A Gentleman's Kiss Romance Collection

by Ginny Aiken

  When the Affie barked again, Rissa glanced at Jase, shrugged, then joined her. “You goofy dog, this baby’s not yours.” Wrapping her arms around the lovely animal’s neck, she pressed her face against the warm silky fur. “You needed more than just my love, didn’t you?”

  Jase knelt behind her, reached around Soraya, and cupped the baby in his hand. “God is love,” he murmured, “and love is essential. Even though dogs don’t have the capacity to know Him, they know how to love—unconditionally, generously, and without expectations.”

  Rissa nodded. “But she needs to return the pup she stole.”

  “Do you think she might enjoy the company of my dogs? On a regular basis?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, I can’t deny that I’d like to have you here, with me all the time, but it’s too soon to ask you something like that.”

  Rissa’s breath caught in her throat. Was he saying …?

  He continued. “We can start by kenneling her here during your trip. That way she can visit her little pal and maybe make other friends or find a mate. Dogs are pack animals, and they can do weird things because of their need for company, for a partner with whom to share their lives.”

  “Like people,” she whispered.

  “Yes,” he answered, hugging her back against him with his free arm. “Like us.”

  GINNY AIKEN

  Ginny Aiken, a former newspaper reporter, lives in Pennsylvania with her engineer husband and their three younger sons—their oldest son got married and flew the coop. Born in Havana, Cuba, raised in Valencia and Caracas, Venezuela, she discovered books early and wrote her first novel at age fifteen while she trained with the Ballets de Caracas, later known as the Venezuelan National Ballet. She burned that tome when she turned a “mature” sixteen. Stints as a reporter, a paralegal, a choreographer, a language teacher, and even a retail salesperson followed. Her life as a wife, a mother of four boys, and the herder of their numerous and assorted friends, brought her back to books and writing in search of her sanity. She’s now the author of twenty-five published works and a frequent speaker at Christian women’s and writer’s workshops, but Ginny has yet to catch up with that elusive sanity.

  MATTIE MEETS HER MATCH

  by Kristin Billerbeck

  Chapter 1

  Jeff Weatherly is back in town.” Gram’s voice was the epitome of casual, but Mattie knew what the simple sentence conveyed. The man you let slip away, the one you were meant to marry—he’s back in town. Let the church bells ring!

  “Gram, if Jeff is back in town, he’s probably brought his new wife with him.” Mattie took out a glass vase from its cardboard home, unwrapped the newspaper, and placed it on the mantel. She smiled to herself, knowing Jeff wasn’t married and that her grandmother harbored the same information. But Gram, being the social butterfly she was, undoubtedly knew something more. Against Mattie’s better judgment she longed to hear the latest. Her stomach twisted waiting for the story.

  Luckily, Gram practically burst out, “Jeff’s not married! Had his grandmother tell me so herself.” Gram winked, while Mattie’s eyes narrowed. “He says he’d love to see you again.”

  Mattie wagged a finger at her grandmother. “Aha! I knew it, Gram. That innocent act doesn’t play here anymore.” Mattie smoothed the emotion from her voice. “Jeff is a very nice man, but he’s not the man for me.” The infamous “they” always said you never got over your first love. Sadly it was true for Mattie. She’d nursed her broken heart for ten years now, waiting for a new Mr. Right to steal the memories away. She was still waiting.

  “If you’ll remember correctly, Gram, Jeff dumped me for more time with the chess club. If I wasn’t more important than a pawn then, why would you think ten years would make any difference?”

  “Oh, that was ages ago. Have you no forgiveness in your heart? He was just a boy then, interested in boyish things. Who says he’s not the man for you?”

  “Perhaps it’s the fact that he packed up and left town after high school, and I haven’t heard from him since. Could be me, but I think that pretty much sends a message. Besides, I heard Mel had a date with him first.” She heard the accusatory note in her tone that she’d meant to keep to herself. “Did you really think you could set him up with Mel and I wouldn’t hear about it?”

  Gram went about unpacking the boxes from the attic, humming as she did so.

  “Mel said he was a geek, Gram.”

  More humming.

