The Matchmakers

by Jennifer Colgan

  Chapter Twenty-four Nick’s cell phone rang just as he pulled away from the curb in front of Hayden’s apartment. He turned the wheel back, waved again to Callie and grabbed the phone. John’s voice crackled over the connection, barely audible. `Can you meet me«at ´ `John? What’s wrong?´ `Nothing. Meet me at the site«´ Nick stared at the phone after John hung up. He hadn’t been to the site on Montgomery in weeks. Fortunately, the mall in Grandview was expanding, and most of John’s crew, including Nick, had found temporary or permanent positions on the construction detail there. The investigation hadn’t gone far, despite the letter from Miranda. Skip Voss had disappeared, and his law firm claimed to have fired him prior to the date of the first incidence of vandalism at the site. Whatever had happened now, Nick only hoped it wasn’t going to mean more trouble for Burns & Wright. Diane answered Hayden’s door and ushered Callie inside. Her blue eyes were full of worry. `Uh oh. What’s wrong?Ćallie whispered when Hayden didn’t immediately appear. `Change of heart?´ `Ha. A little more than that, hon. She’s in the bedroom.Ćallie followed Diane through the apartment to the bedroom where Hayden sat, trancelike in the middle of the bed. `Is she sick?Ćallie asked, feeling Hayden’s forehead with the back of her hand. `Not sick,´ Hayden replied, her voice a feathery whisper. She transferred her vacant stare to Callie. `Not pregnant, either,´ Diane added. Callie sank to the edge of the mattress. `When did this come about?´ Hayden seemed to shake herself out of her reverie. Her voice remained flat as she explained. `I went to the doctor this morning for my first checkup. The pee test she did came out negative, so she did a blood test and that came out negative, too.´ `But the other test you took«´ `I screwed it up somehow. Or maybe it was defective. I bought the cheapest one they had. I should have bought a better brand.´ `So you’re definitely not pregnant?Ćallie gauged her reaction. Hayden seemed relieved, but not at all happy about her new status. `Nope. The doctor thinks I was probably so late because of that flu bug I had back in September. I hardly ate for a week and a half. I lost ten pounds. That probably screwed up my cycle.´ Diane shrugged. `These things happen, honey. Don’t feel too bad. I’ve screwed up a pee test a time or two in my life.´ Hayden sniffled. `I’m getting married in two hours.´ `Ninety minutes,Ćallie said. Hayden moaned. `Call him,´ Diane said. `Give Matt a chance to swallow this.´ `He was happy about the baby. He wants kids.´ `He’ll have them. Just not right now.Ćallie handed Hayden a tissue and the phone. `I’ll tell him to come over here. I can’t let him get all the way to the bar.´ Halfway through dialing, Hayden burst into tears. Callie and Diane took turns hugging her. `It’ll be okay. Matt will bounce back. He’s no more than a baby himself. He’ll probably be a little relieved.´ Hayden clung to Diane and sobbed. `I’m not crying for him. I’m crying for me.Śhe swiped the tissue over runnels of mascara that lined her cheeks. `I feel like I lost something. I didn’t even want to have a baby and now I miss it even though I never actually had it. Is that stupid?´ `No. Not at all.´ Diane patted Hayden’s back and wiped a tear that had escaped her own eyes. `It makes perfect sense. It’s normal to feel a little bit sad. Take a deep breath now. You’re going to be okay.´ Hayden squeezed Diane’s hand, then Callie’s. `I’m glad you’re both here. Can you stay with me until Matt gets here?Ćallie hugged her friend. `We’ll stay as long as you need us.´ Marty Carson’s old black SUV was parked in the lot at the construction site when Nick arrived. It sat next to John’s pickup truck, and the two men stood by the steps of the trailer next to the bright yellow sawhorses that surrounded the flooded sink hole. Nick parked and picked his way over the debris, wishing he hadn’t let Callie talk him into buying a suit and dress shoes for the wedding. This was just another way her influence permeated his life now, and he wasn’t sure whether to be amused or resentful. `Thanks for coming by,´ John said when Nick finally reached them. `I know you’re busy today, and I appreciate you taking the time.´ `Sure. It sounded important.´ Nick eyed Marty who looked content for the first time in weeks. He shook hands with John’s foreman.

