Wedding Date in Hot Springs, Arkansas

by Annalisa Daughety

  “True. But I was totally shocked. I wonder what it would be like to have the kind of sister you’re close to, the kind who actually shares personal information with you instead of springing it publicly.”

  “As an only child, I can’t answer that question.” Even so, Reagan hoped her girls grew up to be best friends, not just tolerate one another the way Violet and Amber did. “Maybe this will be good for Amber. Surely she’ll grow up a little now that she’s going to be someone’s wife.” Reagan had met Amber when she was just an annoying junior-high kid who used to sleep on the floor of the dorm room when she came for visits. Through the years, Reagan had watched her grow into a spoiled twenty-something who always managed to get her way.

  “Let’s hope so. Amber and I got along for the first twelve years of her life. Sometimes I wonder if we’ll ever get back there.”

  “At least she has good taste. Your bridesmaid dress should be pretty.”

  Violet let out a laugh. “Oh, I didn’t make the cut to be a bridesmaid. She actually said she felt like bridesmaids over thirty were kind of pathetic, so she’d rather I just serve the cake.”

  “Well that’s just nuts. You’d make a beautiful bridesmaid regardless of your age. And everyone knows serving cake is the worst job. You can’t enjoy the reception.”

  “Well, I might not be able to fully enjoy the reception, but I know one thing. I’m not going to that wedding alone.”

  Reagan grinned. “Does this mean you’re finally ready to date again? I was beginning to think Zach had ruined you forever.”

  “Not to mention my best friend warning me against marriage all the time,” Violet teased.

  She deserved that. “Sorry. Want me to sugarcoat married life? Because I’d be glad to.”

  “Don’t be silly. I know you don’t mean it.”

  Reagan didn’t have the heart to tell her that sometimes she did. Sometimes being married with four kids seemed like the hardest job she could imagine. All the fairy tales and romantic comedies in the world couldn’t prepare a girl for that. “So what’s the plan? Join the church’s singles group? Online dating?”

  “I’m starting right out with the big guns,” Violet said. “After I left my parents’ house, I stopped at Main Street Bakery for a double chocolate cupcake. Up at the cash register, there was a stack of business cards for a matchmaker.”

  “A matchmaker? Seriously?”

  “There’s a money-back guarantee. My love life will be in someone else’s hands. It’s a great plan.”

  “I guess.”

  “Come on. What could be more perfect? I’ll meet with them once, and then they’ll do the work for me. They’ll weed out the losers and find someone who meets my specifications. It’s a no-brainer.”

  Reagan wasn’t sure, but she’d muster up as much support as possible. “Sounds great.” Despite her complaints about Chad these days, they’d had a lot of happy years together. She couldn’t imagine having to date again.

  Although it would be nice to have a date with her husband every now and then.

  Dear Mama,

  Is it weird to write to someone without an Earthly address? Maybe. Nana gave me this journal though, and I don’t really know what to do with it. She also gave me your journal from when you were sixteen. I think she’s just trying to keep me happy, but I don’t know if that’s possible. I miss my friends and my old room. But I’m not too sad to be away from Stephanie. She’s always trying to act like she’s my mom, but she isn’t. It makes me so mad when she does that. Daddy tries to stay out of it, but I’ll bet he’s kind of relieved I’m not there now.

  Nana is trying to introduce me to people here, but so far I haven’t met anyone too interesting. We went to a party the other night and this girl named Amber got really upset because I spit out some kind of fancy cheese she’d bought. It tasted like dirty feet to me though! I don’t think Amber will be inviting me and Nana to any more of her dinner parties.

  Oh, and now that I’m in Arkansas, me and Axel broke up. Nana found his picture in the trash and asked me why I threw away a picture of Ozzy Osbourne. Ha ha. I’m surprised she even knows who that is.

  Now she’s trying to get me to dye my hair back to my normal color, but I don’t know.

  I love you and miss you.

  Shadow

  Chapter 6

  To: Violet.Matthews@MatthewsLaw.com

  From: rosewallingford@myinternet.com

  Date: August 27, 10:33 a.m.

