An Unexpected Match

by Corbit, Dana

  The two families were working together to clear away dishes as they’d done so many times over the years when Amy Warren cornered her son in the kitchen.

  “I have a better idea for something you can do to help Haley,” she told him.

  He lowered an armload of half-empty platters on the counter. “What’s that? And don’t tell me it’s by going out with a certain sister of hers, either.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Mother,” he said in a warning tone.

  “We’ll worry about that later.” Glancing at the door separating the kitchen from the dining room, she gestured for him to come closer to the sink. She spoke in hushed tones. “You can kill two birds with one stone. You need a child-care provider, at least a temporary one, and Haley needs a job.”

  Matthew was shaking his head before the plan was out of her mouth. He felt badly for only thinking of his own problems when Haley was having a crisis, and he’d wanted to help her in some way, but this wasn’t it. “You’re not serious.”

  “Of course, I am.”

  “But this is Haley Scott we’re talking about.” Haley, whose résumé was too long to fit on one page, and not in a good way. Haley, who switched college majors and jobs as often as other people changed clothes. But he said only, “I don’t think that’s a good idea. And besides, I still have a few candidates left to interview.”

  Amy shrugged as she rinsed dishes and loaded them in the dishwasher. “Up to you.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  His mother clearly disagreed with him, but as Elizabeth’s father, it was up to him to decide who should provide care for her. What kind of father would he be to trust his child to someone as flighty as Haley? He couldn’t even understand why his mother had suggested it, except that Haley was her best friend’s daughter.

  His obligation was to his own daughter, whose needs he would always put ahead of his own or anyone else’s. Elizabeth deserved better than a child-care provider who might desert her without looking back. Might do exactly what his ex-wife had done.

  “She isn’t Stacey, you know,” his mother said.

  Matthew blinked. His mother was bringing out the big guns if she was mentioning his ex. He’d declared that name off-limits, and usually his family abided by that rule. Before he could call out his mother for breaking the rule, though, Jenna pushed through the door, carrying an armful of dishes. Haley followed right behind her, but she only had dishes in one hand because his daughter was holding the other.

  Matthew glanced surreptitiously at his mother, who caught his attention and grinned. He started shoving dishes into the dishwasher, hoping the others hadn’t overheard their earlier conversation.

  “I was just telling Haley that when I get back from the florist tomorrow, we can go shopping for some new outfits,” Jenna said. “There are so many cute styles for spring.”

  “Jenna, I don’t think—”

  “Aw, come on. It’ll be fun.”

  Their mother and Caroline entered the kitchen, stopping just inside the door.

  “You know…shopping therapy,” Jenna continued. “Haley will want to look her best when she gets back out there.”

  “Back out there?”

  The dread in Haley’s voice couldn’t be missed. She didn’t sound anywhere near ready to be out there again. Matthew knew what that was like, and he could also relate to times when relatives’ well-meaning help felt too much like pressure.

  “Shopping therapy might work for some, but are you sure that’s what your sister wants to do?” Matthew turned to Haley. “Haley, what do you want to do?”

  “That is the question of the day.” Haley shook her head, appearing overwhelmed with the thought. “Haley Scott, what do you plan to do with the rest of your life?” For the last, she took on a game show announcer’s voice.

  “I’m not talking about the rest of your life. Just tomorrow.” Matthew had been searching for a way to help, and now it seemed obvious: He could give her something to do to take her mind off her problems. She probably needed a temporary distraction even if he doubted she would accept that distraction from him. They hadn’t exactly parted on the best of terms the last time they’d seen each other.

  “Oh, tomorrow. I hadn’t really thought about it.”

  “Well, I have an idea if you need one. Something fun.”

  “Like what?”

  Her answer surprised him since he expected an automatic “no.” He cleared his throat before giving his pitch. “I’m chaperoning a youth group road rally at church, and I thought you might like to tag along.”

  “Sounds to me as if they’re short on volunteers.”

  “No. That’s not it,” he began, but he stopped when the side of her mouth lifted. “I just thought—Anyway, it’s a photo scavenger hunt, and I’m one of the drivers.”

  Matthew placed a few more glasses in the top rack of the dishwasher, giving her a chance to answer. When she didn’t, he hurried on. “The youth group kids are great. I’ve chaperoned several of their trips, and they’ve been a lot of fun.”

  He didn’t know why he was selling the plan so hard. Chaperoning a youth group trip wasn’t one of his favorite things, but the youth director was always begging for volunteers, and Matthew helped whenever he was available.

  “I don’t know,” she said, finally.

  “It’ll be an adventure.”

  She lifted an eyebrow. “Don’t you think the whole dumped-at-the-altar thing is enough of an adventure for one weekend?”

  “She’s right, Matthew,” her mother said as she scooped leftovers into plastic containers. “She has too much on her plate right now to be chasing off in a car with teenagers. Caroline might like to go though.”

  “Me working with teenagers?” Caroline shook her head. “That’s not going to happen.”

  Matthew turned back to Haley. “I just thought you would like to forget about the wedding business for a few hours.”

