Matched Online: Anthology Bks 1-4 (Contemporary Romance)

by Lacy Williams, Julie Jarnagin, Robin Patchen

  Angela was already shaking her head. "I don't want to be filmed, and I don't give my consent for you to use what you already taped."

  "Aw, babe—chill out."

  She really wanted to slap the man standing next to her. She turned her glare on him instead. "I don't appreciate being ambushed like this. I could've saved you a lot of trouble if I'd known you were going to try to film our date. I'm not interested."

  He opened his mouth to protest, but a familiar presence stood behind Angela.

  "This is private property, and your crew can't be in here."

  She sent Drew a grateful look. He sent her the slightest wink and crossed his arms. "You're messing with our patrons who just want to drink their coffee in peace."

  Most of the people in the shop were watching avidly and appeared to be eavesdropping on the entire thing. She was never going to live this down.

  The wanna-be TV star and his producer apparently weren't going to give up that easily. Daniel started arguing with Drew.

  Drew leaned down to her. "Why don't you go hide out in the kitchen?"

  She shot him another grateful look and crept away, aware of all the eyes on her as she slipped behind the counter.

  Daniel was still talking.

  "Do you want me to call the cops?" Drew interrupted him. "Because I will."

  She ducked through the kitchen door and let it swing closed behind her, muffling the conversation happening in the front.

  She leaned against the door, trying to catch her breath. What the heck had just happened?

  She was still near-hyperventilating when someone pushed the door behind her, bumping her into stepping forward.

  "Sorry." It was Drew.

  "It's your kitchen. Well, sort of your kitchen since it's Wes's kitchen—"

  She was so shaken that she would've kept rambling if he hadn't pulled her into his arms.

  He held her loosely, his shoulders broad enough for her to hold onto. His breath ruffled the fine hairs at her temple.

  All the tension she'd held onto suddenly burst free. She started laughing, at first giggles bubbling from her lips and then all-out belly laughs. She had to let go of him when she bent in half, laughter shaking her shoulders and sending tears streaming down her cheeks.

  Finally she straightened, wiping her eyes with the sleeves of her shirt pulled over her fists. Oh, that had helped.

  "They're gone," he said oh so helpfully.

  "Good." And that sent her into a mini fit of giggles all over again.

  She pressed both hands to her face. "I cannot believe that happened! Here in Ross, of all places."

  "Yeah, it definitely seems like something that would've happened back in NYC. Not here."

  Her face felt flushed when she finally met his eyes. "I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Maybe it's something I've written on my profile. Or the way I wrote it. I seem to be attracting the worst of the worst."

  He smiled, one corner of his mouth ticking up. "Somehow, I doubt it's your fault that that guy decided to show up with TV cameras."

  She shook her head at the absurdity of it.

  "Thanks for letting me hide in here." She glanced around. She'd been in the coffee shop hundreds of times, but she'd never been back here. Along one side of the long room were shelves neatly organized with supplies, paper mugs and sleeves and lids and sugar packets. Along the other wall, a counter led up to an industrial stove and microwave.

  "No problem. How's my cooking buddy?"

  "Still raving about your spaghetti and meatballs. He's at his grandma's for the weekend. I had a couple of major baking jobs, and she loves to have him spend the night.”

  “I see.”

  It was awful, but that awareness bloomed between them again. She felt it, almost tangible in the air.

  She glanced away, not wanting to make him feel awkward.

  Her phone buzzed in her pocket. Heard what happened at coffee shop, the text message from her friend Jo read. Then a second quickly followed the first. Sorry u struck out again. Hope he doesn't stake out your house.

  Angela grimaced. Her three friends were obsessing over her dating adventures. Somehow she'd become the guinea pig who got to go first on the whole dating game, but the time would come for Jo and Morgan. Mary Beth already had a serious boyfriend. They'd all four been a part of the pact, even if her friends weren't actively participating now.

  "What's the matter?" Drew asked.