  `The reason I called is I wanted to fill you in on the latest and ask you a favor.´ `You know I’ll do what I can, John.´ John nodded. `I know. That’s why you’re one of the ones I called.´ `What’s going on?´ `A couple of things. A detective working for the police department caught up with Skip in California. It looks like he got a big payoff to arrange the vandalism at the site.´ News of Skip’s guilt didn’t surprise Nick. He made a mental note to thank Miranda for the tip. `Does that mean the project is back on?´ John chuckled ruefully. `No. However, the owners are selling the lot. I guess legally it makes sense. They can collect more settlement money from Skip’s client if the project never gets completed.´ `That’s too bad. What are you going to do now?´ `I’m going to buy the property. It’s a big investment, and it means a lot of work ahead. I want to take the framework we have here and finish the building with a few modifications. I can’t turn it into a medical building because of the lawsuit, but I can sell it as a regular office building, and I’m going to need a crew. I’m offering jobs to my best men, and you and Marty are at the top of the list.´ Nick turned to survey the site. Having sat abandoned for several weeks, the place was a mess. `I know it’s a gamble, a big one,´ John went on. `But I think I can make it work with the right people around me. I know you’re working on the mall project, and I won’t be ready to start here until the New Year, but when I am, I’d like you on board as one of my foremen.´ Nick glanced from Marty to John. They looked as hopeful as two kids at Christmas. Roots, he thought. This was the first step in a direction he’d never intended to take. The mall project would likely lead to work further upstate, a chance to relocate again and start over somewhere else. Moving every few months, following the work and never being tied to one place was the life he’d planned to lead. John’s offer meant having a home base and remaining in Bayerville for the time being. It meant becoming more attached to this place and the people in it. As if reading Nick’s mind, John said, `The job’s yours if you want it. It’s a solid nine months to a year of work. Do you think you’ll want to stick around that long?´ Nick thought of Callie and the three weeks left until the night of the Oak Moon. Would he want to stay in Bayerville if she left? Would this place feel like home without her? Probably not. But he had three weeks in which to convince her to stay. He shook John’s hand. `I think I’ll be around for a while.´ `So there’s not going to be a wedding?´ Nick asked when Callie finished explaining what had happened with Hayden and Matt. They stood in the parking lot of Farley’s, shivering in their party clothes as snowflakes drifted down from the iron gray clouds. `Not today. Matt wouldn’t take back the ring, though. He wants Hayden to think about things for a month or two. I think he may really love her.´ `And she doesn’t love him.´ `She says she’s not sure. I wish I could tell.´ Nick jammed his hands in his pockets and shrugged. He could tell. He’d had an inkling each time he’d seen Hayden in the last few weeks, but he’d also sensed her reluctance to talk about it. She felt she was doing the right thing, and as much as Nick might have disagreed with a marriage of convenience, he certainly didn’t feel qualified to counsel a twenty-two-year-old on what to do with her life. `Either way, they’re better off not rushing into something they’ll regret later on. I kind of feel sorry for the kid, though.Ćallie linked her arm through Nick’s. `Which one?´ `Matt. He seems like a standup guy.´ `I wish we could help somehow.´ Before Nick could comment, Andrew stuck his head out the door. `Are you two coming in out of the cold? There’s an awful lot of food in here, and we need to start eating it.´ `No truffles, I hope.´ Nick tugged on Callie’s fingers and grinned as they headed across the snowy gravel. `Not this time, but there’s red wine in the chicken cacciatore, so be forewarned.´ They joined Andrew inside where the wedding feast had been set despite the absence of the bride and groom. The two dozen reception guests seemed undeterred by the lack of a ceremony and managed to have a good time anyway. Halfway through the evening, Andrew ducked out and returned a short time later with Hayde
