Chapter Five
Megan waited for Stella on the patio of the Waterside Bistro. Her friend was, as usual, running late. It gave Megan time to look over Adam’s list again. She still had an hour before Charlie needed to be picked up from school. The small restaurant, which overlooked Penobscot Bay, was middle-of-the-day quiet. Megan’s brain was not. It hadn’t stopped circling since Adam’s insane request.
Find him a wife.
For thirty brief seconds, she’d thought he was thinking of her, of them. And her stupid brain had not rejected the idea. Her heart had actually jumped at the thought. She was such an idiot. It was like every standard she’d ever set for herself had disappeared, and her chest had filled with excitement. She obviously needed to find some dates of her own if Adam’s idiotic request had made her blood race.
They were not a good match.
Most of the time, she wasn’t even sure he liked her, let alone cared about her enough to consider her a “candidate.” But why would he? A girl my age? She clenched her fingers around the stupid list and saw Stella arrive.
“I’m sorry. I had a very uncooperative Great Dane who needed stitches,” Stella said, her straight mahogany hair flying around her shoulders as she pulled out a chair and sat.
“No problem. Who won? You or the dog?”
Stella smirked. “Who do you think?”
Anyone who didn’t know her friend would assume the dog, since, standing on hind legs, an animal the size of a Great Dane would be taller than Stella. Despite her small stature, the veterinarian had a granite backbone. It came across as stubbornness when she wouldn’t let Megan assist her in any way, but it also showed her strength. She’d dealt with a lot in the last year and held her head high through all of it.
“I can’t imagine having a dog that big. When I get my own place, I was thinking of a cat. I’ve gotten used to Lemon trying to trip me when I’ve got my hands full,” Megan said, thinking of Charlie’s cat.
“You could go for a small dog,” Stella said, putting her purse on the table and taking a deep breath, settling herself.
A waiter donning a Waterside polo shirt and matching apron approached their table. He spoke to Stella. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“Just a water for now, please,” she said.
Megan took a drink of her cola and realized she was still holding Adam’s list. “Want to split an appetizer? I have to pick up Charlie soon.”
“Sure,” she said, closing the menu and looking up at the waiter. He’d been staring at her, which amused Megan. Her friend was completely nonchalant about the stares that followed in her wake. With her gorgeous, naturally tanned complexion, miles of hair, and exotically dark eyes, she presented quite the image. But Stella was less interested in love than Adam was in romance. Her life was solely about carrying on her father’s legacy and providing affordable care for animals. In a rare moment of over-sharing, after indulging in a very nice red wine at her house, Stella had confided that she’d been left at the altar by her ex, which was another reason for her laser focus on her career. Stella considered happily ever after a mythical beast better left unpoked.
“We’ll take the battered prawn basket, please,” Stella said.
“No problem.”
“And actually, I’ll have a cola, too, please.”
“You got it,” the waiter said, nodding. He took both menus and walked away.
“Maybe I should set Adam up with you,” Megan muttered, unsure why saying the words out loud made her chest uncomfortably tight.
“No, thank you. Even if I did want to settle down with someone, which I absolutely do not, a workaholic with no sense of humor would be last on my list.”
Megan thought about Adam making her laugh last night. She would have whole-heartedly agreed with the assessment of her boss only a day ago, but last night she’d seen a glimpse of…something else.
Still, she couldn’t let the irony of Stella’s comment go. The waiter came by to drop off Stella’s drink and brought Megan a refill. Stella took her time, glancing at Megan, who continued to stare at her friend as she sipped from her straw.
“I’m not a workaholic,” she finally answered.
Megan laughed. “No. Not you.”
“Animals don’t operate on nine to five hours, so how can I?”
“I’m not judging you. Just saying. How am I supposed to find a woman who meets his…needs?”
She picked up the crumpled list and passed it to her friend. Megan didn’t even need it anymore, since she’d memorized Adam’s bullet point notes of what made the perfect woman. She couldn’t believe he even had a list.