  “If you’re so certain he’s the man for me, why did you set Mel up with him first?” Mattie crossed her arms before picking up another knickknack to display. The very idea of booted Mel with choir boy Jeff Weatherly made Mattie giggle. What could Gram have been thinking?

  “Oh, you girls, you’re always scheming against your poor old Gram. I should have had grandsons. If you must know, I didn’t think you’d be interested unless someone else was.”

  Mattie grimaced. “But someone else wasn’t interested.” She forced a laugh. “Someone else thinks he’s a nerd!” A nerd who would regret the day he said good-bye to Mattie Stevens. She tossed her hair subconsciously. Hadn’t she become a successful artist? Renowned among Scottsdale’s elite? Her ego gave way to real emotion. The truth was she longed to see Jeff again. Just to prove to herself she was over him.

  “Mel was just more interested in another young man, Mattie. There’s no crime in that. Jeff Weatherly will find someone to marry. You might as well see if anything’s there, you know, any of that spark left before it’s too late.”

  “Gram, Jeff dumped me for chess. What on earth do you think has changed?” Mattie swallowed hard, hoping for an answer. If Gram knew something Jeff had said, Mattie longed to hear about it.

  “Pshaw!” her grandmother said, complete with the Victorian hand motion. “He’s all grown up now. You can’t hold his childishness against the man. He probably wasn’t ready to get married after high school. Men mature slower than women, and he’s twenty-eight now. It’s time. I only thought of Mel first because I thought it might pique your interest. You can be such a stubborn thing.”

  “Should I pick out the ring now? Or after I set the date?” Mattie raised her eyebrows, but her sarcasm belied the lift she felt inside.

  She watched her grandmother closely. Although Gram was seventy-five now, that fact hadn’t slowed her in the least. She’d moved into the equivalent of a senior Club Med and had a social calendar that made Mattie’s look pathetic. Gram’s complexion had grayed with her hair, but her blue eyes never lost their sparkle. Her personality never lost its magnetism.

  “Now you’re just being a smart aleck. Hand me that vase. I’m tired of looking at that old thing. I’m going to put it in the box with the other ancient artifacts. Maybe they’ll get something for it at the sale.” With a spry motion she put the vase out of sight. “Forget about Jeff. I suppose if he wasn’t right for Melissa, he’s probably wrong for you, too. On another subject, I need help at the church flea market. Will you work in a booth on Saturday morning?”

  Mattie’s pulse slowed. That was it? That was all her grandmother had on Jeff? Even Melissa shared more than that! Mattie’s mood lilted as she realized the day wouldn’t be spent thwarting Gram’s matchmaking tendencies. She’d been looking forward to feigning lack of interest and hearing more about what Jeff had been up to since returning to town. “Sure, Gram—I can help at the sale, whatever you need.”

  “Be in the church parking lot at eight a.m. Josephine will set you to work.”

  The doorbell rang. “I’ll get it.” Mattie surveyed the new, cleaned-out apartment. “It looks great, Gram—don’t you think? We should have done this before you moved.”

  Her grandmother smiled. Opening the door, Mattie lost her breath. Jeff Weatherly stood much taller than she remembered him, at least six foot, and bigger. Much broader in the shoulders. Gone was the lanky teen with feathered bangs, replaced by a self-assured and traditional gentleman.

  Jeff’s hand laced the do
orway, and Mattie found herself without words. She swallowed, multiple times, but still a simple sentence wouldn’t form. Suddenly his shoulders bent toward her, and he embraced her. She felt her heart pounding, and she prayed he wouldn’t hear the persistent drumming that filled her own eardrums. His arms around her made her silence more pervasive. Geek? Where was the geek, Mel?

  He pulled away, planting a simple kiss on her cheek. “Well, if it isn’t little Mattie Stevens. What a surprise! All grown up and prettier than ever.”

  Mattie simply nodded, her limbs unable to listen to the message her mind sent them. Feeling the complete idiot, she nodded and forced a smile.

  “Hi, Mrs. Stoddard.” Jeff waved. “That furniture ready to go to the sale?”

  “All set. Right there by the door. Mattie can help you get it to the car.” Gram winked at Mattie.

  “Where are your glasses?” Mattie finally said.

  “Glasses?”

  “Mel said you wore glasses.” Big, ugly, doofy glasses were her exact words.

