The 15 lb. Matchmaker

by Jill Limber

  The ranch was running well. Alice, the new nanny, was taking great care of Riley and the house, and he was pushing himself through each day, hoping to be tired enough to sleep at night.

  He slid the Christmas card from Jolie from under the blotter on his desk. She had written him an impersonal little note and included it with a box of toys for Riley.

  He’d read it a thousand times.

  Maybe a cup of coffee might help clear his head. He walked into the kitchen as the new nanny was wiping breakfast off Riley’s face.

  Alice Muller looked up. “Coffee? Fresh pot.”

  She was wonderful. Quietly efficient, good cook, and she never pried into his personal life.

  Everything he’d thought he wanted.

  He missed Jolie so badly it hurt.

  Riley, tired of being ignored, squealed and held out his arms to Griff.

  Griff felt a little twist in the middle of his chest. When had he become so attached to the child? The little fellow had wormed his way into Griff’s heart.

  “Hey, buddy,” he said, using Jolie’s favorite nickname for the boy. “You finally done eating?”

  He lifted Riley out of the high chair and set him on the floor. He wobbled and grabbed hold of Griff’s leg.

  “Alice, where did you put Miss Carleton’s suitcase?” He would drop it off at Winslow’s this afternoon so it could be shipped with her car.

  “In the closet in the baby’s room.”

  Griff had asked Alice to pack up Jolie’s things. He had been so angry when she’d left so suddenly, he didn’t want to deal with it.

  “Her car is repaired, so I’m going to take her bag into Billings later. It can be shipped with the car.” And then he wouldn’t have a physical reminder of her in the house.

  Yeah, Price, he thought. No physical reminders, just memories that haunted him awake and asleep.

  He picked up Riley and handed him to Alice so he wouldn’t try to follow Griff out the back door and down to the barns.

  Ranch work had slowed to a crawl, and Griff hadn’t replaced the two hands who had quit around Christmas. He had enough work for those who were left until he had to hire again in the spring.

  He found Chris and Lem in the tractor barn. The engine of the thresher was spread out on an old blanket on the floor.

  “Find the problem yet?” He eyed the parts with a degree of skepticism. Things mechanical were beyond him.

  Chris looked up. “Yeah, I think we found the problem.”

  “I’m going in to Winslow’s. You need him to order parts?”

  “If it’s what we think, we’re okay.” Chris bent back over his work, then looked up. “You going to get Miss Jolie’s car? Is she coming to pick it up?”

  “No. Winslow’s going to ship it to Seattle.”

  Chris looked disappointed. “Too bad.”

  Griff turned abruptly and walked out, not knowing if Chris was referring to Jolie or the car.

  The thought of her coming back brought a yearning he didn’t want to deal with.

  Griff headed back to the house and shucked off his jacket and hat on the mud porch. Alice was up to her elbows in flour when he walked into the kitchen.

  “Where’s Riley?”

  “Down for his morning nap. I put the suitcase out in the hall.” She gestured to a small pile of folded clothes on the counter. “You need to put those away.”

  He didn’t recognize the clothes. “What are these?”

  “I found them in a basket of clean baby clothes. I assume they belong to Miss Carleton.”

  Grabbing the clothes, he headed upstairs and picked up Jolie’s leather bag on the way to his room.

  He put the suitcase on the bed and snapped open the latches. When he raised the lid Jolie’s scent wafted up and nearly brought him to his knees.

  Bracing both hands on the edge of the bed, he stared at Jolie’s things. He’d made a huge mistake. Jolie wasn’t Deirdre. Or his mother. He had lumped all women together and lost his chance with her because of it.

  When she’d first arrived he’d tagged her as a woman running from a man. The way his wife had run and his mother.

  But Jolie had proved her staying power. No matter how he had pulled away in the beginning, she’d pushed and pushed until he’d gotten used to Riley. He’d stopped seeing the boy as a symbol of the betrayal of his wife and brother.

  That alone was a gift he could never repay.

  He’d pressured her for a physical relationship with no strings attached, and even though she’d been tempted, she’d stuck by her guns.

  Jolie might have grown up soft and pampered, but she’d shown him a strong woman. She had honesty. And character.

  She wanted a home and a family. Commitment. And he had no doubts a lucky man smarter than himself would offer her all that and more.

  The thought of her in another man’s bed made him furious.

  Griff threw her clothes in the case and slammed down the lid.

  Was it too late? Had he hurt her so much she wouldn’t give him another chance?”

  Griff heard his father’s voice repeating his oft-spoken phrase. Can’t know unless you try.

  What if he called and she said no?

  He wouldn’t call. He’d go to Seattle and see her. He could talk her into it.

  Should he take Riley? He suspected she’d marry him because she loved the baby, but he wanted her to say yes because she wanted him.

  He ran down the stairs and into the kitchen, Jolie’s suitcase banging against his leg.

  Alice looked up, startled by his sudden entrance.

  “I’m going to Seattle. Can you take care of Riley and the house for a week or so?”

  She didn’t even bat an eye. “I have to go to my granddaughter’s dance recital on Saturday, but I can take him along.”

  He set the suitcase down and ran his hands through his hair. “I need a haircut. And I need to talk to the men. Pack, I have to pack.”

  Alice looked at him, nonplussed. “What time does your plane leave?”

