The Matchmaker Bride

by Ginny Baird

  “No, but there still are certain perks.”

  Meredith was about to convince herself she’d been wrong to try to help Olivia, but then Olivia said, “Like the way they all seem so fond of each other. There’s a lot of love in that group. Anyone can see that. I’m sure that you have.”

  “Um, yeah. Of course.”

  “You couldn’t fault a girl for wanting to be a part of it. Especially when…” Olivia’s eyes glistened. “I want to do things better this time.”

  “Better?”

  “Less angry. More loving. I’ll even learn to cook!”

  “Oh!”

  “Derrick’s so wonderful.” Olivia sighed. “I can’t believe I ever let him go.”

  “So you are interested in giving things another try?”

  “Only if he is.”

  The shower stopped running.

  “Olivia,” Meredith said, standing. “I want you to tell Derrick all of those things you just told me. Well, maybe not all of them. But about the love within his family, and how you want to do better.” Meredith picked up one of the suitcases she’d packed while Olivia was in the shower. She’d already placed her other luggage in her car, including that shoe rack from Derrick. She’d had to bite back her tears seeing that. It would be a keepsake from her time here, she guessed. Something to remember him by, however sadly.

  “Wait? Where are you going?”

  “To stay with my Titi Clarita.”

  Olivia’s worried gaze trailed to the window and the trees bending sideways in the wind. “Are you sure you should be driving in that?”

  “I’ll be okay, but I’d better get going before things get worse.”

  Olivia nodded from where she sat at the table. “Be careful. And, thanks!”

  Meredith halted at the front door. “Just one more thing,” she said before leaving. “Be good to him. No shouting, okay?”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Titi Clarita was surprised to see Meredith at the door, and even more startled by her luggage. She’d left her large suitcase in her trunk for now and only carried her tote and small rolling bag. “Mija,” she said. “Oh no, what’s going on? Are you all right?”

  Meredith moved past her and into the guesthouse, setting her stuff down.

  “You’ll be proud of me. I did the right thing.”

  “The right thing how?”

  “I think it’s going to work,” she said. “Derrick and Olivia getting back together.”

  Clarita’s eyes registered worry. “I see.”

  “Do you mind if I stay here?”

  “Of course you should stay, but what about Olivia?”

  “The weather’s pretty bad. I’m guessing she’ll stay at the cabin tonight.”

  “And Derrick? He’s fine with this?”

  “I think so. I left when he was in the shower.”

  Clarita shook her head. “Olivia told me she was going out to talk to him. What did she say?”

  “I wasn’t a witness, but did get a preview. I’ve got a hunch it’s going make an impact on him.”

  “You believe he still loves her?”

  “I believe that he wants to.” Meredith felt herself crumble. “Why does it feel so wrong? Doing what is right?” Heat prickled the backs of her eyes and Clarita pulled her into a hug.

  “You’ve fallen for him yourself, haven’t you?”

  When Meredith didn’t answer, Clarita hugged her harder. “It’s okay, I can understand why, and I don’t blame you.”

  “But I blame myself,” Meredith blubbered. She was crying now, even though she tried to hold back her tears. “And it’s all been for nothing, Titi Clarita. Nothing at all.” She wept, sobbing harder. “I didn’t even get the streaming deal!”

  Clarita patted her back. “Well, there’s always syndication—”

  Meredith shook her head.

  “No?” Clarita said softly. “Not that, either?”

  Meredith stared at her teary-eyed. “I really am a wreck, aren’t I?”

  “Maybe so. But you’re an accomplished one.” She held Meredith’s chin. “You’re a great matchmaker, Meredith.” More tears leaked from her eyes, because her aunt never called her by her stage name. “And your show will go on, do you hear me? Maybe you didn’t get the wider distribution deal this week. But, in the future? Who knows? Never give up on your dreams.”

  “You’re right.” Meredith cleaned her face with the tissue Clarita handed her. Then she loudly blew her nose. “I have a lot to be thankful for. My job. Mom and Dad.” She looked her sweet aunt in the eye. “You.”

