Matching Mr. Right (Rocky Mountain Matchmaker Series Book 1)

by Baumann, Tamra

  When her front door slammed shut, he smiled. Good idea. Emily seemed almost back to herself when he’d seen her earlier. It’d be harder for Shelby to stay mad at him when there was a cute kid like Em around.

  As he backed out of Shelby’s driveway, a thought struck him. She never answered his question. Who the hell was Greg?

  ***

  Shelby flung her purse onto the couch and then leaned down to rip off her arch-maiming heels. Tossing her shoes in the general direction of her bedroom, she lifted the front of her long dress and made a beeline toward the kitchen. She needed ice cream, if there was any left. She’d never eaten as much ice cream as she had since meeting Nick earlier in the week. He had to be the most infuriating man on earth.

  She yanked the freezer door open and grinned. Jo had gone shopping. God bless her.

  Mint chocolate chip or Rocky Road? Decisions, decisions.

  Grabbing both, she snatched up a spoon and then plopped down in the nook. The combination of both flavors in one bite was oddly delicious.

  Jo stumbled into the kitchen, yawning as she ran her hands through her tousled hair. She found a spoon and then sat across from Shelby. As was their habit, Jo held out her spoon for an ice cream toast. After Shelby tapped spoons with her, Jo sampled a mixed bite like Shelby’s.

  Jo winced. “That’s just gross.” She shivered in disgust as she pulled the Rocky Road toward her. “Door slamming and ice cream? Must’ve been some night.”

  Shelby took a big bite and cringed as brain freeze incapacitated her for moment. When her powers of speech returned, she told Jo about her evening.

  Jo listened intently as the ice cream in it’s cardboard box steadily disappeared. When Shelby finally got to the front-door-slamming part, Jo frowned. “If he’s such an arrogant jerk, why are you going to the game with him on Monday?”

  Shelby sighed and put the lid back on her container before she made herself sick. “When have I ever missed a Broncos home game? Besides, I would’ve run into him anyway because Uncle Jack donated our executive suite for the auction.”

  “Ah.” Jo nodded as her face lit with an evil grin. “It’ll be fun to see the look on his face when he shows up and sees you dressed in full Broncos regalia. The joke’s going to be on him.”

  Shelby chuckled. “It’ll be even better when we get to the box and he sees who else is there.”

  “Could be a Chester book in the making.”

  “You never know. Sorry I woke you.” Shelby stood and put the ice cream away. “’Nite.”

  As Shelby gathered up her dress and headed toward her bedroom, Jo said, “So, do you still want to come to Greg’s welcome-home party on Wednesday, or will you be busy with Mr. Arrogant?”

  Shelby pulled up short. “Of course I want to come. I’ve got my, ‘look, I’m really a girl’ outfit all picked out. Why would you even ask?”

  Jo shrugged before she put their spoons into the dishwasher. “I’ve never seen a man get such a big reaction from you. Normally, you’d just blow off a guy like Nick.”

  “Believe me, the last person I’d ever want to date is Nick. I’ve never met anyone who gets under my skin like he can!”

  “My point, exactly.” Jo turned off the light.

  ***

  Nick headed for home. Watching the game on Monday from an executive suite with all the food and beer he wanted would be awesome. It even included a limo so he wouldn’t have to worry about having a few drinks and then driving. And he’d get to see Shelby again.

  Thanks dear old dad. You bastard!

  As Nick pulled into his driveway, visions of a pair of sweats and a cold beer filled his head. What a crapper of a night.

  Just as the garage door rumbled closed behind him, his doorbell peeled. Must be Beth.

  He swung his front door open and found blonde, beautiful Beth standing before him in her skimpy robe. “Hey, there.” Beth in her see-through robe couldn’t hold a candle to Shelby in her red dress.

  “You’re wearing a tux?” Beth’s eyes grew wide. “Yum.”

  She slapped the door shut behind her, pressed her lush body against his and kissed him. He quickly broke the kiss, suddenly realizing how badly it was Shelby’s full lips he’d like to taste.

  He grasped Beth’s wrists to stop her busy fingers from trying to unbutton his shirt. “I thought we were going our separate ways.”