  “No, I wear contacts.” He paused for a moment, putting an end table down. “Oh.” He chuckled. “The night with Mel. Well, I guess I should say almost the night with your cousin. She stood me up. I’d lost a contact, and my good glasses were at work, so I had my old pair.” He laughed again. “I made an impression on Melissa, huh?”

  “Not one you’d want to brag about.” Mattie’s heart stirred in confusion. She loved the way he looked: tall, handsome, conservative, and yet she was so angry that he seemed so put together, not the helpless nerd Mel described at all.

  “Do you really think the president of the Sequoia High School chess club is worried about impressions?” Jeff smiled at her and raised his eyebrows.

  The mention of her former rival for attention infuriated Mattie. “You still wear that title like the badge of honor it is.” Mattie rolled her eyes. “Gram, I’ll take these things out.”

  “Be my guest,” Gram said.

  Mattie took a box full of trinkets toward Jeff’s waiting Cherokee. The dark blue color sparkled in the hot Arizona sun, and she waited for Jeff to open the door rather than sizzle her own hand against the dark paint. Jeff lifted the hatchback, and all the anger Mattie had felt for ten years flooded into her. With her whole being she wanted to kick the smug Jeff in the shins just to make him feel something. She swallowed the bitter pill of resentment.

  “Thank you for helping my grandmother. It was nice to see you again.”

  He reached for her hand. “That’s it? That’s all you have to say to me?”

  She searched his presence, letting her eyes drink in his serious good looks. Although he still made her heart pound, there was so much pain built around it. Scar tissue that hadn’t ceased since the day he’d called her on the phone and put an end to their innocent, blossoming romance.

  She pulled her hand away. “What is it you expect me to say?”

  “Come on, Mattie—you can’t possibly be angry with me.” His innocence enraged her.

  “I had to take my prom dress back to the store. The only more humiliating thing would be returning a wedding gown. All my friends went, and I missed out on one of the highlights of high school because you had a chess match. I know it sounds childish to you now, but it was important to me. I thought I was important to you. Important enough to forego a chess game.”

  “It was the state championship, Mattie! I couldn’t help it if we had to travel to Phoenix.”

  Mattie laughed aloud. “I cannot believe I am standing here at twenty-eight years old, debating the importance of a high-school chess match. As I said, it was nice to see you again, Jeff. I hope life treats you well.” She turned to walk away and heard his deep voice follow her.

  “I didn’t know what to do with a girlfriend, Mattie. You probably expected me to kiss you. I didn’t know how to kiss you.”

  Mattie turned and saw the blue of his eyes masked under his downcast eyebrows. Her pulse quickened, and she saw briefly that hidden place in Jeff. The corner of his secret world that called out to her, beckoning her.

  Her eyes teared up. “Why didn’t you tell me that then? You might have saved me a lot of heartache.”

  His hands became animated. “Mattie, I was a nerd. You were a cheerleader. All the boys wanted you to be their girlfriend. I was the president of the chess club. All the girls wanted me to set up the AV equipment. I used to hear what the guys said about how fine you were.”

  They both laughed at the dated expression before resuming their conversation. “I wasn’t a cheerleader in my heart, Jeff. I was a geek, and I thought the sun rose and set on one boy, and one boy only. I’m sad if you thought I cared about appearances. I thought you knew me better than that.” She hesitated. “The boy I was attracted to was the smartest kid in school. He was quietly handsome and studying calculus while the rest of the class did simple math. But there was a catch. That boy just wanted to play chess. He didn’t want to have a girlfriend.” She smiled and started for the door, but again his voice stopped her.

  “I don’t just want to play chess now.” His voice was deep and full of a strength she wouldn’t have known he possessed. “Have dinner with me.”

  Her eyes closed. She’d waited for this moment for ten years: the chance to hurt him as she’d been hurt; but the barbed words she’d planned, the ones she’d rehearsed in the mirror, didn’t come. Looking into the depths of his blue eyes and into the soul that had just opened to her, she couldn’t do it. She had to fight saying yes with all her being.

  “No….” Her voice trailed off. “No, thank you. I appreciate the offer, though.” She smiled faintly. “More than you’ll ever know.” But she wasn’t about to let him hurt her again. Jeff took everything seriously except romance, and she’d do well to remember that.

