“Should he be drinking?” She scooped up her handbag and Matt collected her weekend bag from the back seat.
“Drew said it was okay in moderation. Don’t worry; I’ve been keeping an eye on him.” He put his arm around her shoulders and walked her into the kitchen where he set down her bag before following her into the sitting room.
She couldn’t believe the change in her uncle. He had color in his cheeks and a smile that outshone the sun.
“Ryan.” She ran to him, and reached out timidly at first in case she hurt him.
He held his arms wide. “I won’t break, honey. Give me a decent hug.”
Once she was in the comfort of his arms, she broke down and let the tears fall.
“Calm down, Mia. I’m fine. Didn’t Matt tell you he’s looking after me?”
She brushed away the sudden rush of tears. “Yes, but I had to see for myself. You look, well, amazing. Years younger, in fact.”
He shrugged. “I feel it to tell you the truth. Like I’ve been given a second chance and boy, I’m going to make the most of it.”
Mia smiled. “I’m glad.” She rubbed a hand up his arm. “It’s so good to see you.” She turned to Matt who stood at the door watching them. “You’re amazing too. I can’t thank you enough for looking after him. He’s the most important person in the world to me.”
“Why do you think I’ve been so tough on him? I knew that if I wasn’t, I’d have you to answer to.” He walked over and held open his arms. Mia had no hesitation in walking into them. “We held off dinner until you got here. Hungry?”
She looked up into his face. “Starving. But I’d love to wash up first. Care to show me what room you’ve allocated to me?”
* * *
Matt sat across from Mia and watched her eat. When she had said she was starving, she hadn’t been joking. She was eating as if she hadn’t had a decent meal in days.
He shared a glance with Ryan. “Can I get anyone more or do you want to wait for dessert?”
Ryan shook his head. “Not for me, thanks. That was perfect.”
“Mia?”
She chewed what was in her mouth and swallowed. “I don’t think I could, but you do a mean brisket, Matt. Good enough to rival any barbeque joint.”
He smiled at the compliment. “Thanks. But there’s plenty more if you want it. For dessert we have homemade ice cream and coffee.”
She sat back and rubbed her belly. “I shouldn’t but I’m finding it hard to refuse.”
Ryan smiled as he watched her. “It’s nice to see you eat a proper meal, Mia. You worry too much about work and don’t look after yourself.”
She wiped her lips on her napkin and stared at him. “I do look after myself.”
Ryan raised an eyebrow. “Have you made that doctor’s appointment yet?”
When she didn’t reply, he sighed. “See? You let the business rule your life. After what happened to your father and to me, don’t you think it’s time to take things seriously?”
Her hackles went up and Matt thought it was time he left them alone. He gathered the plates and made a quick exit but could still hear them arguing from the kitchen.
When things quieted down, he gathered the ice cream, bowls and spoons on a tray and went back in.
Ryan apologized when he sat down. “Sorry, Matt. That was rude of us.”
“I’m sure you’ll work it out. Who wants coffee?”
He made coffee and left them alone again. After Matt loaded the dishwasher, he went back into the living room where Mia and Ryan were talking quietly beside the fireplace.
“Night, folks. I’ve locked up. If you could turn the lights off on your way to bed, I’d appreciate it.”
“Are you running in the morning, Matt?” Mia glanced at him expectantly.
A small smile twitched his lips. “Of course. Care to join me?”
“I’d love to. See you then.” She blew him a kiss goodnight and Matt went to bed, hope flaring in his chest.
The following morning, Mia was waiting in the kitchen when he opened his bedroom door. “Hey.”
“Hey, yourself.” She leaned in and pecked him on the cheek.
Matt opened the kitchen door and followed her outside. The sun was barely over the horizon. “How did you sleep?”
Mia stretched her legs. “Like a baby. I don’t know what it is, but I sleep better here than anywhere else.”
“And you think that’s a problem?” He grinned as they started down toward the harbor.
“Yes and no. Great for a holiday, but it doesn’t help me with what I have going on in Seattle.”
They were on the home stretch when Bradley and his little dog crossed the road near the beach. Matt and Mia slowed. “Hi, Bradley. Nice morning.”
“It is, it is. And who is this young lady?” asked Bradley.
“My name is Mia. My uncle is staying with Matt to recuperate from his heart attack.” She pulled her hair out and gathered the strands that had come loose while jogging and pulled them into a new ponytail.
“Right. You were here before. I’m sorry we never got to meet earlier. I was laid up with a cold and didn’t want to share my germs. Got to look after myself a bit better at my age. Last thing I want is pneumonia to get a foot in the door.” He gave a dramatic shudder.
“Pretty sure Drew would kick your butt if you spread germs around the island. You know how he feels about that, Bradley. Doesn’t take long for things to escalate to an epidemic in such a small community.”
“I do, Matt, and I heartily agree with him. I loathe it when someone is careless about passing on germs I don’t want or need.” He looked down at his little dog. “Poor pup doesn’t understand of course. Didn’t like being shut in at home for the week without his walk so now we’re making up for lost time.”
“You should’ve said something, Bradley. Someone would’ve walked him for you.”