  She smiled. “I made a mistake. I miss you, Nick.”

  His sister’s words about Beth staying away so he’d miss her clanged in his head. Crap.

  He took her hand and led her to the couch, gently nudging her onto it. “When we were together, we never spent the entire night, and we didn’t go to dinners or movies, so we wouldn’t get attached. Right?”

  “Well, yeah. But . . . don’t you miss me at all, Nick?” When Beth’s eyes misted with tears, his stomach took a dive. His sister had been right. And did that mean she was right about the other thing too? The part about Beth being in love with him?

  He ran a hand through his hair, searching for the right words. “Of course I miss you, Beth. As a friend, absolutely. But I told you from the beginning I couldn’t give you anything more than friendship.”

  Beth closed her eyes and her shoulders slumped. “I know that in my head, but my heart thinks otherwise. You’d be a great husband and father, Nick. Something tells me it’s just going to take the right woman to make you see that.” She opened her eyes and stared deeply into his for a moment before shaking her head. “But I’m not that woman. Am I?”

  A stab of guilt arrowed straight to his gut. She wasn’t and never would be, but that didn’t mean he wanted to hurt her.

  “They’re my issues, not yours, that make it impossible to be together long-term, Beth. You are an incredible woman and deserve more than I can give you.”

  She slowly stood as a single tear ran down her cheek.

  He wanted to ease her pain, but it’d be best to let her go. Any encouragement he gave would give her the wrong idea.

  Beth wiped her cheek and worked up a smile. “Well, then it looks like it’s time for both of us to get back out there and quit taking the easy road.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered, “But I still want to peel you out of that tux, Nick. How about it? One last time?”

  After a month without sex, it killed him, but he couldn’t. Not when they had to end things. And not when a certain sexy little blonde with killer green eyes kept popping into his thoughts at the most annoying moments. “It’d just make this harder. I want to part as friends.” He took her hand and led her to the door.

  She forced a sad smile. “We’ll always be friends, Nick. If you change your mind, I’m right down the street. ’Nite.” She gave him a soft kiss on the cheek then walked toward her house.

  He waited until she was inside, then closed his door. Something in his gut told him that had been way too easy. Especially if the “L” word had been involved.

  Beth just needed to find the right guy, and then she’d be fine. First thing in the morning, assuming Shelby had cooled off enough to talk to him, he’d find that for Beth. And by throwing another client Shelby’s way, maybe she’d forgive him for abandoning her on stage.

  Problem solved.

  CHAPTER SIX

  “Chester liked to tease girls and pull their hair because he secretly liked them. But that can get a monkey into big trouble.”

  Chester’s Very Long Timeout

  Shelby paused the yoga workout playing on her television to answer the doorbell. It was probably Jo’s mom stopping by on her way home from church to lecture them because they’d skipped.

  After wiping the sweat from her face with a towel, she peered through the peephole.

  Not again.

  Nick wore nicely fitted jeans along with a chambray shirt, his sleeves rolled twice to expose his muscular forearms. It was the first time she’d seen him in casual clothes. He wore them just as well as a suit.

  She opened the door and stuck just her head out, leavin
g her shorts-clad legs hidden. “Someone else in the hospital? Or did you come to apologize for your lame behavior last night?”

  “I said I was sorry.” He shot her a typical Nick grin. “And now I have a dating emergency.”

  “What? All the women you’ve scorned plotting against you?”

  He quirked a brow. “Talking to clients that way won’t keep you in business long.”

  “Ditching me in front of everyone won’t keep you as my client very long either, pal. I’ll call you later. I’m busy.” She started to close the wooden door but he opened the glass storm door and stuck his big tennis shoe inside.

  “There’s another full fee in it for you. It’s Beth.”

  That got her attention. Her Visa bill was due. “The ex-sex partner? Why isn’t she here instead of you?”

  “Let me in and I’ll tell you.” Nick pushed on the door.

  “Stop! I’m not . . . dressed.”

  “You’re naked behind there?” His grin turned wicked.

  Shelby leaned her shoulder a little further to the side to prove to the pervert she had clothes on. “No, I’ve been working out and I’m all sweaty.”

