by Noelle Adams
For no good reason, the words touched Skye so much that tears streamed down her face. She tried to respond but couldn’t.
Her grandmother patted her arm. “You came home late and tired and emotionally rattled, and you still took the time to make tea and chat with your old grandmother at three o’clock in the morning, Skye. That’s as loving and grown-up a thing as I can think of. And it means the world to me.”
Skye sobbed silently a few times before she pulled herself together. “Thanks, Gran.”
“You’re welcome. I should be the one thanking you. Now give me a kiss and go to bed. I’m sure you’re exhausted.”
“You’ll be okay?”
“Of course I’ll be okay. I’ve got a lot of praying to do, and I’m never alone doing that.”
Skye leaned over to kiss her grandmother and then went upstairs to take a shower and go to bed. She felt a lot better than she had when she came in through the front door.
MATTHEW WASN’T FEELING good about the night before.
At all.
In fact, he couldn’t think of anything except how confused and frustrated and pained he was about the whole experience.
He’d been thinking there was something real between him and Skye while she’d been assuming it was casual. It was terrible.
He wanted to get in his car and head back to Richmond. Escape from the whole situation as quickly as he could, shaking off the deep feelings and vulnerability like water. But he’d promised Madeline he’d have breakfast with her before he left town, so he was stuck for a couple of hours.
They met at Anna’s Diner at nine o’clock. And it was crowded, like it always was on weekend mornings, so they had to wait awhile to put in their orders and then even longer for their food. Matthew tried to be a decent brother. He asked Madeline about her writing (she was working on a novel), about her wedding plans, about Ken’s daughters from his first marriage, and about everything else he could think of that would distract from him and how he was feeling.
Madeline chatted happily for over an hour and a half, until they were finishing up their food. Then she finally put her fork down and gave him a sober look. “Okay, what the hell is going on?”
“What do you mean?”
“What do you think I mean? Something’s weird about you this morning.”
“Nothing’s weird.” He tried to shape his expression and tone into something convincing.
His sister wasn’t convinced. “You think I don’t know you? I’ve known you my whole life. I can always tell when something’s wrong because you put extra effort into being friendly and sociable. You’re never friendly and sociable when you’re in your normal mood.”
“Great,” he muttered dryly. “Thanks very much.”
“Well, it’s true. I mean, you’re always nice, but you’re not a big talker. So tell me what’s wrong this morning.”
He sighed. Skye was Madeline’s best friend. It would never work for him to confide in her about this.
He wasn’t much of a confider—to anyone—anyway.
“It’s nothing, really. Just tired after last night.”
Madeline giggled. “I’ll never forget that dog racing through the reunion, gobbling up the meatballs, for the rest of my life. You should have heard Ken and me laughing about it when we got home. But that’s not what it is. So tell me.”
“It’s nothing.” His voice was sterner than he wanted it to be, but Madeline was getting too close and he simply couldn’t tell her.
“Matthew.” She gave him an exaggerated look of narrow-eyed authority.
He gave her the look right back. “Madeline.”
Her mouth quirked up irrepressibly. “You’ve always been better at bossy than I am.”
“I know.” He was about to say something else—change the subject—when the bell on Anna’s door clanged, and he glanced over to see who’d come in.
His whole body jerked in response to the sight of Skye strolling in with a smile on her face and her auburn hair loose and soft. She was irresistible in a skirt and soft sweater. He wanted to touch her so much it felt like his body was straining toward her.
And she hadn’t even noticed that he was there. She was smiling at an older couple that was sitting at the counter.
“Oh.”
Matthew’s eyes shot back to his sister. Her expression had softened with understanding, and it roused every defensive instinct inside him. “Oh what?” he demanded coldly.
“Something happened?”
“Nothing happened,” he growled. Then he couldn’t help but add, “She didn’t tell you?”
“I haven’t talked to her since last night. So something... something happened?” Madeline’s eyes were wide.
Matthew made a face and glanced away. He and his sister didn’t normally talk about this kind of thing, and it felt very weird.
“Shit, Matthew,” she said in a low voice. “Don’t you dare hurt her. Don’t you dare do it.”
He was so surprised he didn’t guard his reaction. “What? Me? You think I’m going to hurt her?”
That clearly took Madeline by surprise. She froze and then frowned slowly. “What?”
“Nothing.” He looked away. When his eyes landed on Skye, who still hadn’t recognized his existence in the world, he shifted his gaze quickly to stare at the wall. He felt his cheeks warm. He’d exposed himself. He hated that so much.
“Oh my God,” Madeline whispered slowly. She was thankfully conscious of keeping her voice down in the crowded restaurant. “Oh my God, Matthew.”
“What?” He met her eyes almost defiantly.
“You’re into her now!” Madeline looked absolutely delighted.
Which was absolutely infuriating. “No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are! Oh my God. I can’t believe it! This is the best thing to ever happen!”
“No, it’s not. Stop being ridiculous. I’m not into her. And even if I were, why would it be a good thing when she obviously doesn’t give a crap about me anymore.”
