn’t living in my house anymore but still paying the mortgage, wouldn’t it be smarter for me to sell her the house? Then she’ll find a roommate to offset her expenses. But that’d mean I’d have nowhere to live if you kicked me to the curb.”

  Nick laughed. “That’s rich. If anyone does the kicking in this relationship it’s you.” He rubbed his belly, reminding her of her earlier actions.

  “That was more a poke than a kick.” She stifled her grin. “So what do you think I should do?”

  “Whatever you want, Shelby. It’s your house, but it does seem like a waste to pay all that money when you can live with me for free.”

  She should’ve kicked him a lot harder. “Look at this from my perspective. I’m just a guest in your home. What if you get tired of me and I’ve already sold my house to Jo who has a new roommate? Where would I go?”

  He shrugged. “Jo has a couch. Or your aunt and uncle’s?”

  She wanted to belt him. “Okay, Blockhead. This would be a good time to say something like, ‘Shelby, I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, blah, blah.’”

  He chuckled as they pulled into his mother’s driveway. “Calm down, Shelby. We’ll talk about this later.”

  She got out of the car and slammed her door. Then she marched inside. After she doled out hugs to everyone, she turned to Nick’s Mom. “Hi. Happy Fourth of July.” Shelby hugged Nick’s mom really hard and then kissed her cheek. She really loved Linda. “How can you be so great but have such a slow-witted son?”

  Linda leaned back and frowned. “What’s wrong, honey?”

  “Nothing my bat won’t cure when we get home.” Shelby took a deep breath and tried to shake it off.

  Linda smiled as she pushed a glass of wine into Shelby’s hand. “You’ll be singing a different tune by the end of the night, sweetheart. I promise.”

  “Doubt it.” She frowned as she took a long pull from her glass.

  After a great BBQ dinner, they all sat around the backyard eating dessert, waiting for the fireworks to begin.

  Shelby’s mood had lightened a little. Mostly because she’d decided Nick wasn’t getting any tonight even if he begged. Maybe even for the whole weekend. If she could hold out that long.

  Oh, who was she kidding? She was pudding in his hands, but she could make him pay for one night at least.

  Everyone had plates of watermelon in their laps when Emily ran toward her. “Shelby, me and Uncle Nick wrote a book for you.”

  She laid her plate aside and pulled Emily onto her lap. “You did?”

  Emily beamed a bright smile. “Yeah, I did the pictures, Uncle Nick wrote the words on the computer and momma took it someplace and they put the pink metal things in to hold it together.”

  She glanced at Nick, who had a smug grin on his face. “You aren’t the only one who can write great books, Shelby.”

  She accepted the adorable book and sighed. “Ten things Nick and Emily Love about Summer Sinclair.”

  They’d used her real name. She blinked back her threatening tears.

  Emily hopped up and down on her lap. “We both got five things. Mine are first.”

  “Ladies first, that makes sense.” Shelby laid a kiss on the top of Emily’s head. “Thank you, sweetheart.”

  She opened the book and grinned at the crude illustrations. “This is pretty great. I’m worried you guys are going to outsell me.”

  Nick slipped beside her on the picnic bench and pulled her close. “This is the time I’m choosing to tell you that I love you Shelby and that I want to spend the rest of my life with you, blah, blah.” He kissed her cheek. “Here’s the blah, blah part.”

  Tears blurred her vision as she hurried through Emily’s sweet pages. They were awesome, but she was dying to see what Nick had come up with.

  When she’d turned Emily’s fifth page she said, “Thank you, Monkey-Brains, I love you too.” She kissed Emily and then handed her over to Lori who’d moved beside her, smart enough to realize what was coming next was something a person didn’t want to do with a kid on her lap.

  She turned the next page, grinning in anticipation. Reading aloud for the group, she said, “Number six. Nick loves how Summer makes him feel when she’s with him. It’s even better than when he’s enjoying a cold beer and a plate of loaded nachos at a Broncos game.”

  Shelby glance
d at Nick and cocked a brow.

  He laughed. “They get better, keep going.”

  Chuckling, because nachos and beer at a Broncos game were a pretty great thing, she turned the page.

  “Number seven. Nick loves how Summer smiles at kids. He wants three as soon as possible because she’ll be as great a mom as his own.”

  Nick’s mom beamed a huge smile. “Thank you, Nick.” Then she turned to Shelby. “He’s right, Shelby. And I can’t wait to be a grandmother again.”

  Nick’s dad agreed.

  Shelby turned and met Nick’s gaze, probably grinning like an idiot. They’d never talked numbers, just that they wanted kids. She’d been too busy concentrating on the getting-him-to-marry-her part.

  “Really? You want three?”

  He nodded. “Is that too many? We can negotiate.”

  She kissed him. “No, three is perfect. And you’re right. These are getting better.”

  Flipping over the next page, she read, “Number eight. Nick loves Summer’s legs. He’s always reminded of what a brave woman Summer is when he sees them. She’s the most beautiful woman Nick has ever known. Inside and out.”

  She found Nick’s hand and gave it a hard squeeze. She had to bite her bottom lip to stop the tears that threatened again. He couldn’t have said anything to touch her more deeply.

  It didn’t matter what came next. All she knew was that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with such a wonderful, clueless caveman.

  Still holding Nick’s hand, she cleared her throat. “Number nine. Nick loves the way Summer compromises. Nick’s really loving having his side of the bed back.”

  She laughed. That was what was so great about them. He knew she’d be all choked up after his comments about her legs so he’d made a joke. They truly got each other.

  Playing along she whispered, “You just caught me at a weak moment. Don’t expect any more compromising in the future, buddy.”

  He slipped his hand from hers and slid it around her shoulder. His warm breath whispered against her ear, “We’ll see. Maybe you shouldn’t read the last one out loud.”

  “Okay.” She turned the page. Number Ten. Nick plans to keep Summer naked for two solid weeks if she says “yes” to his next question.