  “I like a hot, sweaty woman.” He raised his hand to push the door open.

  She pressed her hand to his hard chest to stop him. “Seriously, Nick. Just wait here and I’ll put some pants on. Then you can tell me all about your emergency.”

  “Pants?” Nick’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t care about your legs, Shelby, if that’s what this is about. All I care about is getting Beth a soul mate. And maybe some more of your chocolate chip cookies.”

  The pest clearly wasn’t going away, so she let him in and then made a run for it. She hadn’t gotten three steps before his long arms stopped her and swung her around to face him. He kept his eyes firmly on hers, never letting them wander lower. He was probably afraid of what he’d see. Or maybe he was waiting for her permission before he looked.

  His hands gently gripped her waist, anchoring her in place. “Let’s get this part over with so we can get down to business. Okay?”

  Her heart pounded. Why should she care what Nick thought of her legs? The repulsive view would serve him right for showing up unannounced at her house again. “Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She took a step back and held her breath.

  Nick frowned as he studied her legs. He twirled his finger, indicating she should turn around.

  “Oh, for goodness sake!” She crossed her arms and turned her back to him so he could get the full three-sixty view.

  He made a choking noise. “Wow!”

  Her stomach took a dive as she wrenched her chin over her shoulder. “What?”

  “Your ass looks fantastic in those shorts.”

  Despite her disgust with him, a smile tugged at her lips. She stifled her grin as a warm wave of relief flowed through her. She’d only shown a handful of people her legs, and after the sight of them, no one had ever had the fortitude to make a joke. Why did that make her feel better instead of wanting to punch him?

  She flung a hand in the direction of the couch. “Show’s over, I’m going to grab a pair of sweats. Have a seat.”

  Nick grabbed her hand and pulled her close. “So you have some scars on your legs, Shelby. They’re not off-putting, they’re just there. Some of my climbing buddies who have taken bad tumbles have Frankenstein scars that make yours look tame.”

  “But mine are all over—”

  He raised a finger to stop her. “What I hate most is the hurt you must’ve gone through when you lost your family and then had to endure all those surgeries alone. I’m guessing those scars are a lot uglier than the ones on your legs.”

  The breath backed up in her lungs. She hadn’t expected tenderness from the caveman. Nick had surprised her once again.

  She needed to leave before he saw her threatening tears. “Thanks. But it was a long time ago. Be right back.”

  She closed her bedroom door, shut her eyes, and drew a deep breath. Nick was right. The guilt she’d suffered while lying in those hospital beds all alone, due to her careless actions, had been almost too much to bear. She’d actually hoped she’d never wake up after each of her surgeries, and when she did, it felt like just one more punishment she’d earned for her deed.

  She opened her eyes and glanced at the tall mirror standing in the corner. She hated the sight of her legs, but slowly turned to view her rear end. Did it look good in her workout shorts? She’d never thought of her butt as an asset before. Tilting her head in consideration, she smiled. Maybe it wasn’t so bad after all. And maybe Nick wasn’t so bad either.

  After she’d dressed and pulled herself together, Shelby walked into the living room. Nick struck a Warrior Pose in front of her TV. The last time she’d let him in her house he’d used her laptop without her permission, and now he was doing her workout program? The guy was as bad as Chester. Or he had a serious case of ADD.

  “What are you doing?”

  He mimicked the instructor’s move. “Yoga, apparently. How is this considered exercise?”

  “It’s not as easy as it looks.” Shelby waited until Nick was standing on one foot with the other foot perched against his inner thigh and his arms stretched above his head, before she shoved him.

  He landed in a heap on the carpet.

  “See?” Laughing, she leaned over him for the remote. She hit the Off button just as his hands slipped around her waist. He yanked her on top of him, then rolled, pinning her under his big, hard body.

  Lord, all those sculpted muscles weighed a ton. And his sexy eyes had a ring of dark blue surrounding the light part. Was everything about him pretty? And perfect? It was just so annoying.

  “Say you’re sorry,” he growled.

  The ten-year-old in her wanted to say “Make me,” but there was no doubt he could. “You want me to lie to you?”

