The 15 lb. Matchmaker

by Jill Limber

  Griff nodded to his oldest friend, noting that Vince didn’t include Deirdre. Vince had never liked her.

  Griff was a little surprised that the hurt he usually felt at people’s condolences had faded.

  Griff broke the awkward silence. “Where’s your mom?”

  Vince laughed. “Where else? The kitchen.”

  Griff introduced Jolie to everyone they encountered on the way to the kitchen and didn’t miss her overwhelmed expression.

  “Don’t worry. There isn’t going to be a test.”

  “I just didn’t expect there would be so many people. I feel as if I’m intruding.”

  “Intruding? No one is better at welcoming folks than the Morgans.” They walked past the long dining room table, set with gleaming china and silver.

  She nodded, looking a little more reassured. “If you say so.”

  Griff pushed open the kitchen door and they were immediately enveloped by the fragrant warmth. “Kathy. Happy Thanksgiving.”

  Kathy Morgan turned from the stove, and her round, freckled face lit up at the sight of him. She hurried across the kitchen, wiping her hands on her big white apron.

  “Griff! Happy Thanksgiving!” Her gaze strayed to Jolie as she pulled him into a hug.

  When she let him go, he turned and motioned to Jolie. “Kathy, this is Jolie Carleton, Riley’s nanny.”

  “Welcome, Jolie. I’m glad you could come.”

  She eyed the baby, then looked up at Griff. “I don’t suppose this little guy would let me hold him?”

  Jolie nuzzled Riley’s hair and smiled. “You can try. I don’t know how he is with strangers.”

  As Kathy reached for the baby, Griff was struck by Jolie’s comment. Kathy was one of his favorite people and to Riley, she was a stranger.

  As soon as Kathy had the baby in her arms, he stiffened up and his lower lip began to quiver.

  Kathy gave him a quick kiss and handed the baby back. “Too much too soon.”

  Riley grabbed Jolie’s sweater and hung on as if he were afraid of being dropped.

  Kathy ran her hand over the baby’s curls and smiled at him. “We have time, don’t we, Riley?”

  Jolie shifted the baby onto her hip and asked, “What can I do to help?”

  Kathy shook her head and shooed them out of the kitchen. “At this point it’s a one-woman show. Griff, you get Jolie something to drink and go watch the game.”

  Jolie started to protest, and Griff slid his palm to the small of her back to nudge her along.

  When the door had swung closed behind them, he said, “Kathy will ask when she wants help.”

  “There are so many people to feed and—”

  “And Kathy loves it that way. It’s like this every Thanksgiving and Christmas.”

  Griff introduced her to Vince’s two sisters, Shauna and Jenny, who also balanced babies on their hips.

  The women smiled at her and introduced their toddlers, a boy and a girl who looked to be a few months older than Riley.

  Griff felt uncomfortable, surrounded by women and babies. “Do you want anything to drink?”

  She smiled. “No, I’m fine.”

  A cheer of all-male voices rolled out of the den, and he looked longingly in that direction. “Want to watch the game?”

  She looked at the other women, who both shook their heads, then back at Griff. “Not really. Go ahead.”

  “Okay.” Relieved, he nodded to the women, then headed for the den.

  Jolie watched him go, then turned back to Vince’s sisters.

  Shauna spoke first, her voice lowered. “How’s he doing?”

  Jolie was reluctant to answer, then realized they’d known Griff all their lives. This wasn’t gossip, this was genuine concern for a friend.

  “I’m not sure. He doesn’t say much.” And it was all he didn’t say that concerned her the most.

  Shauna shifted the toddler she carried and scowled. “I knew the minute I met Deirdre she was going to be trouble. I just didn’t realize how much.”

  Jenny smiled sadly and teased her sister. “You had such a crush on Griff you wouldn’t have liked any woman he brought home.”

  Shauna blushed. “That may be true, but you can’t tell me you liked her.”

