Andi thought about that. Matchmaking hadn’t worked for her, at least not the way she’d expected it to. But dating Luke certainly had helped show her she was ready to find love again. And it helped convince her that whatever craziness Ben had in his life, she wanted to be with him.
“Ten couples have put their files on hold this week after finding love,” Brooke continued. “If not for Luke, those couples never would’ve met each other.” She lifted her glass. “To many happy years, and many happy couples.”
“Hear, hear!” one of the other matchmakers cheered. The room broke into pleasant chatter, and Brooke made her way back to Luke. The two of them pulled each other into a tight hug. Andi watched Brooke close her eyes and breathe in, inhaling Luke’s scent.
Those two were so in love.
“I’m glad it worked,” Luke said.
“Me too.” Brooke pulled away, focusing on Andi. “And thank you, Andi. You’re a big part of this too.”
Andi smiled. It was too perfect an opening. She glanced around, then leaned forward so only Luke and Brooke could hear. “I’m ready for the charade to be over.” She gave Luke a teasing wink. “Think we can break up soon?”
“Sure,” Luke said, nudging Andi with his shoulder. “I was kind of getting sick of you anyway.”
Brooke’s face paled. Had Andi said something wrong? Or was Brooke surprised Andi and Luke really were all for show?
“Are you okay?” Luke asked, his brow furrowed in obvious concern.
“Yes,” Brooke gasped. She shook her head as though to clear it. “I have to go.”
Luke raised an eyebrow. “Looks like the party might continue for a while still.”
“I know. Can I come over later tonight? We can talk.”
“Sure,” Luke said, his eyes softening with hope. “Can I … help you with anything?”
“No, thanks. There’s something I need to do, and I’ve got to do it on my own.”
Andi waited until the glass conference room door swung shut behind Brooke, then turned to Luke. “Did you hear that?”
“I know.” Luke leaned closer as someone bumped into him from behind. “She said she wants to see me tonight. What do you think she wants to talk about?”
“I think she’s going to give you a chance.”
“Maybe we’re misinterpreting.”
“I saw her face. And that’s the face of a woman in love.”
“I don’t know if I dare hope.”
Andi knew exactly how he felt. But she wasn’t about to let him miss his chance. “Well, start hoping, mister. Do you think you can get everything set up for tonight?”
“But what if we’re wrong?”
Andi slapped him on the shoulder. Honestly, men could be so dense. “I think this is your moment, either way.” She tugged on his hand. “C’mon, let’s go.”
She would help Luke win over Brooke. And then Andi would win over Ben.
They said their goodbyes to the small party and escaped the building. “There’s no way we can pull this off in just a few hours,” he said.
“Oh, stop being such a pessimist.” Andi raised her voice over the honking horns of rush-hour traffic. “Sure we can. We already know what you’re going to do. We just have to pull it together. There’s a party shop a few blocks away. It’ll be quicker to walk. We can get everything there.” It shouldn’t be that hard to recreate a high school dance on short notice. She’d been on the dance committee once in high school, and they’d pretty much waited until the last minute to do anything.
“Okay,” Luke said.
They paused at the corner, waiting for the crosswalk to change to the white walking symbol. It flipped from red to white and let out a beep, indicating it was time to cross. Andi stepped into the street, already thinking of what supplies they’d need at the party store.
“Look out!” Luke yelled. His arm wrap around her waist and yank her behind him. And that’s when she saw the bicyclist. The front tire hit Luke, and he fell. His shoulder smacked the blacktop with a sickening thud, and the bicyclist sailed over his head.
Andi dropped down next to Luke, fear spiraling through her. “Are you okay?”
He let out a hiss. “I think so.”
She ran her eyes over him, trying to assess the damage. “Crap, you’re bleeding. And your ankle’s swelling.” His pant leg was pushed up, and his ankle was already turning purple. “I’m calling an ambulance.” Andi whipped her phone out of her pocket, then yanked off her jacket and pressed it against his arm.
“You’ll ruin it,” he said.
“Shut up and let me help.”