  Haley had already opened her mouth, probably to decline, but she closed it again, appearing to reconsider. “You know, maybe I will go with you. I could use a break from my life.”

  Trina Scott turned and rested her hip against the counter. “Now Haley, are you sure you want to do that?”

  “It will be better than sitting at home feeling sorry for myself. Besides, it will give Elizabeth and me the chance to get to know each other better.” She patted the child’s head, and Elizabeth grinned up at her.

  “She won’t be there.” Matthew had spoken too quickly, and from the women’s expressions, he could tell he wasn’t the only one who’d noticed. Just because he didn’t want his daughter to spend too much time with Haley didn’t mean he needed to be unkind. “I mean…younger kids aren’t included in this event. Elizabeth will be spending the night here.”

  “Oh. It’ll be fun anyway, I guess.”

  Haley appeared disappointed, and Matthew didn’t know what to think about that.

  “Daddy, I want to go, too,” Elizabeth whined. “Why can’t I go with Miss Haley? It’s not fair.”

  Matthew sighed inside, preparing himself for his daughter’s meltdown. This was a new stage for her, one he was determined to put to an end quickly. But just as he started toward Elizabeth, Haley lifted her up on her hip.

  “You get to spend the whole night here with Grammy? You’re going to have so much fun.”

  “That’s right. You’ll have a blast,” he agreed.

  Matthew didn’t have to look to know his mother was watching him again, sending him another one of those knowing looks. Just because Haley had averted one tantrum didn’t mean she was qualified to care for his child. She was still Haley Scott—and all that implied—and he was still Elizabeth’s father.

  Those truths didn’t stop him from feeling badly for Haley though. She’d been through a lot today, and the coming weeks were sure to be difficult. Maybe it was a bad idea for him to invite her to join him in chaperoning, but he would never be so cruel as to withdraw the in
vitation.

  That didn’t keep him from wanting the whole event to just be over with. Then he would have completed his good deed for the day by helping out a woman he’d known since childhood get through a couple of rough days. After that, he could wish her well, and he and Elizabeth could get on with their lives.

  Chapter Three

  Haley stepped back from the front door, gesturing for Matthew to come inside. She felt strange inviting him in like a guest when he’d visited her mother’s new house more times than she had. In fact, everything felt peculiar about her going on this outing with Matthew now, though it had sounded like a good idea last night.

  Already she’d spent the morning hanging her incredible wedding gown on the consignment rack at the bridal store and arranging storage for her possessions back in Michigan. Next, she’d “enjoyed” an afternoon of writing thank-you notes for gifts she had to return. Now the idea of accepting an invitation—probably given out of pity—felt like one dose of mortification too many.

  Oblivious to her humiliation and appearing fidgety himself, Matthew scanned the room, now stacked with wrapped gifts on one wall and about a dozen packages addressed for return on the opposite wall.

  He cleared his throat and turned back to her. “Wow, look at this place. You’ve been busy.”

  “Probably too busy. Maybe Mom was right. I am tired. Maybe I should just—”

  “Not so fast, Haley Scott.”

  Haley had been staring at the gifts again, feeling the weight of the work ahead, but she turned to look at him. “Excuse me?”

  “You don’t know how hard it is to get volunteers for youth group events. Now that you’re on the hook, there’s no way I’m letting you off.”

  She snapped her fingers, grimacing. “I knew it. I knew you were only asking me because I was vulnerable and you were short of volunteers.”

  “Smart gal. Now get your coat. A rowdy bunch of teens are waiting for us.”

  Forgetting her flimsy argument, Haley did as she was told. Matthew seemed too determined to treat her as his charity case for her to change his mind anyway. For a few seconds last night, she’d wondered if her mother had discouraged her from accepting Matthew’s invitation just to trick her into going, but one look at that disapproving frown had ruled out any suspicion of matchmaking motives.

  Even the two matchmakers probably recognized the unfortunate timing, and besides, they’d always intended Caroline for Matthew in their silly plan. Not her.

  After she retrieved her purse from the bedroom, Haley found Matthew bent in front of the pile of small appliances and stoneware place settings stacked along the wall.

  “You’ve got quite a stash here,” he said.

  “Two toasters, three waffle irons, a blender and a smoothie maker, and that’s without unwrapping any of the ones I hadn’t already opened.”

  “Caroline was right. You should get to keep the loot.”

  “I don’t think so.” She shook her head to reinforce her words. “I do wish I could use a form letter for my thank-you notes though. My hand is killing me.”

  As she flexed and unflexed her left hand, her gaze stopped on her third finger. Her hand looked so bare now without her engagement ring. That piece of jewelry was safe in a drawer upstairs for when she would return it to Tom. The sound of Matthew clearing his throat brought her attention up from her hand.

  “Then you need a break…for the sake of those sore fingers. So shall we?” With a tilt of his head, he indicated the front door.

  Haley couldn’t help smiling as they went outside and descended the steps toward Matthew’s hybrid SUV parked at the curb. He was so kind to distract her from her problems. He opened her door before jogging around to the driver’s side.

  Once inside, he gave her shoulder a squeeze. “Each day will get a little easier, you know.”

