“How?”
“His aunt Lil suggested he bring along the dating profile you filled out for me.” She was still wondering why he hadn’t destroyed it. There had been a funny look on his face when he used the “too busy” excuse. “And he’d filled out one for himself. We compared notes. It was a really good conversation starter.” And very revealing. “That was fun and got us over a little rough patch. It was easy after that.”
“What else?” Ava asked.
Courtney racked her brain for details. “He bought dinner.”
Ava’s delicate brows drew together. “Isn’t the guy supposed to pay when he asks you out? That’s what you always tell me.”
“Right.” Shouldn’t have been noteworthy, but it was. Because that was another gentlemanly gesture. It came under the heading of too much information. “You’re the one checking the boxes. Put a mark in that one.”
Ava grinned and made a check mark in the air. “Is there chemistry with him?”
“You mean am I attracted?” Courtney was breathing, and he was gorgeous. Duh. “I don’t want to move too fast. That’s the kiss of death.”
“Either you are or you aren’t.” This kid was nothing if not practical—and pushy.
“Well, he’s fun. Smart. Great sense of humor. Thoughtful.”
“Don’t forget cute.” Ava shrugged. “For an old guy.”
Courtney laughed. “I don’t even want to know what that makes me. Ancient, I’d guess.”
“I didn’t say that.” She grinned, then turned serious again. “Do you think he’s nice-looking?”
“Yeah, I do.” Courtney had thought that the first time they met, when she’d never expected to see him again. Tonight she’d gotten to know him a little better and found out he wasn’t just another pretty face. And they had taken a serious step forward in their conspiracy. “And you were right about him, sweetie.”
“What did I say?”
“That he was a nice man. Your instincts were spot-on.”
The teen smiled, then stood and hugged her. “I’m so glad, Mom. You deserve a nice man.”
Courtney returned her hug, then tightened it a little more. “Thank you. It means a lot that you approve of him.”
“You make him sound perfect. Smart, funny, thoughtful, cute. You seem really happy. What’s not to like?” Ava pointed a finger at her. “Now, don’t blow it.”
“Okay.” That was easy to promise, because she couldn’t make a mistake.
“‘Night, Mom.”
“Sleep tight, sweetie.”
Courtney watched Ava leave and blew out a relieved breath. This plan had passed the first test with flying colors. And she realized it was easy, because she’d been telling the truth about Gabe. Fake dating wasn’t so hard with someone like him.
Was it a betrayal of their deal that she was looking forward to the next “date”?
Chapter Six
Tuesday and Thursday were Gabe’s days to tutor at the high school, an hour at a time—more if there was enough interest. His schedule was posted in the algebra classrooms, and today he was using Brett’s. His friend was supervising the math decathlon students.
A couple of kids had wandered in, and he’d given them a few pointers to assist with their homework assignment. It clicked quickly, and they’d left. There was one boy still there. Paul had been a regular since school had started a few weeks ago. He got an A for effort and was doing pretty well in the class. It was just that he lacked confidence in his ability to comprehend the material.
“I don’t even know why I have to study algebra.” There was a mother lode of frustration in Paul’s voice.
“Well, first it allows us to make statements that are generally true without having to be specific,” Gabe began.
“I can be specific.” The boy looked up at him. “I specifically hate algebra.”
Gabe tried not to laugh and couldn’t manage it. He really enjoyed working with the kids and was determined that this one would change his attitude.
“Paul, think of it this way. You can say A plus B equals B plus A rather than five plus three equals three plus five. See, nonspecific but always true.”
“Duh.” He rested his chin in his hands.
“Also, algebra is a more brief language. It’s easier to say ‘A plus B equals B plus A’ rather than ‘when adding two numbers together, it doesn’t matter which number is added to which.’ The result is still the same.”
“Nope.” The kid shook his head. “Still not making me care about it.”
“Sure you do. Otherwise you wouldn’t be here.” Gabe saw a girl walk into the classroom at the back. It was Ava. “The last reason algebra is important is you can use it to solve problems.”
“No,” Paul said, “you can use it. I don’t understand it.”
“I think you get it more than you think. Why don’t you try your homework and we’ll go from there.”
After heaving a sigh, Paul opened his book and wrote down the first problem. He looked at it for several moments, then started solving it. When he finished, Gabe checked the answer.
“Good job. Keep going.”
While Paul worked, Gabe walked to the back of the classroom, where Ava was waiting. “Hi.”
She lifted a hand. “What’s up?”
“Just tutoring.” He rested a hip against an empty desk. “Your mom said you were negotiating more lenient grounding terms and suggested bringing up your math grade for a lighter sentence. Do you need some help with that?”
Her hesitation told him this drop-in had nothing to do with algebra and everything to do with checking him out. He’d gone out with her mother a few days ago, and the reality of that might just be sinking in.
“You’re here about your mom and me, right?”
She caught the corner of her lip between her teeth and set her backpack on the desk. “My mom is all about taking responsibility.”
“Okay.” He had a feeling he knew where this was headed. “What is it you need to take responsibility for?”