  "Oh, a friend just texted. I'm pretty sure she was joking, but she told me to be careful if Mr. Reality TV stakes out my house."

  Drew's face darkened. "You didn't give him your address, did you? Or post it on your profile?"

  She sent him a withering look. "I'm not that stupid. But Ross is a small town. He can look in the phone book and find me."

  "You should crash somewhere else for the night, then."

  "I can't. I have baking to do. It's highly unlikely that he'd do that, anyway. He's probably halfway back to the city by now."

  He untied his apron, then tugged it over his head, revealing the plain black T-shirt underneath and making her too aware of his muscled physique. "You're not going home alone."

  Well, that was macho, and uncalled for. She tried to make a joke out of it. "You telling me you're a security guard in your regular life?"

  He didn't crack a smile. "Nope. Not a cop, either."

  "This isn't New York," she said. "If he shows up again, I'll call my friend's uncle down at the police department."

  He shook his head. "I'm not negotiating on this. He got pretty mad there at the end when I wouldn't let him back here to talk to you. So you’re not going home alone.”

  “I can’t ask—”

  “You can repay me in cookies."

  Now it was her turn to cross her arms. "Why should I repay you when you're inviting yourself over? Making something out of nothing? Besides, I don't have time to babysit you. I really have to work. It's going to take me hours to frost this cake, then I have to deliver it."

  He shrugged, keys jingling in his hand as he motioned her toward the back door, the opposite direction from where she'd parked. "Fine. I'll take you home and sit in my car outside your house."

  Stubborn man. She pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to find another solution to keep him out of her space. Not that she minded, not really. It was a friendly, if unnecessary thing to do.

  She couldn't think of anything, and he was staring expectantly at her as he held the door open for her.

  Which was how she found herself half an hour later with a mountain of a man sitting on one of her kitchen barstools, watching her roll out white fondant on the counter.

  6

  The 4 things your friends say you are...

  ToastedDuck: "Class clown. Courageous hero. Lifelong student. Mama's boy."

  Cassandra, one of the college-aged baristas at Wes's shop, had been quick to tell Drew that he'd missed Angela while he'd been on his supper break. It seemed like everyone was interested in his—nonexistent—love life. Ever since last weekend when he'd helped her cart the three-tiered wedding cake from her house to the church, it seemed as if all eyes had been on him. Them.

  It was annoying. He'd forgotten about this facet of small town life. Now that he was under the microscope, he’d never forget it again.

  Had she been on another of her dates tonight? The last one had been disastrous. At least she'd been able to laugh about it. Jennifer would have freaked out for days, but not Angela. She'd laughed away her tension and then seemed to forget about the whole thing in a flurry of work.

  He'd been amazed at her skill as she’d put the cake together. He and Jennifer had baked a cake together once when they'd first been married. They'd used butter knifes to load on frosting from a canister and made a huge mess of it—and each other.

  Angela's cake was nothing like that. He'd seen a cooking show or two and knew what fondant was, but it seemed so much more finicky as Angela worked with it. Then she'd created a multitude of tiny flowers, so
me with fondant, some with colorful icing. She'd been rubbing her wrist by the time a few hours had passed and the cake was covered on one side with a cascade of flowers.

  They'd kept up a running conversation the whole time. She'd told him about her childhood in Ross and the ten-year reunion she and her friends were planning, about Thad's birth and early childhood and some of his antics. She'd even opened up and told him a little about her divorce. He’d seen how her ex-husband had hurt her, even though she hadn’t come out and said it.

  She’d been very open with him. He hadn't reciprocated. There'd been one opening in the conversation where it would've been natural to talk about Jennifer, but the words wouldn’t come. The natural lull in the conversation had turned into an awkward silence until she'd filled it with details about the wedding she was baking for.

  They'd texted a couple of times since the weekend, just casual notes, keeping things safely in the friend zone.

  He hoped her date tonight would appreciate her. Her independent spirit that had prompted her to open her own business. Her obvious love for her son. The joy that shone from inside her.

