From Neighbors...to Newlyweds?

by Brenda Harlen

  “So—” he nudged her playfully, caused tingles to dance down her spine and toward all of her erogenous zones “—do you want to come over for a burger?”

  When he looked at her the way he was looking at her now, she was almost ready to admit that she wanted a lot more than a burger. But she wasn’t going to get into that kind of conversation in front of his family and friends.

  Instead, she forced herself to match his casual tone and said, “Yes, I think I do.”

  He held her gaze for another minute, then turned to call out to Shane and Quinn. “Come on, boys. Let’s go get lunch.”

  Chapter Eleven

  The twins were racing across the yard before Matt finished speaking.

  “I remember when Brittney was that young—and that active—and wishing I could figure out a way to bottle that energy,” Kelsey said to Georgia.

  “I wish the same thing,” she agreed. “Every single day.”

  Matt wanted to be part of her every single day—to share the joys and responsibilities of raising a family with her. But as much as he wanted it, the prospect also scared the hell out of him.

  After the failure of his marriage, he’d thought he might never heal, and he’d vowed that he would never give his heart to anyone again. Somehow, over the past few weeks, Georgia and her kids had stolen it away from him. And he didn’t know whether to be frustrated or grateful that she didn’t seem to have a clue.

  Luke’s elbow jamming into his ribs severed his wayward thoughts. “Since you’ve got your arms full of adoring female, I’ll take Finn and Fred back to the house.”

  Matt nodded and glanced down at the little girl in his arms. He didn’t know if she was adoring, but she was absolutely adorable, and gazing up at him with big blue eyes just like her mother’s. And just like her mother, she had firmly taken hold of his heart.

  Luke and Kelsey headed back across the yard with the puppies, while Georgia gathered up Pippa’s supplies. By the time she and Matt made their way across the yard, Jack had the food line moving. Hot dogs and hamburgers were available at the barbecue and an assortment of potluck dishes were set out on the picnic table. Brittney—having finally ended her conversation with Brayden—held Shane’s plate so that he could load it up. Like his brother, he opted for the hot dog with a side of macaroni salad and homemade baked beans.

  “Beans are awesome!” Quinn declared. “They make you fart real loud!”

  Though everyone chuckled—even Adam, the baker of the beans—Matt saw the color rise in Georgia’s cheeks, the natural blush making her eyes look even bluer than usual and somehow more beautiful.

  By the time she settled Pippa in her bouncy chair and they joined the food line, the boys were half finished with their meals. Matt introduced Georgia to various guests who passed by: Adam Webber and Melanie Quinlan; Tyler Sullivan; Tyler’s brother, Mason, and Mason’s wife, Zoe, and their kids; Gage and Megan Richmond and their three-year-old son, Marcus.

  “And there’s Megan’s sister—”

  “I’m never going to remember everyone,” Georgia warned him.

  “—Ashley Turcotte and her husband, Cameron.”

  But she smiled as the couple drew nearer. “I’ll remember those names, because Dr. Turcotte is our new family doctor.”

  “I’m only a doctor when I’m wearing the white coat,” Cameron said, protesting her use of his formal title.

  “Or when there’s a scraped knee in the vicinity,” his wife added, offering her hand.

  “I’m Georgia Reed.”

  “The city girl with the three kids who moved in next to Dr. Garrett,” Ashley noted.

  “He moved in next to me,” Georgia pointed out, with just a hint of exasperation in her tone.

  The other woman chuckled. “I know, but the rumor mill always orbits around the locals.”

  “Which is just one more reason to be glad you’re an import,” Matt told her. Then, to Ashley, “Where are Maddie and Alyssa?”

  “Our daughters discovered your tree house.”

  “Have they eaten?” Cameron asked.

  “Maddie said that they needed to go exploring to work up an appetite first,” his wife explained.

  “Those are my boys,” Georgia told Ashley, pointing out the twins who were seated on a blanket with Brittney. “They always seem to have an appetite.”