n in hand. She looked contrite and a little uncertain when she apologized to those assembled. A rousing cheer buoyed her spirits and before the evening ended, she was dancing with Andrew and laughing at Farley’s impression of a drunken chipmunk. During a lull in the festivities, Nick pulled Callie into the back room. `I want to show you the new lock I put on the storeroom,´ he said with a sly grin. She set down her club soda and followed. `Come in here so I can show you the safety latch.´ `I’ve already seen it. Andrew showed me how it works,śhe replied with a skeptical tilt of her head. Nick frowned. He didn’t like the thought of Callie locked in the tiny, dimly lit storeroom with Andrew. `I’m sure my demonstration will be better than his.´ He pulled her into the little room and shut the door. The lock clicked and for the briefest instant, her eyes filled with panic before he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. `It’s all right. See?´ He hit the safety latch, and the door popped open a hairsbreadth. `I still feel terrible that you got hurt.´ He put one hand on her waist, where a small bandage under the soft layers of her lavender party dress now covered her healing cut. She shivered. `It’s cold in here.´ `I know.´ Nick bent his head toward her, and before he captured her lips with his, he whispered against the soft skin beneath her ear, `Let me warm you up.Śhe leaned into his embrace, opened to let him in and enveloped him in warmth even as her body trembled. He spread his hand against her back, imagining he felt the cadence of her racing heartbeat against his chest. Drenched in her sweetness and lost in his own swirling thoughts, Nick didn’t recognize it at first. The ping of awareness on his senses startled him, made him question if he’d pulled a muscle. He broke the kiss and looked into her eyes, liquid green and heavy-lidded. He’d dazzled her. `Love,´ he said. She blinked. `What?´ `True love.´ `Where?´ `Somewhere. Nearby. That’s what it has to be.Á knock on the storeroom door startled them both. Catfish peered in, smile lines crinkling the corners of his eyes. `Sorry to break in. Come hear the announcement they’re makin’.Ćallie and Nick exchanged a glance. `You’re good,śhe said. `It was Catfish you sensed. He’s in love with Ria.´ `No. It’s something else. Let’s go see what’s going on.Óut in the front room, Farley and Diane stood at the center of the remaining crowd. Farley held a small glass, on which he tapped the edge of a butter knife. The crystal chime brought everyone to attention.

  `Before the party breaks up and everyone goes home, I just wanted to thank you all for coming today. I know the day didn’t turn out exactly as we might have expected, but I believe everything happens for a reason. Even though a wedding didn’t take place today, I’d still like to think of this as a very special occasion.Á questioning murmur went through the crowd. Callie turned to Nick who smiled and shrugged. Farley put his arm around Diane and squeezed her close to him. His former waitress beamed. `For those of you who haven’t heard the rumors, I’ve been considering the idea of turning the bar into a restaurant a place where everyone can come and have a good meal and some pleasant company. Now that my brother has agreed to help me with that, it’s time to get the ball rolling. The grand opening will be held two weeks from today, and you’re all invited as my special guests.Ápplause drowned out the conversation for a moment, and Farley had to tap the glass again. When the crowd quieted, he smiled down at Diane. `There’s a little more. Not only is Andrew going to be my partner and my head chef in this new business, but someone else who’s very important to me has agreed to take the plunge with me. Diane is going to be the new manager of Farley’s Bar and Grill and«´ The second round of applause stopped abruptly as Farley went down on bended knee before Diane. Her eyes lit, and her mouth dropped. Apparently this part of the announcement was as much a surprise to her as everyone else. Callie squeezed Nick’s hand. Hayden gasped and wiped away fresh tears, and Catfish launched into a quick rendition of the wedding march on his ever-present harmonica. `Diane Martin, will you be my manager«and my wife?´ `Hot damn!Ándrew whispered in the expectant hush that fell over the room. Diane gaped for a moment, then burst into tears. She threw her arms around Farley’s neck, and he scooped her up and twirled her around as she sobbed, `Yes, yes, yes!Ćallie’s heart soared. This had to be true love. Even a human could tell. She applauded and squealed with delight when Catfish went through the crowd, do-si-doing with all the ladies. Nick nodded his approval and stepped back to allow Catfish room to dance with Callie. As he twirled her into his wiry arms, Callie’s gaze fell on Hayden and Andrew who stood at the edge of the circle of guests, their fingers laced together. While the group surged around Diane and Farley offering their congratulations, the two remained, an island unto themselves, seemingly lost in each other’s company.