  “No.” His brow furrowed. “Say ‘uncle,’ then.”

  Just as she was about to pull his hair, hoping to surprise him enough to find escape, Jo cleared her throat. “Do you need to be rescued Shelby, or are you two going to need a room?”

  Did she need rescue? It was kind of nice snuggling up against Nick’s hard muscles.

  No. He was just being a bully. “Help, please?”

  Jo snorted. “I’ll go get the bat.”

  “I’d have gone for the room.” Nick moved his mouth next to her ear, his warm breath sending heat racing to her nether regions. “According to your rules, now that I’ve seen your legs we can sleep together. I’d like that.”

  Her stomach clenched. He’d probably look pretty darn good naked.

  But she wanted Greg. Besides, Nick had to be teasing. He’d never want to have sex with her, especially now that he’d seen her legs. “Liar. According to your survey I’m not your type.”

  “That used to be my type. Until I met you.”

  Her heart skipped a beat.

  Before she could come up with a good retort, Jo returned with her weapon. “I’m counting to three . . .”

  Nick hopped up and held his hand out for Shelby’s. She slapped it aside and stood on her own. “I’m not falling for that one.”

  Turning to her roommate, who stood as if she were ready to hit one out of the park while glowering at Nick, Shelby said, “Thank you, Jo. I appreciate it.”

  Jo tossed the bat onto the couch and then rolled her eyes. As she headed for the kitchen she said, “My parents are coming over in a few so I’m making breakfast burritos. Is he staying?”

  Nick beamed a bright smile. “I’d love to. Thanks!”

  Jo laughed. “Where do you find them, Shelby?”

  When Jo retreated back to the kitchen, Shelby led Nick to the couch and motioned for him to have a seat. She moved the bat aside and drew a deep a breath to steady herself after Nick’s tempting proposition. “Now, start from the beginning. And why is it your job to find Beth a soul mate, Mr. Fix It?”

  When Nick winced, she figured this was going to be good. Or v
ery bad.

  ***

  Nick berated himself while driving to his mother’s house. What had he been thinking? He’d asked Shelby to sleep with him? She was the marriage, two kids, and a dog type if he’d ever seen one. Besides, she’d hate him if she found out what he was up to.

  But after feeling all her curves beneath him earlier, there was no doubt the sleeping together part would be incredible, but after that, one of them was bound to kill the other.

  Nick chuckled as he recalled how she’d pushed him over. She couldn’t weigh more than a hundred and twenty pounds soaking wet, and yet she’d gotten the better of him.

  He ran a hand down his face. That shouldn’t make her even sexier to him, it should make him very afraid of her. No wonder she wrote about a bad little monkey, because that monkey named Chester should be named Shelby!

  But hadn’t he told Emily just the other day how much he liked that monkey?

  Nope. Shelby had a boyfriend, or a prince, or something. And its name was Greg. Thank God Shelby hadn’t agreed to sleep with him. He needed to be sure the opportunity never arose in the future. Mostly because he wasn’t sure he could say no if she actually wanted him. He wasn’t the house-in-the-’burbs and soccer dad she wanted.

  As he pulled into his mother’s drive, he came to an abrupt stop. What was his mom doing up on a ladder cleaning out the gutters?

  He leapt from the car, slapping his door shut behind him. “Get down from there right now. You’re too old to be on a ladder!”

  “Too old?” His mom’s right brow popped up. Before he’d realized his mistake, a handful of wet, slimy leaves plopped down on top of him.

  “Nice, Mom.” He wiped slime from his forehead. “That’s a move Emily would be proud of.”

  “You’re right. Be sure to tell her.” His mother stuck her gloved hand back into the gutter and scooped out more goop.

  The “old” remark had been a mistake, and admittedly, his mom was still a beautiful woman, but she was fifty-seven.

  He blew out a long breath, searching for patience. “Come down and I’ll finish that for you.”

  His mother chuckled as she climbed down the ladder. “Your timing, as always, is impeccable. That was the last of it.” When her foot hit the ground, she kissed his cheek. “But I’m entirely too old to put the ladder away, so you can do it. Are you hungry?”