  “But their mom needs to eat, too,” Matt said, nudging Georgia toward the barbecue where Jack had a long-handled spatula in one hand and his own burger in the other.

  “Make sure you try Zoe’s broccoli salad,” Ashley advised.

  Matt and Georgia loaded up their plates and found a couple of empty chairs near Brittney and the twins. A few minutes later, Kelsey and her husband, Ian, joined them. And when everyone had a plate, Jack finally abandoned the grill and came over.

  “Hey, Britt, I heard Matt talked you into playing on our softball team for the Fourth of July tournament,” he said.

  “Despite my protests and against my better judgment,” she said. “Which I’ll remind you again when I strike out for the umpteenth time.”

  “We’ve got three weeks to practice—we’ll get you hitting the ball,” he said confidently.

  The teen shook her head. “I really suck, Uncle Jack.”

  “I’m sure you’re not that bad.” Kelsey tried to assure her daughter.

  “Actually she is,” Luke said, dropping onto the blanket beside the twins.

  Brittney wadded up her napkin to throw it at him—and missed her target by a mile.

  He winked at her. “Thanks for proving my point.”

  “You can show her how it’s done at practice tomorrow,” Matt told his brother.

  “Three o’clock at the park,” Jack confirmed.

  “There’s swings at the park,” Shane said.

  “And monkey bars!” Quinn added.

  “Do you guys want to go to the park?” Brittney asked.

  They both nodded enthusiastically.

  She looked at their mother. “Do you mind if I take them over there for a while?”

  “They would be thrilled and I would be grateful,” Georgia told her.

  “Why don’t we round up all the kids and I’ll go with you?” Luke offered. He looked at Jack, as if he expected to rope him into babysitting duty, too.

  Jack shook his head. “I’m going to check the food supply, make sure no one goes hungry.”

  Ian stood up. “Actually, I could go for another burger.”

  “Me, too,” Matt said, then he turned to Georgia. “Do you want anything?”

  “Brittney to live with me so she can keep the boys entertained 24/7?” she asked hopefully.

  “You’ll have to talk to her mother about that,” he said, heading back toward the barbecue.

  Georgia turned to see Kelsey was already shaking her head. “Sorry, but Northeastern has dibs.”

  “But not until September, right?”

  “Not until September,” she agreed, then sighed. “Damn, I’m going to miss her.”

  “I can imagine,” Georgia admitted. “The boys are only starting kindergarten in the fall, but already I’m thinking about how quiet the house will seem when they’re at school.”

  “Don’t blink,” Kelsey warned. “Because before you know it, they’ll be packing their bags for college.”

  Georgia watched the boys, each one holding on to one of Brittney’s hands, with a trail of other kids behind them. They were in their glory, not just because they had Brittney’s attention but because there were other kids to play with, too.

  “I’m not accustomed to anything like this,” she told Kelsey.

  “Like what?”

  “Big, noisy get-togethers. Growing up, it was just my mom and my sisters and I. Obviously, I didn’t know what I was missing.”

  “You mean the chaos and confusion?” Kelsey teased.

  Georgia smiled. “No, that came along with the twins. What I meant was the camaraderie, and the sense of comfort that comes from knowing that the
re’s always someone there. Matt and his brothers might argue and tease one another mercilessly, but there’s no doubt that each one would go to the wall for the others.”

  “And they have,” Kelsey confirmed. “You don’t have that kind of relationship with your sisters?”

  Georgia shook her head. “Maybe it’s geography—I’m here, Virginia’s in Texas and Indy’s in Alaska.”

  “That’s a lot of distance,” the other woman noted.

  “I sometimes wonder if we went our separate ways because we never had a sense of belonging anywhere.”

  “It makes a difference,” Kelsey agreed. “Matt and Jack and Luke all went away to school, but they all came back to Pinehurst in the end.”

  “How about you?” Georgia asked.

  The other woman shook her head. “My sister was the one with wanderlust. I never wanted to be anywhere else.”