“Go check on the bicyclist.”
Andi swore. “You’re right. Keep pressure on that arm.” She rose and ran to the fallen bicyclist as sirens sounded in the distance. He lay on the blacktop groaning, his arm held tight to his chest. Blood oozed from the gash, and tiny bits of gravel were embedded in his flesh. “Are you okay?” Andi asked.
“Yes,” he said, his teeth clenched.
A witness dropped down next to the biker. “Go back to your friend,” he said, motioning to Luke. “I’ll stay with him until the ambulance gets here.”
Andi nodded and ran back to Luke. “The bicyclist is all right,” she said. “He has some road rash, but he was wearing a helmet. Someone stopped and is with him. Ooo, that’s bleeding a lot. And I think you broke your ankle or something.”
The ambulance screeched to a stop a few feet away, and two paramedics jumped out the back.
Andi stepped back, allowing the paramedics space to work on Luke. The adrenaline of the moment started to wear off, and she wrapped her arms around herself to try and stop the trembling.
A blanket dropped around her shoulders. “You’re in shock,” a paramedic said gently.
“I’m fine,” Andi said.
The man shook his head and led her to the ambulance, helping her sit on the edge. He grabbed a bottle of juice and handed it to her. “Are you going to be okay?”
She nodded, motioning to Luke. “I’m fine. He’s the one who was hit by a bicyclist.”
The paramedic nodded and left her. Andi watched as paramedics wrapped Luke’s arm in gauze.
Today, it had only been a bicyclist, and nothing severe had really happened. But it could’ve been a car or a bus or a train. It could’ve ended in disaster. And she would’ve died without Ben ever knowing she loved him.
I love him, Andi realized. She didn’t want to be friends with benefits, or go on a few dates and “see where things went.” She wanted to be with him forever, every day for the rest of her life.
She loved him.
The paramedics stabilized Luke’s shoulder and ankle, then loaded him into the cramped ambulance. Andi insisted on riding with him to the hospital.
Luke was lucky. His shoulder was bruised and his ankle sprained, but he’d be fine in a few weeks. Doctors and nurses filed in and out of the room, attaching monitors and writing things down on charts. Someone came in with a tray and stitched Luke’s arm up.
“I’ve got to get home,” Luke told the doctor. Andi knew he was thinking of Brooke and her promise to come by later.
“We’ll get you out of here soon,” the doctor said. He clicked off the pen light he’d been using to check Luke’s pupils for the fifth time and scribbled on the chart. “I’ll have the nurse start processing your discharge papers.”
Luke’s phone rang. “I’ve got to take this,” he said. The doctor nodded absently, still making notes in the chart. “Hello?”
Is it Brooke? Andi mouthed. Luke nodded, and she gave him a thumbs up.
Andi leaned back in her chair, shamelessly listening to Luke’s half of the conversation. Then he said, “I love you, Brooke.” His eyes glistened at her response, and he pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it. “She said she loves me.”
Andi squeezed his good arm. “That’s fantastic.” Then she laughed. “I’m breaking up with you.”
“What?” Luke blinked.
She
laughed again. “Go get your happy ending, Luke. I’m ready to go get mine too, whatever that is.” She kissed him on the cheek. “I expect an invitation to the wedding.”
Andi took a deep breath, staring at the silver 215 on Ben’s door. She should probably go back to her condo and clean up a bit after spending the last few hours at the hospital with Luke. But she was worried if she didn’t see Ben now, she’d lose her nerve.
Besides, it was rude to show up late to dinner.
Andi knocked on the door, and it swung open almost immediately. Ben leaned against the door frame, a soft smile on his lips as he folded his arms across his chest. Andi’s eyes traveled the length of him, her heart quickening at the way his jeans hugged his hips.
“Hi,” Andi said, biting her lip.
He held open his arms and she fell into them, resting her head against his shoulder. He buried his face in her hair, and she breathed in deeply, relishing the smell of shaving cream and soap. “Hi,” he said.