  Jenny shrugged. “At first. She was so sophisticated. The clothes, the makeup. All that style. Too much to be happy here.”

  “Too bad when she decided to run off she stole what meant the most to Griff.”

  Jolie couldn’t help herself. She had to ask. “What was that?”

  “Griff’s brother, Jake. They were so close. I think losing Jake was much harder than losing Deirdre.”

  “Yeah, first his daddy, then Jake. It was a hard year.”

  Jolie recalled the photo of the two boys and the man she had found facedown in the dresser. “But if she didn’t like the life here, why would she run off with Griff’s brother?”

  “You had to know Jake. The man was, well, exciting. He was as good-looking as Griff, but he had this easy charm that just sucked a woman in.”

  “Yup. If pheromones are what attract a woman to a man, Jake had more than his share. And he was a rodeo star. I’m sure his life looked a whole lot more exciting than being a rancher’s wife.”

  “Wild Man.” Jolie murmured, remembering Jake’s nickname.

  “Yeah. He’d had that name since he was just a little guy.” She gestured toward a corner of the living room. “Let’s go and sit down. Cloe weighs a ton.”

  The little girl wiggled out of her mother’s arms as soon as they were seated and made a beeline for a basket of toys beside the couch.

  Her cousin, Matthew, trailed in her wake. Riley still had a death grip on Jolie’s sweater. She held him close to reassure him. She’d let him go at his own speed.

  He watched the other children with an avid interest as the women chatted about children, the price of beef and the weather.

  Jolie liked these two women. They seemed to enjoy their lives and adore their roles as wives and mothers. Too many of the women she knew left the raising of their children to others.

  With a shock, she realized that until recently she’d probably had more in common with Griff’s wife than she had with Shauna and Jenny.

  “Shauna, watch Cloe for a minute while I check and see if Mama needs any help.”

  “Sure. Ask her how long it’s going to be. I’m starving.”

  The smells of turkey and stuffing were making Jolie’s mouth water. Riley would want to eat soon, too.

  Riley pushed away from her and wiggled off her lap, standing clinging to her knee. He was still avidly watching the two toddlers play.

  “Is he walking yet?”

  “No. He’s still crawling. But he has started to pull himself up and stand.” Jolie felt protective of Riley and wasn’t going to discuss her worries about his development.

  Besides, she thought, as she rubbed Riley’s back with an absent gesture, he had made great strides in the past two weeks.

  Jenny returned and announced that dinner was almost ready. They scooped up the babies and made their way to the dining room, where the sisters pulled high chairs out of the corners and settled their children.

  “We don’t have another chair. Will he be okay on your lap?

  “Sure.” And on her lap was where she wanted him. Jolie loved the weight of him leaning against her.

  She chose a chair near the door in case she had to leave the table. The men wandered in from the den and she found herself seated between Vince and Jenny’s husband. Griff chose a seat across and down the table from her. Assorted aunts, uncles and cousins filled in all the available spaces.

  The men argued over the calls made by the referees for the game they’d just watched and discussed the possible outcome of the game they all intended to watch after the meal.

  Shauna, Jenny and Kathy carried in bowls and platters heaped with turkey, stuffing, potatoes and vegetables. Kathy, still in her apron, settled at the foot of the table and signaled her
husband to start the blessing. His big voice rang out as they bowed their heads, and the prayer of Thanksgiving was ended with a hearty group Amen.

  Plates and friendly insults were passed around the table. Jolie felt the love and friendship contained in the room. Even though these people were strangers, they were welcoming and warm and real.

  Right in the middle of serving herself green beans, she realized that this was the best Thanksgiving she had ever had. She was in the middle of a roomful of strangers and she was having the time of her life.

  Lost in thought, Jolie looked down and found Riley’s hands in her food. “Oh, no!”

  “Here, let me help.” Vince piled food on her plate while she wiped the baby’s hands.

  “Thanks. That’s more than enough.”

  “You haven’t tasted Mom’s cooking. Everyone comes back for seconds.”