  “I had mixed feelings about moving to Pinehurst after my husband died. But now, I’m so glad that I did. This is what I want for my children—a home in a community where everyone looks out for their neighbors.”

  “Is that a diplomatic way of saying ‘where everyone butts into everyone else’s business’?”

  “That thought never once crossed my mind.”

  Kelsey laughed, because she saw right through the lie. “So tell me, now that you’ve accepted we’re all busybodies, what has Matt said or done that has you worried?”

  Georgia wasn’t usually the type to confide in a woman she barely knew, but she didn’t know many people in Pinehurst and she desperately needed someone to talk to. And Kelsey seemed a more logical choice than the elderly Mrs. Dunford.

  “He kissed me,” she admitted.

  “And that surprised you?”

  “Maybe not the kiss itself,” she admitted. “But the intensity of it.”

  “Matt’s never been the type to do anything by half measures,” Kelsey said. Then, after a beat, she asked, “How was it?”

  Just the memory of that kiss had Georgia’s blood humming. “Beyond spectacular.”

  The other woman grinned. “Go Matt.”

  “That’s the problem,” Georgia said. “I don’t know if I’m ready for this...attraction...to go anywhere.”

  “You’re deluding yourself if you think you can stop it.”

  Georgia frowned at that.

  “You’re thinking about the kids,” Kelsey guessed. “‘What if I get involved with this guy and things don’t work out?’”

  She nodded, surprised that a woman she barely knew could be so attuned to her thoughts and concerns. Except that Kelsey was a mother, too, so maybe it wasn’t surprising at all.

  “Pippa’s probably young enough that you don’t have to worry about her too much, but the boys are already looking at Matt as if the sun rises and sets in him, and what will happen if things don’t work out and he’s not part of their lives anymore?”

  She blew out a breath. “You’re good at this.”

  Kelsey shrugged. “I’m a student of human nature—and I can see the situation a little more clearly because I’m not personally involved.

  “I can also tell you,” she continued, “that Matt isn’t the type of guy to play fast and loose with anyone’s heart. Despite my teasing, he wouldn’t have invited you here tonight, with his family and his friends, if this wasn’t where he wanted you to be.”

  “Or maybe he just figured I’d be less likely to complain about the music if I was invited to the party.”

  “You really don’t see it, do you?”

  “See what?” she asked warily.

  “How completely smitten he is.”

  “He’s been a good friend—”

  Kelsey snorted.

  “—and he’s absolutely terrific with the kids.”

  “I’ve never known a man better suited to being a father or more deserving of a family,” the other woman said. “Which is why I know Matt would never risk everything we just talked about if he wasn’t sure he wanted a future with you.”

  “I think you might be reading too much into the situation.”

  Kelsey just smiled. “He already loves your kids, Georgia. When are you going to figure out that he’s more than halfway in love with you, too?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “Now you’re definitely reading too much into things.”

  “And that instinctive panicked reaction is probably why he hasn’t told you how he feels,” Kelsey said.

  Then she gathered up the empty plates and headed up to the house, leaving Georgia alone to think about what she’d said.

  She decided that just because Kelsey and Matt were good friends didn’t mean that the other woman knew what was in his heart. Certainly he’d never given any indication that he was “halfway in love” with her, or even “completely smitten.” Sure, he flirted with her, and he’d kissed her once—okay, a few times, but the more recent kisses had been too quick to really count, even if she’d felt tingles all the way down to her toes—but he hadn’t given any indication he wanted to take things any further than that.

  She wanted to put Kelsey’s words out of her mind, but her gaze kept zeroing in on Matt as she watched him mingle with his friends, and she couldn’t help but admire his easy manner. She also couldn’t help but admire the way his shorts hugged his spectacular backside, and felt that now-familiar throbbing in her veins. There was no doubt about it, Matt Garrett was a fine specimen of masculinity.