Andi pulled away, focusing on the condo. The breakfast nook was empty, the broken table gone. The new breakfast bar was set for two, containers of Chinese takeout spread in front of the plates.
“Smells great,” Andi said.
Ben stuck his hands in his pockets, his cheeks reddening. “I didn’t feel much like cooking after what happened this week.”
Andi rested a hand on his arm—anything to touch him. “This is perfect. How did you know that’s my favorite Chinese restaurant?”
“We went there once in high school after a competition. You and Rach talked me into driving you there, and the three of us had dinner.”
A memory sparked, and Andi laughed. “I remember now. We had a lot of fun that night.”
He reached out, running his hands over one of her silky curls and tucking it behind her ear. Andi’s breathing stuttered and she leaned her head into his hand.
“I spent the whole night staring at you, thinking you were the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen,” Ben said.
She blushed, looking down. She took the plate Ben offered her, and they spent the next few minutes dishing up their food.
“So … are we going to talk about it?” Andi asked. She didn’t need to specify what it was. The almost-kiss hung over them, exciting and terrifying at the same time.
Ben paused, his fork hovering over a piece of orange chicken. “Yeah, I think we should.”
Andi swallowed hard. Her heart pounded in her chest until it drown out all other sound. “Was that what I think it was?”
“If Elle had showed up a minute later, we would’ve been kissing.” Ben ran a hand down her arm, linking his fingers through hers. “I can’t get you out of my head.”
Andi couldn’t stop smiling. “I feel the same way. So where do we go from here?”
“Well, you should probably break up with your boyfriend.”
Andi laughed. “Already done.”
Ben’s eyes widened. “When?”
“Tonight.” Andi put a hand on his cheek. “Anything you saw in the papers, anything you read—it was for show. Luke and I never felt anything for each other but friendship. Tonight, I think he’s getting the girl he loves. And I’m hoping to figure things out with the guy I’m falling for.”
Ben growled, cupping her face in his hands. Andi let her eyes flutter closed as his lips lowered toward hers.
Her phone rang, a shotgun in the quiet moment. “Oh my heavens,” Andi said, yanking her phone out of her pocket. She cursed when she saw the number. “It’s my dad,” she said. He was calling her from work, not home, which meant it was probably job related. “I’d better answer it.”
Ben leaned his head on her shoulder with a groan. “I am going to lock you in a room with no technology and throw away the key.”
Andi laughed, flicking her phone on. She liked the sound of that. “This is Andi.”
“I need you at the office immediately,” her dad said. “Someone broke into your office. He’s been apprehended by the police, but I need you to come down and see if anything’s missing or stolen. We’re still trying to identify his motive.”
Andi gasped. “Oh my gosh. I’ll be right down.” She clicked off her phone and stood, grabbing her purse.
“Is everything okay?” Ben asked, rising as well.
“Someone broke into my office. The police need me to come down and see what’s been taken.”
Ben grabbed his keys. “I’m coming with you.”
Andi nodded, grateful for his comforting presence.
Ben locked his door and they hurried to the elevators. “Do they know who did it?” he asked.
“He said they caught the guy, but don’t know what his motive is yet.”
“Do you have any ideas who it could be?”
Andi shrugged. “I’m a lawyer—someone is usually angry at me. But no one comes to mind that would be angry enough or violent enough to ransack my office.”
Ben pushed the speed limit all the way to the office. Andi instructed him where to park, and then they raced inside the building. It was nearly nine o’clock, but the front foyer was crowded with people. She quickly picked out her father, standing in a corner with a police office. His face was drawn, the lines around his eyes creased with stress.
Andi ran over to him. “Dad. What happened?”
The police officer pointed to Andi. A shiny silver name tag identified him as Officer Hardy. “Is this your daughter?”
“Yes, this is Andi,” her dad said. “The one whose office he ransacked.”
Officer Hardy nodded, flipping open his notebook. “We’ve been questioning the perpetrator and it appears you may have a connection to him through Footsteps for Change. He was upset about some legal advice you gave the organization and thought he’d give you a bit of a scare.”
