It was the day he decided he would have a lake one day, and a sailboat and a Jet Ski. He cocked his head, studying the photos, settling on the one of Mr. C and Clint and him, the three of them laughing, carefree. Belonging. Accepted.
Maybe he’d missed the most important thing that day.
“I think we have Patches all in order,” Allie said as she returned.
He swung around, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Uh, good.”
Conversation deserted him, and an awkward silence settled between them.
“Well, I hope you have a safe journey home,” Allie said.
“Thanks. Oh, wait. I want to give you that check in case Noah needs something.” He dashed off a check for two hundred dollars and handed it her. “Call me if you need more.”
Allie glanced at it and looked up. “This will be more than adequate.”
For a moment, their gazes locked, and deep-down yearning stirred in him, not for Allie, but for...something, and then she looked away. “Okay, then... I better hit the road.”
“When should I tell Noah you’ll be back?”
“This weekend.” That stirring again. “I’ll call every night, um, to talk to Noah. Maybe I can overcome the Memphis thing.”
“You should’ve told him.”
“I know. I’ll try to do better in the future.” He turned, searching for his nephew.
“Noah!” Allie called. “Your uncle is leaving. Come say goodbye.”
The boy appeared in the hall doorway, Patches draped over his shoulder. Impulsively, Matt pulled out his phone and snapped their picture to show Jessica. Then he gently lifted the kitten, unhooking her claws from Noah’s shirt. He rubbed under her neck, surprised at how attached he’d become to the animal. “Be good,” he said to the kitten, then tousled Noah’s hair. “You, too. I’ll see you this weekend.”
Noah didn’t say anything, just nodded and took the kitten that Matt held out. With one lingering glance at Allie, Matt turned and walked out of the house.
* * *
A LITTLE AFTER FIVE, Matt suppressed the urge to flex the tightness out of his shoulders. It had been a long day. The hearing, driving in from Cedar Grove—he hadn’t even been by his apartment. Instead he’d come straight to the Bradford Foundation and to J. Phillip’s office.
Bradford leaned back in his leather chair and tented his fingers, his expression mirroring the somber moose head mounted on the walnut paneling behind him. “I like you, Matt. And I appreciate you coming by and going over the figures one last time. Your family situation—is it settled now?”
“Yes, sir. My sister is improving and my nephew is settled.” Until the weekend. But Bradford didn’t have to know that information.
The older man fingered the wedding band on his left hand, slipping it back and forth. “Taking care of family matters is admirable, but don’t let it slow your career down. Did you find a band to play at the banquet?”
Matt struggled to keep his face impassive. Play your cards close to your vest. One of the few things he remembered from his dad. Bradford wasn’t getting the name unless Matt won the contract. He refused to be intimidated by the steel-gray eyes sizing him up and leaned forward. “Yes. If I get the contract, I have an excellent ensemble lined up.”
“Very good.” Bradford’s face actually held a hint of amusement as he picked up Matt’s proposal. “These are your final figures?”
“Yes, sir. And I don’t believe anyone can match them and still give you the level of service we at the Winthrop Corporation can.”
Bradford inserted the proposal into a thick file then looked up. “We’ll see tomorrow, won’t we? If yours is the winning bid, I’ll call you at ten.”
“Yes, sir.” Matt rose and extended his hand. “Thank you for seeing me this late.”
Bradford stood as well and firmly grasped Matt’s hand. “No problem. Do you have plans for dinner?”
Matt caught the hint of an offer. “Uh, yes, sir. My f-fiancée...Jessica...is making reservations at the hotel restaurant. Um, would you like to join us?”
The barest of hesitation, then Bradford patted him on the back. “I hardly think your young lady would appreciate that. No, I’ll have something here at my desk.”
Matt didn’t push it. His client was correct in his assumption Jessica would not be pleased if he brought a guest with him. After all, they hadn’t seen each other in several days. Bradford walked with him to the elevator. “And your sister...you said she was all right?”
Her physical condition had improved. Matt wasn’t so sure about her mental state. He’d stopped by the hospital on his way out of town to discuss getting treatment for her drug problem, but she’d been asleep. Or playing possum. Either way, this coming weekend his sister had a decision to make. Peter had left no doubt that Mariah would have to go through rehab to get custody of Noah. “She’ll be fine. Thank you for asking.”
“Good.” His lips twitched, as if to say more, but the elevator doors opened. “You’ll hear from me tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir.” Matt hesitated. Bradford seemed distracted, once again fingering his wedding band. Matt held the elevator. “Are you certain you can’t join us for dinner?”
“No, Matthew. Go meet your girlfriend. I’m fine here with my work.”
“Well, have a good evening.” Matt punched the lobby button and the doors silently closed. His client seemed a very lonely man, something Matt found hard to understand, given his wealth and success.
He didn’t remember any mention of family from his research other than a wife who had died years ago from cancer and that one of the nonprofits was named for her. From all reports, the CEO’s whole life revolved around his work. He’d check again tomorrow and see what he could find on the internet.