  “How do you—” Haley began, and then she remembered that he did know from experience what it was like to be the one left behind. Though she’d worried briefly about her mother’s motives, she found relief in knowing she didn’t have to worry about Matthew’s. He was reaching out to her in friendship, just as he’d done all those years ago.

  Back then his offer had felt like a nightmare, a pat on the head when she’d hoped to be held in his arms. The same offer now seemed perfect. She didn’t want or need anything else from a man right now, but she could really use a friend.

  The glare from the fluorescent lights caught Haley’s attention, and a newborn’s distinctive cry filtered down the aisle, as Haley raced through a discount department store, searching for the backdrop for their final photo. Matthew jogged after her, the two girls and two boys they’d shared a ride with in Matthew’s SUV earlier taking up the rear.

  “Slow down, will you?” the boy named Preston called after her as he stopped and tried to catch his breath.

  “You don’t want ours to be the last team to get back to the church, do you?” Haley slowed long enough to ask over her shoulder.

  “No, but he doesn’t want to collapse and croak next to the health and beauty department, either,” an athletic girl named Katie answered for him.

  “Good thing for him Haley’s headed for the toy department,” Matthew said.

  Haley grinned as she hurried to the rear of the store. How Matthew knew where she was going, she wasn’t sure, but they must have been thinking on the same frequency because they both stopped right in front of a cage-like container of large plastic balls. Great minds did think alike.

  “Here. This is perfect.” She indicated the cage with an expansive wave.

  “You want us to get in there? It’s almost smaller than Matt’s car.” That came from Jimmy, the group’s resident comedian.

  Haley shook her head. “I just thought we could balance some balls while we build the pyramid.”

  “Are we going to balance on the balls?” Jimmy tried again.

  “I don’t think so,” Matthew said. “We’ll really come in last if we have to make a side trip to the E.R. at Markston General.”

  His deadpan had Haley chuckling. He’d been serious most of the night, through their assignment of squeezing themselves on the store’s minicarousel and her mid-pushup collapse as they did calisthenics on the courthouse steps.

  He’d been as serious tonight as he’d been when Haley had seen him with Elizabeth. For someone so blessed with a great career in law and with the opportunity to parent a sweet little girl, Matthew didn’t seem to have much fun in his life.

  “I wish we could have brought Elizabeth tonight,” Haley told him as they waited for Preston to catch up with the group. “She would have loved this.”

  “It was just for the older kids. Besides, I wouldn’t want her to stay up past her bedtime.”

  Haley nodded, wondering about the strict schedule Matthew and his daughter must keep. Did the house collapse around them if the child went to bed at 8:05 p.m. instead of the top of the hour?

  “What are we doing?” Preston asked when he reached them.

  “We’re deciding how we’re going to build the pyramid,” Jimmy told him. “We’re making you the flier.”

  Preston shook his head. “Not going to happen.”

  Matthew raised both hands to garner their attention. “Are we going to build this thing or just talk about it?” When no one answered, he started barking orders. “Three across the bottom. The guys and me. Haley goes with Katie next. Then one on top. Chelsea, that’s you.”

  Each of them grabbed a ball from the bin and settled it between his hands, a chore that became more difficult at each level. After the pyramid was complete, and a little shaky, they looked up to pose for the camera, finding the Polaroid resting forgotten on the floor.

  “Wait. Who’s going to take the picture?” Jimmy asked.

  “Yes. Who’s going to take it?”

  Haley swallowed as she turned her head in the direction of that unfamiliar voice. A middle-aged woman with a badge that read “Toy Department Manager” stood before them, and she looked
anything but pleased.

  It took some fast-talking and a promise to leave the store immediately, but they had the picture in their collection when they returned to the vehicle.

  As Matthew drove them back to the church, Haley listened to the teens’ happy chatter from the second and third rows of seats in the SUV. She might not have been able to agree with their opinions that their photos competed with the work of Ansel Adams, but she had to admit that the outing had been fun.

  Maybe Matthew was right. Maybe each day would get a little easier. She just needed to take control of her life and figure out what she would do next. Tonight had only been a night of distraction, but it was a beginning. She would find a way to get on with her life. All she had to do was get through tomorrow—the day she had planned to walk down the aisle.

  Matthew held Elizabeth’s hand as he walked her from her Sunday school class to the sanctuary where she would sit with his mother while he led the morning music. They’d barely made it into the vestibule, though, before she broke free from him, her black-patent Mary Janes clicking across the tile as she then disappeared into the jungle of adults.

  “Elizabeth Ann Warren. Come back here this instant.”

  He used a louder-than-normal voice, but he shouldn’t have bothered. He would never be heard above the din of the Sunday chatter. Checking his watch to make sure he still had a few minutes before the organist would begin the processional, he hurried in the direction she’d taken.

  Emerging on the other side of the crowd, he found the group his daughter must have seen first from her waist-high point of view. His mother was talking to Trina Scott, who must have said something clever because all three Scott sisters were laughing. He didn’t see a lot to laugh about because his disobedient child was giggling along with them to a punch line she probably didn’t understand, and she was doing it from her perch on Haley Scott’s hip.