Matched Online: Anthology Bks 1-4 (Contemporary Romance)

by Lacy Williams, Julie Jarnagin, Robin Patchen

  Gritting her teeth, Mary Beth considered how strange this all sounded. "Actually, we're having dinner with Christian's parents."

  "Another favor?" she asked.

  “It’s practice. Christian agreed to be my fiancé at the reunion.”

  “What? Your fiancé?” Jo laughed. “As long as you’re at the reunion, I’m happy. He seems like a great catch, Mary Beth."

  "It’s not like that.” The fact that he was smart, respectful, and good looking only made this whole thing more complicated. “I’ve got to go. I just pulled up. I hope he hasn’t changed his mind." About the engagement and about Pup.

  She parked in front of a little house on a shady street and grabbed the plastic grocery bag out of her seat. “Come on Pup.” She scooped his wiry little body out of the car. The garage door was open, and Christian stood inside.

  "Going somewhere?" she asked, motioning toward the small backpack he wore.

  “Oh, this? It's a new prototype.” He reached behind him and pulled a strap, and a telescoping umbrella appeared above his head. “It’s a hands-free umbrella.”

  Despite the strange looking contraption, he still looked cute. She laughed. "Wow! Is that what you want to pitch to my uncle?"

  "This isn't ready yet, but I have a tent with built in solar panels in three different sizes. I also have a solar powered shower and a couple of sleeping bags with built in pads that make them more comfortable.”

  "Sounds like you've thought of everything."

  “I have sketches of a lot more products and a few that are currently in development. I'm going to launch my website soon.” He took Pup from her arms. “Now I’ll have someone to keep me company.”

  Pup’s tail wagged as if she could understand English.

  Mary Beth opened the bag of dog supplies. “I brought you his food, leash, and a few toys. He usually sleeps in my bed, but I’ll be happy to buy you a dog bed.”

  He waved his hand. “No need. I’ll figure something out. Maybe I’ll come up with some camping gear for people with pets.”

  She couldn’t help but smile. “It could be an unexplored niche.” She pulled a piece of paper folded in half out of the bag. “Since the reunion is in four days, I also made you a list of some information about me that people might ask.”

  He reached out slowly. “What kind of information?”

  “You know, my birthday, middle name, where I went to school, basic information like that.”

  Removing the umbrella from his head, he squinted at her. “Sure. Makes sense.”

  She tensed. “What’s wrong?”

  Christian wiped the back of his hand across his forehead. “I guess this is starting to feel weird. What if we don’t pull it off?”

  He was right. If this fell apart, it would be a disaster. “We need to get our stories straight. I have another lesson tonight, but can you meet tomorrow?”

  “I was planning to go camping. I really need to test some new gear.” His gaze locked onto hers. “Do you want to go camping with me? You can try out my new ladies' pack.” He held out a backpack that looked like it would tip her right over. “Try it on.”

  She turned around, and he helped her slip her arms through the strap. “Hey, this isn’t so bad.”

  He nodded. “Super light, right? I made everything to be as light and comfortable as possible.”

  “It’s great, but I have lessons to teach Tuesday after school.” Even though camping was the furthest thing from her mind, a little part of her wanted to go with him. The thought of being alone with him in the middle of nowhere sent a spark through her. “And wouldn’t that be weird…just the two of us?”

  “My sister can come along.”

  “The sister who set us up? Wouldn’t we have to pretend for her too?”

  He rubbed his hand across his chin, looking sheepish. “I’ve already told her about our arrangement. I hope that’s okay. Don’t worry. She’s normal. Nothing like my mom.”

  Mary Beth laughed. “Your mom was nice. I like that she wants to be involved.”

  Shaking his head, he frowned. “I shouldn’t have said anything about us to her. It complicated things.”

  “So why did you?”

  His mouth opened, and then his gaze lifted to hers. “I got caught up in the excitement of our engagement.” He gave her a gentle smile.