—Must love children.
—Willing to make Charlie the top priority.
—Attractive.
—Physically fit, hygienic, lives an active lifestyle.
—Educated.
—Kind but firm.
—Understanding of my work schedule/able to be accommodating with her own.
—Wants to have a child in the near future.
—Happy with a partnership that includes fidelity, financial security, and companionship.
—Between the ages of 28-31.
After she’d read the list a dozen times the night before—in private—she realized that she fit the requirements almost perfectly. Except for the whole pesky wanting a relationship built on love, trust, and a desire to spend the rest of her life with someone. Thank God she didn’t have a crush on her boss and hadn’t been pining away for him all these years. Even with his rather aloof demeanor, she wouldn’t have pictured his ideal woman the way he described her.
“Holy frickety-frak. What the hell kind of list is this?” Stella read it over again, and Megan was grateful she wasn’t the only one taken aback by the sterility and ridiculousness of what she read. Though how different would her own list be? One, three, four, and eight seemed pretty important. Nine would be a for sure if it didn’t sound like a business merger.
Seeing the waiter approach with their appetizer, Megan waved her hand at her friend. “Shh.”
“Here you are, ladies. Can I get you anything else?”
Stella folded the list, biting her lip as she shook her head.
“No, thank you.”
When he walked away, Stella started to laugh. “You work for a weirdo.”
Megan sighed. The thing was she didn’t. Adam was a really good guy. He definitely had some weird ideas on how to go about dating, but he loved his son, and to Megan, that mattered more than anything else. If Adam was going to do this, she wanted to be part of it. Once he’d decided something was a good idea, the man was difficult to sway. Megan wanted the comfort of knowing she had a hand in choosing the next woman to positively impact Charlie’s life. Maybe that would make leaving a bit easier.
“He’s been burned badly,” Megan said, picking up a shrimp and then dropping it with a hiss.
Stella laughed and picked up a fork. “Hot?”
“Adam?”
Her friend’s laughter turned the heads of the few diners in the restaurant. She leaned forward. “I meant the shrimp.”
Her cheeks burned. “Of course. Right.”
She picked up her own fork and stabbed a piece of the breaded seafood then blew on it with laser focus. When she glanced up, Stella was still grinning at her.
“Shut up, Stell.”
“What? I didn’t say anything. Speaking of not saying anything, is there a celebration planned for your graduation that you aren’t telling me about?”
“No. Nothing really. My brother and Garrett took me out, but it got interrupted.”
She took a cautious bite of the shrimp and sighed in pleasure. Living on the coast had definite perks.
“I want to throw a little party for you. Don’t look at me like that. Nothing big. But you deserve to celebrate. I’ll give you the details once I’ve chatted with Parks.”
She waved her fork at Stella before grabbing another shrimp. “Nothing big. Promise.”
Stella crossed her heart and winked.
…
“Why do I even have to go to the last couple of days?” Charlie snapped his seat belt closed and flopped his head against the backseat.
Megan smiled at the seven year old’s display of drama. “How about to be with your friends?”
“They can come over and play.”
Megan glanced in the rearview mirror of her aged Jeep and caught the smile in Charlie’s gaze.
“Knock it off, bud. You’re going. Besides, Friday is your show, and your dad is excited to see it.”
Pulling out of the parking lot, she took a left onto the main road back toward the house. Charlie pulled an Archie comic out of his backpack and opened it. Conversation over.
When they got home, Charlie had a snack while Megan started dinner. He sat on one of the bar-style stools that rested under the island.
He spoke around the carrot he was munching on. “You’re really going to leave?”
Even though her heart hitched, she kept dicing the garlic and threw it into the pan on the stove. “Yes. But just because I don’t live here doesn’t mean I won’t see you.”
Megan washed the garlic off her hands, noting that Charlie hadn’t responded. She grabbed the chicken from the fridge and set it by the stove before coming back to the counter. He was avoiding her eyes.