  He finished his shift and let Wes take over as evening was falling. Couldn't get his mind off of Angela’s date, wondering how it had gone. As he got into his car, he briefly thought about texting her. That wouldn't be too creepy, would it? Just friendly?

  He was driving by the bigger park across town when he spotted her car parked near the softball fields. He didn't think about it, just pulled in to a spot nearby.

  It was sultry and humid—Indian summer in full bloom—as he stood next to his car, scanning the park for her. Looked like a church league softball game was in full swing on the ball field. The stadium lights had just kicked on.

  He spotted Angela’s bright copper hair at a picnic table that overlooked the field. She was surrounded by guys. They appeared to be most of a recreational team and wore sweaty jerseys and dirt-streaked baseball pants.

  Was one of them her date?

  Drew was halfway across the parking lot before he thought better of interrupting her. Last thing she needed was him stalking her or ruining her date. He couldn't help but wonder if she was having fun.

  He paused behind a crowd watching the game. Her back was to him where she was sitting on a picnic table with her feet on the bench seat. One guy was perched next to her with a bottled water in one hand, but he was in deep conversation with the guy on his other side. He gestured out to the field and kept yakking. Was that the date? Lame. He was completely ignoring Angela.

  Drew watched another few minutes, and the lamebrain was still ignoring her, so Drew got out his phone and typed out a text.

  You look bored.

  She pulled her phone out of her pocket. Her head darted one way and then another. Finally, she looked over her shoulder.

  He gave a slow wave. She smiled and even in the semi-darkness, he saw the white flash of her teeth. His gut kicked.

  He typed out another text.

  You need a rescue?

  Desperately.

  I've got an emergency, he typed this time. He didn't feel guilty about the fib at all.

  He saw her jump up off the table, surprising the guy next to her into noticing her presence. She gestured animatedly, then jogged toward him.

  Her hair was up in a cute ponytail, and her khaki shorts showed just enough of her shapely legs to draw his attention. He forced his gaze up to her tank top, which wasn’t better. It might have been keeping her cool in the warm evening air, but had him a little warm under the collar.

  "Thank you," she said as she came close. "I had no idea that a date could turn into a guys' night out with all his friends. He didn't seem that into me."

  Guy was obviously an idiot. "No sweat." He started toward his car, happy when she followed him.

  "So what's the emergency?" she asked with a wry smile.

  He held the door open for her. "I've got a really bad craving for Chinese takeout."

  She shook her head. "There's not a Chinese place in Ross."

  He knew that. Ross was so small that only a limited number of restaurants could survive.

  "I know. That's the emergency. We should pick up Thad and drive to OKC and find one."

  It was silly to drive two hours just for takeout, but the idea had come to him, and when she lit up, he knew it was brilliant.

  She sent him a sideways glance over the roof of his car. "So you moonlight as a taxi driver?"

  He just shook his head and got in.

  Thad jumped in the car at the babysitter's house, radiating heat and happiness and smelling like only a little boy at the end of a summer night could.

  "Buckle up," he and Angela said at the same time.

  "Jinx," she said quickly with an ornery grin. "You owe me a Coke."

  He responded with a smile even as his heart panged. Jennifer had loved goofy jokes and silly pranks.

  He worked to refocus his thoughts as he turned onto the two-lane road that would dump them on the highway in a few miles.

  "How's it been going, man?" he asked Thad. "You been treating your mom right?"

  In the rearview mirror, he saw Thad nod earnestly. "We made cookies for my teacher's birthday."

  "That sounds like fun." It sounded like something he would’ve liked to do with them.

  They found a hole-in-the-wall place open late, and Angela disappeared to use the restroom.

  Apparently the place only served take-out, because there was only one table for two against the far wall. Drew and Thad stood together several feet out from the counter, staring at the menu board.