  Subject: My idea

  I didn’t get the chance to tell you my idea last week because of the wedding ruckus. I thought you might like to know that the shop owner next to the Kemps’ antique store is moving to be near her grandkids down in Louisiana. The place is adorable and would make a perfect bakery. I don’t want to interfere with your life, but sometimes you have to take a leap of faith. Think about it and then call me.

  Love,

  Grandma (Grandpa says hi, too)

  Violet sat in the restaurant parking lot and stared at her grandmother’s e-mail. She had too much on her mind right now to even consider opening a bakery. Besides, meeting her perfect match for lunch was enough of a leap of faith for now.

  She’d been pleasantly surprised when Mimi Maxwell from Mimi’s Matches had called her Friday to let her know that she’d found someone who met nearly all of Violet’s specifications. Apparently he’d interviewed on the same day Violet had. Mimi assured her this was a good sign because it meant they were both at the same place on the journey to love.

  Violet had fought back a sarcastic remark. She would be a good sport about this and believe matchmaking could work. Or at least work well enough that she wouldn’t be dateless for Amber’s wedding.

  She climbed out of her SUV and grabbed her purse. If the late August heat was any indication, they were in for a typical Arkansas fall—hot, humid, and a few more weekends at the lake before the weather actually turned cool.

  Violet took a deep breath. What kind of man had Mimi found for her? At least there were background checks done on the prospects so she wouldn’t have to worry about meeting some criminal who’d steal her identity and credit cards.

  She squared her shoulders and walked into Zaza, a popular eatery in the Heights area of Little Rock. She’d been here a couple of times and had always been impressed.

  “I’m meeting someone here,” Violet told the hostess. “Under the name Mimi Maxwell.” Mimi had refused to give the name of her date. “We don’t want you Googling each other and jumping to any conclusions. Best to go in with an open mind.” Violet had laughed because that was the first thing she would’ve done if armed with a name. Even more than diamonds, Google was a single girl’s best friend.

  The hostess ran her finger down the list. “The other party is already seated. Follow me.” She motioned toward the dining area.

  Violet’s heart raced. First dates made her nervous. But blind dates made her feel stupid. She hated walking into a situation without knowing what to expect.

  She scanned the room, hoping to spot him before he spotted her. Her eyes landed on a handsome man at a table for two. He was engrossed in his phone, furiously texting.

  “Here you go,” the hostess said.

  The man looked up from his phone and cast steely blue eyes on Violet.

  Familiar blue eyes.

  It couldn’t be.

  “Violet Matthews.” He stood up, a grin on his handsome face. “You have got to be kidding me.”

  Jackson Stratford had been the bane of her existence her senior year of college. Handsome and charming, yes. But also conceited and spoiled and totally unreliable. And also the reason she’d graduated a semester late. “You.” She shook her head. “No way that you are my perfect match.”

  “Well it’s nice to see you, too.” His blue eyes twinkled. “I mean, it’s only been what? More than a decade?” He grinned and nodded toward her chair. “Have a seat.”

  Violet took in his expensive suit and stylish haircut. He was better looking t
han when they’d been in college. He’d filled out some over the years. She vaguely remembered that he’d been a couple of years older than the rest of their classmates. Something about a gap year in Europe before college. It still sounded as pretentious now as it had back then. “Eleven years. I guess I haven’t seen you since that presentation we did for our Business Ethics class.” Actually she hadn’t seen him since they’d been called into their professor’s office right after their disaster of a presentation, but surely he remembered that.

  He frowned.

  For a split second Violet wondered how she looked to him. She’d changed since college, too. Found her own sense of style and finally learned that her fair complexion wasn’t suited for a suntan. And learned to embrace her sometimes wild hair. “So you’re living in Little Rock now?”

  Jackson nodded. “I’ve been here for a year. I work in economic development. I spent the past several years living on the Gulf coast.”

  Too bad he hadn’t stayed there. Then she might’ve met a real match today. “That’s nice.”