“Bud?” She bent her knees, trying to see him better.
“That’s what Mom said.”
If she’d been standing straight, her knees would have buckled. Megan gripped the countertop and took a breath. “Look at me, Charlie.”
His hair had fallen across his forehead. He was so much like his dad. Megan’s heart twisted with love. She couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to have a child of her own if she loved this one so much. Charlie’s bottom lip trembled, and she rounded the counter to scoop him off his stool. He rarely let her pick him up, but this time he didn’t protest.
“Listen to me. I love you, and nothing will change that. And I’m staying in town. Who knows? I could get lucky and get a long-term job at your school.”
He rested his arms on her shoulders. “Yeah?”
Megan nodded. “Yeah.”
“’Kay.”
His lips stopped trembling, but the worry didn’t leave his eyes. Megan jostled him in her arms, making a small smile tip his lips upward.
“For the record, your mom loves you, too, bud. So does your dad. There’s no shortage of people who do. You know that, right? And you know that no matter where anyone is, it doesn’t change how they feel.”
“I know.”
Hearing the front door open, then close, Megan’s head snapped up as Adam walked in. Charlie squirmed out of her hold, jumping down and running to his dad.
“Dad. You’re back early!”
Adam scooped him up with one arm and put his briefcase down on the table. “I am. My meeting got canceled.”
“Cool,” Charlie said.
Megan met Adam’s gaze over his head and could see from the tight way he smiled that it wasn’t cool at all. But he gave Charlie a hard hug and ruffled his hair.
Megan heard him ask Charlie if he was okay as she walked to the stove and turned on the burner to cook the chicken.
“Yeah. Megan was just saying she loves me and so does everyone else, and it doesn’t matter where anyone lives.”
She met Adam’s gaze again. She couldn’t be certain, but he looked surprised. Why didn’t he believe her when she said how much Charlie mattered? Had Reece hurt him so badly he wasn’t able to believe in anyone else? He nodded and looked back at Charlie.
“Megan’s pretty smart, isn’t she?”
“Yup. Wanna play Minecraft?”
“Let me wash up first, okay? Go get it started.”
Charlie rushed out of the kitchen, and Adam loosened his tie, pulling it away from his neck. The chicken sizzled in the pan. Megan gave it a stir then got rid of the packaging. When she turned back, Adam was leaning against the counter beside the stove.
She looked at him. “Hi.” This was new.
“Hey.” Definitely new.
“Are you okay?”
“Client signed with another firm.”
He never came home and told her about his work. It felt…domestic, naturally and blissfully so—a sensation she’d never known around him. She was momentarily stunned. “I’m sorry.”
“Me too.”
The silence was as thick as the scent of garlic. She stirred again then rooted in the cupboard for the pasta noodles.
“That smells good. Will you stay and eat with us?”
Megan was up on her tiptoes reaching for the bag. She froze and looked over her shoulder. Was he looking at her ass? No. This was reality, not another dimension. Besides, her ass probably didn’t meet his criteria.
His eyes locked on hers, and his cheeks flushed. What the hell? She grabbed the bag and pulled it down from the second shelf.
“Uh, I could. Or I can just finish this and leave it for you guys. You don’t often get home this early. Charlie would probably love the extra time.”
She shut the cupboard door, her fingers feeling tingly. She almost dropped the pasta on the counter. Trying to focus on her task instead of Adam’s proximity and strange mood, she pulled a pot from under the counter.
“I thought that since I was home, we could discuss our plan more. I’d like to get started.”
She set the pot on the counter harder than she intended. Adam arched a brow at the sound that seemed to echo in the kitchen. Megan wasn’t sure where her irritation was coming from. It was his life—if this was the route he wanted to take, it wasn’t her business. Except for the part where it was and she had to help him. But it’s not about him. It’s about Charlie. It’s about being able to start the next phase of your own life while knowing that little boy is going to be okay. Still, her skin felt too tight, and she had to remind herself she’d also be starting the next phase of her life debt free thanks to this arrangement.