Madeline was trying to repress her giggles. “She does give a crap about you. She just doesn’t have the silly crush anymore. What a turnaround. Serves you right for ignoring her all those years.”
“Thanks a lot,” he said dryly.
“You’re welcome.” She relented, reaching out to pat his arm. “But seriously, if you really are into her, don’t give up hope. I bet you could convince her to give it a chance if you tried.”
“I’m not into her.”
“You just need to woo her a little bit.”
He snorted. “You really think I’m the wooing kind?”
“Not really. But that’s what makes the whole thing so hilarious.” Madeline’s teasing was typical but not painful. She clearly loved him and wanted what was best for him, and it was impossible for Matthew not to know that. “Now be quiet and act nonchalant. She’s coming over.”
Skye had finally seen them. She was walking over with a smile. The smile was mostly for Madeline, but her eyes did flicker over to his face a few times. “Hey there. I didn’t see you here.”
“I know. It’s pretty crowded. What are you doing?”
“Just getting some coffee. I’m going to church later with Gran and my folks.” She focused on Matthew for longer than a few seconds. “You headed back home today?”
He nodded and tried to answer, but his voice seemed to be stuck.
“Yeah, he is,” Madeline said, saving him from trying to shape a word. “As soon as we’re done with breakfast.”
“Oh.” She was cool and calm and untouched, as if nothing that had happened last night had affected her at all. “Well, have a good trip. It was good to see you.”
Madeline said a few more things, and then Skye was leaving.
“Well, good job there, brother. You said exactly nothing.”
He was well aware of that fact. “Shut up.”
“You’re going to have to do better than that if you want to woo her.”
“I’m not wooing h
er.”
“We’ll see.”
“Shut up,” Matthew muttered again.
Six
ONE MONTH LATER, SKYE looked around at the nearly finished interior of a little house about six blocks from downtown Azalea.
Her grandmother was getting around better now, so Skye had decided she was able to move out without feeling like she was leaving her family stranded. She hadn’t been able to find a house she loved enough to buy, however. She’d assumed this meant she would be stuck living at home for the foreseeable future, but her friends convinced her to rent a place instead.
She didn’t need to take every step she had in her plan immediately. She could get some of what she wanted while she waited for the perfect house to buy. Jacob had bought this old two-bedroom house a few months ago at a bare-bones price since it had been in disrepair for years. He’d been fixing it up as a rental property, and Skye decided it would work great for the time being.
It was tiny. The second bedroom was barely more than a large closet, and the living room only had space for a small couch and one side chair. But it would work just fine for her. It was close to downtown and not far from her family. She could feel independent again, and she could even get a dog if she wanted. Jacob still needed to finish redoing the bathroom, but by next weekend she could move in.
She couldn’t wait. She gazed around at the recently refinished oak floors, the big old-fashioned windows, and adorable built-in curio cabinet in the hallway.
She’d get to move in the next weekend.
“It’s supercute, isn’t it?” Ria said, coming in the front door.
“Yes. I love it! Jacob has done a great job fixing it up. Who knew this old place could look so good?”
“Jacob is really proud of it. It’s his first real purchase since he inherited the rest of the property from his grandfather.”
“He probably could have flipped this place if he’d wanted.”
“He thought of it, but he doesn’t see himself as a flipper. And this place is so cute that he can make some good rental income in it. He’s thrilled to have such a great first renter.” Ria flashed Skye a quick smile.
Skye laughed. “Well, I’m thrilled to have such a good landlord. I do want to buy eventually, but I don’t want to settle on a house just because it’s the best I can find. I feel better taking this step first. I’m glad you and Madeline talked me into it.”
“I’m glad too. You’ve been pretty amazing lately.”
Skye rolled her eyes at the rather cheesy sentiment, but the truth was she appreciated the thought. The past month hadn’t been easy. She’d been a lot more upset about what had happened with Matthew than she wanted to be. It was hard not to think about it, imagine exactly how it had felt, dream of it happening again. But Matthew had barely said a word to her for the past month, so it was clear he wanted to move on, exactly as they’d agreed.
That was what she wanted too. She was feeling better now. More settled. It still hurt to think about how close she’d been to having him, but she would get over that soon. She had a job she loved. Great family and friends. And soon she’d be living in this cute little house. She’d gone out with three different guys in the past month, and she’d liked all three of them as well as was reasonable to expect.
Her life was good. She wasn’t going to brood about Matthew.
“Matthew’s coming this weekend to help Jacob finish the bathroom,” Ria said.
Skye glanced over at the careful note in her friend’s voice. “Yeah. I figured. He’s been coming back every weekend.”
That was what made it harder. If Matthew had just stayed in Richmond where he belonged, Skye could do better about putting him out of her mind. But he’d visited every single weekend since the reunion. Every weekend. He did have a reason. He was still taking care of the stray dog (claiming he was looking for a good home for it). His place in Richmond didn’t allow dogs, so he had to smuggle the dog in and out, hoping not to get reported to management. On the weekends, it was too much trouble, so he brought the dog back to Azalea where he wouldn’t have to hide him.