“If she gets hurt, it will be my fault.”
“Are you asking me not to call your mother for another date?”
Her brown eyes were a swirling mass of confusion and conflict. Finally she blurted out, “Are you going to? Call her, I mean?”
“Yes.”
He actually looked forward to seeing her again. The “date” had gone better than he could have anticipated—a lot of laughs and Courtney kept him on his toes. She was quick and obviously intelligent. He was definitely planning to take her out again but was waiting a respectable amount of time. As long as they kept the ruse going, there would be peace and no surprise female guests for him at Blackburne family Sunday dinners.
“Do you like her?” Ava asked.
“Very much.” Gabe couldn’t have picked anyone more perfect for this mission. It was a plus not having to lie, at least about his feelings for her mother. He couldn’t resist asking, “Did she say anything about me?”
Ava smiled a little. “What is this? High school?”
He looked around the classroom and grinned. “Actually, yeah.”
“My mom said she had a good time.” But Ava didn’t look happy about that.
“Hey, Mr. B?”
Gabe turned to look at Paul. “What’s up?”
“I finished my homework. But I think it’s all wrong. Can you check it out?”
“Of course.” He looked at Ava. “Would you excuse me for a minute?”
“I guess.”
“I’ll be right back.” He walked over to the desk where the boy was sitting. Leaning over, he scanned the kid’s work and pointed to one of the equations. “This answer is correct, but your teacher wants you to show all the steps. You missed one here.”
“What about the rest?”
“Looks good to me.” Gab
e held out his fist, and the kid bumped it with his own. “You sure complain a lot for someone who really seems to get it.”
“That’s just part of my process, I guess.” He shrugged but looked pretty pleased with himself.
“It’s working for you. Anything else you need help with?”
“No.” He put his book and paper in his backpack and stood. “Thanks for the help, Mr. B.”
“I didn’t do anything. It was all you, kid. Keep up the good work.”
“See you next time.” He headed toward the back of the classroom. “Hi, Ava.”
“Hey, Paul.” She lifted a hand and looked a little uncomfortable.
“The homework is pretty easy. I didn’t think it would be, and this is Mr. B’s day to tutor. He’s cool.”
“Math isn’t my favorite,” she said, glancing at Gabe.
“Mine, either,” Paul answered. “But we don’t get a choice.”
“That’s for sure.” She smiled. “See you tomorrow.”
“Good luck with the homework.” He waved at Gabe. “Later, Mr. B.”
“Have a good evening, Paul.” Gabe walked back over to Ava and leaned against the desk again. “Okay. So your mom had a good time with me the other night.”
“Yeah. She said you have a nice car and were a gentleman. The conversation was good and you paid for dinner. That’s a little old-fashioned, but nice.”
Good to know he still had some game in the dating department. “I see.”
“She also said you’re smart and funny. And cute for an old guy.”
“Old?” So much for his game.
She smiled. “That wasn’t actually her saying it.”
“Ah.” But clearly this girl had grilled her mother like raw hamburger. “So she told you it went well. And for some reason that’s bothering you. Would you like to talk about it?”
She wouldn’t quite meet his gaze, so that was a no. Then the words started pouring out. “You seem like a really nice man.”
“Your mom said you told her you felt comfortable with me. And that’s why you came to Make Me a Match. I appreciate the vote of confidence.”
“No problem.” She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “But, the thing is, I’m the one who pushed my mom into going out, and what if—” She caught her bottom lip between her teeth again.
“What if she gets hurt?” he asked gently.
“Yeah. I’m not saying you’re a jerk,” she added quickly. “But she hasn’t had the best experiences. I get why dating is hard for her. I just want her to be happy, you know?”
“I completely understand.” He and Courtney had agreed their happy place was being left alone, but their respective families felt the need to butt in. And he couldn’t say any of that without revealing his deal with Courtney. However, with their pact in place, he could sincerely reassure this girl that he wouldn’t hurt her mother. Gabe was nothing if not a problem solver.
“Look, Ava, I like your mother. We really did have a good time. The truth is that neither of us is looking for anything serious right now.” Not ever, as far as he was concerned.
“But what if she gets serious about you and you don’t feel the same about her?” Worry darkened her eyes. “You might not mean to hurt her, but she will be anyway.”
“That’s what dating is all about,” he said. “There are no guarantees, no matter how much you want one.”
Life had a way of throwing curveballs. He’d never expected his wife to die. She had been young and healthy, with her whole life ahead of her. The familiar heat of anger burned inside him, but he pushed it down. He hadn’t been able to control what happened to Margo, but he could control his feelings from now on. And make sure pain like that never touched him again.
“Look, Ava, you’re not responsible for what happens with me and your mom. Any more than Make Me a Match is responsible when the two people we bring together don’t hit it off.”
“But still—”
“Your mom is one of the strongest women I’ve ever met. She’s beautiful, bright and funny. It wasn’t smooth sailing the other night, but by the end of the evening, I’d give us a solid A minus.” He had to take off points for wanting to kiss her, but that was only a blip. It was gone now. Under control. “Things will work out however they’re going to, but it’s never a good idea to borrow trouble.”