By the time Matt pulled out of the parking garage, traffic had settled down from the mad five-o’clock rush. While he loved living in Memphis, he could do without the traffic. Fifteen minutes later, Matt unlocked his apartment. He couldn’t wait to get back into his surroundings, his routine. The past four days seemed like four weeks. Inside, the living room looked as picture-perfect as always. Jessica must’ve come by and straightened up. He tried to imagine Noah here, and a sigh came from somewhere deep inside him.
His nephew would hate it.
Maybe Matt could scatter around a few family photos, if he had any. He rolled his suitcase into his bedroom and unpacked it. Maybe chrome-and-glass wasn’t warm and cozy like Allie’s house or the farmhouse. It would do the boy good to be exposed to the finer things in life. Like going to dinner at a fancy restaurant.
Weariness settled in his bones. Maybe he could talk Jessica into eating in. He dialed her number. “Hey, babe,” he said when she answered. “What do you think about ordering in tonight?”
“But I’d planned a celebration dinner at the hotel restaurant. Thought I’d have the chef pan-fry a couple of flat-iron steaks....”
Dinner at the hotel meant a jacket and tie. He used his salesman voice. “Or, you could come here, maybe pick up Chinese on the way over. Nice romantic dinner, just the two of us?”
There was hesitation on Jessica’s end, then a soft sigh. “You do sound tired. And I haven’t talked with Chef yet. Moo goo gai pan sound good?”
Tension eased from Matt’s shoulders. “I knew there was a reason I was crazy about you.”
Her chuckle floated through the phone. “I’ll see you in thirty minutes.”
Matt tossed the phone on the bed and pulled a pair of jeans and a sweater from his closet. As he slipped an alligator belt through his pant loops, he remembered the strand of pearls and retrieved the black velvet bag from his suitcase. While he wasn’t an authority on pearls, the lustrous beads appeared to be high-quality. Just like the wedding ring set. He opened the velvet box holding his grandmother’s engagement ring. Like snow c
rystals sparkling under a morning’s sun, the diamond glittered under the lamp’s glow. Proof that his mother had a different life once.
You think you’re so much better than me. Why don’t you take these snotty-nosed brats and go back to your father. His own father’s drunken words just days before he wrapped his pickup around a light pole.
But the words had lit a fire in Matt’s mind. He’d always known his mother was different. That she had a quiet refinement that set her apart. When he asked what his dad meant, she brushed him off. When he persisted, she snapped at him. “Your grandfather is more interested in money than he is family.”
“But if he could help us—”
“We are doing fine, Matthew. We don’t need him or anyone else.”
“Mom, look around. We live in a dump. Why won’t you ask him?”
“The price is too high, son.” Pain had filled her hazel eyes that were red with unshed tears as her shoulders bowed from whatever secrets she hid from Matt.
He’d never asked again. But that did not keep him from dreaming of grandparents who could change his life if only he could find them.
Matt never found them. And now he didn’t need them. He had the life he wanted, and Jessica was part of that life. Matt snapped the velvet box shut and slipped it into his pocket. Before the night was out, he’d find out what she thought of the ring.
In the living room, flames licked the gas logs, reminding him of the Carsons’ real fireplace. Gas might not be as romantic, but it was much easier. He scrolled through a list of movies and selected a comedy so he wouldn’t have to think. For now, he chose a jazz radio station to play softly in the background. He checked his watch as he put cushions on the floor around the coffee table for them to sit on.
Maybe he could talk with Noah before Jessica arrived. He took out his phone, and a tug at his heart surprised him when the photo of Noah and Patches popped up on his screen. He speed-dialed Allie’s cell number and his call went straight to voice mail.
“Hi. This is Allie. Leave your number and I’ll get back to you.”
He frowned. Where could they be? Probably having dinner with Peter. But wouldn’t she have her cell phone with her? Maybe she didn’t want to talk to him. His jaw tightened. “Allie, this is Matt. Just checking to see how you and Noah are. Give me a call.”
He laid the phone on the coffee table. He should be happy that Allie had Peter to turn to. Peter could be quite charming when he wanted to be. He was in Cedar Grove.... Matt caught himself grinding his teeth.
Yeah, Peter was in Cedar Grove and would have daily contact with Noah if he wanted to—Allie, too. What if his nephew started liking Peter better than him? The doorbell chimed and he hurried to open the door.
Jessica threw her arms around him. “I have missed you!”
“Same here.” He swung her around and gently set her down, giving her a light kiss.
“You can do better than that.”
He pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips against hers, enjoying their softness and the way her lips responded to him.
“Better, but...” Jessica slipped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his once again.
“Hold that thought,” he said and unwrapped her arms long enough to grab the wire handles of the take-out boxes Jessica had set down outside the door.
“I can’t believe you,” she said.
“Hey, I’ve only had a hamburger all day and I’m starved.” He set the to-go containers on the coffee table.
Jessica’s brows lifted. “You want us to sit on the floor?”
“It’s all about ambience.” He held his hands up. “Good music, good food, beautiful lady. What more could you want? Unless maybe a movie later.”
“I’d rather learn more about Noah.”
“That’ll work, too.” Thirty minutes later, Matt leaned back against the couch, his stomach full. Over dinner, he’d explained about the custody arrangement and had shown her Noah’s picture.