  The waitress stopped by their table. “Can I get y’all something to drink?”

  “Sweet tea, please.” Jackson grinned at the waitress.

  Violet shook her head. “Nothing for me. I won’t be staying.”

  The waitress raised her eyebrows but didn’t say anything.

  “Can’t we let bygones be bygones?” Jackson asked once the waitress was gone. “You’re here, it’s lunchtime. You may as well stay and eat. Just two old friends catching up.”

  They hadn’t exactly been friends, but she hated to point it out. “I don’t think so. This wouldn’t be a good idea.”

  Jackson shrugged. “Suit yourself.” He picked up his iPhone and swiped the screen.

  It certainly hadn’t taken him long to lose interest. “Have a good lunch.” She clutched her bag and stood.

  He looked up and locked his blue eyes on her. “I’m sorry I wasn’t what you were looking for, Violet. I didn’t know what to expect from a matchmaking service, but it certainly wasn’t you.” He sighed. “But it was nice to see you again, regardless. I wish you the best, and I really am sorry for any trouble I caused you in college.”

  She paused. He sounded almost…sincere. That couldn’t be right. Still though, now she felt bad. It wasn’t like her to be rude. “It was nice to see you, too.” She smiled. “The truth of the matter is that I’m really just looking for a date to my sister’s wedding. Not a real relationship. So this would be a waste of your time.” There. That should do it. Now she could have an excuse for leaving other than not wanting to spend time with him.

  “Really?”

  She nodded. “Yeah. So there’s no point in staying here and having lunch with you like a real date. I expected to just meet some nice stranger and hit it off enough to take him to the wedding. But I’d never do that to you.” She raked her fingers through her hair. “You deserve to find someone who is looking for the same thing you are.”

  The jubilant grin on his face set off warning bells.

  And the smolder in his eyes told her to run.

  But she didn’t.

  Jackson wasn’t easily surprised. His years in business had taught him to expect the unexpected. But when Violet Matthews sashayed into Zaza, he could’ve been knocked over with a feather.

  Those piercing green eyes and that dark red hair were the same he remembered from college. But she’d definitely blossomed in the years since he’d last seen her.

  And in a good way.

  She wasn’t one of those petite girls who looked like the wind might carry them away or one of those super-skinny girls who never ate in front of anyone. Her simple yellow dress showed off the kind of curves women would kill for and men dreamed about.

  “I think you should sit back down.” His eyes grazed her slightly upturned nose and full lips. She’d been pretty in college. But now she was a knockout. He couldn’t wait to walk into his awards banquet with her on his arm.

  “Didn’t you hear me?” she asked. “I said I wasn’t really looking for a match. Just a date. Not a relationship.”

  He couldn’t hide his smile. “Oh, I heard you. And I think you’re going to want to hear what I have to say.”

  She tentatively perched on the chair. “I’m not eating.”

  “Suit yourself.”

  The waitress placed a glass of tea in front of him. “Are you ready to order?”

  “Bring us a Petit Jean Ham and Pineapple Pizza. And a water for the lady.” He fought back a grin as Violet scowled.

  The waitress hurried off.

  “I thought you might at least want a slice of pizza and some water while you hear me out.” He grinned. “It’s the least I can do.”

  “I could’ve ordered for myself.” She ran a hand through her wavy hair. “You haven’t changed much since college.”

  “I beg to differ. But we can discuss that later. Right now there’s something I’d like to propose.” He took a sip of his tea. “Bet you never thought I’d be proposing to you.”

  Violet narrowed her eyes.

  “Fine. You don’t like my jokes.” He shrugged. “I can live with that.”

  “What do you have in mind, exactly?” she asked.

  He leaned back in his chair and regarded her for a long moment. If he put this out there, he’d have to stick with it. All in. “I visited Mimi’s Matches for much the same reason as you. I’m receiving an award at a banquet in a few months and am delivering the keynote speech. I’d like someone with me who isn’t a bubblehead.” He raised an eyebrow. “What do you do for a living?”

  “A bubblehead?” She seemed offended. “I’m a lawyer.”