  It was only Pippa’s fussing that succeeded in tearing her attention away from the doctor next door, and she ducked into the house to find a private corner to nurse her. When the baby was finally sated, Georgia rejoined the group that had gathered on Matt’s back deck. With all the other kids at the park with Brittney and Luke, Pippa was the star attraction, and she was happy to let herself be passed from one set of arms to another, charming all with her big blue eyes and even bigger smile.

  Georgia was chatting to Adam Webber—a fifth-grade teacher at the school the boys would be attending in the fall—when Matt made his way back to her. Adam, catching a look from the host, excused himself to grab another drink. When he did, Matt stepped into the space his friend had vacated and slipped an arm around Georgia’s waist.

  She eyed him warily. “You’re going to give your friends the wrong idea about us.”

  He nuzzled her ear, and she couldn’t quite suppress the delicious shiver that skated down her spine. “I’m trying to give you the right idea about us.”

  “You haven’t listened to anything I’ve said, have you?”

  “I’ve listened to a lot of things you’ve said,” he countered. “But all your protests about not wanting to get involved can’t override how right you feel in my arms. Or the fact that your body’s instinctive reactions contradict your verbal responses.”

  She just sighed. “I don’t know what to do about you.”

  “I have a few ideas,” he teased. “But I’m not sure you’re ready to hear them just yet.”

  “We’re friends,” she said firmly.

  “Believe me, I’m feeling very friendly right now.”

  She shook her head, but she couldn’t help smiling. “You are far too charming for your own good.”

  “The Garrett curse,” he lamented.

  “I’ll bet it is.”

  * * *

  Somehow, Georgia was still there when the rest of Matt’s guests had cleared out. The twins had played for hours outside—first with the puppies, then at the park with Brittney and the other kids, then with the puppies again—until they were as tired out as their four-legged friends. Georgia had wanted to take them home to get them ready for bed, but they’d balked at that idea. When Matt suggested they could go inside to watch TV, they’d jumped all over that offer with both feet.

  Pippa was awake again, but happily playing with the soft toys attached to her bouncy chair. Her fussy nights finally seemed to be a thing of the past, for which Georgia was immensely grateful. But while Georgia was getting more sleep, she wasn’t feelin
g any more rested because her sleep continued to be disturbed by erotic dreams starring one very handsome doctor.

  “I didn’t think they would ever leave,” Matt said, as the last car pulled out of the driveway.

  “You have an interesting group of friends,” she noted. “Have you known them all very long?”

  “Most of us go back to grade school,” he admitted.

  “Really?”

  “Why do you sound so incredulous? You must keep in touch with friends you went to school with.”

  She shook her head. “There were too many schools to keep track from one year to the next. In fact, it was rare for me to walk out of class in June at the same school I’d started in September.”

  “Was your father in the military?”

  “No, my mother was following her bliss.”

  “Really?”

  “She’s settled down in recent years—or so I thought until I got the phone call informing me that she’d found husband number five.”

  “Where’s your dad?” Matt wondered.

  “Somewhere in Atlanta.”

  “Is that why you’re named Georgia?”

  She nodded. “And I have a half sister named Virginia and another half sister named Indy.”

  “Short for Indiana?” he guessed.

  “No, she was actually named for the Indy race circuit. Her father was a member of one of the pit crews and we traveled so much from track to track that summer, Charlotte couldn’t be sure whether the baby had been conceived in Wisconsin or Iowa, so she decided to go with Indy.”

  He smiled. “A good choice, considering the other options.”

  She nodded her agreement. “Charlotte always said the only crime in life is in not following your heart wherever it wants to lead.”

  “And you disapprove of that philosophy?” he guessed.

  “I didn’t see that following her heart ever led to anything more than heartache.”

  “Did you never follow yours?”

  She glanced away. “I believe the desires of the heart need to be balanced against the reason of the mind.”

  “How long did it take you to balance the desires of your heart with the reason of your mind when your husband proposed?” he teased.

  “He never actually proposed.”