“I can’t help it,” she said.
“I promise you that I will always be honest with your mother. Right now we’re having fun, and that’s the most important thing.”
“I guess.” She didn’t look convinced. “But now that I pushed her into it, I’m afraid you’re way out of her league.”
If anything, Courtney was too good for a guy like him who put his career above everything, even the wife who’d loved him. But saying so wouldn’t reassure Ava. And he couldn’t tell her what was really going on.
“I’m just a regular guy, kid. Your mother is way above my pay grade.” He smiled. “You’d understand if you could see my family. I have two brothers and a sister. They cut me down to size on an annoyingly regular basis. Every Sunday, in fact.”
And that gave him an idea. Ava needed to see he wasn’t all that. He still had to take this charade out for a spin with his family to convince them he was going out with Courtney. Why not kill two birds with one stone at a Blackburne Sunday dinner?
Go big or go home. Or, in this case, go home and go big.
* * *
Receiving doctor’s orders on a new cardiac patient had pushed Courtney’s lunch back later than usual, and she was starving. She grabbed a food tray, checked out the day’s menu and decided on a big salad. There were hospital employees and visitors also buying food, but it wasn’t lunchtime-crush busy now. After paying the cashier, she scanned the cafeteria and was pleased and surprised to see her best friend, Taylor Russo, who worked in the neonatal intensive care unit. Now she wouldn’t have to eat alone.
She headed to the table in a back corner and set down her tray. “Hey, Tay.”
“Courtney! Hi.” The green-eyed blonde grinned with pleasure.
“How are things in the NICU?” She poured dressing on the greens piled high with turkey and hard boiled egg and started to toss it.
“Always hectic. But the babies...” She sighed dreamily. “I love it in there.”
“So, when are you going to have one?” Courtney knew the answer but asked anyway. It was what she always did.
“As soon as I find a man who appreciates me for the goddess that I am.” She chewed a bite of her sandwich and looked thoughtful. “Or I might just have a baby on my own.”
“Really? You’ve given up on finding a man?” Courtney had been about to eat a forkful of lettuce and stopped halfway to her mouth. She’d met Taylor in nursing school, and they’d clicked right away. They became best friends and were thrilled to find jobs at the same hospital, in their preferred respective fields. “You always swore you wouldn’t be like me—you wouldn’t do the kid thing by yourself.”
“No offense, bestie.”
“None taken. No one knows better than me how hard it is being both mom and dad to a child. In a perfect world, every kid would have both. But it’s not perfect.” No one knew that better than Courtney, either. “But I wouldn’t trade having Ava, being her mother, for anything. Even when she’s at her worst.”
Taylor’s gaze snapped up. “What has that little angel done now?”
“What makes you think—” Before Courtney finished the thought she got the “because I know you” look. “Okay.”
She told Taylor the story of Ava’s trip to the matchmaker and the scheme to find her a man.
“That kid is something else.” Taylor shook her head then looked wistful. “You’re lucky to have someone who loves you that much.”
“I know. But what she did is equal parts annoying and sweet.”
“Mostly sweet.” Her friend popped the last bite of her sandwich into her mouth.
“Easy for you to say. Your child didn’t tell a very hot guy that you couldn’t get a man on your own and needed assistance.”
Taylor’s eyes widened. “He was good-looking? Ouch.”
“I know, right?” She chewed a bite of salad, because telling her best friend about the fake dating was on the tip of her tongue. It had been her idea to keep the whole thing secret. This woman was very close to Ava, and too much information could be a disaster. “She’s finally off restriction for lying to me, not being where she told me she would be. That is just not acceptable.”
The cell phone in her scrubs pocket vibrated, and she shifted in her chair to slide it out. She looked across the table at her friend. “Sorry. It might be Ava.” Without looking at caller ID, she swiped the screen to answer. “Hello?”
“Hi, Courtney. It’s Gabe.”
She knew his voice, and the skip of her heart was proof that she knew it. Plus her cheeks grew flushed. She could feel the heat. “Hi.”
“I had a couple minutes and wanted to leave a voice mail. I didn’t expect you to answer. Is this a bad time? Are you at work?”
“No and yes. I’m at lunch right now.”
“I’ll let you go, then. Sorry to bother you. This can wait.”
“That’s okay. I can talk. What’s up?” She took another bite of food while she listened.
“I don’t know if Ava mentioned it, but I saw her at school yesterday. It was my day to tutor, and she came by the classroom.”
“Oh good. She’s getting math help.” And hadn’t said a single word about it.
There was a short silence on his end of the line. “Not exactly.”
“I don’t understand.” Courtney put her fork down in her half-eaten salad. “What’s going on?”
“She wanted to talk to me.”
“About what?”
“She has mixed feelings about pushing you to date. Now that you are, she’s afraid you’re going to get hurt.”
True to her personality, that child was being annoyingly sweet. “So she warned you?”
A Matchmaker's Challenge Page 8