“Fine. I looked into a few sites today so we can start a profile for you.”
She filled the pot with water, all too aware that he was in her space. His home, her space. He was never back early like this. Certainly never after asking her to find him a wife. The perfect wife. One who won’t cling to romantic ideals or fairy tales.
“Pfft,” Megan scoffed, shaking her head.
“Pardon?”
Looking over her shoulder again, she shrugged. “I didn’t say anything.”
He didn’t look like he believed her, but he let it go. “Reece wants Charlie for a couple of weeks later this month.”
Turning the water off and setting the pot in the sink, she waited for him to continue, hating the sorrow in his voice. As often as he had to travel, he hated to be away from his son.
The unhappiness in his eyes reminded her of when Charlie got hurt, how his smile would disappear and tears filled his eyes. Not that she thought Adam would cry, but he certainly looked more vulnerable than she was used to seeing him. Why did their hurt make her feel like it was her own?
“I’m sorry. I know you’d rather he wasn’t gone for weeks at a time.”
When he just nodded and looked away, she finished filling the pot and set it on the stove. To give herself an extra moment, she dried her hands on the dishtowel.
When she hung it back up, she walked over to where he’d taken a seat on a bar stool and picked up one of Charlie’s uneaten carrots.
“Maybe this is a good thing. It’ll give you time to get sorted and make the transition of my leaving easier.”
“She has a break from filming and wants to take him to Disneyland.”
Other than the night before, this was the most Adam had talked to her about something other than her job. It felt oddly intimate. Do not go there. You want a man who isn’t scared to love someone again. Focus on Charlie.
“Charlie will love that.”
“She asked if I’d join them.”
Megan’s throat went dry, and her heart skipped a whole beat. “Do you want to?”
He looked up then, smiled wryly at her, which sent a strange sensation through her. One she hadn’t ever felt. Like her insides were being lit up with live wires.
“No. Not even a little bit.”
Their eyes locked on each other for an uncomfortably long few seconds, making the sensation hover around her. Like he’d just realized where he was, Adam shook his head slightly. “I’m going to go play Minecraft with Charlie. We’ll eat, and once he’s in bed, we’ll set up the profiles. The sooner the better.”
“Okay,” she agreed as he left the room. She wasn’t even sure if he heard her.
…
“I’m not posing for a picture,” Adam said, putting his hand up in front of her phone so she couldn’t snap one.
Her lips twitched. She shouldn’t find this so amusing, but who knew he was camera shy? “Stop being a baby.”
He glared at her, and she snapped a shot of him like that for the sheer pleasure of pushing his buttons. Buttons she didn’t realize he had. Ones she didn’t know she’d enjoy finding.
“I’m not being a baby. This is ridiculous.”
She put her phone by her side and stopped laughing. “You have to. You wouldn’t choose someone who you couldn’t see.”
When she put the phone up again, he blocked the view of his face. She tried to push his hand out of the way, but he just put the other one up. His hand gripped hers so she couldn’t move his, and a smirk tilted the corners of his lips. Megan was all too aware of the way his hand felt on hers—warm, exciting. Stop it. This isn’t foreplay. You’re finding him a freaking wife, a mom for Charlie.
She dropped her hand, and he stared at her, putting his hands on the arms of the chair. “I’ll find an old one.”
“Nope. It has to be current.”
Adam frowned, narrowing his eyes. “Is that a rule?”
She laughed. “More like a courtesy. You don’t want to misrepresent the goods.”
His short laugh sent a pleasant shiver over her skin. He’d showered after Charlie went to bed, and though she’d never tell him, it was the perfect time to get a shot of him. His hair was still curling a bit around his ears, and he was freshly shaven. He wore a casual black T-shirt and a pair of lounge pants. She’d nearly swallowed her tongue at the sight of him walking into his office where she was on the computer. They weren’t exactly pajama pals, and it seemed unfair that he should look so good in his.