“He’s cute.” Mia bent down and scratched the dog behind the ears. “If I’d known, I would’ve while I was here.”
“Thank you. Are you just here for the weekend, Mia? It’s a lovely place to visit. So relaxing and the best place to avoid stress.”
She shared a glance with Matt who shrugged. He hadn’t said anything to Bradley but the retired psychologist had a knack for picking up on what happened on the island.
“Yes.”
“It was lovely to meet you.” Bradley tipped the brim of his hat. “Oh well, must be off. I need my coffee fix. Missed out on that too. You two take care now.” He waved and headed across the road to the café.
“Why does it feel as though everyone knows about me? What’ve you been saying, Matt?”
He swallowed. He had nothing to feel guilty about. “I haven’t said anything—certainly not to Bradley. Maybe I mentioned that it’d be nice to see more of you. And you know why the girls want you here and I had nothing to do with that. You shouldn’t have been so accommodating if you didn’t want people to like you.” He smiled and started walking up the hill and Mia kept pace beside him. “But I would like to see you here more often.”
Mia grinned. “Would you now?”
They picked up the pace and started to run the final part of the road. Matt’s calves began to burn but he pushed ahead. “Yes, I would. I like you, Mia, a lot, and I know you like me. Perhaps we should make an effort to see if this could go somewhere.”
Mia sprinted past him just before they got to his street corner and waited in the driveway for Matt to catch up. The look on her face was serious and for a moment he had a dose of mild anxiety brush over him. Where the heck did that come from? He hadn’t felt like that in years. With help from Bradley and his father, he’d managed to get past the feelings that used to swamp him after his mom died. Why would he be experiencing them now?
Mia couldn’t look him in the eye as she spoke.
That can’t be good news.
“Look. I like you a lot but I’m not ready to give up everything I’ve done to be with you. Not yet anyway. Can’t
we just have fun being together and not get serious?”
Matt’s heart took a dive. He’d honestly thought they were starting something. Even though they’d only had a short time together, it’d been full on and quite emotional. Matt didn’t sleep with anyone for the sheer heck of it. He’d given her his heart as well as his body.
Sadly, she didn’t seem to see it that way.
He put on a brave face and smiled. “Sure. Why not?” He touched her arm as he passed, wishing that things were different but not wanting to make her feel bad. “Let’s see if Ryan’s awake. You two can have breakfast together on the front porch.”
She slung a casual arm around his shoulder, ignorant of the fact that she’d just broken his heart. “Thanks. That sounds perfect.”
Chapter 15
Matt delivered the breakfast trays to the front porch, just as he’d offered.
“You’ll join us, Matt?” asked Ryan.
“Thanks, but I’m off to the farmers markets this morning. I’ll leave you two to have some quiet time together. Anything else I can get you before I head out?”
Mia glanced at him a moment before she answered, trying to read his body language. Something had changed since they got back from their run. Had he taken her news badly? He’d readily agreed when she said it but she still felt guilty. “Thanks, but I know where everything is if we need something. This looks amazing, Matt. Thank you.”
He gave them a smile then left them alone.
Mia picked up her coffee and sipped, savoring the first hit of caffeine.
“How are things in the office?” Ryan sat back and stared at her, his face blank.
“Good. I hadn’t realized how much things had grown since you took over that side of things for me. Guess I was too focused on stock and securing new lines for the shops to look at the actual marketing side of the business.”
“There have been a lot of changes, Mia. I sometimes think it’s all too much for us to handle.”
Panic hit her then. Once Ryan was on the road to recovery, she half expected things to go back to normal but who was she kidding?
Even as the thought raced through her mind, Mia knew she was trying to hang onto something that was already written in stone. Her uncle was going to leave the business and she needed to let him go. “What are you saying? You’re not coming back to work once you get better, are you?
He reached for her hand. “I don’t know what’s in my future but I’ve had some serious conversations with a friend, and changes are going to be necessary. I can’t keep up this pace any longer, sweetheart. I’m too old. I need to look after myself better and honestly, the business as it is now doesn’t allow me to do that.”
Mia pulled her hand back as if he’d scalded her. Terror gripped her and she struggled to breathe. The business was her world and he was a huge part of it. “You can’t leave me on my own. I don’t know how to do it without you. It’s nearly always been the two of us together.”
“Honey, you’re not looking at the big picture at all. You’re still so fixated on making this company something to be proud of that you don’t realize you already have.” Ryan reached for his coffee and took a sip while she stared at him, willing him to take it back.
“But I have so many plans for the company. You know I do. I can’t just drop those and scale back.”
Ryan wasn’t going to be swayed. “Give me one good reason why not, and don’t bring money into it.”
“But the shareholders want the money. Don’t be ridiculous.”
Ryan shook his head. “The shareholders want you alive and well. Can you imagine what would happen to the company if you worked yourself to death? You’re young, Mia. You deserve a life, a husband and a family.”
“I’m not ready for that yet.” She put down her cup and stood up. She didn’t want him to see how close to the truth he’d come when she wasn’t sure she could handle it herself. She wanted a family. Could she saddle Matt with someone like her if she had the same genetic predisposition for ARVC as her father and uncle? No, she couldn’t. As much as she was falling for the quiet, unassuming man, she couldn’t live with herself if she wasn’t prepared to give him what he wanted: children. After what she went through when her parents died, there was no way she’d subject any family of her own to the same grief.