  She smiled at him, fairly sure she wouldn’t be able to finish what was on her plate, then concentrated on getting some food into Riley.

  When the baby was finally full, she shifted him to her shoulder and tried to eat with one hand.

  Vince leaned over and plucked Riley off her shoulder. “Let me have him while you finish eating. Do you want another plate? That food is probably cold.”

  To Jolie’s surprise, Riley didn’t seem to mind Vince holding him. She put her hand on Vince’s sleeve to keep him in his chair. “No, really, this is fine.”

  She felt guilty letting him hold the baby when he probably wanted to fill his plate again.

  She was cutting her turkey when she felt someone looking at her. She looked up.

  Griff scowled at her.

  Immediately she felt guilty. She should be taking care of the baby, not imposing on Vince. Appetite gone, she scraped back her chair and reached for Riley.

  Vince looked startled at her sudden move.

  She groped for an excuse. “I, ah, need to change him.”

  Jolie left the dining room and grabbed a diaper and changing pad out of the bag in the living room. Just as she was laying Riley down, Griff appeared in the doorway.

  “What’s the matter?”

  She looked up at him as she knelt by the couch. To her relief he no longer looked angry. “Nothing.”

  “Why did you leave the table in such a hurry?”

  “I needed to change the baby.” And, she wanted to add, when you scowl at me like that you make me nervous.

  She stripped off Riley’s wet diaper and slid a new one under him. Griff was still standing by the door.

  She fastened the tabs and looked up at him again. If he was going to scold her, why didn’t he just do it and get it over with? “Why are you standing there staring at me?”

  “I wanted to warn you about Vince.”

  That was the last thing Jolie had expected him to say. “Warn me about what?”

  “Women fall for him all the time.”

  Jolie opened her mouth to say something, then closed it with a snap. She had no retort.

  “I thought you should know.” He looked as if he was going to say something else, then he stopped.

  She hated when he did that.

  “Thank you for the warning.” She turned back to Riley, concentrating on matching up the snaps on his overalls. What had that been about?

  He nodded and walked away. She watched him disappear, and then the thought struck her. He was jealous. Of Vince. A warm little glow started in her midsection.

  Griff was jealous. That meant he had feelings for her. She leaned over and kissed Riley soundly, feeling better than she had in days.

  Her hands stilled. Is that what she wanted? For Griff to have feelings about her?

  It would be so easy to have a fling with him before she left, so easy to give in to what he had made very clear he wanted.

  Easy. And very stupid.

  She finished snapping up Riley’s overalls and glanced at his face to see why he was being so quiet. The child was fast asleep. Poor little guy, all the excitement had worn him out.

  She was contemplating what she should do with him when Shauna came into the living room.

  “Everything okay?”

  Jolie nodded at Riley. “He’s not used to so much excitement.”

  Shauna pulled an afghan off the couch and spread it on the floor. “They’re dropping like flies. Mattie fell asleep in his mashed potatoes. I’ll put him in here, too, so we can keep an eye on them.”

  Jolie transferred Riley from the couch to the floor. She returned to the table and settled in her chair, feeling Griff’s eyes on her. “Where’s the baby?”

  Conversation at the table stopped and Jolie felt as if everyone was watching them.

  “He fell asleep.” She gestured at Shauna, who was trying to wipe the mashed potatoes out of Mattie’s hair without waking him. “The boys are going to nap in the living room.”

  Griff nodded and went back to eating, but he kept watching her as she finished her dinner and talked to Vince.

  Vince wasn’t flirting with her, and it still seemed to bother Griff.

  Jolie helped the other women with the dishes and took turns checking on the babies. Kathy and her daughters had a warm relationship that Jolie envied. She’d been very young when her own mother died, and she’d not become close with either of her stepmothers, feeling like an unwanted accessory that had come with the marriages.

  Vince wandered into the kitchen and picked up a towel to help with the drying. From the look his sisters exchanged, this was not something he did very often.