  She walked into her grandmother’s apartment and wiped the moisture from her forehead. “I’m going to head down to the pool for a break, Gram. Do you need anything?”

  Her grandmother glanced toward her; then, in Gram’s knowing way, she kept quiet about Jeff. “You go ahead. You look as if you could use the break.”

  Mattie spoke her thoughts aloud. “I thought there would be magic. Fireworks. There’s only reserved politeness, and my heart is breaking all over again.”

  Gram smiled gently and nodded.

  Chapter 2

  Even in her air-conditioned condominium, the heat of the blossoming day swelled around Mattie. Had she really volunteered for an outside yard sale? In Heaven, Arizona? In the summer? She groaned at the thought. Gram could talk the saguaro out of water. Mattie dressed in a modest pair of cuffed shorts with a T-shirt and slipped into a light pair of flip-flops. She crinkled her nose at her freshly washed face in the mirror. Good enough.

  After loading the last few items from Gram’s things into her compact car, Mattie drove the familiar road to church. The hustle and bustle of preparation filled the entire parking lot, and Mattie found Josephine Wessex ordering everyone about and maintaining calm amidst chaos. Mattie grinned. Maybe someday she would be organized like that with age, too, but somehow she doubted it. The artist in her was never far away.

  “Hi, Mrs. Wessex!” Mattie called with a wave.

  Josephine turned and broke into a wide grin. “Well, Mattie, what a treasure you are. Always here to help when you can.” She pinched Mattie’s cheek so firmly a rosy blush must have appeared. “You are so much like your grandmother, unselfishly giving your free time. Did you see all the beautiful Depression glass your grandmother donated? That will bring a pretty penny for the church.”

  “Gram never did care much about trinkets, Mrs. Wessex.”

  “No, she’s what they call a people person.” Suddenly the shattering of glass broke their conversation. “I had better get over there. You’re with Jeff Weatherly in booth seventeen.” Josephine pointed to a booth.

  Seeing Jeff’s tall frame bent over a folding table full of junk, Mattie suddenly wished she’d taken more care with her appearance. She hadn’t even both
ered with lip gloss. She drew in a deep breath and walked forward with the last box. She cleared her throat, and Jeff looked up.

  “Mattie!”

  “Hi, I guess my grandmother arranged for you to help here, huh?” Her toe twisted inward, as though she were a small girl in a calico dress. Gram’s magic touch has run dry, Mattie reminded herself. Mel had found her own husband, and Chelsea and Callie were just dumb luck.

  Jeff’s sapphire gaze disappeared behind a wink. “Actually I offered to help with the sale, and your grandmother said she’d find me a partner. I think she did well by me, wouldn’t you say?”

  Mattie nearly laughed aloud. And will she ever find you a partner, if you let her. “I guess she figured we’re old friends. It would be nice to reconnect.”

  “Really? I thought she might be trying to set us up.” He raised his eyebrows, and Mattie thought she’d faint from humiliation. At the same time, she wished she understood what was behind his emotion. Was the idea ridiculous to him, or was he just nervous?

  “She has been known for her set-ups, but I’ll be sure to let her know we’re just friends.” She tried to giggle, but it came out most unnaturally. Jeff’s warmth unnerved her to no end. “You’re safe with me. I promise you Gram’s matchmaking days are over.”

  “Really? That’s too bad. I was hoping we could do lunch afterward.” He leaned over and whispered. “Too forward, huh?”

  “No!” she blurted out louder than she intended. “No, not at all.” She shook her head. Hadn’t she promised herself willpower? Mattie groaned inwardly. She was useless to her quickening heart. “Lunch between old friends is just that. A simple meal to reacquaint. There’s certainly no harm in that.”

  She smiled, and when he returned it, the steeled blue of his eyes forced her to think about breathing. After all these years she was still a hopeless schoolgirl beside Jeff’s weathered intelligence. In high school, the attraction had been his maturity beyond his years. She supposed it still was. Jeff always remained a step ahead of the average. Something about the way he knew so much made Mattie feel safe, as though her flaky artist’s mind could wander in creativity while he stayed grounded.