  Another spark rushed through her. Was there something more brewing between them? More time with Christian would help her get to know him better, but she rarely rescheduled a lesson. “Let me call a few of my students’ parents and see if I can come with you. Could we make it home before school is out on Wednesday?”

  “Absolutely. Here, let me help you,” he said, reaching for the backpack. “Hopefully, your uncle likes it.”

  Who was she kidding? Christian had never once indicated that he was interested in her beyond the arrangement they had made. As soon as he had his meeting at Holland’s, he’d be done with her. So she needed to keep her heart firmly under wraps.

  * * *

  The next day, Christian watched Mary Beth's car pull in his driveway.

  Lori stood beside him. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

  He didn't, but Mary Beth was here now, so it was too late to change his mind. "It's just one night. It’ll be fine." His sister didn’t love the outdoors like he did. The only reason she’d agreed to come was because he’d told her he’d invited Mary Beth.

  Lori groaned. “Taking her camping might run her off. This probably isn’t her idea of a great second date.”

  “It’s not a date.” Besides, Mary Beth’s uncle owned Holland’s. Surely, camping was in her genetics somewhere.

  Mary Beth’s blond hair was braided, and she wore jeans and a gray T-shirt. He couldn't ignore how excited he was for her to go with them. She pulled a small bag out of her backseat. Walking up the driveway, she held the bag up. “I didn’t know what to pack,” she said. “I assumed we would be using your equipment, so I brought the bare minimum.”

  He motioned behind him to the loads of camping gear stacked on shelves and hanging from the pegboards. “I have everything you need."

  Lori laughed, joining them. “Plus enough to supply a small country.”

  He gave his sister a playful shove. “This is Lori. She hates camping.”

  She hit his arm. “I do not!”

  Mary Beth smiled. "Good to meet you. You set up our date, right?”

  Her hands up in front of her, she stepped back. “Guilty,” she said, playfulness in her voice.

  “It’s okay,” Mary Beth said. “I’m an only child, so to me it seems fun to have a sibling doing things like that.”

  Christian laughed. “Yeah, Lori is loads of fun.” He moved to his work bench. “I need to get this tent packed up, and we’ll get out of here.”

  Mary Beth touched the edge of the nylon fabric. “You make all this stuff?”

  “I build the prototypes by hand. Lori helps me with the sewing, and I have a manufacturer who will be able to mass produce everything. Once I have enough orders to make it cost effective, I’ll be able to start production.” And if he finally got his products in Holland’s, his family would stop questioning his decision to quit his engineering job.

  She nodded. “Impressive.”

  Christian’s chest swelled with her approval.

  After packing up his Jeep, he spent the next hour driving with Mary Beth in the seat beside him, Pup asleep in the backseat, and Lori leaned as far forward as she could get. Not letting more than five seconds of silence pass, Lori would fill each moment with another question for Mary Beth. “So you actually enjoy sleeping on the ground? I mean, you’re a pretty good sport letting Christian talk you into this.”

  Christian caught Mary Beth’s glance—and her slight smile.

  “He didn’t have to do too much convincing. It sounded like fun.”

  The mostly flat, grassy landscape gradually gave way to thick trees as they got closer to the lake where they would set up camp. It was
one of his favorite places on earth, and he hoped Mary Beth would love it as much as he did.

  “So what made you want to teach music lessons?” Lori asked as they exited the highway.

  Christian met his sister’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “Mary Beth might want a break from all the questions.”

  “It’s okay,” Mary Beth said. “I don’t mind.”

  Lori’s brows rose in a told-you-so expression.

  “I studied music education at OU and got a job as a high school assistant band director.”

  He glanced at her. “Like the marching band?” He couldn’t imagine her among the droves of teenagers in funny hats stomping across the football field.

  She nodded. “I’m a big believer in the benefits of students being in marching band. It teaches them a lot about teamwork and gives them somewhere to belong. High school isn’t easy.”

  “So what changed?” Lori asked.