With a resigned sigh, he sat up straighter. “Fine. But make it quick.”
“Yes, Mr. Klein.” She sing-songed the words.
Adam tilted his head and grinned at her. “Cute.”
Had he just called her cute? No. He said something you said was cute. What is wrong with you? Take his picture and get this done so you can go back to your place and text Stella.
She snapped a photo, then another. And because he was still just smiling at her, she took one more.
“Are you posting three?”
“You counted?”
“I’m pretty good with numbers.”
He’d clearly missed the first one. Megan laughed. In five years, he’d hidden his dry wit well. “I’m putting funny on your profile.”
“Do that. I’ll put one less zero on your check.”
She pointed at him. “See? Funny.”
Taking a seat, she clicked on the highest-rated site she’d bookmarked, Find Forever.
Adam had pulled a chair from the kitchen table into his office. “You’re sure this is a reputable site?”
“Yes. I researched this morning. I’ll let you fill in the personal information, height, age, that sort of thing, but I can help you with the opening questionnaire, if you’d like.”
He edged closer, and Megan had to force herself not to think about how his minty fresh breath might taste. Shutting down that thought, she wondered again if she should put a little more effort into her own dating life and finding someone who wanted the kind of forever that she did.
“What kind of questionnaire? What do they want to know?”
The urge to mess with him made her grin. Like he could read her mind, he glared mockingly at her. “How did I not know you had an evil side?”
She shrugged and typed in the registration information. “Same way I didn’t know you were funny, I guess. We don’t talk much.”
“Except about Charlie.”
She smiled at him and finished typing. “He’s a good topic.”
The flecks of gold outshone the dark green in his eyes when they went soft like that. “He is.”
Once she’d gotten him set up with a username and password on the first site, she skimmed over the welcoming information. She’d compared sites based on their reviews, percentages of long-term matches, and target markets.
“So. This site has a ‘This or That’ quiz. Do you want to read it or just tell me?”
She looked at him when he didn’t answer and saw he was on his phone, reading something.
“Adam.”
He looked up and gestured for her to carry on. “Read it out loud. I just need to respond to this.”
Sighing, Megan looked back at the screen. If he couldn’t even give his undivided attention to filling out a form, what would he be like on a date? Her fingers hovered over the keyboard. The reviews of the site said they had a very high successful match rate. It was a backup option, she supposed. If the traditional, meet and fall madly in love method failed.
“Day or night?” she began.
“Huh?”
Huffing out a breath, she glanced at him. Still on his phone. “You say which you prefer.”
“Uh, okay. Day.”
He started typing something on his phone, but Megan continued. He was used to multitasking. Perhaps she should put that as an attribute in his file.
“Beach or city?”
“City.”
No surprise there. A beach might mean relaxing.
“Talking or texting?”
He looked up with a crooked grin. “Talking.”
She shook her head but smiled. “Kiss good night or kiss good morning?”
Both. Megan’s heart fluttered in her chest. Adam was staring at her when she turned her head.
“Is that really a question?”
“Why would I ask otherwise?”
She bit her lip and saw that his gaze tracked the movement. Breath hitching in her throat, she looked back at the screen.
“Good night.”
Megan told herself she was imagining his voice had sounded a bit rough. It was a good answer. Chances were good, when someone kissed good night, they’d be there in the morning.
Clearing her throat, she asked, “Five-star restaurant or burgers at home?”
“Those are quite different,” he said, setting his phone down. Finally.
“Just choose.”
“Burgers at home.”
She smiled at him. “Because of Charlie?”
His grin was fleeting. “That and five-star restaurants are crowded, expensive, and serve small portions.”
She rolled her eyes. “Holding hands or not?”
Please be a hand holder.
Oh my God. It doesn’t matter!
“Holding hands.”