  Clarita braced Meredith’s shoulders. “We just have a couple more days to get through. Unless you want to leave sooner?”

  “No. I wouldn’t do that to William and Sofia. Grandmother Margaret and Grandpa Chad, either. Not after the hospitality they’ve extended.” She drew in a deep breath and released it. “Besides, I need to see this thing through with Derrick and Olivia. I promised him.”

  “That’s my girl. Thinking of others.” Meredith felt like an enormous phony, until Clarita added. “For once.”

  Meredith gasped but then she burst into laughter. Clarita was laughing, too. “You can’t help it that you were a spoiled only child.”

  “Titi Clarita!”

  “The important thing is that you’re growing out of it now.” Clarita winked. “Hmm?”

  “Argh, but these growing pains hurt.”

  “Naturally, they do,” Clarita said. “Would chocolate help?”

  Meredith’s spirits brightened. “You’ve got chocolate?”

  “Margaret dropped by a nice big batch of brownies earlier. Chewy coconut walnut.”

  “Oh yum.”

  “Have you had dinner?”

  “No.”

  “Then I’ll make up a plate of cheese and crackers, too.” She gave Meredith a motherly smile. “Why don’t you change into pajamas, and we’ll have a girls’ night.”

  “Watch rom-coms?”

  “Of course!” Clarita paused. “Milk with the snacks or wine?”

  Meredith chuckled. “Let’s say wine.”

  She felt so much better after talking to her aunt. Even though her heart was breaking inside, she could find a way to ignore that for the time being with delicious brownies and funny and romantic movies in the mix.

  She carried her rolling bag downstairs, deciding to sleep on the pull-out sofa in the cozy den. She didn’t want to stay in the room with the twin beds where Olivia had stayed, and her aunt occupied the master bedroom on the main floor.

  She set her small suitcase on a chair and unzipped it, tugging out the football jersey…then stopped, looking down at the piece of clothing. She’d told Derrick she’d kept it because it reminded her of the hopefulness in that relationship. Was that really it, or had she unknowingly been nursing her wounds these past two years about Jack?

  Part of her had been thinking she’d ditch it once she had a new man in her life, which was a pretty stupid excuse for hanging onto it anyway. She didn’t need an old jersey to remind herself that she was special. Derrick had made her feel that by just looking into her eyes. This thought made her burst into tears again.

  But enough! She had to stop! She didn’t need to rely on a guy to make her feel good about herself. She could do that all on her own by being a caring and giving person.

  She wiped the tears from her eyes, gathering her courage.

  Forget about the past.

  Forget about Jack.

  And most critically, forget about Derrick.

  She was done with the fantasy of imagining he might actually fall for her, when all along he’d wanted Olivia. And who wouldn’t want Olivia, really? The woman was seriously about as perfect as any woman could get, even if she wasn’t a park ranger.

  She trudged up into the kitchen,
where her aunt was preparing the food and pouring them glasses of wine.

  “What are you doing?” Clarita asked, noting her determined gaze.

  Meredith stepped on the pedal of the kitchen trashcan and flipped it open.

  “Moving on,” she said, dumping the jersey inside.

  …

  Derrick sat with Olivia in his kitchen, his gut all twisted up inside. Meredith had bolted out of here without so much as a word of goodbye. If she was going to go, she’d probably left at a good time. The storm had started in earnest. Fierce winds ripped across the bay, which was pummeled by torrents of rain.

  Olivia fiddled with the picnic basket on the table. She’d said she’d come to talk and now it was just the two of them. He realized it was late and that he should probably fix them something to eat. This storm wasn’t lifting for a while.

  “Hungry?”

  “Maybe a little.”

  He eyed the picnic basket. “What did you bring us?”

  “Simple stuff. Sandwiches.” She peered inside the basket and pulled a face. “They’re kind of wet now.”

  “I’ve got a frozen pizza in the freezer?”