  “I really wanted the chance to spend more one-on-one time with the students. So I started music lessons out of my home until it became a full-fledged business. Then, I quit my job and rented the little storefront downtown.”

  Lori reached forward and slapped his bicep with the back of her hand. “See! You’re supposed to start making money on your business before you quit your job.”

  Mary Beth gave him a sympathetic smile. “Even though I was making a little money, it was still a risk. I was giving up the health insurance and retirement benefits the school provided. Starting your own business can be a gamble no matter how you do it. Sometimes, you have to take a leap of faith.”

  Maybe she was just making conversation, but it felt like Mary Beth was defending his decision, and he appreciated her.

  Mary Beth looked over her shoulder. “I’m sure you know all about that. You have your sewing business.”

  “I do,” Lori said. “But my husband’s job provides the benefits. I spend most of my profits on fabric for myself.”

  “But she’s talented,” he said. “She could make a living at it if she decided to.”

  “You should do it,” Mary Beth said with excitement in her voice. “There’s nothing better than making money at something you love.”

  “Right now, I only make things for people who approach me at church or around town, but I’ve considered starting an Etsy Store online.”

  “That’s a great idea,” Mary Beth said.

  Lori leaned back in her seat and was quiet the rest of the way to the campsite.

  When they pulled up to one of his favorite spots among the trees with a view of the lake, the tension drained from his body. He stepped out of the driver’s seat and took a deep breath. It was a beautiful spring afternoon. The Oklahoma weather tended to be over-dramatic. Too hot, too cold, or too volatile with spring thunderstorms and threats of tornadoes, but not today. Right now, it was mild without too much wind, a special gift in this part of the country.

  Pup jumped out of the Jeep and gave a quick shake of the head, the tags on his collar jingling.

  Christian rubbed his hands together. “Let’s get started.”

  Without much direction, they worked together to unload the Jeep and set up camp. As they carried and arranged his supplies in the shady spot, he was constantly aware of Mary Beth’s movement and how near or far she was from him. He’d always thought he liked camping out here by himself, but now, he could see how much better it was with Mary Beth’s laugh and chatter as they worked.

  He went to get the sleeping bags from the back of the Jeep, and Mary Beth rounded the corner.

  “This is great,” she said with genuine enthusiasm in her voice. “Thank you for inviting me, and for…everything.”

  He smiled. “I appreciate you coming. Not everyone loves this stuff as much as I do.”

  “It’s going to be fun, and I can tell you’re really in your element.”

  Being out here in his favorite spot and having Mary Beth with him, he experienced a stillness inside that he hadn’t felt in a long time. Like he could finally take a deep breath.

  “So what should we do next?” she asked.

  The way she looked at him, with her cheeks pink from lugging the equipment from the Jeep and setting up the site, made his heart pound. If she were really his fiancée, he would have pressed his free hand against the side of her face and planted a kiss right on those lips.

  She cocked her head. “Christian? Everything okay?”

  He swallowed. “Uh, yeah. You can put these sleeping bags in the tents.”

  Taking the rolled bags, she studied him. “Okay. Sure.” She turned to leave but glanced over her shoulder as she walked to the tents.

  If he wasn’t careful, he would do something stupid. Right now, he needed to stick to the plan and keep himself from throwing away his shot at success.

  * * *

  Mary Beth sat on a lawn chair as the fire crackled and sparked in front of her. Pup slept in the dirt at her feet. She’d missed having Pup in her bed last night, but she could see he was in good hands with Christian who’d kept a close eye on him and made sure he had plenty of water ever since they got here.

  After she, Lori, and Christian had set up camp, he’d built a fire, and they’d roasted hot dogs. It had been fun and relaxed, and she was glad she’d come. But this had never been meant to be a vacation. They still needed to figure out a plan for the reunion. As much as she wished she could ignore all that and just enjoy her time here with Christian and his sister, there was work to be done.

  Christian carried over a long metal rod with what looked like a black cage the size of a baseball on the end.

  “What is that thing?” she asked.