Megan kept her gaze glued to the screen so he wouldn’t see her unwarranted relief at that bit of knowledge. Knowing assured her that there was a different side to him—one that wasn’t all about the bottom line and pros and cons lists. Underneath his brusque conversations and unconventional ideas about finding a wife, he was a man. One who liked to hold hands and kiss good night. Her stomach tightened. One with sexy abs and strong arms. She hadn’t known that before this week, and now that she did, the image kept popping into her brain like a flashing sign.
“How many more? This seems like a waste of time,” he said, leaning in to look over her shoulder.
And there it is. Immediate heat douser.
“Four more. Spontaneous night out or planned evening?”
She’d already clicked planned when he answered, making him arch one of his dark eyebrows.
“Lucky guess,” she said. He was still leaning over her shoulder, and it was making it hard to concentrate.
“Three more.”
“Hiking or parasailing?”
“Neither.”
“Do I have to explain this to you again?”
“Hiking.”
“Toys or no toys?” She was not looking at him for this one.
“Toys for what?” His phone buzzed, and he looked down at it again. She let the silence hang between them while he answered a text.
“Sorry. What kind of toys?”
Despite the heat trickling up her back and across her front, she looked at him and widened her eyes meaningfully, hoping he’d get it.
Clueless, he asked, “For acting?”
“Toys. Like, in the bedroom.” Could her face actually catch on fire?
Adam’s scrunched brows suddenly bounced up, and his lips formed an O.
“Well, it’s been a while, but I damn sure don’t need help.”
Megan bit her lip to keep from laughing or swooning. Because, pissy, uptight attitude or not, she liked a man with confidence.
“No toys it is. Romantic public proposal or romantic private proposal?”
“God. How about neither? How about straightforward agreement to live together and not beat the shit out of each other emotionally until death do us part?”
As though she’d lined up a row of dominoes, building toward something fun and good, his words knocked them over, clearing her brain, and her heart, of any enjoyment in this moment.
“Private it is. You can do the rest yourself. Fill in the information about yourself; add whatever details you want. Maybe check out a couple of other profiles as examples. See this?” She pointed to the button that said save profile.
Adam leaned closer, and she caught the scent of his aftershave. She inhaled deeper, pulling the smell into her lungs and trapping it. He turned his face, and she realized they were far too close. He seemed to realize at the same second and snapped back, sitting upright.
“Yes.”
She cleared her throat. Bouncing her knee up and down, suddenly restless, she nodded. “You want to save the profile, but don’t publish it. I’ll upload the photos in the morning.”
“Okay. Did I upset you?”
Focused on the way his T-shirt stretched across his chest, she hoped her voice didn’t betray her. “Nope. This has nothing to do with me.” Maybe I ought to write that down so I don’t forget.
Their combined breathing sounded too loud in her ears. She wasn’t sure why her pulse was racing but most likely because she’d let herself get caught up in this. Which was stupid. She needed a date of her own. Not from a computer. And even if it were, it would be a man who immediately checked off the romantic private proposal. When Megan found her forever, she wanted it all.
She stood up and stepped back from the computer, putting thoughts of forever out of her head. “They’ll ask for your credit card information and how long you want to join for. I’d go for the three-month package because it’s more cost efficient.”
Adam stood but stayed where he was so there was enough distance between them that she could breathe properly. Not that breathing around him had ever been a problem before. And it’s not now. See? In. Out. In. Out. Maybe different word choices.
“Thanks for getting started on this right away.”
“No problem.”
The silence was too loud, but Megan forced herself to stay a moment longer to prove that things weren’t different. He was just a guy she worked for, like he was the day before and the one before that. Nothing had changed. And yet, somehow, absolutely everything was going to. Even though she knew it—and wanted those changes—nerves settled inside of her; “what ifs” and “maybes” flitted around in her brain. What if she stayed? Maybe she didn’t have to go.
“Good night, Megan.”
He pulled her out of her thoughts and reminded her that the choices had already been made. And they were exactly what she wanted.