  “Perfect.”

  She glared. “What are you saying, exactly?”

  “I’m saying, let’s forget Mimi and avoid any other awkward encounters with well-meaning people who might be looking for something more than what either of us is interested in finding. Let’s pose as each other’s significant other. We have a history—albeit a rocky one. It would be easy for people to believe that we reconnected and are in a relationship.” He let his idea sink in. It was the ideal situation. All he had to do was get her to agree.

  And from the look on her face, that might be tough.

  Chapter 7

  Violet Matthews: APPARENTLY MY PERFECT MATCH IS JACKSON STRATFORD. REMEMBER HIM? I’M JUST GLAD MIMI HAS A MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE. (Text message sent August 27, 2:02 p.m.)

  Reagan McClure: FROM COLLEGE? SERIOUSLY? MAYBE MIMI CAN FIND YOU SOMEONE WHO DIDN’T CAUSE YOU TO MISS GRADUATION.…(Text message sent August 27, 2:17 p.m.)

  Reagan stopped the van at a red light and flipped on her blinker. They weren’t even out of the neighborhood yet and all three kids were screaming. “Ava Grace, let’s sing ‘Jesus Loves Me’ for the twins.”

  “I don’t want to sing. I want my Bah.” She let out a wail, and the babies joined in.

  Reagan took a deep breath. How had they managed to leave the pink stuffed bunny at home? For three years that bunny had gone everywhere Ava Grace did. Yet somehow they’d loaded up without it today. “Bah is probably taking a nap at home. When we get back, he’ll be nice and rested and ready to play.”

  Ava Grace continued to sob.

  Sometimes leaving the house just wasn’t worth it. “Can you be a big girl and sing for Simon and Scarlett?”

  “No. I need Bah.” Ava Grace’s wails grew louder.

  Reagan turned on the radio. There was no reasoning with Ava Grace right now. Maybe the twins would be lulled to sleep. “We’re just going to drive through the pharmacy and then to school to get Izzy, and then we’ll be right back home to Bah.”

  She’d asked Chad to pick up the prescription yesterday, but he’d forgotten. Even though loading up the kids was hard, sometimes it ended up being easier than trying to get Chad to handle an errand. Inevitably he forgot or got the wrong brand of whatever item was needed.

  Once she’d picked up the prescription, she headed toward Izzy�
��s school. They were actually running ahead of schedule. She glanced in the backseat. The twins had fallen asleep, and Ava Grace’s wails had been replaced by pitiful whines and sniffles. Reagan would take that over loud cries any day.

  She flipped on her turn signal. What she needed right now was Starbucks. They were out of creamer at home, and the thought of coffee with plain milk hadn’t been appealing.

  Reagan turned into the Starbucks entrance and glanced at the patrons sitting outside on the patio without a care in the world. One young woman had her head tilted up toward the sunshine. A man walked to her table and handed her a drink, and she laughed at something he said.

  Reagan looked in the rearview mirror. No one behind her. She tapped the brakes and peered closer at the scene unfolding on the Starbucks patio. The woman tossed her dark, glossy hair and took a sip of her drink. The man finally took his seat so Reagan could see his face.

  Chad.

  Her husband was enjoying an afternoon coffee with a gorgeous woman. A woman Reagan had never seen before, except maybe in a Pantene ad.

  A horn honked behind her.

  Reagan pressed the gas pedal and drove past the drive-through. She didn’t want coffee any longer.

  She just wanted to get out of there.

  Her eyes filled with tears as she pulled onto the main road.

  Fifteen years, ten of those as husband and wife.

  Four kids.

  Did that mean nothing to him? Did she mean nothing to him?

  Reagan wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer.

  Violet closed her office door and sat down at her desk. What a disaster of a day. She picked up her phone and punched in a number. “Mimi?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  “This is Violet Matthews. You had me meet a Jackson Stratford today at Zaza.” Her mind still reeled not only from the surprise of seeing Jackson, but also from his preposterous idea.

  “How did it go? Did you two hit it off immediately?” Mimi trilled.