Andi gasped, and Ben’s arm wrapped around her. She leaned against him for support. “Oh my gosh.”
“Did you ever meet the guy?” the officer asked.
“No, but I know of him.” Andi quickly explained about her work with Footsteps for Change, and the case Elle had asked her to consult on. She found Ben’s hand, holding onto it tight while she talked. Her dad glanced at their clasped hands and folded his arms, but didn’t interrupt.
When Andi finished speaking, Officer Hardy motioned another police officer over. “I need you to go down to Footsteps for Change and talk to Miss Elle Stevens,” he said.
The officer nodded and left, taking a woman in uniform with him.
“Miss Harmon, we need you to go through your office and confirm if anything is missing,” Officer Hardy said.
“And make a list of damaged items for insurance purposes,” her dad added.
Andi was already nodding. “Of course. I’ll get to work on that right now.”
“Thank you,” Officer Hardy said, handing her a business card. “If anything is missing, please call us immediately.”
Andi nodded, pulling Ben toward the elevator. “Let’s go.”
“Wait a moment.” Her dad’s hand grabbed her arm, pulling her to a stop. He gave Ben a pointed glare, then pulled Andi out of hearing distance. Ben stood back, giving them privacy.
“What is Footsteps for Change?” her dad asked.
Andi shifted, uncomfortable under his searing stare. “Mom didn’t show you the news spot?”
“If she had, would I be asking you about it?”
Andi glanced over at Ben. He leaned against the reception desk and gave her an encouraging smile. “I ran into one of my friends from college a while ago,” Andi said. “She works for a nonprofit that provides dance lessons for underprivileged kids. She asked me to teach a class. I’ve been spending an hour every Tuesday teaching kids ballroom dance.”
He frowned, rubbing his chin. “I didn’t realize you were dancing again.” He nodded toward Ben. “I recognize Rachel’s brother. Are the two of you dating?”
“I’m not sure.”
His jaw clenched, but he nodded. “What about Luke?”
“We broke
up.”
“You broke up?” He rubbed a hand over his jaw. “Is this about what you told me at Christmas? How you aren’t enjoying family law?”
“I love family law.” Andi put a hand on his arm. “Working that case for Elle was the most I’ve loved law since graduation.”
“So it’s not all law you hate. Just the kind we practice at this firm.”
“It’s not like that, Dad.”
He cleared his throat, looking away. “I’ve always dreamed about making you partner at this firm.”
“I know.”
“But all I want is for you to be happy, Andi. If working in the nonprofit sector makes you happy—if dating that boy makes you happy—then your mother and I will be happy for you.”
Tears welled in Andi’s eyes, and she gave her dad a quick hug. “I love you,” she said.
He swallowed hard. “I love you, too. Now go figure out what kind of an insurance claim we’re going to have to make.”
Andi nodded and headed toward Ben. He met her halfway and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Everything okay?”
She nodded, pushing the up button on the elevator. “Everything is perfect.”
When the elevator doors reopened, they stepped out into the room of cubicles on Andi’s floor. “Nothing looks disturbed here,” Ben said.
“That’s because he was targeting me.” Andi slid to a stop in front of her office and gasped. The door stood ajar, giving a clear view of the disaster. Papers were strewn everywhere and the contents of the shredder had been dumped across the room. Her computer monitor had a giant crack in it.
“Holy crap,” Ben said.
Andi picked her way across the room, slowly righting her office chair. Deep slashes dug into the leather, like it had been attacked with a knife.
Ben slowly picked up a book. The cover hung off it by a thread. Pages from other volumes littered the floor.
“At least I have an excuse to go through my bookcase,” Andi said, trying to laugh. “It’s been on my to-do list for a while.”
“This is awful,” Ben said.
Andi blinked back the tears. “It’s just stuff. I’m glad he didn’t hurt anyone.”
Ben’s hands landed on her neck and gently massaged. She buried her face in his chest as sobs shook her body. “Shhh,” he said. “It’s okay. I’m going to stay here all night and help you get this cleaned up.”
Not Your Match Page 20