  He maneuvered himself until he was standing beside her. “You enjoying your stay in Montana?”

  She smiled up at him, trying to find the right words. “It’s beautiful. So open and, well, big.”

  “Yeah, big.” He grinned back.

  “Where do you live?” She knew he had driven in from somewhere.

  “Boise. I took over a spread owned by my uncle about five years ago.”

  The kitchen door swung open and Griff stood there holding Riley. The baby was rubbing at his eyes and yawning.

  “Time to go.” His tone was abrupt.

  “Okay.” She handed the towel to Vince and reached to take the baby. Riley held out his arms, and she scooped him against her.

  Griff walked over to Kathy and kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks for having us. It was great, as always.”

  Jolie echoed her thank-you.

  Kathy, giving Jolie a long look, said, “Don’t be a stranger.”

  Jolie smiled and murmured a noncommittal comment. She didn’t want to start a discussion about how long she would be staying.

  They said goodbye to everyone on their way out, and Griff silently loaded the baby into his car seat.

  When they were finally all settled in the cab and on their way, Jolie turned to Griff. “Is something wrong?”

  “No.” He kept his eyes straight ahead.

  After more silence and several more miles had passed, Jolie said, “Thank you for inviting me.”

  Griff looked over at her. “Probably not what you’re used to for a holiday.”

  “No, it wasn’t.” Usually she and her father went to the country club and had dinner with each other, or a stepmother if there happened to be one in the picture at the time. Then they would return home. That would be the extent of the holiday. A turkey dinner fixed by someone else. No family, no lively discussions during the meal, no children to watch.

  Jolie wondered what it would be like to really belong here, to be a part of Griff’s life. She sneaked a peek at his beautiful profile. What would it be like to pack up their children and spend the day with the Morgan family, then drive home and put sleepy children to bed and spend some time together, just the two of them?

  Suddenly she realized that was exactly what she wanted. Not a brief affair. She wanted a whole life. With him.

  To head up the stairs at the end of the day and look in on their offspring before they went to bed. To wake up in his arms in the morning and wait for him to come home at night. />
  “Jolie?”

  She realized they were home. “What?”

  “Are you okay?” He eyed her closely.

  “I’m fine.” She managed a smile as she turned to unbuckle Riley’s car seat belt.

  But she wasn’t fine. She felt like a raw nerve. She’d been attracted to him from the minute he’d walked into the diner.

  When had she fallen in love with Griff? It had sneaked up on her.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  No, she wanted to shout, I’m not fine. I love you, and you act like you don’t even like me half the time.

  There was no way she was going to tell him how she felt and open herself up to that kind of hurt.

  “I’m fine, really.” Actually she was going to cry.

  He was still staring at her as he pulled Riley from his seat and handed him over. “I have to go down to the barn.”

  “Good, that’s good. You go ahead.” She hurried up the front steps and into the house.

  When she looked back through the window in the front door he was standing by the truck, watching her.

  Well, he didn’t have to ever find out how she felt. He didn’t have the same feelings, and getting dumped once in a month was about her limit.

  She carried the baby up the stairs and let the tears fall when she was sure he couldn’t see her anymore.

  Chapter Ten

  Griff watched Jolie race up the steps to the house as if her tail was on fire. What the heck had happened in the truck on the way home?

  She’d had the look of a woman who was going to cry.

  He headed for the barn and tried to remember what little conversation they’d had.

  Maybe Vince had said something to upset her. But she’d seemed fine when they left the Morgans.

  Griff rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. If he lived to be one hundred he probably would never understand women.

  He checked in with the hands, then went to inspect the generator. The weather was turning cold, and they’d need it before long.

  His thoughts drifted back to Jolie. She really seemed to enjoy the gathering at the Morgans. She probably was used to parties and going out to dinner.

  She hadn’t taken a day off since she got here. Caring for a baby was like running a ranch. Twenty-four-hour-a-day operation.