* * *
Matt chose a pound of fresh tomatoes and a bag of mixed salad greens and handed over the cash to the grower. It was a busy morning down at the monthly markets but it always was.
“Matt.”
He turned and watched his vivacious aunt hurry toward him. He held out his arms and wrapped them around her when she was within reach. Gigi was one of his favorite women, and not just because she’d given up her life in the city to come and help her brother raise his brood of kids when their mother died. He adored her. They all did.
“You look mighty handsome this morning.” She kissed his cheek and then looked into his shopping bag. “How is your new guest?”
“Good. Looking much better now that he’s out of hospital. The sea air seems to agree with him.”
Gigi adjusted the bright blue scarf at her throat. “Good. I thought I might pop in and meet him. Atticus does nothing but sing the man’s praises. Might be time for me to say hello. Do you mind?”
“Not at all. How’s David, by the way?” Matt had never met the man, but thought it might be rude not to inquire about the lawyer his aunt had been seeing off and on for the last couple of years, the one she disappeared with for secret weekends away.
She waved a dismissive hand. “Talking about moving to New York of all places.”
A moment of panic hit Matt. Did that mean Gigi would leave too?
She must have read his mind. “I’m not the slightest bit interested in going, just so you know. Atticus says I should if that’s what I want, but to be honest, I don’t see myself living anywhere else. I like my life here.”
“Even if it means you’ll lose your boyfriend?”
“Yes. Especially since I’d hesitate to call him my boyfriend. The relationship was convenient for both of us. Now it isn’t.”
“Okay. So long as you’re good with it. It has nothing to do with me. But I would’ve hated to see you go. We love having you around.” He dropped a kiss on her hair.
She nudged him with her hip. “Back at you, honey. I don’t know what I’d do without my family.” Gigi walked alongside Matt as he continued to shop. He stopped at the seedling stall and brought some spring flowers and salad greens for his vegetable garden.
“So, you and Mia. How’s that going?”
Matt sighed and wished he could be as calm about his relationship as Gigi was about hers. “It’s not. She doesn’t want to walk away from the business after all the work she’s done on it, and I understand that.”
“But?” She paused to pick up a bright colored sunhat, inspecting it before putting it back again.
“But I can’t help thinking I’m not enough. Look at Arlo and Hilary. She managed it. Maybe Mia just doesn’t want to take things to that level and it’s her way of letting me down gently. Or maybe she doesn’t think I’ll wait for her to move to the island.”
Gig tucked her arm through Matt’s. “Or maybe she’s just not ready to settle down. She’s a career girl and a damned good one at that.”
“I think you could be right. Still, is there any reason why she can’t have both? Lots of women have marriage and careers.” He couldn’t get the idea out of his head that he wasn’t what she needed and that hurt because she was exactly who he wanted.
Gigi shrugged. “I sometimes think you have to go with your heart. Your brain can be far too logical and that screws things up.”
“Like you were when you dropped everything to come and live with us, you mean?”
She leaned into him as they walked. “Honey, I didn’t even have to think about it for a moment. I couldn’t get here fast enough and now look at me. I don’t want to leave, even for David.”
“Guess he wasn�
��t really the one then.”
“No, I don’t think he was. But he’s still a nice guy and we had fun together while it lasted.”
Matt paused and picked up a bag of green apples. “Pie?”
Gigi nodded and he bought them. “You know your problem, Matt? You need to mother everyone you come across. Perhaps you should be approaching Mia with more business in mind instead of trying to tie her down.”
“If you mean her setting up shop here, I don’t think she’s interested. Hilary tried to talk her into starting a business on the island. After the help she gave me on the attic room and Hilary and Arlo on their living room, I agreed she’d do great here.”
“But she doesn’t want to leave Seattle?” Gigi wrapped her arm around his shoulders, sympathy shining in her eyes. The last thing he wanted was for someone to feel sorry for him. There had to be a way forward and damn it, he was going to find it. This wasn’t over, no matter what Mia said.
“That’s it. But hey, don’t let me ruin your day because I’m feeling down about it. Ignore my ramblings because I’m feeling sorry for myself. Why don’t you come up with me now and meet Ryan? No time like the present.”
Gigi slid her arm through his again. “I agree. Lead the way, honey.”
* * *
Mia stood in the kitchen, frustration chewing at her. No matter what she said, Ryan wouldn’t give her a definitive answer on what he saw for his future. She couldn’t bear the thought of him leaving, nor could she imagine taking back the reins of the company full time again. As dedicated as she was, Mia knew her limitations even if she hadn’t voiced that to her uncle.
She’d reached the peak of her career and even if she knew she could keep up the pace, she was happy exactly where she was. She had enough going on with her own aspects of the business to keep her occupied without taking on Ryan’s as well.
But something didn’t feel right. Was it the look on Matt’s face this morning when she told him she didn’t have time to get serious or was it something else?
Worth Fighting For (Hope Harbor Book 4) Page 11