  Distracted, he realized she’d asked him a question. “Plane? I haven’t called the airline. Wait, I’ll drive her car back. Yeah, that will work.”

  He raced out the back door without his jacket, leaving Alice shaking her head and muttering, “About time he came to his senses.”

  Griff slammed into the tractor barn. Chris and Lem both leaped to their feet. “Boss, what’s wrong?”

  “Wrong? Nothing. I’m going to Seattle. I’m leaving you two in charge.”

  “When?”

  “Now. Today.”

  Chris’s face broke into a big grin. “About time.”

  Lem rocked back on his boot heels and nodded, his face split by a big grin.

  Griff was too agitated to be annoyed with his top hands. “I’ll probably be gone a week. Can you look in on Alice and Riley and take care of things around here?”

  “No problem. You flying?”

  “I’m going to drive Jolie’s car back.”

  Chris, a look of longing on his face said, “Lucky. That’s one fine car.”

  Lem rocked on his heels some more. “That’s one fine woman.”

  All three men nodded in unison.

  “Thanks. You can reach me on my cell phone if you have an emergency.” He turned and walked out of the barn, leaving both his hands grinning like fools.

  He wondered if they had any idea how scared he was.

  Jolie stared out her bedroom window at the storm brewing over Puget Sound. When she heard a knock on her door, she glanced at her clock, surprised it was time for lunch.

  “Come in.”

  The maid stuck her head in the room. “Miss Jolie, there’s a man downstairs to see you.”

  She wasn’t expecting anyone. “Who is it, Nadia?”

  “I didn’t get his name, miss. He brought your car.”

  “Thank you.” She’d have to go down and sign for the delivery.

  The final link with Griff and Riley and Montana had been del
ivered to her front door. She had toyed with the idea of flying back herself to get it, but driving would have been difficult. She still had the cast on her wrist.

  She stood and smoothed the wrinkles out of her slacks. “Tell him I’ll be right down.”

  Maybe it was for the best. With that last link severed maybe she could start to forget how she had fallen in love in Montana.

  She came down the stairs. The foyer appeared to be empty. Perhaps Nadia had taken the man to the kitchen for something to drink.

  As she got to the last step, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned, and there he was, not ten feet away.

  Griff.

  She froze on the step, wondering for a giddy moment if he were real. He had on dark slacks and a blue dress shirt. She’d never seen him in anything but jeans and flannel shirts.

  “Hello, Jolie.” His voice was quiet, his expression subdued.

  Oh, God, she thought, frozen in place. Fear choked her throat. “Has something happened to Riley?”

  He shook his head and took a step toward her. “No. He’s fine.”

  She waited for him to say more, but he just stood there, staring at her, making her tremble with wanting him. “Why are you here?”

  “I brought your car.” He waved his hand in the direction of the front door.

  That still didn’t answer her question. Her father had arranged to have the car shipped. “But why are you here?”

  “Because I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye.”

  He hadn’t called or written. In four weeks and three days she hadn’t heard a word from him. “You drove all the way here to say goodbye?”

  Finally he smiled. “And to thank you for everything.”

  “You’re welcome,” she said, sounding normal in spite of the fact her heart was breaking all over again.

  “And to ask you to come back to Montana.” He stopped in front of her and took her hands to draw her off the bottom step, frowning down at the cast on her wrist.

  The feel of his hands holding hers stole her breath. It took a moment for his words to sink in. “Isn’t Alice working out?”

  He ran his hands up her arms. “She’s great. I don’t need a nanny.”

  “Griff, I—”

  He cut her off. “Let me say this while I can. I’m not very good with words.”

  Jolie looked up at his troubled face, afraid of what he was going to say.

  “I thought I’d never have feelings for anyone again. It hurt too much.” He let go of her hand and made a fist over his heart. “Here. But when you left, I realized how much I had come to care for you.”

  “What do you want from me?” Jolie held her breath.

  He brought their clasped hands to his lips. “I love you. Jolie, will you marry me?”

  Stunned, she stood staring up at him. “What?”

  He dropped her hand and pulled her into his arms. He lowered his face to hers and brushed his lips across her mouth.

  In a low tone he said, “You heard me. I love you. I want to get married.”

  She began to tremble in his arms. “When?” If this was all a dream she never wanted to wake up.

  He picked her up and spun her around. “Today. Right now!”

  She threw her arms around his neck, tears running down her cheeks. “Oh, Griff, I’ve missed you so much. And Riley.”

  He laughed. “Good. Because he’s part of the package.”

  Face solemn, she wiggled out of his grasp and held him at arm’s length. “I want more children.” Jolie studied his face.

  “Sure. We can manage that. Want to start right now?” He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

  Jolie threw herself back into his arms. “I love you so much.”

  Griff kissed her again, then pushed her back far enough that she could see his face. “You didn’t answer my question.”

  At her puzzled look he said, “Say yes!”

  “Yes, yes, yes!”

  He laughed and hauled her into his warm embrace. “I will love you, Jolie Carleton, for the rest of my life.”

  “Good. Because I’m never letting you go.” She knew she had the courage to hold on to what she loved most.

  Forever.

  ISBN: 978-1-4603-5338-7

  THE 15 LB. MATCHMAKER

  Copyright © 2002 by Jill Limber

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