  It was well after midnight when Nick and Callie stumbled through the door of his apartment, shivering and laughing. He brushed snowflakes from her hair as she closed the door and rubbed his hands over hers to warm them after he helped her take off her coat. `Winter’s here,´ he said, blowing warm air over her fingers. `I’ll tell you a secret. I’m getting used to it. The snow is pretty, and it seems to make everyone cheerful.´ Nick laughed. `That’ll change in a few weeks when the weather gets icy.´ He hung up their coats in the small closet behind the door. `I miss your pink coat. You looked cute in it.´ `I miss it, too. It was warmer than this one.´ `Tomorrow we’ll buy you something warmer. You’re going to need it.Ín the pale light coming in from the front window, her expression was wistful. `Nick«´ `Don’t. Let’s not talk about it tonight.´ `Tonight may be all we have. Catfish and Ria, Diane and Farley, Hayden and Andrew«maybe even John and Teresa. I think we’ve made our quota.´ Nick crossed the room, pulled off his suit jacket and loosened his tie. He flipped on the nearest light, bathing the room in a cozy yellow glow. `So what happens now? You just pop out of existence and that’s that?´ `Meri should come for me. And Freya will have to give me my wings back, first.´ Nick waited, counting off seconds of awkward silence. `When?´ `I don’t know. Any time.´ `So I’m supposed to just wait for you to disappear?Śhe shrugged and bit her lower lip. `You can come back, can’t you? You can visit. Just pop back in any time you want, right?´ `No. I won’t be allowed to come back.´ `Not even for a visit?’ `I’m sorry.´ Nick paced back and forth. `Don’t be sorry. Don’t go. Can’t you tell them you aren’t ready to leave yet?´ Finally he took Callie in his arms. `Maybe you could stay just a little longer. Tonight we could«´ He took her chin in his fingers and locked eyes with her. `I want you with me tonight.´ `Nick, I can’t. It wouldn’t be fair to either of us.´ `How? Even if it’s goodbye, I want to remember you with me. I want to remember us together.´ `But you won’t.Ćallie broke out of his embrace. She shook her head. `Do you think I could forget you? You’ve been here for how long now? Just a few weeks, but it feels like forever. I can’t remember what it was like without you. I won’t forget you, even when you’re gone.´ `Yes, you will. Freya will make you forget. It’s the only way to keep the Fae safe. Those who have seen us as we are aren’t allowed to remember.´ Nick set his jaw, clamped it shut on the words as anger and frustration battled within him. `I won’t forget you. Don’t let Freya take that away from me.´ `I can’t stop her.´ `Will you forget me?´ `Never.´ He caught her in his arms again and kissed her. She sank into him, held him desperately for a moment. Then she took his face in her hands and pulled back. `I’m sorry, Nick. I can’t. If I made love to you tonight, I couldn’t bear to leave you.´ `Then don’t. I’m asking you to stay with me. I don’t care if you’re human or Fae or whatever. If you live forever, why can’t you spend a little more of that time with me?´ `Because I can’t.Ćallie’s voice broke, and she sank to the couch. `I don’t want to miss you forever. I don’t want to hurt like that forever. I’ve never loved a human before ´ `You love me?Śhe looked stricken, as though she hadn’t meant to say it. She nodded. All he had to do was say the words. He felt it. It burned him up inside, tangled his gut and made him sweat and worry and fantasize about a future he could never have. He loved her. But the words wouldn’t come. If he said it, he’d lose her. What he felt would begin to fa
de the moment the words left his lips. `Please stay.Śhe shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks. `I can’t.´ Nick nodded, and his eyes went cold. He picked up his jacket and tie and left the room. Callie cringed when the bedroom door slammed shut. Her heart twisted into a knot. She wanted more than anything to put her arms around Nick and let him carry her to his bed. She longed for any moment that he touched her, even though she knew they had no future. In three hundred-thirty years, she’d never pined for anyone, human or Fae. She’d loved and played and needed, but she’d never ached so badly in the absence of another. She missed him even now when he was only in the next room, and she wondered if the musical winds and flowery meadows of the Fae realm would be enough to soothe her grief when she could no longer be with him. She curled on the couch and waited for Meri, counting each minute as it ticked by on the clock across the room. She was still counting when the sun came up.