  "What do you like?" Drew asked, setting his hand on Thad's shoulder. He did it without thinking, but the natural movement gave him a pang like he'd felt earlier. What would his and Jennifer's kids have been like?

  Thad shrugged. "Dunno."

  "You like spicy stuff?"

  Thad shook his head.

  "Okay, so the spicy Kung Pao chicken is out."

  They discussed other possibilities. Then Thad looked up at him, and it was clear by the way his eyes had dimmed that he had more on his mind than sesame chicken. "The other day you told me it was okay to cry. But what do I do if those two guys try to beat me up again?"

  Drew had expected the question when he'd babysat the other night, but it had never come up.

  Now, he let his hand rest on Thad's shoulder again. "If there's an adult around, ask for help. If there isn't and you're alone with those guys, there's no shame in running. Two against one isn't very fair."

  He squeezed the boy's shoulder gently. "What you really need is a pack of friends. I had Wes when we were young, we stuck like glue to each other until college."

  Thad looked down at his shoes. "That's kinda hard because Jack moved away. And I'm not very good at making friends."

  The last was said in an almost-whisper.

  Drew propped his hands on his knees and got down on the boy's level. "I think you're an awesome guy. You've got mad baseball skills and a great dog. And your rock collection and everything you know about them is really interesting."

  Thad looked up at him with a sideways glance. "Rocks are kinda dorky."

  "Says who?"

  Thad shrugged. He still looked so dejected.

  Angela approached, the click of her shoes on the linoleum floor alerting the guys to her presence.

  "Tell you what. Wes said the last superhero night at the coffee shop was a huge success. And he's doing another one." Drew looked up at Angela to bring her into the conversation. "If you can convince your mom to bring you, I can make sure there are some other guys your age there, and you can meet them."

  Angela shot him a questioning glance even as Thad looked up at her with a pleading glance.

  "Can we go, Mom? Please?"

  Drew mouthed, I'll tell you later.

  She shrugged. "I don’t see why not."

  Great, she’d agreed. Now Drew needed to find some kids to come.

  7

  How do you
typically spend your leisure time?

  Maximus884: "I love to read. Academic journals, mostly."

  Somehow, Angela had ended up at superhero night again. At least this time her date wasn't barely old enough to be legal or wearing a costume.

  Nope. This one was wearing a tweed jacket with leather patches on the elbows. She'd once seen a picture of her father in his early twenties with the same jacket on. She couldn't stop thinking about that. The man’s glasses kept slipping down his nose, and he kept pushing them up, over and over again.

  Over her date's shoulder she could see Thad spinning on one of the barstools, Drew leaning on his elbows behind the counter talking to him.

  She’d had so much fun with Drew and Thad the night they’d gone for Chinese food. They’d laughed a lot as they'd gobbled down Chinese food sitting on the curb in the parking lot of the takeout restaurant.

  Then she and Drew had conversed in softer tones on the drive home as Thad drifted off in the backseat.

  He'd finally copped to his profession, an investment banker.

  He was a suit, which had surprised her, disappointed her. She'd promised herself not to fall for someone who had a high-stress job that required long hours. She’d been there with her ex-husband, and she didn’t intend to go back.

  But Drew had confessed that his wife's death had made him rethink a lot of things—like the long hours spent in his office. And she couldn't help but wonder if she'd judged all men in corporate jobs too harshly, as if they were all just like her ex.

  And then after she'd lugged a sleeping Thad up to his room and put him to bed, she and Drew had sat for a long time on the hood of his car. He'd told her the entire conversation he and Thad had at the Chinese place. She'd been near tears thinking her son didn’t believe he could make friends. But Drew had offered to set up a sort of low-stress play date during the superhero night for Thad and some other kids that had come in last time.

  She trusted him to watch over Thad while she was on her date.

  She might trust him too much. She certainly liked him too much. The impromptu Chinese food road trip was the best date than she'd had in a long time. And she’d had a lot. And that was dangerous, because she knew Drew was headed back to New York in another month.