  Lori rolled her eyes. “Another one of his crazy inventions.”

  He handed the contraption to Mary Beth. “A S’mores Saver—patent pending.”

  She laughed. “How does it work?”

  He took a marshmallow from a bag on the table, unlatched a little door on the cage and stuck the marshmallow on the end of the stick on the inside. “This part is non-stick coated, so if your marshmallow starts to melt it won’t fall into the fire.”

  Mary Beth laughed. “Brilliant.”

  His chest puffed out. “Thanks. I added the rosewood handle to make it easier for kids with smaller hands to hold onto it.”

  “You thought of everything.” Mary Beth stood and pulled her chair closer to the fire and hovered the marshmallow just above the flames.

  Christian held one of the sticks out to Lori. “Here’s yours. I know you like your marshmallow burnt to a crisp.”

  But Lori held her hands out in front of her. “No, thanks. I think I’m going to hit the hay.”

  Nerves fluttered in Mary Beth’s stomach. Lori had been the buffer between her and Christian all day. No matter how attracted Mary Beth was to him, it was easy to keep a tight rein on her feelings with Lori watching every move. “I’ll go with you. I don’t want to wake you by coming in later.” She and Lori were sharing the bigger tent, and Christian had set up a smaller one-person tent for himself.

  “No. You stay. Enjoy your marshmallow.” Lori smirked. “Besides, you and your fiancé have some catching up to do.”

  Before either of them could talk Lori into staying, she’d disappeared into the tent and zipped it closed.

  Christian pulled a chair beside Mary Beth and stuck his own marshmallow in the fire. “You mind if I join you on this side of the fire?” He motioned his head toward the tent. “I don’t want the matchmaker eavesdropping,”

  “Ah,” Mary Beth said.

  He gave her a boyish smile. “But honestly, I was wishing she had turned in hours ago.”

  She took a deep breath to settle the flutter in her stomach. “This has been so much fun, but she’s right. We should prepare for the reunion.”

  “And dinner with my parents,” he added.

  She’d almost forgotten about the dinner. It would be even harder to convince his parents. “Should we try to get out of it?”

  “It’ll be good pr
actice for Friday. As long as we’re prepared, it will be fine.” But the way he tensed his jaw told her he wasn’t quite as confident as he tried to seem.

  “You’re right. It will work out.”

  He gave her a sideways glance. “Are you going to tell Barb and Ned?"

  “You know my parents’ names. You’ve been studying the cheat sheet.”

  “I have.”

  "I’m going to wait and see if it comes up." Honestly, she didn’t trust herself to not tell them the truth, and she didn't need them trying to talk her out of it. With them in Costa Rica, she could avoid the conversation all together. “Did you write down anything about yourself for me to study?”

  He scrunched up his face. “I got busy with my camping equipment last night.”

  If they were going to do this, Christian needed to take it seriously.

  “But I can tell you everything you need to know,” he said. “My middle name is Melvin, my birthday is on Christmas Eve, and I was a Cub Scout as a kid. I’m an open book. You can ask me anything.”

  She stared into the fire. “Okay. Most recent relationship?”

  “No one since Jessica. We were together three years and broke up six months ago.”

  “Wow. Three years is a long time.”

  He shrugged. “Everyone thought we were going to get married.”

  She looked at him. “Why didn’t you?”

  He was silent for a second. “She deserved to have the kind of guy she wanted me to be, but I was ready to be myself.” He met her gaze and then looked back to the fire. “Your marshmallow is burning.”

  She turned to the fire where her marshmallow was surrounded by a blaze. She stood and held it up. “They taste better that way, right?” She blew on it, but when it still glowed, he leaned his face in close to hers and blew with her.

  The now-black marshmallow was almost unrecognizable. “Looks like your invention works. It didn’t fall into the campfire.”

  “I don’t think you want to eat that.” He was silent for a minute. “Don’t you think it’s going to take more than middle names and birthdays for people to believe we’re a real couple?”