“He’s a cute kid. I have so many plans for when you bring him here.”
“Like?”
“The Pink Palace, the zoo, the art gallery, the planetarium, the—”
“You’re going to wear the boy out.” He handed her a fortune cookie.
She broke it open and laughed.
“What does it say?”
“‘Remember what happened to the early worm.’”
He laughed with her. “That’s something you’ll never have to worry about.”
“Okay, Mr. Smarty, what does yours say?”
He snapped his open. “‘Help, I’m being held prisoner in a fortune cookie factory.’”
“It does not.” She grabbed the thin paper. “‘Be true to yourself.’”
The words were like an arrow to his heart. How many times had his mother said those very words? He began stacking their dishes. “How about that movie now?”
She half shrugged. “Are you going to bring Noah to Memphis next weekend?”
“I don’t think I can get him that far away from Mariah. Maybe later, when my sister is better.”
“And he’ll be staying with Allie during the week? Your old girlfriend?”
Matt frowned. He didn’t recall ever telling Jessica that he and Allie had dated. “That was a long time ago. How—”
“I called Clint. You haven’t been very forthcoming about your past, and he grew up with you, so—”
“You should have asked me.”
“Hello? Has something changed since the last time I asked you about your life before you came to Memphis?”
He picked up their dirty dishes and stood to take them into the kitchen. “It’s hard to talk about that time in my life. I didn’t like anything about it.”
“According to Clint, you were an outstanding guy. Honors society, star quarterback, scholarships.”
“What I remember is wearing ragged jeans before they were the ‘in’ thing. And secondhand clothes and Mom being so tired we often had scrambled eggs and nothing else for supper.”
She tilted her head. “Do you like who you are now better?”
“Of course I do,” he said and shoved the kitchen door open. After he’d loaded the dishwasher, he returned, hoping Jessica would get on another subject. He sat on the hard sofa and tried to find a comfortable spot. “What do you think about me buying another sofa? One with softer cushions? And not white.”
She snuggled beside him. “I think it would ruin the tone of this room. Now tell me about Allie. What qualifies Clint’s sister to have Noah and not you?”
Same subject, different verse. “She’s a school counselor and is familiar with his case, she’s also part of the foster care system...and she’s completed a home study—something I have yet to do.”
Jessica tucked her feet under her. “So, tell me what happened to you and Allie. Why did she let a great guy like you get away?”
He fixed his gaze on the only color in the room—Jessica’s painting that had a splash of blood-red. “In the first place, she broke up with me, not the other way around.”
“You’re kidding. Why?”
Can’t you see, Matt? You’re fighting to be someone you’re not. Someone I don’t even like. So you go on, turn yourself into whoever you think you have to be, but I can’t be part of it. He shoved Allie’s words from his mind. “We grew apart. I came to Memphis, she stayed in Cedar Grove.”
“Do you ever wish you’d stayed?”
“No.” But was that true? Once or twice this weekend he’d found himself almost envious of Allie and the contentment she radiated. His muscles tensed. If he’d stayed, he’d still be the kid from the wrong side of town.
“Are you sure?”
“I didn’t leave anything behind in Cedar Grove that I want to go back for now.” He
turned to Jessica. “Do you know how hard I’ve worked to forget who I was there?” He swept his arm around the room. “This is the life I want. You’re the wife I want.”
Jessica’s hand flew to her lips.
Matt’s stomach knotted as he took the velvet box from his pocket and opened the top. There was no turning back now. The light caught the facets of the diamond in the engagement ring, the lively stone shimmering a rainbow of color. He slipped the ring on her finger. “Jessica Winthrop, will you marry me?”
Jessica’s eyes widened. “Oh, Matt, I don’t know what to say.”
“‘Yes’ will do.”
“Yes! Yes, a thousand times yes.” She threw her arms around his neck.
Matt released the breath he’d been holding. His life was coming together, and until this very second, he hadn’t realized how important Jessica was to him. Nothing was going to change that.
* * *
“DO YOU LIKE Mr. Elliott better than you do Uncle Matt?” Noah scrunched his eyebrows together. He was lying on his stomach in front of the fireplace, drawing.
Allie paused as she folded the pile of warm clothes beside her on the couch. This was a question she probably should’ve expected, especially since Peter had taken them to the Emporium for dinner. “I think he’s nice, don’t you?”
“But do you like him better?”
It didn’t matter whether she liked him better or not. Matt was marrying Jessica. Which was fine. She and Matt didn’t belong together anyway. “How about you? Do you like Mr. Elliott?”
Noah stared at her with his huge blue eyes. Sometimes Allie believed he knew exactly what she was thinking. “He’s okay, I guess.”
“How about Matt? You still mad at him?”
Again that shrug. “He knew I wanted to stay where my mom is.”
“I think he was doing the best he could.”
“Whatever.”
She frowned. “Noah. We don’t use that word in this house.”
His eyes grew even bigger. “But...it’s not a dirty word or anything like that.”
“It is here. We probably need to lay a few ground rules for when you’re here.”
Matthew's Choice Page 13