  Her pretty face lit up. Somehow it didn’t hold the glow that Meredith’s did, though. “Pizza sounds great.”

  Winds howled and they both glanced at the dock. “You should probably stay over,” he said. “I don’t think you should be driving anywhere tonight.”

  She blushed. “I can stay on the sleeper sofa.”

  He reached for the pizza in the freezer, thinking he wouldn’t have it any other way. “Sure.” He reached in the fridge for a beer. “Want one of these, or some wine maybe?”

  She shrugged. “I’ll take a beer.” He set her bottle down in front of her and readied the pizza, popping it in the oven. Then he sat down at the table with her.

  “Derrick,” she said. “I’m sorry for all the shouting. I really am.”

  He frowned, embarrassed he’d lost his temper, too. “Yeah, same.”

  “I like us better when we’re talking.”

  “Me, too.” He chuckled and took a sip of his beer. Still, he felt anything but lighthearted. Having Olivia here was fine, and he appreciated that she wanted to apologize. But he couldn’t help but feel like the wrong woman sat at his table.

  Her forehead creased. “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s nothing. It’s just Meredith left kind of abruptly. Did she say anything?”

  “Only that she wanted to check in with her aunt.”

  “I hope she got there safely.”

  “If she’d had any trouble, I’m sure we would have heard.”

  He nodded, knowing she was right.

  “Olivia.” He cleared his throat. “Seeing you again has been—”

  “Great, right?” She grinned and his heart sank. He hated to disappoint her.

  “I’m not so sure.”

  “Not so sure about what?”

  “Not so sure about us.” He shot her a questioning look. “Are you?”

  She bit her lip. “Honestly? No. But Derrick, if there’s a chance, don’t you think we should try? I mean, I’m prepared to try harder. I’ve always loved your family. All of you. And you and I—back in the day—we had something, right?”

  “We did.” He swallowed hard. “But that was then and this is now.”

  “What’s that mean?”

  “Times have changed. We’ve changed.”

  She ducked her chin. “I’d like to think for the better.”

  His tensions eased. “Yeah, maybe so.”

  She stared at the table, thinking. “You know,” she said, “we don’t have to decide anything today, or even tomorrow. This is Julia’s weekend, right? Maybe we should keep it that way.”

  Derrick nodded, appreciating her kindness. “I think that’s wise.”

  “So then, here’s what we’ll do.” Her green eyes sparkled. “Let’s take the pressure off, and see what happens?”

  That sounded super to him. “I’m up for that.”

  “We had something once,” she said. “So maybe we will again. And, Derrick?” Her eyebrows arched. “It’s really okay if what develops between us turns out to be just friends. It’s been nice to get a little closure, you know?”

  He felt like a two-hundred-pound weight had been lifted off his chest. “I’m so glad you said that.”

  She grinned then teased. “And I’m so glad that you’ve got pizza. It smells delicious.”

  He chuckled, feeling a million times better about everything.

  “Yeah.” He took a swig of his beer. “It does.”

  She clicked her beer bottle against hers in a toast. “So here’s to the christening then.”

  He toasted back. “Here’s to Julia.” In his heart, he was thinking of his niece, he really was. But he was also thinking about Meredith.

  …

  Meredith and her aunt went up to the main house at a little after eleven the next morning. William and Sofia had taken the baby out for a stroll and Margaret was busy in the kitchen, with Chad at her side wearing an apron and helping her chop cooked ham for ham salad. He dipped his fingers into a pickle spear jar on the counter and munched on one. Margaret slapped his hand.

  “Stop that! You’ll eat them all.”

  “No, I won’t,” he said. “We’ve got a second jar.” He winked at Clarita and Meredith as they passed through the room.

  “Need any help?” Clarita asked.

  “Just help yourselves to some coffee,” Margaret said.

  “Or to a Bloody Mary,” Chad said. “There’s a pitcher in the fridge.”