So yes, Matthew had a reasonable excuse for his persistent presence that had nothing to do with Skye herself. But it felt like he was watching her all the time whenever he was around, which was very unnerving since he never actually talked to her.
It kept her in a state of lingering expectation that wasn’t good for her heart.
But she was doing good. Better. And she’d keep getting better.
She wasn’t going to let Matthew and his brooding, soulful looks rattle her from her plans to get what she wanted out of life.
When Ria didn’t say anything else, Skye glanced over. “What?” she demanded at the sight of the quivering amusement on Ria’s mouth.
“Nothing. Just wondering what you thought about that.”
“I think nothing. What should I think?”
“I don’t know. Just if you really believe that Madeline and I don’t know something happened between you and Matthew on the weekend of the reunion, then you’re really underestimating our intelligence.”
Skye made a face. “Yes, something happened, but it doesn’t matter now. Nothing more is going to happen.”
“Why not?”
“Why do you think? He’s never been interested in me, and I’m over him now.”
“I can halfway believe you’re over him,” Ria said slowly. “You’re not swooning over him anymore—although I think it’s possible that you’re swooning inside and trying not to.”
“Ria!” Skye’s cheeks flushed slightly. “I’m not swooning at all. At least not much. I think I’m getting there.”
“I think so too. So I can believe that. But for someone who isn’t supposed to be interested in you, he sure does watch you a lot when he thinks no one is looking.”
Skye had been strolling around the living room, ostensibly peering at each little nook and cranny. But at that she stiffened and whirled around. “What?”
“You heard me.”
“You’ve noticed that too?”
“Of course I’ve noticed it! It’s impossible not to.” Ria giggled irrepressibly. “The poor man is like a little boy with a crush on his babysitter.”
“I thought I was imagining it! You think he’s really been looking at me a lot?”
“He’s definitely been looking.”
Skye made a frustrated sound in her throat. “Then why won’t he talk to me? I swear he hasn’t said more than ten words to me for the entire month.” The jumping of her heart settled into a normal tempo when a reasonable explanation occurred to her. “I guess maybe he’s awkward about what happened and doesn’t know how to be friends again. Not that we were ever really friends, but we were kind of...” She let out a long sigh.
“It looks to me like more than awkwardness, but what the heck do I know? I’ve just known both of you for most of our lives.”
“I know that. But please try to be careful.” Skye met her friend’s eyes with more sobriety than was normal for either of them. “It’s easy for girls to encourage each other to have unrealistic hopes where guys are concerned, reading all sorts of ridiculous covert explanations into their behavior. But the truth is Matthew is a smart, healthy man in his late twenties, and he isn’t inexperienced with women. If he were interested in me, he would make a move. He’d at least say more than a word or two to me.”
“I don’t know...”
“What don’t you know? If guys are genuinely interested, you know. I’m not all that great with relationships, but at least I know that much.”
“Yes. Yes, you’re right. But I’m just wondering how experienced Matthew really is.”
They were standing in the middle of an empty house, having a very intimate conversation. Skye glanced back to make sure the front door was closed and no one else was approaching. “What are you talking about?” she whispered. “Matthew has dated plenty.”
“He’s dated some, but not what I’d say is a lot for a guy his age. He’s
not any sort of player, and his relationships never last more than a couple of months. He’s not inexperienced with women, but I think he... he might be inexperienced with real romantic relationships. As far as I can tell, he might not have ever been in love before.”
Skye tried to resist the swell of hope and excitement she experienced at hearing that. It rang true to what she knew about Matthew. To the almost awed depth of feeling in his eyes as they’d had sex on the couch. Like it was new to him.
Maybe it had been, but the truth would always be that if he wanted to act on that feeling, he would have by now. “I’m not going to hold out hope for a miracle,” she told Ria, her voice breaking slightly at the reality of the situation. “Please don’t make me hope for something that’s not likely to happen.”
“Okay.” Ria reached over and gave her a quick hug. “I’m sorry if I’m making it worse. I’m really just trying to help. And I honestly don’t think it’s as hopeless as you do.”
“I don’t want a guy who has to be dragged kicking and screaming into my arms.” Skye whisked away a quick tear she hadn’t realized had pooled in one eye. “I don’t want that. I want a guy who wants a relationship with me as much as I want it, and I just don’t think that’s Matthew. The girl who saw him for the first time and immediately knew he was the guy for her was a fool. A silly, romantic fool. Life just doesn’t work that way.”
“Okay.” Ria looked like she might have more to say, but she thankfully didn’t say it. She gave Skye another one-armed hug, and then they went to explore the rest of the house, Matthew and all the anxious questions surrounding him left behind where they belonged.
THE NEXT DAY MATTHEW glanced into the fenced backyard of the house Jacob was preparing to rent to Skye and assured himself that the dog was still there and still behaving himself. He was sprawled out on the grass in a sunny patch, happily gnawing on a huge bone Matthew had bought him.
Matthew chuckled at the sight of the relaxed satisfaction of the dog’s manner and turned around to see that Fitz was in the doorway of the kitchen.