  “Ooh,” Clarita said, then Meredith whispered to her. “Let’s wait until the others do.”

  When they reached the den they found Hope and Brent, and Sally all holding Bloody Marys, with celery stalks poking out of their glasses. Derrick and Olivia were there, too, and also had cocktails. Meredith stifled a laugh at how quickly her aunt tried to scurry back to the kitchen.

  Sally stopped her with a cheery hello. “Meredith! Clarita! Good morning.”

  They all exchanged pleasantries commenting on the wicked storm last night. Meredith saw that Olivia was still dressed in her too-loose borrowed clothing and seemed to be sitting extra close to Derrick on one of the sofas. Clarita spotted the couple’s proximity at the same time and turned to Meredith.

  “Ahh, maybe I should grab our drinks now?”

  Meredith glanced at Derrick and he squirmed, like he’d been caught between a rock and a hard place. Maybe he was remembering their kiss and regretting it. “No. Let me.”

  She ducked into the hall leading to the foyer, clutching her belly when her stomach flip-flopped. The hall was shadowy with sunlight spilling in through the sidelights flanking the front door. In the dancing sunbeams, she saw sparkly stars. Or maybe she was growing dizzy.

  She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around.

  “Mer? Are you all right?” Derrick looked more handsome than ever in his morning stubble, which he hadn’t bothered to shave. Or maybe Olivia hadn’t given him time. This last thought made her feel even sicker than before. “You look kind of pale?”

  Meredith straightened her spine. “I’m fine. How are you?”

  “Okay.” He frowned. “You took off last night without any warning.”

  “I wanted to give you and Olivia some space.”

  “Space for?”

  “Talking.” She swallowed past the tender knot in her throat. “Patching things up.”

  “I see.”

  “And did you?” Her voice quaked. “Patch them up?”

  “We talked, yeah.” He shifted on his feet. “About a lot of things.”

  “Well good, that’s good.” Meredith licked her dry lips, which was the wrong move, because that only made her think of how he�
�d kissed them. How he’d devoured her mouth with his. Her cheeks burned hot under his stare.

  “I wish you hadn’t run off like that. You and I didn’t get a chance to talk ourselves.”

  “It’s all right,” she said. “Accidents happen.”

  His forehead rose. “Accidents?”

  “Yeah, look Derrick.” She dropped her voice in a whisper. “We don’t have to talk about it. Neither of us was thinking. We made a mistake.”

  “A mistake.” He exhaled sharply and then his shoulders drooped. “Yeah. I guess so.”

  His eyes glimmered sadly and her heart ached. He probably felt terrible about letting her down, but she was big enough to take it. She wanted his happiness first.

  “You really are a top-notch matchmaker,” he said in a melancholy way. “No doubt about that.”

  She adjusted her hair, feeling unsettled. “I…try.”

  “Thanks for your help with Olivia. Getting her here, and all that.”

  Her heart ached painfully. “No problem.”

  He took a step back and so did she, increasing the distance between them.

  “Have you heard anything about those contracts?”

  “Not yet,” she lied. What was the point of laying that bad news on him now? “But hopefully soon!”

  He nodded. “I saw you packed your things.”

  “I uh, yeah. I figured maybe it’s best for me to stay over here now. You know.” She shrugged. “In case you and Olivia—”

  “Me and Olivia.” He set his chin. “Right.”

  Strange that he didn’t look happy about it. What was worse, he appeared upset with her. She frowned. Maybe that kiss had been too much. They’d both gotten in over their heads and messed things up between them. Now their interactions would always be awkward until she left Blue Hill. Which was why she’d rearranged her schedule so she could leave here tomorrow, right after Julia’s christening.

  “Well, Mer,” he said. “I hope things work out for you.”

  “Thanks, Derrick. You, too.” She pursed her lips, holding herself together. “So, anyway. I guess we should—?”

  “Get back to others. Sure.”

  He exited the hall and she held her hot cheeks in her hands.

  She took a few deep breaths to center herself before entering the kitchen.